Húrin
Encyclopedia
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. Húrin Thalion ' onMouseout='HidePop("73067")' href="/topics/Sindarin">Sindarin
for The Steadfast) was the elder son of Galdor the Tall of the House of Hador and Hareth of the Haladin, and he had a younger brother named Huor
.
. The brothers ended up in the Vale of Sirion, and were cut off from their company and chased by Orcs. The Vala
of Water Ulmo
caused a mist to arise from the river, and the brothers escaped into Dimbar. There two Eagles
picked them up, and brought them to Gondolin. King Turgon
welcomed the brothers, remembering Ulmo's prophecy that the House of Hador would aid Gondolin in their time of greatest need. Turgon would have liked them to remain, as he grew to love them, but the brothers wished to return to their kin. They swore an oath to keep Gondolin secret, and the Eagles brought them back to Dor-lómin.
In 462 Morgoth
assailed Hithlum, and Húrin's father Galdor fell defending the Barad Eithel. Húrin chased the Orcs away with heavy slaughter over the plains of Anfauglith, for "there was a fire in him that made the sword hot in his hand". He then took the Lordship of his people and their fief of Dor-lómin in Hithlum
being only 21 years old.
Soon he married Morwen
Edhelwen of the House of Bëor
, and in 464 their son Túrin
was born. A daughter Lalaith
followed, but she died aged three years by a plague sent from Angband
. His house was in the south of the land, near Amon Darthir and the stream of Nen Lalaith; but "Húrin was often long away from home with the host of Fingon
that guarded Hithlum's eastern borders, and when he returned his quick speech, full of strange words and jests and half-meanings, bewildered Túrin". After the death of his daughter Húrin "Mourned openly, and he took up his harp and would make a song of lamentation; but he could not, and he broke his harp, and going out he lifted up his hand towards the North, crying: 'Marrer of Middle-earth, would that I might see thee face to face, and mar thee as my lord Fingolfin
did!'"
When the Union of Maedhros prepared to battle with Morgoth, Húrin feared little that they will be defeated. In 472, in the Nírnaeth Arnoediad
, Húrin rode his horse Arroch, 'Noble horse', to the battle and, leading the Folk of Hador, he fought alongside his brother, Huor. In the midst of battle he met Turgon again. When the battle was lost, Húrin and Huor took a stand fighting off the Orcs, allowing Turgon to escape. Huor and all the Men of Dor-lómin were slain, but Húrin fought with his battle-axe until his axe withered, he was buried under a mountain of slain Orcs and Trolls
. Húrin was then bound alive by Gothmog Lord of Balrog
s and brought captive to Angband.
Morgoth then tried to retrieve knowledge of Turgon's hidden kingdom from Húrin, tormenting him and tempting with freedom or high rank in Morgoth's army. When Húrin resisted, Morgoth cursed him along with his kin, took him to Haudh-en-Ndengin and placed him high on the peaks of Thangorodrim
, either chained or magically immobilized in a seat. Through the power of Morgoth, he could see and hear from the seat all the evils that later befell his son Túrin and daughter Nienor
, who was born while he was a captive. But he saw only those things that Morgoth wished to reveal, lessening their good deeds and casting shadow on the counsels of Thingol
and the Haladin. Húrin was thus embittered even more by the way his children, both under the spells of Glaurung
, came to get married and later commit suicide
.
After twenty eight years of imprisonment and the death of his children, Húrin was released by Morgoth. "He had grown grim to look upon: his hair and beard were white and long, but there was a fell light in his eyes. He walked unbowed, and yet carried a great black staff; but he was girt with a sword." He was brought to his old homelands in Hithlum, but the Easterlings
living there at first did not recognize him and later feared him, believing he served their evil lord Morgoth. The House of Hador had been destroyed, and those who remained as slaves or outlaws held him in suspicion and fear.
Seven outlaws under Asgon joined Húrin, and together they went to the Vale of Sirion. Húrin abandoned his followers and sought the entrance to Gondolin, but the Hidden City was closed, and Turgon at first did not wish to allow him in. Húrin cried out against Turgon, thus revealing the location of Gondolin to Morgoth's spies, and then left. Only after he had left did Turgon have a change of heart and send Eagles to fetch him, but they came too late and did not find him.
