What was the name of J.R.R. Tolkien’s wife, whom he used as the model for Lúthien?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s wife, Edith Tolkien, was the model for Lúthien.

Edith Bratt met Tolkien when they were young, and they married in 1916. Tolkien later associated their relationship with the story of Beren and Lúthien, one of the central love stories in his mythology. He described Edith as his inspiration for Lúthien, while he identified himself with the mortal hero Beren.

The connection was not simply a modern fan interpretation. Tolkien had “Lúthien” engraved on Edith’s gravestone, and “Beren” appears on his own. Their shared grave in Oxford records the names as part of their family memorial.

Edith was also a musician and singer. Tolkien’s legendarium contains many characters inspired by mythology, language, history, and personal experience, but the Beren-and-Lúthien relationship has an especially direct biographical link. Edith should not be confused with Mabel Tolkien, Tolkien’s mother, or Priscilla Tolkien, his daughter.