The Return of the King

The final volumes of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King follows the final battles and the destruction of the Ring of Power carried by Gollum and then Bilbo and last Frodo. Published in 1955, the book brings the story of the Hobbits and the Rings to an end.

The book is broken up into two separate volumes Book V and Book VI. In Book V the characters are coming into their power. Aragorn fulfills the prophecies that have led to his becoming the King of Gondor. Gandalf becomes the commander of the war. Legolas and Gimli become closer companions and bridge a gap that has existed between Elves and Dwarves. Pippin steps into service of the Steward of Gondor, Denethor, while Merry becomes a soldier in the army of King Theoden.

In Book VI, Frodo is rescued by Sam. The two run away dressed in Orc uniforms. Slowly and painfully Frodo keeps going. Towards the end, Sam carries him the rest of the way. They encounter Gollum again as Frodo reaches the Crack of Doom. Frodo wins their skirmish, but when the time comes to throw the Ring in, evil takes over and he turns away. Gollum attacks bite off the finger with the Ring and lose his footing falling into the Crack of Doom. With his death, the Ring is destroyed. With the destruction of the Ring, the War is over. Sauron is defeated.

The rest of the book covers the epilog of all the characters. Aragorn takes his place as King of Gondor; Gimli goes back to the Dwarves with better relationships with the Elves because of the friendship he and Legolas developed. Legolas went back to his Elven village.

All the Hobbits return to the Shire, Sam marries and starts a family, Merry and Pippin become heroes, especially after they remove the influence of Saruman who had gone to the Shire and was terrorizing the Hobbits. Gandalf leads the Hobbits home then goes to stay with the Elves, showing up again at the end when Frodo and Bilbo go over the Great Sea and become immortal.

Book Summary

The Return of the King opens with Pippin riding on Gandalf's horse with him from Isengard to Minas Tirith in Gondor. Since the Ringwraiths on their winged horses chase after them during the day, they travel at night. When they finally reach Minas Tirith they see it is a stone city in white and built in seven tiered layers on a hill. At the top of the hill sits the Citadel with the High Court inside it. Although the city is dazzling, Pippin can see signs of decay. When they reach the court, Gandalf warns Pippin not to mention Aragorn, who actually has a claim to the Kingship.

When they reach the court, Gandalf warns Pippin not to mention Aragorn, who actually has a claim to the Kingship. Denethor, the Steward of Gondor, is sitting in a black stone chair and staring at the horn of Boromir, who was his son. Denethor and Gandalf aren't friends, but he takes an interest in Pippin and longs to hear of his son's death. Pippin offers his sword to Denethor since he feels like he owes a debt to him. Although Denethor thinks the little Hobbit too small to be of use, he does put him in his Guard. Denethor and Gandalf continue to snipe at each other, which puzzles Pippin.

Although Denethor thinks the little Hobbit too small to be of use, he does put him in his Guard. Denethor and Gandalf continue to snipe at each other, which puzzles Pippin. Afterward, Gandalf praises Pippin for offering his sword and tells him that Denethor can read minds, and to be cautious. Gandalf wants Faramir, Boromir's brother to return. Especially since Denethor pledges to remain at his post until the King returns.

Pippin spends some time with another Guard and they discuss the coming battle. The Guard, Beregond, doesn't think Gondor will survive against Sauron and his dark forces. That night a dark cloud settles over Mordor and Gandalf tells Pippin that there won't be any dawn for awhile. "Darkness has begun."

Meanwhile, Aragorn, Theoden and the Riders of Rohan are returning to Rohan. Aragorn tells Gimli, Legolas, and Merry that they must go to Minas Tirith but, for an unknown reason, they must travel a darker route.

While en route they meet some Dunedain of the North. They are Rangers and friends of Aragorn, who is also a Ranger. Elladan and Elrohir, two sons of Elrond, who is a half-elf from The Hobbit. A mysterious message had reached the Rangers to come to Aragorn's aid. Elrohir gives Aragorn the message from Rivendell that if he is in a hurry to "remember the Paths of the Dead."

Soon Theoden asks Merry to ride with him. This makes Merry happy because he was uncomfortable with the Rangers. Merry offers his sword for Rohan and the king accepts gladly. Aragorn leaves for a bit and returns with news that he fears they will not reach Minas Tirith in time. He asks Dunedain to go on the Paths of the Dead with him so they can get there faster. The Paths of the Dead is a road that no living Man can travel unless they are the proper heir of Elendil. Theoden leads the Riders along a safer path to Edoras.

