“Mysterium Tremendum et Fascinans”: Melian’s and Lúthien’s Numinosity

Authors

Alexandra (Oleksandra) Filonenko, Centre for Fantasy Literature Studies at the Taras Shevchenko Institute of Literature of the National Academy of Sciences of UkraineFollow

Document Type

Paper

Abstract

At the heart of all the positive changes in Middle-earth, and at the starting point for undoing the great evil wrought by male characters (divine or otherwise), are two female characters: Melian the Maia and her daughter Lúthien. They form a kind of mythological complex of mother and daughter goddesses, similar to that of Demeter and Persephone. Melian, as a static, maternal figure, forms a sacred centre of Beleriand to which all in need of protection gravitate, while Lúthien, representing a dynamic principle, can be considered the greatest hero of Tolkien’s Legendarium, performing feats unmatched by any male character. Yet their magical powers seem to possess a twilight quality, and sometimes (especially in the earlier versions of their stories) become a shade darker than one might expect from the embodiments of good and beauty that they are supposed to be. An ineffable, awe-inspiring mystery is perceived behind their radiant façade, suggesting the presence of the numinous as “Mysterium Tremendum et Fascinans” in Rudolf Otto’s terminology.

Combining religious studies, mythocritical and ecofeminist approaches, the paper seeks to examine the two characters from the perspective of their magical manipulation and their relationship to the land, primarily the woodlands.

Creative Commons License

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Recommended Citation

Filonenko, Alexandra (Oleksandra) (2025) "“Mysterium Tremendum et Fascinans”: Melian’s and Lúthien’s Numinosity," Mythopoeic Society Seminar Proceedings: Vol. 2025: Iss. 1, Article 6.
Available at: https://dc.swosu.edu/mythpro/vol2025/iss1/6