Brandir
Encyclopedia
Brandir is a fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
's Middle-earth
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
legendarium
Legendarium
Legendary may refer to:*A hagiography, or study of the lives of saints and other religious figures**The South English Legendary, a Middle English legendary*A legend-Entertainment:*Legendary, an album by Kaysha*Legendary...
. He was a Chieftain of the Folk of Haleth in the First Age
First Age
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the First Age, or First Age of the Children of Ilúvatar is the heroic period in which most of Tolkien's early legends are set...
. Brandir was the son of Handir of Brethil and was descended from the Houses of Haleth
House of Haleth
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the House of Haleth or the Haladin were the family of Men that ruled over the second of the Three Houses of the Edain...
and Hador through his grandparents Haldir and Glóredhel. He was also related to the House of Bëor
House of Bëor
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, the House of Bëor were the family of Men who ruled over the eldest of the Three Houses of the Edain that had allied with the Elves in the First Age.-The Folk of Bëor:...
through his mother (see note below).
Biography
He was lame since a misadventure in childhood; he was no man of war and "gentle in mood, loving wood rather than metal, and the knowledge of things that grow in earth rather than other lore". His father died in a battle with OrcsOrc (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...
when they invaded Brethil in the year of the Sack of Nargothrond
Nargothrond
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Nargothrond , called Nulukkhizdīn by the Dwarves, was the stronghold built by Finrod Felagund...
. The Folk of Haleth were driven into their woods, and dwelt mainly within a stockade upon Obel Halad. Brandir was then elected a Chieftain, though many would have preferred his second cousin Hardang
Hardang
Hardang is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The War of the Jewels as a Chieftain of the Men of Brethil in the First Age....
; and Brandir's hopes were to "preserve his people by silence and secrecy" rather than by open war.
When Túrin Turambar
Túrin Turambar
Túrin Turambar is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. "Turambar and the Foalókë", begun in 1917, is the first appearance of Túrin in the legendarium. J.R.R...
was brought unconscious to Amon Obel, Brandir prophesied that he will be "the last bane of their people", but still tended him with care. Later Brandir also accepted Níniel
Nienor
Niënor, also known as Níniel , is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, appearing in the Narn i Chîn Húrin told in full in The Children of Húrin and briefly in The Silmarillion...
, whom he secretly fell in love with; but she called him brother, for Níniel's heart was given to Turambar, and soon they were wedded.
Yet after a time great forces of Orcs began to assail Brethil, and Túrin was asked to lead the forces to battle, and destroyed the enemies utterly. Soon he began to order things as he would, and few men gave heed to Brandir. The borders were once again cleared, but Turambar was revealed to Glaurung
Glaurung
Glaurung is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Silmarillion as the first of the Dragons. He is also a major antagonist in The Children of Húrin. He was known as The Deceiver, The Golden, The Great Worm and the Worm of...
the Dragon
Dragon (Middle-earth)
J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium features dragons closely based on those of European legend.Besides dragon , Tolkien variously used the terms drake and worm .-History:The dragons were created by Morgoth...
. When the news were heard of the coming of Glaurung and Túrin chose companions to attempt to kill him, Dorlas
Dorlas
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Dorlas was a Man of the Folk of Haleth in the First Age. He was the father of Avranc.Dorlas was a close friend of Hardang of the Haladin, a pretender for the Chieftainship of Brethil...
scorned Brandir for being unable to join, but was rebuked by Brandir's cousin Hunthor (brother of Manthor
Manthor
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Manthor was a lord of Men in the First Age. He was a descendant of Halmir of the House of Haleth; his parents were Meleth and Agathor, and his brother was Hunthor who fell in the ravine of Taeglin....
), who went in his stead. However, after Níniel likewise disdained his counsel, Brandir in anger renounced his chieftainship and broke his staff.
Brandir then followed Níniel to Nen Girith, trying to comfort her, but she fled to Cabed-en-Aras. There he overheard Glaurung's revelation to her that she was Nienor, Túrin's sister, and saw her casting herself into the chasm over the river Taeglin. Brandir was the last man to look down into its darkness, and he went away, for "though he hated now his life, he could not there take the death that he desired". On his way back to Nen Girith he encounters Dorlas
Dorlas
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Dorlas was a Man of the Folk of Haleth in the First Age. He was the father of Avranc.Dorlas was a close friend of Hardang of the Haladin, a pretender for the Chieftainship of Brethil...
who stayed behind in fear while Hunthor and Túrin pursued Glaurung. When Brandir accuses Dorlas of bringing no news of Túrin and thus leading to Nienor's death Dorlas draws his bow to kill Brandir who then smote him with his sword slaying him, - the only blood that Brandir had ever spilled.
He brought the tidings to the Folk of Haleth, calling Brethil Sarch nia Chîn Húrin, Grave for the Children of Húrin. And when Túrin returned and, angered by his words, called him 'Club-foot', Brandir reported to him the last words of Glaurung. Unwilling to believe, Túrin smote Brandir with Gurthang, killing him.
After Brandir, Brethil was ruled for a short time by his cousin Hardang
Hardang
Hardang is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The War of the Jewels as a Chieftain of the Men of Brethil in the First Age....
, until the last descendants of Haleth
Haleth
Haleth is a fictional character from J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. She was a leader of the Second House of the Edain, called the Folk of Haleth after her....
perished in the kin-strife caused by the return of Húrin
Húrin
Húrin is a fictional character in the Middle-earth legendarium of J. R. R. Tolkien. He is introduced in The Silmarillion as a hero of Men during the First Age, said to be the greatest warrior of both the Edain and all the other Men in Middle-earth...
.
Parentage of Brandir
While it is out of question that Brandir's father was Handir, the name of his mother is unclear. J. R. R. Tolkien only once mentions her: in the genealogical tables of the Edain she appears as Beldis of the House of Bëor, with the following descent presented:Bregil (born 386) was the daughter of Bregor of the House of Bëor and sister of Barahir
Barahir
Barahir is a fictional character in the fantasy-world Middle-earth of the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. He appears in The Silmarillion, the epic poem The Lay of Leithian and the Grey Annals.-Character overview:...
father of Beren Erchamion
Beren
Beren is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Silmarillion. Huan spoke to him.-Character overview:...
. She was wedded to one Arachon and their children were Brandir (born 409) and Beldis (born 411). Beldis is shown as the wife of Handir of Brethil, and their son is Brandir the Lame, "named after his mother's brother". On the basis of this Christopher Tolkien
Christopher Tolkien
Christopher Reuel Tolkien is the third and youngest son of the author J. R. R. Tolkien , and is best known as the editor of much of his father's posthumously published work. He drew the original maps for his father's The Lord of the Rings, which he signed C. J. R. T. The J...
noted that Brandir was Túrin's second cousin once removed in 'Bëorian' line as well as second cousin on both 'Hadorian' and Haladin sides.
But this descent is plainly erroneous, and was introduced by J. R. R. Tolkien without noticing the following discrepancies. Beldis was born in Y.S. 411 (when her mother was 25 years old), while her 'husband' Handir in 441, thirty years later, and their son Brandir in 465 - when his mother was already 54. While of course not impossible, it is highly unlikely that Tolkien intended this, since all dates in the same genealogies were carefully balanced around the average of 25 years between generations. Apparently one more generation is required by Tolkien's own standards between Beldis and Brandir.
Consequently it would be better to leave obscure the identity of Brandir's mother and his actual descent from Bregil, although it is possible to regard him Túrin's third cousin on Bëorian side.