Lúthien Heraldic Device I

Known primarily as the author of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien also created a number of original illustrations for his works. Among these illustrations were heraldic devices for several of his characters. This device belongs to Lúthien, the Elvish princess who sacrificed her immortality to be with her true love, a mortal Man named Beren.

According to the website Tolkien Gateway, these images appeared on calendars and book jackets in the 1970's, shortly after the author's death. Although the full symbolism behind many of them is unknown, certain details can be speculated upon: When Lúthien was born, white flowers later dubbed Niphredil came into bloom in her homeland, and the floral motifs on her devices are likely a reference to that.

The character of Lúthien was famously inspired by Tolkien’s wife, Edith Bratt- both in appearance and in her story line. This connection was so personal that he had the name Lúthien engraved on Edith’s tombstone.