An Overview of The Silmarillion: Part Four
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| My copy of The Lays of Beleriand, Volume 3 of The History of Middle-earth series. |
The crowning achievement of The Silmarillion is the story of Beren and Lúthien, which appears about halfway through the book. It is referred to, briefly, in The Lord of the Rings and has obvious parallels to the relationship of Aragorn and Arwen. Tolkien had this story in mind long before the One Ring charted his (its) authorship. The “main story” of which I am trying to provide an overview is not about any ring at all.
It is about three jewels that contain the last of the light of the Trees of Valinor (the Sun and Moon are flower and fruit of the Trees but the Silmarils contain the Light itself). They sit embedded in an iron crown upon Morgoth’s head for he stole them and the great Fëanor is dead as a result.
This is all foretold by (or in consequence of) the Doom of the Noldor which holds this klan, especially Fëanor’s kin, responsible for sailing away from Valinor against the will of the Valar and for the resulting Kinslaying in Valinor. Anyone, Elf, Men or otherwise, who seeks the Silmarils shall live a life of torment, destruction, and loss. This Doom has basically been playing out for many pages in The Silmarillion. Now we reach a part of the story where, the Doom comes to Men. The story fuses Maiar, Elf, and Human together and, in the process, becomes the greatest tale Tolkien ever wrote.
The Silmarillion is written in an archaic style. But it rewards the effort made by the judicious reader in order to appreciate the multi-dimensional nature of the Beren and Lúthien tale. The mix of races and Beings, the story of the Silmarils and their subsequent Doom give this love story a rich context. It only takes up one chapter of the book but its importance and wonder justify a post unto itself.
We should start with the fact that the story of Beren and Lúthien was originally conceived as an epic poem Tolkien wrote entitled “The Lay of Lúthien,” who was originally named Leithian. The author played around with it between 1925 and 1931 before abandoning it for other projects. Like everything else Tolkien wrote, there are several unfinished versions of this poem, the longest of which is over 4,000 lines. The whole thing is featured with other unfinished poems in The Lays of Beleriand which I read over 20 years ago and have perused again from time to time. The poem contains a number of minor details that are not present in The Silmarillion.
After Barahir’s heroic rescue of Finrod in the Battle of Sudden Flame, he returns to fight guerilla warfare against the Orcs in the wooded highlands of Dorthonion. The people of his house (Bëor’s) are killed captured and Barahir finds himself down to only 12 companions. Nevertheless, they continue to cause trouble for Morgoth’s forces and Morgoth wants them all found and put to death.
One of their number, Gorlim, misses his wife so much that, between raids, he frequently returns to his homestead. Like so many of these Men, he does not know if his wife is alive or dead and longs to see her again. These melancholy visits become known to the spies of Morgoth who orders Sauron to capture Gorlim and interrogate him on the whereabouts of Barahir’s outlaws.
Sauron cleverly fashions himself into the image of the Gorlim’s wife (there are a lot of disguises in this chapter, figures being not what they seem to be is one of many themes in the story of Beren and Lúthien). The trick works and he is captured, tortured and killed. In this way Barahir’s hiding place is revealed. Orcs surround Barahir and his company, wiping them out. One of the Orcs cuts off Barahir’s finger which bears Finrod’s ring as proof of the deed.
Beren, Barahir’s son, is not present at this massacre, however. He is away scouting. Upon his return to camp, he buries his father and then pursues the Orcs, catching up and killing all of them by himself, retaking the ring in the process. After this Beren spends four years wandering Dorthonian as the region becomes increasingly filled with evil. Eventually he flees and comes to the border of Doriath.
It is interesting to note that Sauron is a Maiar, masterful in certain powers like Melian. These two powers challenge each other at the border of Doriath. Tolkien describes the region where they overlap as one where “the fell race of Ungoliant abode.” Apparently, Ungoliant no longer lives at this time, only its descendants. At any rate, Beren cleverly negotiates Melian’s Girdle (the first outsider to ever do so) which Tolkien calls a “maze” of forest growth, impenetrable (until now) rather than invisible. Doriath should be thought of as blocked rather than, like Gondolin and Nargothrond, hidden.
