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[[Image:Beren Heraldic Device.jpg|left|70px]]{{Men infobox|
#REDIRECT [[Beren]]
image=[[Image:Tuuliky - Beren.jpg|300px]]|
name=Beren|
othernames=Son of [[Barahir son of Bregor|Barahir]], [[Camlost]], Beren Erchamion, Lord of [[Dor Firn-i-Guinar|Tol Galen]].|
birth=[[First Age|F.A. 443]], in [[Dorthonion]].|
death=c. [[First Age|F.A.]] 505, in the [[Hunting of the Wolf]].|
race=[[Men]].|
gender=Male.|
height=Tall.|
hair=Dark.|
eyes=Blue.|
}}
''(For other characters see [[Beren|Beren (disambiguation)]])''
 
'''Beren''' ([[First Age]] circa 443 – c. 505, aged approx. 62 years at the time of his final death) was a [[Men|Man]] of [[Middle-earth]], a hero whose romance with the [[Elves|Elf]] [[Lúthien]] was one of the great stories of the [[Elder Days]].
 
== Early History ==
Beren was the son of [[Barahir son of Bregor|Barahir]] and [[Emeldir]]. He was a Man of the royal [[House of Bëor]] of [[Dorthonion]], and arguably the most accomplished hero and adventurer of the First Age. The [[Dagor Bragollach]] ("Battle of Sudden Flame") befell during his youth, bringing about the ruin of his land.  The young Beren lived with his father and ten loyal followers in the highlands of Dorthonion, and the twelve of them performed many acts of bravery, to the great frustration of [[Morgoth]], the Dark Lord of [[Angband]].  After the betrayal and death of the Outlaws of Dorthonion due to the treachery of [[Gorlim the Unhappy]], Beren swore an oath to revenge his father on Morgoth, "but wept not, for his heart was ice"*.  He recovered the [[Ring of Barahir]] from the [[Orcs]], and lived on as an outlaw, whose feats of daring were renown throughout the free world.  Eventually was forced to abandon the land of his birth and the grave of his father 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]].
 
==[[Quest for the Silmaril]]==
[[Image:Ted_Nasmith_-_Transformed.jpg|left|thumb|250px|''Transformed'' by [[Ted Nasmith]], showing Lúthien and Beren in their disguises as vampire and wolf.]]
Thingol refused to give Lúthien's hand in marriage.  He charged Beren that he would allow the marriage to take place only if he brought back a [[Silmaril]] from the [[Iron Crown]] of Morgoth.  The task was intended to be impossible, but Beren and Lúthien, with the aid of [[Finrod Felagund|Finrod]] of [[Nargothrond]] and [[Huan]] the Great Hound (both of whom died protecting Beren), braved many perils (even besting Sauron, Morgoth's most powerful lieutenant) to fulfill the [[Quest for the Silmaril]].  At the last they entered Angband and stole a Silmaril.  However, as they escaped from Angband, the great wolf [[Carcharoth]], whom Morgoth had personally bred, awoke.  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 '''''Erchamion''''', "One-handed"), and proceeded to run rampant through Doriath.  Lúthien and the unconscious Beren were rescued by the Eagles of [[Manwë]].  Beren participated in the hunting of Carcharoth, where the beast was slain and the Silmaril recovered; the quest was accomplished, but in the process Beren was mortally wounded.
{{Pronounce|Beren Erchamion.mp3|Ardamir|right}}
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 managed to move Mandos so that he granted her a wish.  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.
 
==Later History==
 
Thus Beren and Lúthien lived again, and dwelt on [[Tol Galen]] in the middle of the [[Adurant|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]] (and the Silmaril with it).
 
Lúthien bore Beren a son, named [[Dior Eluchíl|Dior]], Thingol's heir, considered to be one of the fairest beings to ever live, for in him flowed the blood of Men, the blood of Elves, and the blood of the [[Ainur]]. Through his descendants, the blood of Beren and of Lúthien was preserved among the [[Eldar]] and the [[Edain]].
 
At last Beren and Lúthien died together on Tol Galen.
 
The name of Beren's sword was '''[[Dagmor]]'''.
 
