Lay of Leithian

Lay of Leithian cantos
Canto I Canto II Canto III Canto IV Canto V Canto VI Canto VII Canto VIII Canto IX Canto X Canto XI Canto XII Canto XIII Canto XIV

The Lay of Lúthien, also known as the Lay of Leithian: Release from Bondage, the Lay of Leithian, or the tale of Tinúviel, was a lengthy sad tale made in the ann-thennath Elvish verse mode telling the story of Beren, Lúthien, and the Quest for the Silmaril.

History

Sometime between the years F.A. 503 and F.A. 538 of the late First Age, the Lay of Lúthien was likely among many tales and songs that were made in the Havens of Sirion. It was said to be the second longest lay; only being beaten in length by Dírhaval's Narn i Chîn Húrin.

By the time of the late Third Age, the ending of the lay was forgotten and only Elrond in Rivendell could remember it "as it was told of old".

When Aragorn saw Arwen in Rivendell for the first time, he sang an excerpt from the Lay of Lúthien telling of Beren and Lúthien's first meeting in the Forest of Neldoreth.

In the year T.A. 3018, Aragorn sang the same excerpt on Weathertop in the Weather Hills to distract Frodo Baggins, Meriadoc Brandybuck, Peregrin Took, and Samwise Gamgee from their fears. Afterwards, Aragorn summarized the lay and explained its history and form to the Hobbits. He also commented that his Westron-translated excerpt was "but a rough echo of" the original since the lay was difficult to translate.

Plot

Beren recovers a Silmaril by Anke Eißmann

The Lay tells the story of Beren's escape from Dorthonion after the loss of his father Barahir. Coming into the south, he entered Doriath and came across Lúthien Tinúviel in the woods. They desired to wed, but Lúthien's father, King Thingol, set an impossible bride-price on his daughter—a Silmaril from the Iron Crown of Morgoth in the deepest pits of Angband. Beren set out on his hopeless quest with the aid of King Finrod Felagund, but they were captured and imprisoned by Sauron. Lúthien came to their aid through many troubles of her own, and with the help of Huan the Hound she rescued Beren. Using her magical arts, they penetrated Angband and stole one of the Silmarils, but in their escape Beren's hand, holding the Silmaril, was bitten from his wrist by the great wolf Carcharoth. Eventually, the wolf was hunted and slain, and the Silmaril recovered, but only at the cost of Beren's life. Then Lúthien, too, passed away, and pleaded before Mandos himself. Both Beren and Lúthien were returned to life, and they dwelt in the south of Ossiriand for a time. Lúthien had become mortal herself, and she passed away at last with her beloved beyond the Circles of the World.

Etymology

Leithian means "Release from Bondage" from the verb leithia ("release") from verb leith ("set free") (root LEK).

Title

The most likely meaning of the title can be found at one of the key moments in the poem, the point at which one of the Silmarils, the magical gems of Fëanor, is cut from the crown of Morgoth by Beren:

Behold! the hope of Elvenland
the fire of Fëanor, Light of Morn
before the sun and moon were born,
thus out of bondage came at last,
from iron to mortal hand it passed.

Canto XIII, Verses 4-8

This moment is also central to the over-arching story-line of The Silmarillion, in which the gem is used to bring hope to the scattered peoples of Middle-Earth and is ultimately set in the heavens by the mariner Eärendil as a sign of their coming salvation.

The name of the poem is therefore likely an attempt to underscore the importance of the Lay relative to other tales from the first age. Though honor, bravery and vengeance drive the Elven hosts forward to war with Morgoth, it is only love that can overcome all obstacles to wrest a Silmaril from his crown.

Real world history

The Lay is not a mere literary invention — it does substantially exist in English, in the form of iambic tetrameter, and is contained within volume III of The History of Middle-earth, appropriately named The Lays of Beleriand. Though the extant lay runs to 4223 lines and fourteen Cantos, Tolkien never fully completed the poem. The fragment terminates right at one of the climactic moments of the tale, as Beren's hand is torn from the wrist by the monstrous guardian of Angband's gate, Carcharoth.

See also

• "The leaves were long, the grass was green,"
• Cantos of the Lay of Leithian