Lúthien Tinúviel is a fictional character featured in J. R. R. Tolkien's universe of Middle-earth. She is an Elf of Middle-earth, the fairest of all the Children of Iluvatar. She was the daughter of Elu Thingol, king of Doriath, and his queen, Melian the Maia. (Technically this makes Lúthien Half-elven.) Lúthien's romance with Beren was one of the great stories of the Elder Days, and was mirrored by the later romance between Aragorn and Arwen. "Lúthien" means "Enchantress", while "Tinúviel" means "Nightingale". Tinúviel was a name given to her by Beren (it was also the name Tolkien originally gave her, before changing it to Lúthien). She is supposed to have been based on Edith Tolkien, the wife of J.R.R.

Lúthien is remembered in the Lay of Leithian (Escape From Bondage). She fell in love with Beren, a Man of the House of Bëor. Their relationship was doomed from the beginning: Lúthien was not only the cherished single daughter of the most powerful king in Beleriand, she was also an immortal elf. Beren, meanwhile was a mortal man on the run from the Dark Lord Morgoth.

Thingol was desperate not to let Beren marry his daughter, and set an impossible task as the bride price: Beren had to bring to Thingol one of the Silmarils from Morgoth's iron crown. Against monstrous odds, including kidnap by the sons of Fëanor and the death of Finrod Felagund, as well as a confrontation with Sauron, the couple achieve the task, with help from Huan the Hound of Valinor, but Beren dies as soon as it is completed.

Lúthien gives up her immortality to let Beren live again, and they dwell in Ossiriand until after the sack of Menegroth. They have a son, Dior, who is called Elúchil - the Heir of Thingol. After the Silmaril stolen by Beren was set in the Nauglamír, the Necklace of the Dwarves, it was given to Lúthien. Her beauty combined with the splendor of the gem and necklace to make her home of Tol Galen the fairest land ever to have existed east of Valinor. On her death the Nauglamír was delivered to her son Dior, which lead to the final fall of Doriath.

Her line will never be broken.

Tolkien was buried in Wolvercote Cemetery (North Oxford) and this name appears on the stone

EDITH MARY TOLKIEN LUTHIEN 1889 – 1971

The name of Beren also appears on the stone

JOHN RONALD REUEL TOLKIEN BEREN 1892 – 1973

Lúthien may be derived from the Old English word Lufien, which means love.