Lúthien
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| name=Lúthien Tinúviel | | name=Lúthien Tinúviel | ||
| othernames= | | othernames= | ||
Revision as of 23:55, 6 March 2010
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| Lúthien Tinúviel | |
| Sinda | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Titles | Princess of Doriath. |
| Birth | c. Years of the Trees 1200, Beleriand. |
| Death | c. First Age 505. (aged 3,400 years.) |
| Family | |
| Parentage | Thingol + Melian. |
| Spouse | Beren. |
| Children | Dior. |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Female. |
| Hair color | Black. |
| Eye color | Grey. |
Lúthien Tinúviel (S, pron. [ˈluːθjen tiˈnuːvjel]) was the only daughter of King Thingol of Doriath and Melian the Maia. She was said to be the fairest maiden to have ever lived.
Contents |
History
Lúthien would often dance in the woods, while her friend Daeron would play his flute. Daeron came to love her, and while she enjoyed his company, she did not return his love.
Quest for the Silmaril
After a time, a darkness fell on Lúthien's heart, and she learned from her mother Melian what this meant; Beren had been captured by Sauron, and was held in the dungeons of Tol-in-Gaurhoth. Though Thingol sought to stop her, Lúthien set out from Doriath to rescue Beren, if she could. Passing through many adventures, she gained the help of Huan the Hound, and together they came to Sauron's Isle. Through Lúthien's magic and Huan's strength they defeated Sauron and rescued Beren. Eventually Beren set out for Angband once again, but this time Lúthien accompanied him.
Through Lúthien's powers, they passed the gates of Angband, and the great wolf Carcharoth that guarded them. Coming before the Dark Throne itself, she wove a spell that put Morgoth and his court into a deep sleep, and Beren cut a Silmaril from the Iron Crown. Returning to the gates, they found that Carcharoth barred their escape. Beren held up the hallowed jewel to protect them, but the monstrous wolf bit off his hand, and with it consumed the Silmaril. But the Silmarils were blessed by Varda herself, so that any unclean flesh that touched them would be withered and burnt. The wolf's innards were consumed with that burning, and it ran howling into the south.
Lúthien healed Beren, and they came at last back to her father's halls at Menegroth. There they heard tidings that the maddened wolf had entered Thingol's realm, and Beren set out with the King to the Hunting of the Wolf. After nightfall they returned; the wolf was slain and the Silmaril recovered, but Beren was wounded mortally. So he passed away, and soon after Lúthien too wasted of grief.
Aftermath
Etymology
According to The Etymologies, Lúthien means Enchantress. However, in a later note, published in Parma Eldalamberon 17, Tolkien chose Daughter of Flowers instead. Tinúviel means "Nightingale", or, more literally, "Dusk-Singer". Both are Sindarin.
Genealogy
| Elu Thingol | Melian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| House of Bëor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LÚTHIEN | Beren | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dior | Nimloth | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eärendil | Elwing | Eluréd | Elurín | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elrond | Elros | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other versions of the legendarium
The name Luthien appears since the earliest conceptions. The name was connected with "Luthany", the Elfin name for England. In several drafts, Luthien would be the Elfin name of Ælfwine, which would be translated as "traveler" and later as "friend".