After the others have left, Aragorn explains to Legolas and Gimli what happened. He looked into the Stone of Orthanc that Saruman had used to communicate with Sauron. Although he was able to make the palantir submit to him, Sauron now knows that the heir of Isildur and the throne of Gondor exists; Aragorn.

According to a song of legend the Paths of the Dead Isildur had set a great black stone on the hill of Erech. There the King of the Mountains swore allegiance to Isildur, but when he called on him to help with the battle against Sauron, he discovered the Men of the Mountains were worshiping Sauron and broke their vow. Because of that, Isildur condemned them to never rest until they fulfilled their vow. And when Isildur's heir returns to the stone they have to honor their vow.

Aragorn takes the Rangers to Dunharrow. Although Theoden isn't there yet, his daughter, Eowyn pleads with Aragorn not to take the Paths of the Dead. But, he refuses to heed her pleas.

Since Dunharrow is near the entrance to the Path, Aragorn leads his group inside. Through his strength of will alone, they continue. The Dwarf, Gimli can hear the voices in the darkness and is almost paralyzed with fear. Aragorn calls for the dead to follow him to the Stone.

They follow him out of the Paths. When the people of the countryside see him they call Aragorn "King of the Dead." At the Stone of Erech, the Dead pledge their allegiance to Aragorn, and he announces he is the heir of Isildur. Then they ride on to the River Anduin.

After stopping at the outer hills of Rohan, Theoden's son, Eomer urges him not to keep going. But, Theoden has committed them to war. He takes the rest of the Riders of Rohan on to Dunharrow where he sees Eowyn, the Lady of Rohan.

Merry is acting as Theoden's squire when a messenger arrives dressed in the same armor as Boromir. He has a message with a red arrow, which means great peril. It is from the Steward of Gondor. Theoden says he can bring six thousand Riders, but they won't make it there for a week.

The next morning the world is covered with a darkness coming from Mordor. Theoden tells Merry he must remain behind because he doesn't want any of the men to be slowed down by a double rider.  Merry is disappointed, but Eowyn tries to cheer him by giving him armor of the King's Guard that will fit him.

Meanwhile, in Minas Tirith, Pippin has received his uniform as a Tower Guard and happens to be on duty when a small group of riders being chased by Nazgul comes to the gate. Pippin recognizes the horn they blow as belonging to Faramir, Denethor's son. Suddenly the terrified horses throw their riders and the Men run to the gate. Suddenly there is a bright light that hits a Nazgul as it is about to attack Faramir. The light is coming from Gandalf. He takes the unconscious Faramir up on the saddle if Shadowfax as the Nazgul's fly away.

Later when Faramir enters Denethor's rooms he is surprised to see Pippin. Until he saw Frodo and Sam, Faramir thought Hobbits were a myth. When Gandalf hears that Frodo and Sam are headed to Mordor through Cirith Ungol, he is furious. Faramir tries to calm him by telling him he only left them two days ago and they couldn't be to Cirith Ungol yet. So that means that Frodo's actions can't be linked to Sauron's increased activity against Gondor. Then father and son enter into an argument because Denethor wanted the Ring, and Faramir let the Hobbit keep it.

The next day Denethor sends his son to the front lines. They learn the Black Captain, who no one can stand against, is heading there, too. Gandalf rides out to help Faramir against him. He returns the next day with scores of wounded men, but Faramir stays on the front lines.

Soon, the armies of Orcs and Men clad in black begin to blanket the fields around Minas Tirith. In front of them is what is left of Faramir and his troops along with Gandalf. Although Denethor sends out troops to cover their retreat, Faramir is hit with a poisoned arrow.

The armies of Sauron use fire. The world seems to be burning. Retreats are blocked. Then they start catapulting blazing missiles over the walls. To the defender's horror, they realize the missiles are the burning heads of people who died defending Osgiliath.

Denethor sees defeat is eminent and stops fighting. He hides in the Tower with Faramir who is dying. Pippin stands nearby while Denethor weeps over the end of his line. Not the death of his sons but the death of his lineage.

