Editing Lúthien and Beren (section)

=== Harrowing of Hell ===

{{further|Christian light in Tolkien's legendarium|Hell and Middle-earth}}

[[File:Harrowhell.jpg|thumb|upright| ''[[Harrowing of Hell|The Harrowing of Hell]]'', ''{{lang|fr|[[Petites Heures of Jean de France, Duc de Berry|Petites Heures]]}}'', 14th-century [[illuminated manuscript]] for [[John, Duke of Berry]] ]]

Robert Steed, in ''[[Mallorn (journal)|Mallorn]]'', argues that Tolkien echoes and "creatively adapts" the medieval theme of the [[Harrowing of Hell]], in the tale of Lúthien and Beren, and in other places. The medieval tale holds that Christ spent the time between his crucifixion and resurrection down in Hell, setting the Devil's captives free with the irresistible power of his divine light. The motif, Steed suggests, involves a multi-step sequence<!--i.e. an ORDERED list-->:

# someone imprisoned in darkness;
# a powerful and evil jailor;
# a still more powerful liberator
# who brings light, and
# sets the captives free.

Steed describes the tale "[[Of Beren and Lúthien]]" as an instance, where Lúthien sets Beren free from Sauron's imprisonment. Beren is freed from darkness, Lúthien from despair, so, Steed remarks, both of them take on aspects of Christ:<ref name="Steed 2017">{{cite journal |last1=Steed |first1=Robert |title=The Harrowing of Hell Motif in Tolkien's Legendarium |journal=[[Mallorn (journal)|Mallorn]] |date=2017 |issue=58 |pages=6–9 |url=https://journals.tolkiensociety.org/mallorn/article/download/26/21}}</ref>

{{blockquote|But Beren coming back to light out of the pit of despair lifted her up, and they looked again upon one another; and the day rising over dark hills shone upon them."<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1977|loc=19 "Of Beren and Lúthien"}}</ref>}}