Húrin continued to the forest of Brethil where his son and daughter had died, and met his wife Morwen there at their grave at Cabed-en-Aras, just before she, too, died. In anger and despair he sought out the Folk of Haleth, blaming them for the death of his wife and children, and caused a revolt that killed the last Haladin. For Hardang
the Chieftain of Brethil feared and dishonoured Húrin, imprisoning and trying to kill him. Húrin's cause was defended by Manthor
, and they managed to set the Folk of Brethil against Hardang and slay him. But Manthor himself was killed, and guessed the will of Húrin: "Was not this your true errand, Man of the North: to bring ruin upon us to weigh against thine own?"
Húrin met up again with the outlaws, and together they went to Nargothrond
, where Húrin killed the Petty-dwarf Mîm
who had claimed the treasure of Glaurung
, earning a curse on the gold. Húrin and his outlaws brought the treasure, including the Nauglamír, to Doriath
, insulting Thingol
by giving it as a fee for his 'good care' of Húrin's kin. Húrin thus brought a curse on Doriath as well, eventually leading to its downfall.
Melian's kind words managed to break through to Húrin's clouded mind, and Húrin finally saw that all his deeds had only aided Morgoth. A broken man, he was rumoured to have cast himself in the sea and killed himself. That was the end of Húrin, who had been known as the "mightiest of the warriors of mortal men".
and The Wanderings of Húrin
: the account in the published The Silmarillion
, according to which Húrin himself buried Morwen and brought Nauglamír to Thingol, has been significantly edited for publication.
In early versions of Tolkien's mythology (see: The History of Middle-earth
) his name was Úrin or Úrinthalion, and also Thalion Erithámrod 'the Unbending'. For the question of etymology of his later name Húrin see House of Hador.
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...
of 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,...
. He is introduced in The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion is a collection of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythopoeic works, edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, with assistance from Guy Gavriel Kay, who later became a noted fantasy writer. The Silmarillion, along with J. R. R...
as a hero of 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...
during 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...
, said to be the greatest warrior of both the Edain
Edain
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Edain were men who made their way into Beleriand in the First Age, and were friendly to the Elves....
and all the other Men in Middle-earth. Húrin Thalion ' onMouseout='HidePop("73067")' href="/topics/Sindarin">Sindarin
Sindarin
Sindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....
for The Steadfast) was the elder son of Galdor the Tall of the House of Hador and Hareth of the Haladin, and he had a younger brother named Huor
Huor
Huor is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He was introduced in The Silmarillion as a hero of Men during the First Age. Huor was a grandson of Hador of the Third House of Edain, and lived in the Hadorian fief of Dor-lómin in Hithlum. His father was Galdor the Tall and his mother Hareth...
.
Appearance and history
In the Year of the Sun 458 of the First Age Huor and Húrin lived with their uncle Haldir in the forest of Brethil, when they joined a war party against the 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...
. The brothers ended up in the Vale of Sirion, and were cut off from their company and chased by Orcs. The Vala
Vala (Middle-earth)
The Valar are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. They are first mentioned in The Lord of the Rings, but The Silmarillion develops them into the Powers of Arda or the Powers of the World...
of Water Ulmo
Ulmo
Ulmo is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He first appears in The Silmarillion as a god or Vala of the Elven pantheon. Ulmo is a title, which means He who pours. He is also known as King of the Sea and Lord of Waters...
caused a mist to arise from the river, and the brothers escaped into Dimbar. There two Eagles
Eagle (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the eagles were immense flying birds that were sapient and could speak. Often emphatically referred to as the Great Eagles, they appear, usually and intentionally serving as agents of deus ex machina , in various parts of his legendarium,...
picked them up, and brought them to Gondolin. King Turgon
Turgon
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Turgon "the Wise" is an Elven king of the Noldor, second son of Fingolfin, brother to Fingon, Aredhel and Argon, and ruler of the hidden city of Gondolin....
welcomed the brothers, remembering Ulmo's prophecy that the House of Hador would aid Gondolin in their time of greatest need. Turgon would have liked them to remain, as he grew to love them, but the brothers wished to return to their kin. They swore an oath to keep Gondolin secret, and the Eagles brought them back to Dor-lómin.
