Thingol, Beren, and a cursed Rock

[Finrod Felagund]

Was the Silmaril actually a bride price or was that just the most impossible thing that Thingol could think of and was not serious about Beren retrievieng the Sil?

[Illuvatar]

Most definetely the latter!

IMHO Thingol would rather send poor Beren, (who in my eyes deserved her hand more than and Elven Prince at the time) to his death rather than accept a mere mortal as a son-in-law.

More the pity! pfbbt on Thingol!

[Hobbit]

I agree with Illu...
Thingol just thought if it as a way to dispose Beren: if he would try he would probably die (luckily Luthien gave him a hand)
and otherwise he was doomed to let Luthien alone for as long as he lived...
And I agree: Beren diserved more the hand of Luthien his lover then any elflord!
Sneaky Thingol didn't agree and had to come up with a plan to ruin it

[Lasgalen]

I believe it was most impossible thing that Thingol could think of because Thingol did not really want Beren to marry Luthien. He swore not to kill Beren, so he sent Beren on a quest that Thingol hoped would kill Beren. That way he could keep his oath and get rid of Beren at the same time.

[Mirkgirl]

Well his own words to Melian say it:
The Silmarillion, Of Beren and Luthien
But Thingol answered: 'I sell not to Elves or Men those whom I love and cherish above all treasure. And if there were hope or fear that Beren should come ever back alive to Menegroth, he should not have looked again upon the light of heaven, though I had sworn it.

[Lalaith]

That's the very quote I was thinking of, Mirky! ;)

Basically, Thingol wanted to set an impossible task for Beren, just to get the man out of his hair. Evidently, Thingol put little store in the power of true love (altogether now: aaaaawwwwwww!) and, unfortunately, by setting such a task, he embroiled himself in the Doom of the Silmarils and the fate of the Noldor, who he really disliked...

On the whole - it was a bad judgment call; if he had really wanted to keep Beren from Lúthien, he should have had Mablung take him out back and shoot him! j/k lol

[Lasgalen]

And Melian even warned him! Why marry a Maia if he is never going to take her good advice?

[Finrod Felagund]

Yep, he should have just gone on a "Hunting Trip" with Beren...
"I'm so sorry pumpkin, Beren got in the way just as I was releasing"

[Gil Galad]

haha, thatd be one way of doing it Finrod,

but i dont think he really meant either of those, i think he just took Berens suite for Luthien as a joke and replied with another joke, which was meant to discourage and humiliate Beren.


so FF tell me about this Luthien Droolers Society of yours

[Lasgalen]

I don't think he took it as a joke. He was very mad and only didn't kill Beren out of hand because he had promised Luthien.

[Lalaith]

Yes - he immediately regretted that promise and thought that sending Beren off to hunt for shiny trinkets would do the trick...