Denethor gives up on defense, he suggests to the people of Minas Tirith to give up and burn in the fires. Gandalf takes command. Denethor has his servants take Faramir, who isn't dead yet, to the Hall of Kings, the crypts of all the past leaders of Gondor. As he begins to ready his son for cremation, Pippin tries to stop him from burning his son alive. Finally, he deserts his post to find Gandalf and get help while he sends his friend, Beregond to try to stop Denethor.

The armies of Mordor break the gate down. Everyone flees but Gandalf. He orders the Black Captain to stand down, but he laughs and throws back his hood to reveal a crown on a headless body. Suddenly his sword begins to flame and he readies to fight Gandalf. But, morning breaks and the Riders of Rohan arrive.

The Riders of Rohan had met up with the Moses who are the Wild Men of the Woods. They had come to offer to help against Sauron and the Orcs. They told Theoden that all the entries to Minas Tirith had been blocked, but they know a back way in. The path leads them to just outside the gates. The Woses vanish. At the end of the path they see the messenger that was supposed to tell Minas Tirith they were coming, dead.

Theoden fears they are already too late, then he sees a flash of light in the city. He knows that Gandalf is battling still. They Rider let out their war whoops and ride fast. The sound and reinforcements force the Orcs and the rest of Sauron's army to flee. The Black Captain is last, but when he feels the darkness leaving, so does he. The sun begins to shine again. Before the battle is finished, Theoden manages to kill the Southrons' chieftain who was a follower of Sauron.

Before Theoden can enter into the city, he is attacked by the Black Captain on his winged horse. He shoots a poisoned dart but hits Theoden's horse. Unfortunately, the horse lands on Theoden and crushes him. The rest of the Guards flee in fright, but Dernhelm, who Merry has been traveling with, stays to fight the Black Captain. Suddenly, she throws back her hood and is revealed to be Eowyn, the Lady of Rohan.

She first kills the flying horse. The Black Captain leaps off the falling animal and shatters her shield with his club. The blow is so powerful it breaks her arm. Before he can deliver the death blow, Merry sneaks up and stabs him in the leg. Then Eowyn uses the last of her strength to cut at his face with her sword. It shatters on impact. His armor drops at her feet, the crown dramatically rolls away and he is dead. She collapses on his remains.

Before he dies, King Theoden claims Eomer as his heir. Eomer leads the Riders on a more ruthless attack when he sees his sister's body. Meanwhile, Prince of Dol Amroth uses his few men to drive the enemy away from the gate so they can retrieve the King's body and Eowyn, who he informs them, is not dead.

As the battle once again seems to be turning in the favor of Mordor, Aragorn, and his troops arrive by ship. Aragorn leads the last battle that proves successful. The armies of Mordor are defeated and they leave.

Meanwhile, Pippin has rushed to Gandalf after his battle with the Black Captain ended. Although he wanted to chase the Black Captain, he knows he must save Faramir from his father's madness. Beregond is fighting off the servants of Denethor and has already killed two of them. Gandalf stops Denethor from attacking by sending his sword flying.

Gandalf tells him he can't just kill his son. Denethor reveals he has a palantir and has seen the future. The West is doomed and he blames Gandalf for finding some Ranger to replace him as King. He wishes things could go back to the way they were.

Gandalf removes Faramir from the funeral pyre. In his madness, Denethor lights the pyre on fire and jumps in. As they take Faramir to the healer, the fire consumes the area. Gandalf asks Pippin about the palantir Denethor was using. They figure that the more he used it, the more Sauron controlled him with his lies.

Merry and Pippin are reunited and Merry goes to have his wounds tended. Aragorn stays outside the city gates and won't claim his throne until the war has ended. They all agree that Gandalf is the leader for the rest of the war.

Those wounded with the poison of the weapons of the Enemy can only be healed by the touch of the true King. Although Aragorn is persuaded by Gandalf to enter the city as Ranger, he uses his touch and some innocuous herbs to heal all of them. Soon everyone is acknowledging him as King and calling him Elfstone, or Elessar, which was foretold at his birth, it is also the name of the stone he wears around his neck that was given to him by Galadriel.

When Gimli and Legolas find Merry and Pippin, Legolas tells them what happened on the Path of the Dead and after. Aragorn used the dead to defeat the invading fleets of Sauron's forces. The dead terrified the sailors, who left the battle by jumping overboard. Legolas said he was surprised they could be frightened so easily. Then Aragorn released the dead from their broken vow.