== Development ==
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 (see: ''[[The Book of Lost Tales]]''), Beren was a ''[[Gnome]]'' (a [[Noldo]]), son of [[Egnor]] (which might have been an early name for [[Aegnor]]).
 
Tolkien seemed to be somehow connected to this character, and parallels can be drawn with his relationship with [[Edith Bratt]]. Furthermore it is possible that ''Beren'' (meaning 'brave') is a reference to the original meaning of his Germanic surname (Toll kühn) of similar meaning.
 
Tolkien was buried in Wolvercote Cemetery (North Oxford) and this name appears on the stone:
 
:JOHN RONALD REUEL TOLKIEN Beren 1892 – 1973
 
The name of Lúthien also appears on the stone:
 
:EDITH MARY TOLKIEN Lúthien 1889 – 1971
 
== Genealogy ==
<code>
 
                      [[Bregor]]             
                        |                   
                  ______|_______           
                  |              | 
                  |              |         
              [[Bregolas]]      [[Barahir son of Bregor|Barahir]] = [[Emeldir]]
                  |                  |
          _______|______            |       
          |              |            |
          |              |            |               
      [[Baragund]]      [[Belegund]]      '''BEREN''' = [[Lúthien]]
          |              |                |
          |              |                |
      [[Morwen Eledhwen|Morwen]] = [[Húrin Thalion|Húrin]]  [[Rían]] = [[Huor]]      [[Dior Eluchíl|Dior]] = [[Nimloth of Doriath|Nimloth]]
              |              |                |
        ______|_______      |              __|____________
      |      |      |      |              |      |      |
      |      |      |      |              |      |      |
    [[Túrin Turambar|Túrin]]  [[Lalaith, daughter of Húrin|Lalaith]]  [[Nienor]]  [[Tuor]] = [[Idril]]    |      |      |
                                |          |      |      |
                                |          |      |      |
                              [[Eärendil the Mariner|Eärendil]] = [[Elwing]]  [[Eluréd]]  [[Elurín]]
                                      |
                    __________________|________________
                    |                                  |
                    |                                  |
                  [[Elros]]                              [[Elrond]] = [[Celebrían]]
                    |                                        |
            ________|________                          ______|_______
          |                |                        |      |      |
          |                |                        |      |      |
        [[King of Númenor|Kings of]]          [[Lord of Andúnië|Lords of]]                    |      |      |
        [[King of Númenor|Númenor]]          [[Lord of Andúnië|Andúnië]]                    |      |      |
                            |                        |      |      |
                            |                        |      |      |
                          [[Elendil]]                    |      |      |
                            |                        |      |      |
                      _______|_______                |      |      |
                    |              |                |      |      |
                    |              |                |      |      |
                [[Kings of Gondor|Kings of]]        [[Kings of Arnor|Kings of]]            |      |      |
                  [[Kings of Gondor|Gondor]]          [[Kings of Arnor|Arnor]]              |      |      |
                                    |                |      |      |
                                    |                |      |      |
                                [[Chieftains of the Dúnedain|Chieftains of]]        |      |      |
                                [[Chieftains of the Dúnedain|the Dúnedain]]          |      |      |
                                    |                |      |      |
                                    |                |      |      |
                                  [[Aragorn II]]  =  [[Arwen]]  [[Elladan]]  [[Elrohir]]
                                                |
                                    ____________|_______
                                  |                    |
                                  |                    |
                              [[Eldarion]]        ''numerous daughters''
                                  |
                                  |
                              Kings of the
                            [[Reunited Kingdom]]
</code>
{{sequence
|prev=[[Barahir son of Bregor|Barahir]]
|next=none (abandoned)
|list=5th [[Lord of Ladros]]<br><code>I</code> 460 – 464
}}
 
 
(* ''[[Lay of Leithian]]'')
 
== See Also ==
* [[:Category:Images of Beren|Images of Beren]].
 
[[Category:Edain]]
[[Category:House of Bëor]]
[[Category:Quest for the Silmaril]]
[[de:Beren Erchamion]]
[[fi:Beren]]

Latest revision as of 08:19, 8 August 2010

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