Melian foretold that one of the race of Men would come to Doriath and Tolkien writes of Beren that “a great doom lay upon him.” While wandering the thick woodlands in summer Beren happens upon Lúthien dancing in a glade. Accordingly, “he fell into an enchantment; for Lúthien was the most beautiful of all the Children of Ilúvatar.”
But Beren does not initially make his presence known. Instead, he bides his time, observing Lúthien as she dances through autumn and winter. But on the eve of the next spring: “Lúthien danced upon a green hill; and suddenly she began to sing. Keen, heart-piercing was her song as the song of a lark that rises from the gates of night and pours its voice among the dying stars, seeing sun behind the walls of the world; and the song of Lúthien released to bonds of winter, the frozen waters spoke, and flowers sprang from the cold earth where her feet passed. Then the spell of silence fell from Beren, and he called to her…”
Beren calls her Tinúviel, which means Nightingale in Sindarin. She looks upon him, at last, and “doom fell upon her.” The “doom” that befalls both of them is, of course, true love. They are bound together from that moment forward. But Tolkien heavily tempers this moment of delight.
“Then Beren lay upon the ground in a swoon, as one slain at once by bliss and grief; and he fell into a sleep as it were into an abyss of shadow, and waking he was cold as stone, and his heart barren and forsaken. And wandering in mind he groped as one that is stricken with sudden blindness, and seeks with hands to grasp the vanished light. Thus he began the payment of anguish for the fate that was laid on him; and in his fate Lúthien was caught, and being immortal she shared in his mortality, and being free received his chain; and her anguish was greater than any other of the Eladlië (people of the Eldar) has known.”
The attraction of immortal to mortal defies the whole system of creation. And yet such is the strength of their love that this ultimately does not matter. For the moment it is of paramount importance, however. For Lúthien’s father, King Thingol, will greatly disapprove of this relationship. Thingol merely tolerates other Elves outside his kingdom. He finds a few Men useful but, nevertheless, disassociates from them. So, the lovers meet in secret and Beren’s presence goes unnoticed but for the fact that Lúthien’s mother, Melian, was aware of it before it happened.
“Thereafter often she came to him, and they went in secret through the woods together from spring to summer; and no others of the Children of Ilúvatar have had so great joy, though the time was brief.” That short sentence contains about all the happiness the reader gets from Tolkien in this tale. Soon, Daeron, a minstrel of Doriath who also loves Lúthien, for he often plays for her as she sings and dances, discovers these clandestine meetings and informs Thingol.
To shorten the story a bit, Thingol is enraged at the unthinkable coupling. But Beren, inspired by the sight of Melian, is proud and shows Thingol the ring of Finrod as proof of his worth. Thingol is somewhat impressed but contrives a plan to eliminate this threat to his daughter. He proclaims that if Beren brings him a Silmaril from Morgoth’s crown he will exchange Lúthien for the great jewel. Of course, the king views this decree as a death sentence. Beren does not hesitate, however, and is off on his quest.
Thus is Doriath now ensnared in the Doom of the Silmarils.
Beren’s first stop is the hidden underground city of Nargothrond where he visits King Finrod and, displaying the king’s ring that was bequeathed to Barahir, asks for aid to secure a Silmaril. But two of Feanor’s sons, Celegorm and Curufin, are also there and, bound by their father’s oath, strongly object to anyone taking the Silmarils. Speaking in anger, the two proclaim that the jewels belong only to Fëanor’s descendants.
Finrod is bound by his oath to Barahir, however, which extends of any of his kin. He resigns as king, appoints another to rule in his stead and accompanies Beren on the quest with a small escort. They soon come upon a troop of Orcs, killing them and taking their garments and gear. Thus they disguise themselves as they head northward.
