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Forum Home » Books Discussion » BC Archive: The Silmarillion » Quote of the WeekII dec 23/095; 3-XIX; Of Beren And Luthien
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PotbellyHairyfoot
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Post Quote of the WeekII dec 23/095; 3-XIX; Of Beren And Luthien
on: April 24, 2005 05:15
Thingol, speaking to Beren, making his biggest mistake, and sealing his doom;
Bring to me in your hand a Silmarilfrom Morgoth's crown; and then , if she will, Lúthien may set her hand in yours. Then you shall have my jewel; and though the fate of Arda lie within the silmarils, yet you shall hold me generous.

Thingol may have been just trying to get risd of Beren by giving hm an impossible task, but he did not realize just what Beren was capable of.

[Edited on 23/12/2009 by PotbellyHairyfoot]
RubySandybanks
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Post RE: Quote of the WeekII dec 23/095; 3-XIX; Of Beren And Luthien
on: July 16, 2005 03:42
Well, I have to agree with there PbHf . And I don’t think Thingol cared quite frankly. I’m fairly certain that Thingol would have reacted the same way regardless of who asked for Lúthien’s hand in marriage. He did not want to lose his lovely daughter to one beneath her, and let’s face it, Men and even Elves were beneath her unique status as a half-Elf / half-Maiar Sindarin princess. I doubt very much if anyone would have been good enough for his daughter. Thingol is no different from fathers throughout the ages who have tended to be overprotective of their daughters when it comes to perspective suitors. This phenomenon continues even today.

What is even more appalling to Thingol is that Beren is of the race of Men, which he sees as beneath the race of Elves and for whom he harbours distrust and contempt. First, he refers to Beren as a...
...baseborn mortal, who in the realm of Morgoth has learnt to creep in secret as his spies and thralls.
And later Thingol continues his verbal assault with...
Unhappy Men, children of little lords and brief kings...
Thingol speaks with anger and does not seem to consider what he is saying.

He also seems to forget that he himself married ‘up.’ Fortunately, for Thingol, he did not have to ask for Melian’s hand in marriage.

Thingol disregards the fact that that Beren is the only person – Elf or Man to come unbidden through the Girdle of Melian. And he does not consider how Lúthien might respond if his secret (or not so secret I suppose) desire for Beren to fail in the quest should come to pass.

This is a lesson for all of us to think before we speak. Words can be a powerful force in determining one’s future (or fate).
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