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Beren is a fictional character, from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy-world Middle-earth. He was a the son of Barahir and Emeldir, a Man of the royal House of Bëor of Dorthonion. His romance with the Elf Lúthien is one of the great stories of the Elder Days.
Biography
The Battle of Sudden Flame occurred during Beren's youth, bringing about the ruin of his kingdom. Thenceforward the young Beren lived with his father and ten loyal followers in the highlands of Dorthonion, at Tarn Aeluin, and they performed many acts of bravery, to the great frustration of Morgoth, the Dark Lord 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 only allow the marriage if Beren recovered one of the Silmarils, the three hallowed jewels which the Elves had lost to Morgoth, 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 finally reached Angband and came before Morgoth. Beren was able to capture a Silmaril when Lúthien had made the Dark Lord fall asleep through her singing. He then attempted to take another Silmaril from Morgoth's crown, but the tip of his dagger Angrist broke and cut Morgoth. When they wanted to escape from Angband, the great wolf Carcharoth, whom Morgoth had bred, attacked them. 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 Camlost, One-hand), and proceeded to run rampant through Doriath. Lúthien and the unconscious Beren were rescued by the Eagles of Manwë. They eventually returned to Thingol, where Beren claimed that he was holding the Simaril in his hand; when he showed the king the stump of his arm, the king was moved to compassion for Beren (this is also where Beren got his epessi Erchamion (Empty-handed)). Beren participated in the hunting of Carcharoth, in which the beast was slain and the Silmaril recovered; the quest was accomplished, but 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 moved Mandos to pity through her singing. 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 in which the Silmaril was set.
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, Elves and 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 as depicted in The Book of Lost Tales), Beren was a Gnome (a Ñoldorin Elf), son of Egnor (which might have been an early name for Aegnor).
Inspiration
It is widely believed that the story and the characters were largely inspired by the young Tolkien's romance with Edith Bratt, his future wife, who may have actually danced for the author.The surname Tolkien derives from the German Toll-kühn meaning "Foolishly brave" *. The name Beren also means "brave" in Sindarin and some believe that this is intentional by the author.
The tale of Beren and Luthien also shares an element with folktales such as the Welsh Culhwch and Olwen and others (found even in the Hebrew scriptures, in the story of King David) — namely, the disapproving parent who sets a seemingly impossible task (or tasks) for the suitor, which is then fulfilled. It may also have real-life parallels: some sources indicate that Edith's family disapproved of Tolkien originally, due to him being a Catholic.
When Tolkien's wife died, he had her headstone engraved EDITH MARY TOLKIEN Lúthien 1889 – 1971, and when he died two years later he left orders for his own name to be written JOHN RONALD REUEL TOLKIEN Beren 1892 – 1973
References in adaptations
The BBC Radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings includes a scene from The Fellowship of the Ring in which Aragorn summarizes the story of Beren and Lúthien for Frodo Baggins and his companions. Frodo later comes to realise the connection between their story and that of Aragorn and Arwen.
The special extended edition of Peter Jackson's movie version of The Fellowship of the Ring (film) (2001) contains a brief mention of the story. During the journey from Bree to Rivendell Frodo hears Aragorn singing quietly to himself one night and asks who the woman is of whom he is singing. Aragorn replies that he is singing of Lúthien. When Frodo asks what happened to her Aragorn replies, "she died". This is true enough, and can be seen as a reflection of Aragorn's concern over Arwen's renunciation of immortality for his sake, but clearly fails to address the real context of the story or its similarity to that of Aragorn and Arwen.
Fans who hoped that a more complete explanation of the story might be given in The Two Towers (film) (2002) or The Return of the King (film) (2003) were disappointed.
The Line of Beren
Bregor |
-- | | Bregolas Barahir = Emeldir | |
| | | | Baragund Belegund Beren Erchamion = Lúthien | | | Morwen = Húrin Rían = Huor Dior = Nimloth | | |
--- |
-- | | | | | | | Túrin Lalaith Nienor Tuor = Idril | | | | | | | Eärendil = Elwing Eluréd Elurín |
- | | Elros Elrond = Celebrian | |
| | | | | Kings of Númenor Lords of Andúnië | | | | | | | Elendil | | | | | | |
--- | | | | | | | | Kings of Gondor Kings of Arnor | | | | | | | Kings of Arthedain | | | | | | | Chieftains of the Dúnedain | | | | | | | Aragorn = Arwen Elladan Elrohir |
-- | | Eldarion Daughters | Kings of Gondor and Arnor
Other characters named Beren
An earlier Beren, son and youngest child of Belemir and Adanel, was the father of Emeldir, and grandfather of Beren Erchamion.
Another Beren was a Steward of Gondor in the years 2743–2763 of the Third Age. Under his rule the fortress of Isengard was given to Saruman to guard for Gondor.
See also
- Tyr, mythological inspiration for the sequence where Beren loses his hand to the Wolf.
- The Tale of Beren and Lúthien
Middle-earth Edain | Characters in The Silmarillion
Beren | Beren | Beren Erchamion | Beren | Beren Erchamion | Beren | Beren | Beren | Beren
"Beren"