J.R.R. Tolkien based the fictional character Lúthien partly on his wife Edith. Lúthien is an Elven princess whose story appears in Tolkien’s legendarium, especially in the tale of Beren and Lúthien.
Tolkien connected Edith with Lúthien after seeing her dance in a wooded area near Roos in Yorkshire. He later described that memory as an inspiration for Lúthien’s dancing. The character’s story combines romance, quest, sacrifice, and resistance to the power of the dark lord Morgoth.
Lúthien falls in love with the mortal man Beren. Together they undertake a quest to take a Silmaril from Morgoth’s crown. Their story became one of the central legends underlying Tolkien’s later writings.
Tolkien and Edith were buried in Oxford’s Wolvercote Cemetery. Their gravestone includes the names Beren and Lúthien, while Tolkien’s use of those names also reflects the personal importance of the legend.