Nienor
Encyclopedia
Niënor, also known as Níniel , 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...
, appearing in the Narn i Chîn Húrin
Narn 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...
told in full in 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 briefly 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...
. Early versions of the story are Turambar and the Foalókë and The Lay of the Children of Húrin
The Lay of the Children of Húrin
The Lay of the Children of Húrin is a long epic poem by J. R. R. Tolkien, which takes place in his fictional fantasy-world, Middle-earth. It tells of the life and the ill fate of Túrin Turambar, the son of Húrin. It is written in alliterative verse and exists in several versions, but was never...
.
Appearance and history
Nienor was the third child of Húrin ThalionHúrin
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 House of Hador, and Morwen Eledhwen
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:...
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:...
. Her elder brother was 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...
, but her sister 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...
died of a plague four years before Nienor's birth. Nienor "was tall, and her eyes were blue, her hair fine gold, the very likeness in woman's form of Húrin her father."
She was born in the beginning of the year following the disastrous Battle of Unnumbered Tears
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:...
. By that time her father was taken captive during the battle and cursed together with his family by 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...
the Enemy. His homeland of Dor-lómin was invaded by 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...
, who oppressed and enslaved the remnants of the Folk of Hador. Morwen then sent Túrin away to the Kingdom of 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...
, but did not venture the perilous road herself, being pregnant and proud.
Soon she gave birth to her daughter and called her Nienor, which means "Mourning" in 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....
. Morwen was feared by the Easterlings and was not enslaved, but lived in poverty together with her daughter and a few old thanes, aided by 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...
. Nienor grew to a beautiful lady, and Lorgan, chief of the Easterlings, heard the rumour and plotted to take her as wife by force. The road to Doriath meanwhile was cleared of enemies by the prowess of Mormegil, a lord of Nargothrond
Nargothrond
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Nargothrond , called Nulukkhizdīn by the Dwarves, was the stronghold built by Finrod Felagund...
, and when Nienor was 21 years old, she and her mother at last decided to journey to Doriath.
They were well received there, but found no tidings of Túrin except that he fled from the land and was rumoured to have been captured 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...
five years before. Morwen with daughter remained as guests in the keeping of King 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 Melian, until after they heard a rumour that the mysterious Mormegil was actually Túrin, but his fate was not known after the fall of Nargothrond. Morwen set out to gather news of her son, with a small escort of Elves
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...
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...
, but against Morwen's wish Nienor followed them.
Unfortunately, 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...
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...
sensed their approach and issued from his lair in the ruined halls of Nargothrond. He caused a cloud of mist and foul vapour to rise from the river Narog, and the party's horses panicked; Morwen was lost, and Nienor was separated from the rest. When she ascended the Spyhill, unawaringly she stared into the eyes of Glaurung lying hidden, and though "she was strong in will", Nienor at last yielded to his enchantments and Glaurung put her in a state of total 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...
and dumbness. The amnesiac woman was found by Mablung, who intended to take her back to Doriath, but their company was attacked by Orcs near Nivrim. Nienor suddenly regained her feelings though not memory, and fled away in fear, tore off her clothes and ran naked through the woods until she fainted near the Forest of Brethil.
Her brother Túrin, who at that time hid his past under the pseudonym Turambar, found her lying on Haudh-en-Elleth, the grave of his dead lover Finduilas
Finduilas
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Finduilas was an Elf of the First Age, the daughter of Orodreth, ruler of Nargothrond.Finduilas lived in Nargothrond with her father Orodreth under the rule of Finrod Felagund. She was betrothed to Gwindor, who named her Faelivrin, which meant 'Gleam of the Sun...
. Because Nienor did not remember her identity and Turambar had never met his second sister, he named her Níniel which means "Tear-Maiden" and brought her to the dwellings of the woodfolk at Ephel Brandir. Níniel fell sick having seen the Ravines of Taeglin from the Rainy Stair, but 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 Chieftain of the Men of Brethil
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...
tended her and taught her to speak, secretly falling in love with her; Níniel, however, loved Turambar. Brandir restrained her from marriage, foreboding evil doom, but after two years Turambar promised Níniel to go never again to war and at midsummer they were wedded.
By the next spring, when Níniel was two months pregnant, Glaurung left Nargothrond intending to devastate Brethil. He was slain by Turambar at the ravine of Cabed-en-Aras, but the venom from the Dragon's wound and his final malice made Turambar faint. Níniel feared for her husband, and waited for tidings by Nen Girith. When it became apparent to men that Turambar failed, Brandir purposed to lead her away from the forthcoming ruin of Brethil. Níniel, however, was unwilling to be parted from her beloved even after his death, and fled away, followed by Brandir.
She was frightened by the sight of Haudh-en-Elleth, and turned back to Cabed-en-Aras. There she found Turambar, deemed him dead and cried his name aloud; but she was answered by Glaurung, who lived yet. He revealed to her the truth of her kinship with Turambar and their cruel fate, and with the death of the dragon the spell of forgetfulness was lifted from Nienor. Distraught with woe and horror, she mourned for Túrin: "Farewell, O twice beloved! A Túrin Turambar turún' ambartanen: master of doom by doom mastered! O happy to be dead!" Nienor fled then from Brandir urging her to wait and killed herself:
The curse of Morgoth came to its fulfilment when shortly after Túrin slew himself on his sword by the brink of Cabed-en-Aras. A grave was then raised for him, and upon it was set the Stone of the Hapless with carvings in Cirth
Cirth
The Cirth are the letters of an semi-artificial script which was invented by J. R. R. Tolkien for the constructed languages he devised and used in his works. The initial C in Cirth is pronounced as a K, never as an S....
:
TÚRIN TURAMBAR DAGNIR GLAURUNGA
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But the body of Nienor was not there, "nor was it ever known whither the cold waters of Teiglin had taken her." Later Morwen was also buried there, and the grave survived 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...
upon the isle of Tol Morwen.
Other versions of the legendarium
In the original story of Turambar and the Foalókë it was said that after their deaths "Túrin and Nienóri entered into Fôs'Almir, the bath of flame, ... and so were all their sorrows and stains washed away, and they dwelt as shining ValarVala (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...
among the blessed ones", but this idea was later discarded.
Tolkien later intended to simplify the narrative of the last part of the Tale, sketching a plot according to which Nienor regained her memory at the moment of Glaurung's death when still waiting by Nen Girith. Túrin returned at that very moment, and before his and Brandir's eyes Nienor cast herself into the falls of Celebros. This story, however, never reached a finished form.