But Sauron is aware of these “Orcs” moving past Tol-in-Gaurhoth, his watchtower, and is suspicious of them for not reporting in as they pass. He captures the company and unmasks them. But not before he and Finrod engage in a battle of magic. The narrative momentarily shifts here and this melee is told in a page of verse from the “Lay of Lúthien.” After a great struggle Finrod is subdued.
Sauron only knows that there are 11 Elves and one Man. Even with his great power, however, he does not discern who they are or their purpose. He imprisons them. Lúthien, being half-Maiar and having certain powers, becomes aware of this. She plans to escape Doriath and rescue her lover but Thingol stops her and imprisons her in a house build atop a massive beech tree named Hírilorn. She “put forth arts of enchantment,” however, and escapes anyway.
But not for long. She is captured by, of all people, Celegorm and Curufin as they are out hunting wolves which are now prevalent in the region due to the devices of Sauron. Unwisely, Lúthien tells them of the reason for her journey and, in the spirit of possessiveness and treachery so common to Fëanor’s kin, the two take her back to Nargothrond – believing that Finrod and the others will die imprisoned and that Celegorm can take her for his wife.
Long ago when he dwelt in Valinor, a Vala gave Celegorm the great hound Huan, who, being not of Middle-earth but of the “Blessed Realm,” has incredible strength and dexterity. It was Huan who, in fact, found Lúthien and now, taking pity upon her sorrow, helps her escape Nargothrond.
By this time, all of Beren’s companions except Finrod have been killed by wolves in the pits of Sauron. Still not knowing who they are but feeling Finrod is an Elf of some importance, Sauron decides to spare him and feed Beren to a wolf. But, Finrod attacks the wolf and kills it, receiving wounds during the struggle that ultimately kill the Elf. Thus Finrod fulfills his oath.
At this time, Lúthien and Huan arrive at Sauron’s watchtower. She sings a song and is answered by Beren from the pits. Sauron, hearing her voice, decides to capture her and win great favor with Morgoth by giving her as a prize. The evil Maia sends Draugluin, the greatest of the werewolves, to take her but Huan defends her, killing the werewolf.
Sauron decides to take care of things personally and takes the form of the mightiest werewolf ever to walk Middle-earth. But, Huan’s strength is from Valinor itself, and no wizardry can withstand him. “…he took his foe by the throat and pinned him down. Then Sauron shifted shape, from wolf to serpent, and from monster to his own accustomed form; but he could not elude the grip of Huan without forsaking his body utterly.”
In an extraordinary moment, Lúthien commands that Sauron be stripped of his flesh and return to Morgoth as a ghost if he does not yield his watchtower. Sauron relents and returns to Morgoth in the form of a vampire. The power that Lúthien received from her mother is great and she casts a spell that destroys the watchtower, exposing its dungeons. Thereby, Beren is rescued and, for a short time, happiness returns to them.
Being faithful, Huan returns to his displeased master and “there was tumult in Nargothrond.” Many other Elves were trapped in the dungeons and, being freed, they return to Nargothrond. There is much debate over what to do next. Growing in disfavor, their treachery suspected, Celegorm and Curufin leave that stronghold, accompanied by Huan.
Soon, they happen upon Beren and Lúthien (small world isn’t it?) while the couple are still in revelry and attack them. Beren badly wounds Curufin and Huan, betraying his master again, protects Beren from Celegorm. Beren takes all of Curufin’s arms including the Dwarven knife Angrist. But Curufin takes Celegorm’s bow and strikes Beren, who is attempting to protect Lúthien. She heals him with herbs and they return, yet again, to Doriath.
Beren attempts to dissuade Lúthien from following him on the quest and manages to sneak away. But Lúthien rides Huan and the two adopt werewolf and vampire disguises through the wicked lands and thus find Beren who, at last, admits that “our doom shall be alike.” He takes the likeness of a werewolf and the three of them ultimately make it to Angband’s Gate.
