Beren appears beside J.R.R. Tolkien’s name on the shared grave of Tolkien and his wife Edith.
The grave in Wolvercote Cemetery, Oxford, identifies Edith Tolkien as “Lúthien” and J.R.R. Tolkien as “Beren.” These names come from one of Tolkien’s central love stories, in which the mortal man Beren and the immortal Elf-maiden Lúthien overcome extraordinary obstacles and become united.
Tolkien’s relationship with Edith inspired the emotional and biographical importance of Beren and Lúthien. Their story appears in several forms across his legendarium, including The Silmarillion and later published versions of the tale. Tolkien regarded Lúthien as especially connected with Edith.
The inscription is a memorial reference, not a claim that the real couple literally were the fictional characters. It is also separate from Aragorn and Arwen, another Tolkien couple whose story echoes themes of love across different kinds of mortality.