Abstract
It is often given for granted that the whole history of Arda somehow reflects the primordial symphony played by the angelic Ainur before the highest deity Ilúvatar before the beginning of days. Yet, the specific modalities of such mirroring did not, up to the present day, receive the attention they should. Therefore, the present writing endeavours to trace the correspondances between the divine music and the narrative dedicated to the amazing accomplishments of the bethrothed Elven maiden Lúthien and human hero Beren. The choice of the latter story among all the tales of Arda is due to the fact that it represented the dearest to Tolkien even among his selection of the three Great Tales of the Elder Days, and thematically because it is a story wherein music plays a fundamental role, more than in any other tale Tolkien wrote.
Recommended Citation
Costabile, Giovanni Carmine
(2022)
"“A Greater [Music]” and “A Song of Greater Power”: Lúthien's Song and Dance in the Light of the Ainulindalë,"
Journal of Tolkien Research: Vol. 14:
Iss.
2, Article 7.
Available at:
https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol14/iss2/7
Comments
Expanded from my presentation at Rimini Tolkien Conference “Tree of Tales” 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXW-zi-rSUU
Available at https://greengirdle.wordpress.com/2022/06/09/a-greater-music-and-a-song-of-greater-power-luthiens-song-and-dance-in-the-light-of-the-ainulindale/