In 462 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...
assailed Hithlum, and Húrin's father Galdor fell defending the Barad Eithel. Húrin chased the Orcs away with heavy slaughter over the plains of Anfauglith, for "there was a fire in him that made the sword hot in his hand". He then took the Lordship of his people and their fief of Dor-lómin in Hithlum
Hithlum
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Hithlum is the region north of Beleriand near the Helcaraxë.Hithlum was separated from Beleriand proper by the Ered Wethrin mountain chain, and was named after the sea mists which formed there at times: Hithlum is Sindarin for "Mist-shadow";...
being only 21 years old.
Soon he married Morwen
Morwen
Morwen is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. She is featured in The Silmarillion, The Children of Húrin and The Wanderings of Húrin.-Character overview:...
Edhelwen of 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:...
, and in 464 their son Túrin
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 born. A daughter Lalaith
Lalaith
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Urwen, better known by her nickname Lalaith , was the second child of Húrin Thalion and Morwen Edhelwen and the sister of Túrin Turambar. She was born is spring of the Year of the Sun 466 of the First Age.Lalaith was a happy child, and was compared to...
followed, but she died aged three years by a plague sent from Angband
Angband (Middle-earth)
-External links:*...
. His house was in the south of the land, near Amon Darthir and the stream of Nen Lalaith; but "Húrin was often long away from home with the host of Fingon
Fingon
Fingon is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Silmarillion.-Character overview:...
that guarded Hithlum's eastern borders, and when he returned his quick speech, full of strange words and jests and half-meanings, bewildered Túrin". After the death of his daughter Húrin "Mourned openly, and he took up his harp and would make a song of lamentation; but he could not, and he broke his harp, and going out he lifted up his hand towards the North, crying: 'Marrer of Middle-earth, would that I might see thee face to face, and mar thee as my lord Fingolfin
Fingolfin
Fingolfin is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, appearing in The Silmarillion.-Internal history:He was a High King of the Noldor in Beleriand, second eldest son of Finwë, full brother of Finarfin, and half-brother of Fëanor, who was the eldest of Finwë's sons. His mother was...
did!'"
When the Union of Maedhros prepared to battle with Morgoth, Húrin feared little that they will be defeated. In 472, in the Nírnaeth Arnoediad
Nirnaeth Arnoediad
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium of Middle-earth, the Nírnaeth Arnoediad or Unnumbered Tears was the climactic Fifth Battle in the Wars of Beleriand.-The Fifth Battle as told in The Silmarillion:...
, Húrin rode his horse Arroch, 'Noble horse', to the battle and, leading the Folk of Hador, he fought alongside his brother, Huor. In the midst of battle he met Turgon again. When the battle was lost, Húrin and Huor took a stand fighting off the Orcs, allowing Turgon to escape. Huor and all the Men of Dor-lómin were slain, but Húrin fought with his battle-axe until his axe withered, he was buried under a mountain of slain Orcs and Trolls
Troll (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Trolls are large humanoids of great strength and poor intellect.While in Norse mythology, the Troll was a magical creature with special skills, in Tolkien's writings they are portrayed as evil, stupid, with crude habits, although still intelligent enough to...
. Húrin was then bound alive by Gothmog Lord of Balrog
Balrog
Balrogs are fictional demonic beings who appear in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Such creatures first appeared in print in his novel The Lord of the Rings, though they figured in earlier writings that posthumously appeared in The Silmarillion and other books.Balrogs are described as...
s and brought captive to Angband.
Morgoth then tried to retrieve knowledge of Turgon's hidden kingdom from Húrin, tormenting him and tempting with freedom or high rank in Morgoth's army. When Húrin resisted, Morgoth cursed him along with his kin, took him to Haudh-en-Ndengin and placed him high on the peaks of Thangorodrim
Thangorodrim
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Thangorodrim was a group of three volcanic mountains in the Iron Mountains in the north of Middle-earth during the First Age...
, either chained or magically immobilized in a seat. Through the power of Morgoth, he could see and hear from the seat all the evils that later befell his son Túrin and daughter Nienor
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...
, who was born while he was a captive. But he saw only those things that Morgoth wished to reveal, lessening their good deeds and casting shadow on the counsels of Thingol
Thingol
Elu Thingol is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Silmarillion, The Lays of Beleriand and Children of Húrin as well as in numerous stories in the many volumes of The History of Middle-earth...
and the Haladin. Húrin was thus embittered even more by the way his children, both under the spells of 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...