Meanwhile, Aragorn has called a war meeting. Gandalf tells them the next wave of attacks will be stronger. They must attack the Gates of Mordor. He reminds them the Ring of Power is in Mordor right now, and if Sauron gets it all will be lost. If they attack Sauron will assume Aragorn has the Ring and is brash enough to attack. With this, they will be able to divert attention from Frodo. Even though the plan is probably fatal, they all agree.

The next day the troops march off to battle. Merry is still too injured to join them, but Pippin marches off as a soldier of Gondor. As they near the Gates of Mordor, Gandalf instructs the horns to blow and announce the King of Gondor. But, inside the Gate, there is no sound. Only an eerie silence.

They are attacked by a substantial force of Orcs along the way, but they repel them. They are also tracked by flying Nazgul. When they reach the disgusting pools of Morannon, Aragorn gathers a contingent representing all the raises who are against Sauron. Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas Pippin, Eomer, Imrahil and Elrond's sons are all in this group. They call for Sauron to lay down his arms and be judged by the justice of Gondor. Still, there is silence.

Soon the Lieutenant of the Dark Tower steps out. Although he is living, he has a face like a skull with flaming eyes and nostrils. He throws Frodo's coat, Sam's sword, and a gray Elven cloak down. He tells them if they want the Hobbit spy back they will agree to their terms. Gandalf looks defeated and asks for the terms. He says they must never attack Mordor, become subservient to them and let them choose the Captain they want to rule Rohan. Gandalf rejects them.

The Lieutenant turns and runs away in fear. The Gate opens and Trolls pour out and attack. One of them tries to kill Beregond and Pippin stabs him. Unfortunately the Troll lands on him. As he starts to pass out, he hears that the Eagles are coming.

At the beginning of the second half of The Return of the King, or Book VI, the story moves back to focus on Sam and Frodo. Sam is outside the doors of the Tower. He knows he must get through the door so he can rescue Frodo. He turns and begins back down the tunnel to find another way in. The Ring tries to tempt Sam. He puts it on briefly, but even with the temptations the Ring puts in his head, Sam remembers his love for Frodo and takes it back off. Besides he knows he is too humble to be in control of the Ring.

Finally, Sam uses the vial of Galadriel to pass through the Gate. He passes over numerous dead Orcs and finally finds a live one who runs in terror. The power of the Ring is too much for them. Sam follows one of the Orcs and finds Frodo held prisoner and naked. The Orc tries to attack Sam and trips.

He falls through a hidden door in the floor. Frodo is happy to see Sam and thrilled that he saved the Ring. Frodo calls Sam a thief and takes the Ring back. But afterward he apologizes to Sam. The two Hobbits put on Orc gear they found and work their way past the guards at the Gate by using the vial again. Suddenly they hear a Black Rider's screech. He is in the air right above them.

Although a troop of Orcs and Black Riders gets close to the Hobbits, their natural evasiveness keeps them from being seen. They leave Cirith Ungol and start to travel to Mount Doom where Frodo plans to destroy the Ring. With every step, the Ring grows heavier, and they still have forty miles to go.

As day three begins, Sam and Frodo are confronted by a large band of Orcs. The leader assumes they are Orcs and order them to join. For hours they travel with the Orcs. The Ring keeps getting heavier and is almost more than Frodo can handle.

When the Orcs begin to move to the crossroads so they can go against Aragorn, Sam and Frodo slip behind a boulder and leave them. When they start out the next morning, Sam is more determined than ever. He begins to push Frodo more to Orodruin. Frodo becomes weaker and weaker. Finally, on the third day, Frodo drops and can't take another step, so Sam begins to carry him.

At the foot of the mountain, Sam sees the Eye from Sauron's Dark Tower. Luckily it passes over the Hobbits and gazes toward the Captains of the West. Frodo starts to panic and he begins to grab for the Ring. Sam holds Frodo's hands together gently to calm him.

As they continue on with Sam carrying Frodo, he is suddenly hit from behind by Gollum. Frodo and Gollum struggle while Gollum accuses Frodo of breaking his word. Frodo finally forces Gollum back and heads on. But, before he can throw the Ring in the crack, Frodo suddenly turns around and tells Sam he will not do it.

