# The Love of Luthien & Beren



## Confusticated (Jul 15, 2004)

See poll.


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## Lhunithiliel (Jul 17, 2004)

I voted "Yes". 
I don't think there's a more convincing love story than their in the whole Legendarium! Love, I think, in Tolkien's interpretation is a matter of _sacrifice_ and this is what we find in the B&L story.


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## Grond (Jul 17, 2004)

The fact that J. R. R. Tolkien had the inscription "Luthien" placed on his wife's headstone and his family placed "Beren" on his headstone would give a pretty solid indication as to who the author thought had the strongest and most profound love in the legendarium. But, I could be wrong.

Cheers,

grond


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## HLGStrider (Jul 17, 2004)

Truthfully, I don't know if there is an accurate "love-o-meter," but taking the Master's word for it, I think he considered Beren and Luthien to be the ones. . .and who am I to dispute the Master.


However, if you wanted a love-o-meter, the only one I can offer is "greater love has no man than he who lays down his life for his friend." If so, sacrifice is the true sign of great love, and Beren and Luthien is a very sacrificial story.


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## Confusticated (Jul 17, 2004)

That their love was of great importance in the history of Middle-earth being doomed and tied up in some chain of events can't be disputed, but I wonder: Where is the evidence their bond was strongest? And, why should they have had a stronger bond than all other loves?

Sacrifice is something I had in mind when opening this thread. Was it greater than all others? How about Earendil staying among the Eldar because it is what Elwing wanted? Hurin and Huor staying to fight so Turgon's people could escape the battle? Did Arwen choose the fate of Men just to be with Aragorn in the end? How about the love between Melian and Luthien? 

Personally, I see no reason to think their bond was the strongest, as important and doomed as it was.


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## Grond (Jul 17, 2004)

Maikanare said:


> ...Personally, I see no reason to think their bond was the strongest, as important and doomed as it was.


I guess you'll just have to take the author's attitude and words. He didn't think of his wife as his Melian or his Idril or his Arwen. He thought of her as his Luthien and of himself as her Beren. I would surmise from this that (at the least) he, the author, felt their love was the most perfect and profound to be found anwhere. Analyze this....


> from _The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, #340 From a letter to Christopher Tolkien 11 July 1972_
> 
> 340 From a letter to Christopher Tolkien 11 July 1972
> I have at last got busy about Mummy's grave. .... The inscription I should like is:
> ...


Makes you want to cry for his loss.


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