, came to get married and later commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
.
After twenty eight years of imprisonment and the death of his children, Húrin was released by Morgoth. "He had grown grim to look upon: his hair and beard were white and long, but there was a fell light in his eyes. He walked unbowed, and yet carried a great black staff; but he was girt with a sword." He was brought to his old homelands in Hithlum, but the Easterlings
Easterlings (First Age)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Easterlings of the First Age were Men who lived in the east of Middle-earth, and mostly fought under Morgoth...
living there at first did not recognize him and later feared him, believing he served their evil lord Morgoth. The House of Hador had been destroyed, and those who remained as slaves or outlaws held him in suspicion and fear.
Seven outlaws under Asgon joined Húrin, and together they went to the Vale of Sirion. Húrin abandoned his followers and sought the entrance to Gondolin, but the Hidden City was closed, and Turgon at first did not wish to allow him in. Húrin cried out against Turgon, thus revealing the location of Gondolin to Morgoth's spies, and then left. Only after he had left did Turgon have a change of heart and send Eagles to fetch him, but they came too late and did not find him.
Húrin continued to the forest of Brethil where his son and daughter had died, and met his wife Morwen there at their grave at Cabed-en-Aras, just before she, too, died. In anger and despair he sought out the Folk of Haleth, blaming them for the death of his wife and children, and caused a revolt that killed the last Haladin. For 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....
the Chieftain of Brethil feared and dishonoured Húrin, imprisoning and trying to kill him. Húrin's cause was defended by 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....
, and they managed to set the Folk of Brethil against Hardang and slay him. But Manthor himself was killed, and guessed the will of Húrin: "Was not this your true errand, Man of the North: to bring ruin upon us to weigh against thine own?"
Húrin met up again with the outlaws, and together they went to Nargothrond
Nargothrond
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Nargothrond , called Nulukkhizdīn by the Dwarves, was the stronghold built by Finrod Felagund...
, where Húrin killed the Petty-dwarf Mîm
Mîm
Mîm is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth. He is introduced in The Silmarillion as the last of the Petty-dwarves....
who had claimed the treasure of 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...
, earning a curse on the gold. Húrin and his outlaws brought the treasure, including the Nauglamír, to Doriath
Doriath
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Doriath is the realm of the Sindar, the Grey Elves of King Thingol in Beleriand. Along with the other great forests of Tolkien's legendarium such as Mirkwood, Fangorn and Lothlórien it serves as the central stage in the theatre of its time, the First Age...
, insulting Thingol
Thingol
Elu Thingol is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Silmarillion, The Lays of Beleriand and Children of Húrin as well as in numerous stories in the many volumes of The History of Middle-earth...
by giving it as a fee for his 'good care' of Húrin's kin. Húrin thus brought a curse on Doriath as well, eventually leading to its downfall.
Melian's kind words managed to break through to Húrin's clouded mind, and Húrin finally saw that all his deeds had only aided Morgoth. A broken man, he was rumoured to have cast himself in the sea and killed himself. That was the end of Húrin, who had been known as the "mightiest of the warriors of mortal men".
Other versions of the legendarium
This article includes information from the expanded Narn i Chîn HúrinNarn i Chîn Húrin
A portion of the Narn i Chîn Húrin or The Tale of the Children of Húrin is a part of the book Unfinished Tales by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It is a prose version of an earlier narrative poem called The Lay of the Children of Húrin...
and The Wanderings of Húrin
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...
: the account in the published The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion is a collection of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythopoeic works, edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, with assistance from Guy Gavriel Kay, who later became a noted fantasy writer. The Silmarillion, along with J. R. R...
, according to which Húrin himself buried Morwen and brought Nauglamír to Thingol, has been significantly edited for publication.
In early versions of Tolkien's mythology (see: The History of Middle-earth
The History of Middle-earth
The History of Middle-earth is a 12-volume series of books published from 1983 through to 1996 that collect and analyse material relating to the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, compiled and edited by his son, Christopher Tolkien. Some of the content consists of earlier versions of already published...
) his name was Úrin or Úrinthalion, and also Thalion Erithámrod 'the Unbending'. For the question of etymology of his later name Húrin see House of Hador.