Beren

Beren, also called Beren Erchamion, was a Man of Middle-earth, a hero whose romance with the Elf Lúthien was one of the great stories of the Elder Days.


 * For other characters named Beren see also: Beren (disambiguation)

Story
Beren was the son of Barahir and Emeldir. He was a Man of the royal House of Bëor of Dorthonion, and the most accomplished hero and adventurer of the First Age. The battle of the Dagor Bragollach befell during his youth, bringing about the ruin of his kingdom. The young Beren lived with his father and ten loyal followers in the highlands of Dorthonion, and the twelve of them performed many acts of bravery, to the great frustration of Morgoth, the Dark King of Angband. After the ruin of the Outlaws of Dorthonion, Beren was forced from the land of his birth by Sauron and Draugluin. He crossed into Doriath, where he saw and fell in love with Lúthien, princess of the Sindar and daughter of Thingol and Melian.

Thingol haughtily refused to give Lúthien's hand in marriage. He said that he would allow the marriage to take place only if Beren brought back a Silmaril from the Iron Crown of Morgoth. The task was intended to be impossible, but Beren and Lúthien, with the aid of Finrod of Nargothrond and Huan the Great Hound (both of whom died protecting Beren), braved many perils (even besting Sauron, then Morgoth's most powerful lieutenant) and captured a Silmaril. However, as they escaped from Angband, the great wolf Carcharoth, whom Morgoth had personally bred, awoke. Beren held out the Silmaril, hoping that its radiance would avert the beast, but he was mistaken. Carcharoth bit off his hand swallowed it and the Silmaril (thus Beren was called Erchamion, One-hand), and proceeded to run rampant through Doriath. Lúthien and the unconscious Beren were rescued by the Eagles of Manwë. Beren participated in the hunting of Carcharoth, where the beast was slain and the Silmaril recovered; the quest was accomplished, but in the process Beren was mortally wounded.

Lúthien's love for Beren was so strong that, hearing of his death, she laid down and died. Her soul went to the Halls of Mandos, where she managed to charm Mandos into granting her a wish in a way much like that of Orpheus in Greek mythology. Both she and Beren were restored to life, but both of them would die the death of Men, and go beyond the walls of Arda to a place unknown. Thus Beren and Lúthien lived again, and dwelt on Tol Galen in the middle of the river Adurant in Ossiriand. There they stayed apart from other mortals; Beren was involved with the events of the First Age only one further time, when he waylaid a group of Dwarves who had destroyed Doriath and stolen the Nauglamír (and the Silmaril with it).

Lúthien bore Beren a son, named Dior, Thingol's heir, considered to be one of the fairest beings to ever live, for in him flowed the blood of Men, the blood of Elves, and the blood of the Ainur. Through his descendants, the blood of Beren and of Lúthien was preserved among the Eldar and the Edain.

The name of Beren's sword was Dagmor.

Evolution
The story of Beren and Lúthien, though mentioned only briefly in The Lord of the Rings, was a central part of the legendarium. Tolkien once referred to it as "the kernel of the mythology" (The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, 165). He went on to say that it "arose from a small woodland glade filled with 'hemlocks'", which he visited while serving in the Humber Garrison in 1918 (during World War I).

In the earliest versions of the legendarium (see: The Book of Lost Tales), Beren was a Gnome (a Ñoldorin Elf), son of Egnor (which might have been an early name for Aegnor).

Tolkien was buried in Wolvercote Cemetery (North Oxford) and this name appears on the stone:


 * JOHN RONALD REUEL TOLKIEN Beren 1892 – 1973

The name of Lúthien also appears on the stone:


 * EDITH MARY TOLKIEN Lúthien 1889 – 1971