Morwen 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...

. She is featured 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...

, The Children of Húrin

The Children of Húrin

The Children of Húrin is an epic fantasy novel which forms the completion of a tale by J. R. R. Tolkien. He wrote the original version of the story in the late 1910s, revised it several times later, but did not complete it before his death in 1973...

and The Wanderings of Húrin.

Character overview

She was the daughter of Baragund 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 cousin of Rían

Rían

In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Rían was a woman of the First House of the Edain in the First Age. She was the daughter of Belegund of the House of Bëor and cousin of Morwen Edhelwen. Her son was Tuor Eladar and her great-grandson Elrond Half-elven.Rían was only a young child during...

. She was married to 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...

 and was the mother 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...

 and Nienor Níniel. Her name in Tolkien's invented language of 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....

 translates to 'Dark Maiden', but she was also often called Elfsheen or Edhelwen .gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("58299")' href="/topics/Elf_(Middle-earth)">Elf

Elf (Middle-earth)

In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...

 Maiden').

History

After the Dagor Bragollach

Dagor Bragollach

In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, the Dagor Bragollach was the fourth battle of the Wars of Beleriand...

 of and the ruin of their homeland Ladros, Emeldir gathered the remaining women and children and led them away; Morwen and Rían were among those who eventually reached Dor-lómin. They were well received there, and Morwen married 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...

 Lord of the House of Marach. 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 in spring of 464, and their daughter Urwen, called usually 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 after two years. She died at the age of three from a pestilence brought from Angband

Angband (Middle-earth)

-External links:*...

; Morwen "met her grief in silence and coldness of heart".

In 472 Húrin was summoned by Fingon

Fingon

Fingon is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Silmarillion.-Character overview:...

 to lead his people to war; and during 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 was captured, and 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...

 cursed his family. 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";...

 was invaded by Easterlings

Easterlings

In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, "Easterling" and "Easterlings" were generic terms for Men who lived in the east of Middle-earth, who mostly fought under Morgoth and Sauron, not directly but rather on behalf of their own High Lord....

, and they enslaved the Men of Hador and took their goods. The greatest part of Húrin's homestead was captured by Brodda, but he and other Incomers feared Morwen and deemed her "a witch who had dealings with the white-fiends [Elves]". A few thanes stayed under her shelter, including Sador

Sador

Sador is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He was the serving-man of Húrin of Dor-lómin and a friend of his son Túrin Turambar....

, and they took aid from Húrin's kinswoman Aerin

Aerin

Aerin is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. She was a woman of the Folk of Hador and related to Húrin Thalion...

, who had been married to Brodda by force. Morwen, now pregnant again, was afraid for her son, as he was the heir of the Lord of Dor-lómin and could not be kept hidden forever. She resolved to send Túrin away 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...

 and put him in 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...

's care. Túrin was sent via the secret pass over Ered Wethrin beside Amon Darthir under the guidance of Gethron and Grithnir.

The following year, Morwen bore a daughter, and named her 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...

Morwen rejected Melian's offer to come to Doriath, being too proud to live under someone else's shelter. She received news and aid from Doriath for seven years. When help stopped coming, Morwen with Nienor lived in poverty

Poverty

Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...

 under Brodda's oppression. In 494 she at last resolved to seek a way to Doriath, since the lands between were now cleared of enemies because of the deeds of Mormegil from Nargothrond

Nargothrond

In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Nargothrond , called Nulukkhizdīn by the Dwarves, was the stronghold built by Finrod Felagund...

.

Morwen and Nienor were well-received by Melian and Thingol in the Hidden Kingdom, but found out that Túrin was not there. Soon after it was revealed that he was indeed the same Mormegil; but they had no sure news of his fate after the fall of Nargothrond. Morwen then rode away to seek tidings of her son, but Thingol sent an escort under Mablung

Mablung

Mablung is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium.Mablung was a Sindarin Elf who served in the army of King Elu Thingol of Doriath...

 to guard her, and they were secretly followed by Nienor. Their company was ambushed by 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...

 near Amon Ethir, who put a spell of amnesia

Amnesia

Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...

 on Nienor. The fog and dragon-reek filled the horses with madness, and the escort was scattered. Morwen was seen passing by, "a grey wraith upon a mad steed"; but she disappeared into the mist and no news of her came to Doriath.

Two years after the tragic deaths of Túrin and Nienor and the slaying of Glaurung, Morwen reappeared in Brethil at the grave of Túrin and Nienor at Cabed Naeramarth. There she was found by recently released Húrin; "Grey she was, sharp-nosed with broken teeth, ... though [her eyes] were wild now and full of fear, a light still gleamed in them hard to endure: the elven-light that long ago had earned her name, Edhelwen, proudest of mortal women in the days of old". Húrin would not reveal her children's fate, and Morwen died with the following sunrise, spent by wandering and waiting. She had remained by the grave for a long time and was not found by the Folk of Haleth as they ventured not to the death place of Glaurung, but it was the apparent death of Morwen through neglect that set Húrin against the people of Brethil, and which led to their destruction in the civil war.

Húrin later brought 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 his followers to Morwen's body, and "it seemed to them that they beheld a great queen whose dignity neither age nor beggary nor all the woe of the world had taken from her". At Húrin's command, they buried her on the west side of the Stone of the Hapless, and added to the carvings on it: Here lies also Morwen Edhelwen. The grave remained upon the isle of Tol Morwen after the drowning of Beleriand

Beleriand

In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional legendarium, Beleriand was a region in northwestern Middle-earth during the First Age. Events in Beleriand are described chiefly in his work The Silmarillion, which tells the story of the early ages of Middle-earth in a style similar to the epic hero tales of Nordic...

.

External links

• Húrin Finds Morwen as illustrated by Ted Nasmith
  Ted Nasmith
  Ted Nasmith is a Canadian artist, illustrator and architectural renderer. He is best known as an illustrator of J. R. R. Tolkien's works — The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion....