Also known as: Beren One-Hand, Son Of Barahir
Beren Erchamion, son of Barahir, was a mortal Man of the House of Beor who wrought the greatest deed of any of his kind in the Elder Days. For some years after the Dagor Bragollach he and his father's outlaw band waged a hopeless war against Morgoth in the highlands of Dorthonion, until betrayal destroyed them and Beren alone survived. Hunted and friendless, he crossed the Mountains of Terror and came at last into the guarded woods of Doriath, where he beheld Luthien dancing in a glade at twilight and loved her; and she, alone of all, loved him in return.
When he sought her hand, King Thingol in scorn demanded a Silmaril from Morgoth's iron crown as the bride-price, thinking to send the mortal to his death. Yet Beren, with Luthien's far greater power beside him, achieved the impossible and cut a Silmaril from the Crown in the depths of Angband. As they fled, the great wolf Carcharoth bit off Beren's hand with the holy jewel closed within it -- whence his name Erchamion, the One-handed -- and in the hunting of that wolf Beren was mortally hurt. He died, but was uniquely called back from death by Luthien's song before Mandos, and the two lived out a second mortal life together upon the green isle of Tol Galen. Through their line the blood of Beren and Luthien -- of Man, Elf, and Maia woven together -- came down at the last to Elrond and Elros, and so to Arwen and Aragorn himself.