As some of you may know, I am a Tolkienite. This means I am a lover of all things written and created by the illustrious author, J.R.R Tolkien. Many of you may know him as the creator of Middle-Earth and author of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit. I recently began rereading The Silmarillion, which is the history and lore of Middle-Earth. It's a very dense read, with more names, places, and battles then the whole of GRRM's Saga of Ice and Fire combined. For those of you brave enough to read it, may the light of the Valinor be with you.
My favorite tale so far speaks of the quest and love of Luthien and Beren, an elf-maiden and a man of the North. From now on, I want a love like Luthien and Beren, not Romeo and Juliet. Let me extrapolate a bit. Beside the fact that Luthien was no weakly trembling maid, she did not wait meekly in a high tower awaiting for the return of her lover. No, instead she decided to face her doom head on and accompany Beren on his quest to retrieve one of the coveted Silmarils. She befriended the noble hound Huan, a beast of Orome. Luthien ignored her father, Thingol, and went after her beloved Beren. She was not going to be given away like some prized gem, she followed her own fate.
I might even go out on a limb to say she's the hero of the story. Let's review. I'm will not give a synopsis of the story for that is too long and too tedious to attempt. Instead, let me explain a bit. When trapped in a high bower, she created a magical cloak from her own hair to hide her from all eyes, snuck out, and on foot went after Beren. He left to recapture a Silmaril from Morgoth, and after a sojourn at with one of the Elvish kings, he continued on his journey. She rescued Beren, saved his life (twice!), and also snuck into Melkor's (AKA Morgorth) fiercest fortress in the evil lands of Angband. She did so by casting a deep, powerful spell over all the creatures, including the Valar Melkor himself, and allowed her beloved Beren to snatch a much coveted Silmarils. She then is the one who brings the two of them to safety.
Luthien is a very strong female character. I enjoy her for her orginality and her uniqueness, especially in a saga dominated by fierce male characers. She knows she's powerful, and in a way knows she stronger than Beren. She also accepts her fate, she doesn't blindly follow Beren. She knows exactly what's going to happen, but Luthien goes forward anyway. Because this is what she wants, so she goes for it. There is no holding her back.
I think she is one of my favorite characters thus far. I admire her compassion and love, but also for her bravery. She was waylaid several times, trapped by her own father, and told countless times to forget her love for Beren. But instead, she does what makes her happy, she does what's best for her. She is an individual, she makes her own choices. In a literary world where female characters like this are rare and stereotypical Type A, it's a relief to discover such a gem.
My favorite tale so far speaks of the quest and love of Luthien and Beren, an elf-maiden and a man of the North. From now on, I want a love like Luthien and Beren, not Romeo and Juliet. Let me extrapolate a bit. Beside the fact that Luthien was no weakly trembling maid, she did not wait meekly in a high tower awaiting for the return of her lover. No, instead she decided to face her doom head on and accompany Beren on his quest to retrieve one of the coveted Silmarils. She befriended the noble hound Huan, a beast of Orome. Luthien ignored her father, Thingol, and went after her beloved Beren. She was not going to be given away like some prized gem, she followed her own fate.
I might even go out on a limb to say she's the hero of the story. Let's review. I'm will not give a synopsis of the story for that is too long and too tedious to attempt. Instead, let me explain a bit. When trapped in a high bower, she created a magical cloak from her own hair to hide her from all eyes, snuck out, and on foot went after Beren. He left to recapture a Silmaril from Morgoth, and after a sojourn at with one of the Elvish kings, he continued on his journey. She rescued Beren, saved his life (twice!), and also snuck into Melkor's (AKA Morgorth) fiercest fortress in the evil lands of Angband. She did so by casting a deep, powerful spell over all the creatures, including the Valar Melkor himself, and allowed her beloved Beren to snatch a much coveted Silmarils. She then is the one who brings the two of them to safety.
Luthien is a very strong female character. I enjoy her for her orginality and her uniqueness, especially in a saga dominated by fierce male characers. She knows she's powerful, and in a way knows she stronger than Beren. She also accepts her fate, she doesn't blindly follow Beren. She knows exactly what's going to happen, but Luthien goes forward anyway. Because this is what she wants, so she goes for it. There is no holding her back.
I think she is one of my favorite characters thus far. I admire her compassion and love, but also for her bravery. She was waylaid several times, trapped by her own father, and told countless times to forget her love for Beren. But instead, she does what makes her happy, she does what's best for her. She is an individual, she makes her own choices. In a literary world where female characters like this are rare and stereotypical Type A, it's a relief to discover such a gem.
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