Quenta 19 — Of Beren and Lúthien
Chapter 19 of the Quenta Silmarillion
Summary
Beren son of Barahir, the outlaw of Dorthonion, in his wandering came at last into Doriath and in the wood of Neldoreth beheld Lúthien dancing in the moonlight, and named her Tinúviel before all the ages of the world. Thingol, scorning the mortal in his hall, laid upon him the bride-price that seemed doom itself: “a Silmaril from the Iron Crown of Morgoth”. Beren, aided by Finrod Felagund, who for friendship’s sake forsook his trust, went north to Angband; their company was scattered at Tol-in-Gaurhoth, where Sauron was forewarned and Finrod died wearing his sorcerous bonds to save his friend. Lúthien, with the hound Huan, broke the tower and at last, wielding the spell of her kind, cast a slumber over all Angband while Beren cut the jewel from the Iron Crown. Carcharoth, the wolf of the gates, swallowed the hand with the Silmaril; in the great hunt that followed Beren was slain, and Lúthien’s spirit died of grief and came before Mandos to the halls of the Valar. There, at her pleading, the doom was changed, and she and Beren were given a mortal life and dwelt together in Tol Galen until the end of their days.