Lay of Leithian: Canto Three

In my original chronological read through Tolkien's Middle-earth mythology the thought process of Thingol always gave me pause. I wondered how the King could be so upset about a Man pursuing his daughter (beyond the whole protective dad thing--I get that, I have a little girl). Apparently Thingol felt a man unworthy--and yet he himself married a Maiar; an angelic divine being. Even being immortal Elf that seems like a reach. Canto three of Leithian drives this point home (whether Tolkien intended to or not). For it begins with Thingol and Melian's first meeting and ends with Beren and Lúthien's first meeting--back-to-back in a few short stanza's rather than ages and pages in a chronological read.

I was tempted to include excerpts from both meetings but chose Thingol and Melian. Mainly because lots of time and effort is spent on the relationship between Man and Elf (and it was a big deal) and because of that I think it's easy to overlook the relationship between Elf and Maia. So here goes:

"Thus Thingol sailed not on the seas

but dwelt amid the land of trees, 

and Melian he loved, divine,

whose voice was potent as the wine

the Valar drink in golden halls

where flower blooms and fountain falls;

but when she sang it was a spell,

and no flower stirred nor fountain fell.

A king and queen thus lived they long,

and Doriath was filled with song,

and all the Elves that missed their way

and never found the western bay,

the gleaming walls of their long home

by the grey seas and the white foam,

who never trod the golden land

where the towers of the Valar stand, 

all these were gathered in their realm

beneath the beech and oak and elm."

(p. 173, The Lays of Beleriand)

We will see later in this Lay that Lúthien takes after her mother as her voice, too, was a potent spell. Thingol has no desire to return to Valinor seeing the light of that blessed land in his divine queen and as the Lay says their realm was a beacon for many Elves who missed the journey to the West. One last quick note: we see a brief cameo of Tinfang Warble in canto three as Dairon and his piping is introduced. What a fun little Elf.