Hardang is a fictional character in 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 is introduced in The War of the Jewels

The War of the Jewels

The War of the Jewels is the 11th volume of Christopher Tolkien's series The History of Middle-earth, analysing the unpublished manuscripts of his father J. R. R...

as a Chieftain of the Men

Man (Middle-earth)

The race of Men in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth books, such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, refers to humanity and does not denote gender...

 of Brethil 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...

.

Hardang was descended from Halmir

Halmir

Halmir is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He is introduced in The Silmarillion as a Man of the Second House of the Edain in the First Age....

 of the House 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...

. He was the son of Hundad son of Hundar, and thus was also of the male line, like Brandir

Brandir

Brandir is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He was a Chieftain of the Folk of Haleth in the First Age. Brandir was the son of Handir of Brethil and was descended from the Houses of Haleth and Hador through his grandparents Haldir and Glóredhel...

 the Lame. After the death of Handir, Chieftain of Brethil, Hardang tried to have his cousin passed over in his own favour, and many supported him, counting Brandir unable of proper ruling.

After the death of Brandir childless many of the Folk of Brethil would have preferred his another cousin 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....

 to become a new Chieftain, for he was of the senior line - but by a daughter, and so by tradition Hardang was elected. Yet out of fear Hardang appointed Manthor to become the Captain of the Guards at the Crossings of Taeglin, for there the fear of the assault by Orcs

Orc (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...

 was the greatest.

Hardang had not ruled for two years when the rumours of 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...

 Thalion began. Hardang had no love for the House of Hador, in whose blood he had no part, and was displeased by the former unofficial rule of 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...

. He now showed no favour or honour to his father, and indeed insulted him, falling under the "shadow" of the Curse of Morgoth

Morgoth

Morgoth Bauglir is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium. He is the main antagonist of The Silmarillion, figures in The Children of Húrin, and is mentioned briefly in The Lord of the Rings.Melkor was the most powerful of the Ainur, but turned to darkness and became...

 born by Húrin. The latter was provoked enough to sent a stool flying at Hardang, and so was taken to prison.

But Húrin's case was defended at the Moot of the Folk by Manthor, who used eloquent words to turn Hardang's actions, which included the drugging of Húrin, to his undoing. The Folk of Brethil were roused and in their wrath they burned the Hall of the Chieftains; Hardang tried to escape, but fell with a spear in his back and died.

In early versions of the story Hardang's name was Harathor, and it was he, not Manthor, who was the brother of Túrin's companion Hunthor.