Morgoth recognizes Huan from long ago in Valinor and sends Carcharoth, a great wolf, to keep watch over the Gate. But, Lúthien enchants a sleep upon the wolf. “Then Beren and Lúthien went through the Gate, and down the labyrinthine stairs; and together wrought the greatest deed that has ever been dared by Elves or Men.” They come before the throne of Morgoth who is taken by her beauty and is filled with lust for her.
Again, Lúthien works her magical powers and the entire chamber is put to sleep. The crown falls from Morgoth’s drooping head and, using Angrist, Beren cuts a Silmaril from it. Unfortunately, seeing the other two Silmarils there as well, he decides to “go beyond his vow, and bear out of Angband all three of the Jewels of Fëanor.” In this sudden moment of greed, Angrist snaps and a shard of the blade hits Morgoth’s cheek, who begins to awaken. Beren comes to his senses and attempts to escape with Lúthien. Yet, by now Carcharoth, too, has awakened and blocks the exit.
Beren holds the shining Silmaril high in an attempt to cast fear into Carcharoth. This works for a moment but then the great wolf attacks and bites off Beren’s hand, swallowing the Silmaril. But the effect of the jewel inside the wolf devours its spirit and sends it on a destructive rampage through that region of Middle-earth. With Beren dying from his grievous wound, Thorondor shows up and carries them back to the border of Doriath. This great Eagle is a convenient character in this narrative, as are the Eagles in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
Meanwhile, Thingol hears of what Fëanor’s sons have done with Lúthien and considers making war upon Nargothrond. Then he learns that she escaped and thinks better of it. That is when Lúthien appears again before him with Beren at her side. Beren proclaims the oath fulfilled because, technically, the Silmaril is “in my hand.” When Thingol sees that his hand has been bitten off, for the first time he takes pity upon Beren. He invites them to sit on either side of him on his throne.
Meanwhile, Carcharoth is running rampant through the region. Thingol takes Beren out with a small escort on a hunting trip. He too wants to kill a few wolves. Of course, they run upon Carcharoth, who attacks Thingol. Beren comes to his defense and receives a foul bite to his chest before Huan shows up again and battles the wolf. Huan kills the wolf but the hound dies of its wounds as well.
A member of the escort cuts open the belly of the wolf and there is Beren’s hand and the wondrous Silmaril, now Thingol’s possession. But, Beren’s wound is this time fatal and he dies in Lúthien’s arms under Hírilorn. No one, Elf or Human, is permitted a second life. But Lúthien sings to the Valar themselves.
“…the song most sorrowful that ever the world shall hear. Unchanged, imperishable, it is sung still in Valinor beyond the hearing of the world, and listening the Valar are grieved. For Lúthien wove two themes of words, of the sorrow of the Eldar and the grief of Men, of the Two Kindreds that were made by Ilúvatar to dwell in Arda, the Kingdom of Earth amid innumerable stars.”
The Valar are so moved by Lúthien that they grant her Beren’s return in exchange for her immortality. “This doom she chose, forsaking the Blessed Realm, and putting aside all claim to kinship with those that dwell there…So it was that alone of the Eldalë she has died indeed, and left the world long ago. Yet in her choice the Two Kindreds have been joined’ and she is the forerunner of many in whom the Eldar see yet, though all the world has changed, the likeness of Lúthien the beloved, whom they have lost.”
This loss weighs particularly on Melian as she looks into her daughter’s eyes for the last time. “But Melian looked in her eyes and read the doom that was written there, and turned away; for she knew that a parting beyond the end of the world had come between them, and no grief of loss has been heavier than the grief of Melian the Maia in that hour.”
Tolkien shows us again why immortality is such a heavy burden for those who possess it. For, being a Maiar, Melian will live forever. Yet her memory of Lúthien, indeed of this very moment of sorrow, will never fade. Thus her sadness is perpetual. Yet, Beren and Lúthien live long lives together in a remote place of Middle-earth and become legends and songs after they die. And they give birth to Dior, who becomes King Thingol’s heir.
(to be continued)
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