Beren and Lúthien

Beren and Lúthien, published in 2017 and edited by Christopher Tolkien, is a collection that compiles the various versions of one of the foundational love stories of J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium. This tale, which the author himself considered the “kernel of the mythology,” is deeply personal, inspired by his wife, Edith, and her dancing in a woodland glade.

The book is not a single narrative but rather an academic study that traces the story’s evolution from its earliest form in The Book of Lost Tales to its final state in The Silmarillion. It includes passages in both prose and verse, showcasing how Tolkien’s imagination developed over time, with characters and settings changing as he refined the legend. Christopher Tolkien’s commentary provides context for each version, highlighting the differences and revealing his father’s creative process.

The story centres on the love between Beren, a mortal man, and Lúthien, an immortal Elf-maiden of divine descent. Lúthien’s father, the Elven King Thingol, opposes their union and sets an impossible task for Beren: to retrieve a Silmaril, a holy jewel, from the crown of the Dark Lord Morgoth. This quest, fraught with peril and sacrifice, leads the pair into the very heart of the enemy’s fortress. Their legendary love and courage ultimately succeed where the might of armies failed, but not without great cost. The tale is a profound meditation on love, mortality, and the blending of different races, setting a precedent for the later relationship between Aragorn and Arwen in The Lord of the Rings.

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