He puts the Ring on and tries to run away, while Sauron sees him and eight Nazgul flies towards him. Suddenly Sam sees Gollum battling with an unseen shadow and he hears Frodo cry out and reappear with a missing finger and blood coursing out of the stump.

He sees Gollum with the finger with the Ring in his teeth, but as he tries to back away, Gollum falls into the Cracks of Doom with the Ring. The mountain begins to shake as it consumes the Ring and Sam grab Frodo carrying him out of the cave. The last of the Nazgul die in the explosion.

Sam is overjoyed but Frodo knows that without Gollum the quest would not have ended the way it did. The two Hobbits think they will die where they are, but two Eagles swoop down and rescue them.

Meanwhile, the battle with Sauron looks bad until the mountain starts to shake and Gandalf exclaims that the Ring-bearer has completed his task. Sauron is defeated. A huge dark hand rises in the South and then disappears.

When Sam awakens he thinks for a second that the whole adventure was a dream. But, Gandalf is watching over him and Frodo. When they are both awake he tells them to dress and come with him to the reception held by the King of Gondor, Aragorn. Frodo and Sam are glad to be with Merry and Pippin again. They all eat till they are full at the feast in celebration.

The next day Aragorn rides into Minas Tirith to accept the crown of Gondor. Faramir who is set to marry Lady Eowyn arrives to give the crown to him. Aragorn calls for Gandalf and Frodo. He asks Frodo to give the crown to Gandalf so he can officially crown him.

The Third Age of the Middle Earth is finished, the new Age of Men has begun with Aragorn's reign. The Kingdom begins to rebuild. Soon the Elves arrive and Aragorn marries Arwen the daughter of the Elf Elrond. Now, Queen, she wants to reward Frodo so she gives him the gift of her immortality. He can sail across the Great Sea instead of her where Elves live eternally in youth and joy.

After a while, Frodo yearns to return home to the Shire. Gandalf and company go with him, each person drops off at their prospective homes. At Rohan, they say goodbye to Eomer. Then they go on to Isengard where the see the Ent again. Treebeard says they kept Saruman imprisoned until he seemed such a broken man, then the released him. Gandalf finds him and tries to offer pity. But he refuses.

Soon Galadriel and Celeborn break from the group and head to their home. The rest of the group arrive at Rivendell where the find Bilbo. He has finished three more books and asks Frodo to take them so he can edit them. They are Translations from the Elvish. Bilbo will remain with the Elves and the rest of the Hobbits go on leaving Elrond at his home.

As the group near the Shire, they stop at Bree and see Butterbur at his Inn. After they leave there, Gandalf parts from them. Frodo says that he feels like he is falling asleep since their adventures are over.

When the Hobbits arrive back at the bridge of Brandywine they find a spiked gate, closed. The gatekeeper tells them he can't let them through from sundown to sunrise. So the Hobbits laugh at him and climb over. Frodo thinks the Chief of Bag End, who is setting up these rules must be his greedy relative, Lesotho.

Soon they are stopped by several Men who say they work for a mysterious boss who is not Lotho. The Men call him Sharkey. They try to threaten the Hobbits but they pull their swords and the Men run.

Sam asks the old Farmer Cotton what is happening. He and his sons arrive to fight off the Men when they return, then explains that after they left Lotho began buying all the land causing a food shortage. Then some Men arrived and took over.

The next morning The Battle of Bywater happens. Seventy of the Men die and the Hobbits are victorious. Frodo, Sam, and Merry all go to Bag End to deal with the mysterious boss. They find the boss Sharkey, is Saruman. He tries to make them believe they will be cursed if they harm him, but Frodo calls him a liar and says he has no power. Saruman tries to stab Frodo, but his armor protects him.

When the other Hobbits try to kill Saruman, Frodo stops them. But, when he asks about his relative, Lotho and Saruman tells him Wormtongue killed him, Wormtongue says Saruman told him too and stabs Saruman. Afterward, Wormtongue tries to flee and is killed by Hobbits. When Saruman dies a gray mist rises from his corpse.

The Shire starts to rebuild. Merry and Pippin are heroes, Sam marries Rosie Cotton and Frodo tries to retire. Sam and his wife move into Bag End with Frodo.

One day Frodo starts toward Rivendell to see Bilbo. Frodo, Sam, Pippin and Merry all start out. They are met by Elrond and Galadriel who are now wearing two of the Three Elven Rings. Bilbo is riding slowly behind them.

