Basic Reading:

The Silmarillion: Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter 19: Of Beren and Lúthien

*This chapter will be read over the course of six days, so read the first sixth of it today.

Supplementary Reading:

• Background:

  • Beren and Lúthien: Preface

  • Beren and Lúthien: Notes on the Elder Days

  • Beren and Lúthien: “Beren and Lúthien,” Opening section

  • The Lays of Beleriand: Preface

• Prior Versions:

  • The Shaping of Middle-Earth: Section VII. The Earliest Annals of Beleriand, Years 160 - 163 (including corresponding Commentary)

  • The Lost Road: Part Two, Section III. The Later Annals of Beleriand, Years 261 - 263 (including corresponding Commentary)

  • The War of the Jewels: Part One: The Grey Annals, YS 460 - 464 (including corresponding Commentary)

  • The Lays of Beleriand: III. The Lay of Leithian, Opening section and Cantos I, II and III (including corresponding commentary by C.S. Lewis in the Appendix, through lines 741-2)

  • The Lays of Beleriand: IV. The Lay of Leithian Recommenced, opening section and Lines 1 - 660

  • Beren and Lúthien: “Beren and Lúthien:” A Passage Extracted from The Lay of Leithian

  • Beren and Lúthien: Appendix: Revisions to The Lay of Leithian

  • The Lost Road: Part Two, Section VI. Quenta Silmarillion, Chapters 12 - 15: Of Beren and Tinúviel, opening section, and prior versions corresponding to today’s reading from The Silmarillion.

Experience:

• Maps:

  • Beleriand: Dorthonion, Tarn Aeluin, Rivil’s Well, Fen of Serech, Doriath, Ered Gorgoroth, Gondolin, Dungortheb, Neldoreth, River Esgalduin

• Timeline: First Age 460 - 464

• Look up illustrations of the Ring of Barahir. This ring was forged in Valinor and given to Barahir by Felagund. From Beren it passed to Elros, down the line of the kings of Númenor, until Elendil brought it back to Middle-Earth, where it continued to pass down from Isildur to Aragorn in the Third Age.

Discussion Questions:

1. What would you have done in Gorlim’s place?

2. What impact did four years of wandering alone have on Beren?

3. Lúthien is the daughter of Thingol and Melian. Do you see any echoes of their love story?