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Aragorn and Arwen
Aragorn was two years old when his father was slain, and his mother brought him to Elrond to be raised in Rivendell. Their hope was that he would be hidden from the enemy long enough for him to claim the throne of Gondor. At this time his true name was concealed, being known only as Estel, which means Hope in Sindarin (a dialect of Elvish).
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Aragorn was 10 years old during the time of Bilbo's journey, which means in all likelihood, Bilbo saw some punk human kid running around Rivendell annoying Elrond. It wasn't until he was 20 that he was given the ring of Barahir and the shards of the sword of the King. He was told of his ancestral history, and of his fate as Isildur's Heir.
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The next day, while wandering the woods of Rivendell he was singing of Luthien the elf maiden who fell in love with Beren, a mortal man (Link for their history is below), when he came across Arwen. He thought that she was a vision of Luthien whose beauty was said to be unmatched. He even called her Tinúviel, which is the name Beren called Luthien.
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Aragorn was confused to learn that she was Elrond's daughter, since he had lived in Rivendell his whole life. But Arwen spent many years with Galadriel in Lothlorien, because Elrond almost definitely hid her existence from Aragorn.
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For 33 years, Aragorn wandered Middle-Earth, being known as Thorongil and serving in both the armies of Rohan (under King Thengel, Theoden's father), and in the armies of Gondor (under the Steward Ecthelion, Denethor's father). His deeds were great, and he gave hope to men.
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When he was almost 50 years old, he met Arwen again in Lorien and proposed. She accepted, rejecting the gift of immortality and accepting her new fate. Which was experiencing the Bitterness of Mortality.
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There are consequences when an Elf rejects their lineage and becomes mortal. They must feel the bitterness of mortality, which means that although they will one day die, they won't until they have lost everything they gave up their immortality for in the first place. For Arwen, this meant she could not die, until she had lost Aragorn.
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Aragorn was 210 years old when he brought Arwen before him and said that their "time of payment" had come. He knew he would die soon, and said he'd rather die when he still had his wits about him, rather than hold on and have Arwen watch him succumb to a weakened, addled mind before death. His last words to Arwen were, "In sorrow we must go, but not in despair. Behold! We are not bound for ever to the circles of the world, and beyond them is more than memory. Farewell!"
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Arwen's fate after his death is actually almost word for word explained by Elrond in the Two Towers movie. She wandered the earth for years before finally coming to the hilltop in Lorien where Aragorn first proposed. She laid down among the falling Mallorn leaves and there her grave lay until the breaking of the world.
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Aragorn and Arwen were a reflection of the love story of Beren and Luthien, which in turn was a reflection of Tolkien's love for his wife Edith. If you've ever thought about reading Tolkien, I urge you to pick up a copy of Lord of the Rings, flip to the appendices at the end, and read the Tale of Aragorn and Arwen. Not only does it explain their history in a detailed way, but some of Tolkien's most beautiful prose ever written (in my opinion), are found in this story.
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Beren and Luthien
After four years of being on the run from Morgoth and Sauron, Beren came to the land of Doriath. In the woods of Neldoreth he stumbled upon Luthien, an elf maiden of great beauty. She was dancing in the woods with her hair woven with golden flowers. But soon she vanished like a vision and Beren was struck dumb. For months he wandered the woods trying to find her, seeing her occasionally before she vanished.
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One day at the end of Winter, he heard her begin to sing, releasing Spring from the gates of winter, flowers sprang where she stepped, and the spell of silence fell from Beren. He cried out "Tinuviel!" Which is the name he came up for her not knowing her true name (it means Nightingale, Daughter of Twilight). She halted and looked upon him. It is said that doom fell upon her, for she loved him, and both were as ones slain by bliss and grief.
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Luthien brought Beren before her father, Thingol, the King of the Elves. He was perilous and had no love for men, and though he had promised Luthien he would not slay Beren, he sent Beren on an impossible journey in exchange for the hand of his daughter. His quest was to steal one of the three Silmarils from the Crown of Morgoth.
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In the process, Beren was captured by Sauron. Luthien learned of this and followed Beren, and with the help of a giant Hound named Huan (think of the Great Eagle equivalent of a hound), they defeated the Werewolf body of Sauron, and freed Beren from capture. Through the magic of Luthien they took the form of a giant bat and werewolf to sneak into Angband, Morgoth's fortress.
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Before the throne of Morgoth, Luthien sang a song of magic, putting Morgoth to sleep. Beren took his knife and pried a Silmaril from the crown. In the process of prying another out, his knife broke and a piece hit Morgoth's face, breaking the spell. Beren and Luthien fled, but were stopped by the greatest of all werewolves, Carcharoth.
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Beren held forth the Silmaril to ward off the beast, but the werewolf bit off his hand. The light of the Silmaril burnt the inner flesh of this evil creature and Carcharoth took off, the pain of the Silmaril's light causing him to go insane. Beren and Luthien were helped by Eagles to escape back to Luthien's home.
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Standing before Thingol, Beren was asked if his quest was fulfilled. Beren nodded and said "Even now a Silmaril is in my hand." Beren then held up his stump (like a total badass) and explained what happened. Thingol's heart was softened, for Beren was unlike any mortal man he had ever encountered, and he gave permission for Beren to marry his daughter.
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Huan, the giant Hound, Thingol, and Beren went out to find Carcharoth the werewolf who was causing a lot of problems in the area. In the battle with the werewolf, Huan was slain and Beren received a mortal blow, but killed Carcharoth in the process. Beren handed Thingol the Silmaril from Carcharoth's belly and said, "Now is the Quest achieved, and my doom full-wrought." Beren died, his spirit being taken to the Halls of Mandos on Valinor which is the fate of all men.
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Learning of Beren's fate, Luthien died in her grief. Her spirit came to the Halls of Mandos and sang a song before the Valar. The song was of her grief, and of the doom of man. So moved were the Valar that Mandos was moved to pity and called for the spirit of Beren from beyond the Western Sea. Beren and Luthien were granted another life to wander together in Middle-Earth, but Luthien had to put aside her gifts as an Elf, and accept mortality as her fate with all the bitterness and grief that comes with it. She was now subject to a second death, as was Beren.
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The significance of this tale is great, especially in the eyes of Tolkien, who considered it to be the central tale of Middle-Earth and the greatest love story told among the Elves. Multiple versions of it exist though the one found in the Silmarillion is the most complete. The tale of Aragorn and Arwen were a reflection of Beren and Luthien, who were in turn, a reflection of Tolkien's love for his wife Edith. It is believed that the idea for the story began when Edith danced for Tolkien with flowers in her hair.
Brush Up on Your Lord of the Rings Lore With These 20 Interesting Facts
Come, dear friends, and let us embark on a journey through J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth, to celebrate the enduring tales of two remarkable couples: Aragorn and Arwen, and Beren and Lúthien. This exploration into their lore is not just a romantic sojourn but a dive into the heart of Tolkien's world, where love intertwines with destiny. These storied pairings stand as testaments to the power of love amidst the backdrop of epic quests and world-changing events.
As we traverse this enchanted landscape, we'll uncover the depth of their commitments, the sacrifices they endured, and the profound impact their unions had on the history of Middle-Earth. Join us in rediscovering these timeless love stories, where each chapter is a blend of enchantment, bravery, and the kind of love that transcends the ages.
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