Sam and Frodo go with them to the Great Sea. Bilbo boards the ship and Frodo is going to follow the lead by Gandalf. Pippin and Merry come to say goodbye.
The three Hobbits return to the Shire. The book ends with Sam greeting his family at Bags End.

Character Analysis

Frodo Baggins - Puts together the Fellowship of the Ring. When his uncle, Bilbo leaves him the Ring of Power, Frodo becomes the Ring-bearer. Frodo is not the usual hero. He is not searching for glory and is not strong or outstanding. But he is brave, steadfast, polite, thoughtful, and selfless.

His good character is what makes him the perfect person to carry the Ring. Instead of using it for power, he agrees to take it to Mordor so he can destroy it. When he figures out that the people with him are in danger of being tempted into evil by the Ring. Although he loves to listen to stories of adventure, Frodo sees the quest he has been given as a dangerous duty.

Samwise Gamgee - Frodo's best friend. Sam worked as the gardener at Bag End. Although he comes across sometimes at simple, his common sense helps Frodo in his quest. He is one of the most loyal friends in literature. Sam is very observant. Even when Frodo tries to leave him, Sam always stays a few steps ahead of him and stays by his side. He stubbornly refuses to allow Frodo to continue on the quest alone. Sam retains his optimism and is pragmatic. Whenever Frodo begins to feel the responsibility of the Ring, Sam helps him to carry on.

Peregrin Took - Called Pippin. He is a young Hobbit and is sometimes brash. Although he is very concerned with his meals, he never wavers from his duty to the Fellowship. His character is sarcastic.

Meriadoc Brandybuck - Called Merry. Although most Hobbits are afraid of water, Merry spends a lot of time in boats and on the water. He is from Buckland, near Bag End. Merry is very close to Pippin, but is more mature. They have similar tastes and go through most of the adventure together.

Gandalf the Grey - A wizard in Middle Earth. Gandalf is one of the five great wizards. Although he is very powerful, the Hobbits think of him as the creator of wonderful fireworks. He is very wise but can be tempted towards evil. He is kind and generous but can also have a short temper.

Gandalf counts his friends equally between the lowliest and the most powerful of beings. He is just as comfortable at a gathering of Hobbits as at the Council of Elrond. Throughout the books, his power grows along with his character.

Aragorn - Known as Strider. He was a Ranger who protected the The Shire and other places in the North from Evil. He is a warrior and a tracker. He is also the heir to Isildur who took the ring from Sauron during the Great Battle. Aragorn is destined to become a King. As the story grows his bravery and wisdom grows as his character does.

Legolas - A warrior Elf. Legolas is from Mirkwood. He is a master archer. As the books progress his skill with a bow and prowess as a warrior grows. When he joins the Fellowship he begins with an antipathy towards Gimli who is a Dwarf. Elves and Dwarves are natural enemies.

J. R. R Tolkien biography

J(ohn) R(Donald) R(Reuel) Tolkien  (1892 - 1973) Born in South Africa and a professor at Oxford in Britain. A brilliant linguist and fantasy writer. The Hobbit was just one of the stories he created.

Originally written for his children, it came to the attention of a publisher and was an instant hit with young and old. He was soon commissioned to continue the story in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Tolkien created an entire world for his stories, Arda, where Middle Earth is located. He also made an entire language for them called 'Elvenlatin'.

Tolkien was home schooled until he was 12. That was when his mother died and he was sent to live with a Catholic priest, Fr. Francis Xavier Morgan. He did well in school until he was 16 when he fell in love. Father Francis noticing how love was affecting his school work, forbid Tolkien from contacting her until he turned 21.

On the evening of his 21st birthday, Tolkien contacted Edith Mary Bratt. She was 3 years older than him, and not surprisingly, engaged to another man. As soon as she realized Tolkien still loved her, she broke off the engagement and agreed to marry him.

They were married 3 years later in 1916 and lived happily together until her death in 1971. He followed her in death 22 months later. They were devoted to each other and their children and grandchildren.

Buried in the same grave at Wolvercote Cemetery, Oxford, he had the name 'Luthien' under her name and 'Beren' under his name, after two romantic characters in his story, Of Beren and Luthien from the collection of short stories in his book, The Silmarillion.