Túrin Turambar
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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. Tolkien consciously based the lay on the medieval story of Kullervo
in the Finnish mythological poem Kalevala
, saying that it was "an attempt to reorganize...the tale of Kullervo the hapless, into a form of my own". Also called "The Tale of Grief", "Narn i Chîn Húrin", commonly called "The Narn", it tells of the tragic fates of the children of Húrin, namely his son Túrin (Turambar) and his daughter Nienor. Excerpts of the story were published before, in The Silmarillion
(prose), Unfinished Tales
(prose), The Book of Lost Tales
Part II (prose), The Lays of Beleriand
(verse in alliterative long-lines) and most recently in 1994 in The War of the Jewels
(prose), the latter three part of The History of Middle-earth
series.
Túrin Turambar is the primary protagonist
and tragic hero
of the novel The Children of Húrin
, published after Tolkien's death by his son Christopher Tolkien
and drawing from many of the above sources to finally present a complete narrative.
In the books, Túrin was a Man
of the First Age
of Middle-earth
, whose family had been cursed by the ultimate evil being of the legendarium, Morgoth
. In course of his unsuccessful attempts to defy the curse, Túrin brought ruin upon several Mannish and Elven
strongholds as well as upon himself and his sister Nienor Níniel
. Their history was recorded in the Tale of the Children of Húrin or Narn i Chîn Húrin
, which was claimed by Tolkien to be the ultimate source of the published writings.
Túrin is briefly mentioned in The Fellowship of the Ring
, but little more is said than that he was one of "the mighty Elf-friends of old". In The Two Towers
, his name is briefly mentioned as a strong warrior.
, Lord of the Folk of Hador, and Morwen Eledhwen
of the House of Bëor
. He was born in the month of Gwaeron (March) of the Year of the Sun 464. He had a younger sister, Lalaith
, but she died of a plague at the age of three, when a pestilent wind came from Angband
. Túrin was also taken sick at that time, but recovered. His closest childhood friend was Sador One-foot
.
The Siege of Angband
was already broken at that time, but Túrin's homeland of Dor-lómin was still contested by the Folk of Hador against Morgoth's forces. When Túrin was eight years old, Húrin lead most of his Men to war, and all were slain during the Battle of Unnumbered Tears
. Húrin himself was captured alive, and cursed by Morgoth together with his family. Dor-lómin was invaded by the Easterlings
at Morgoth's command. Túrin remained with Morwen
, who hid him from the Incomers, fearing that they would enslave or kill him as the heir of both Dor-lómin and Ladros. She sent him secretly and under protection of Grithnir and Gethron to the Elven-realm of Doriath
; Morwen remained in Dor-lómin herself, and shortly afterwards Túrin's second sister, Nienor, was born.
Túrin and his guides eventually reached Doriath, and were enmeshed in the Girdle of Melian. There they came near to death, but the marchwarden Beleg Strongbow
found them and led to the halls of Menegroth. King Thingol
adopted Túrin, in memory of Húrin's heroism and because of his kinship with Beren
. One of Túrin's friends there was an elven-lady Nellas, who watched over him at Queen Melian
's bidding and taught elven-lore. Túrin became esteemed and renowned for his prowess and bravery, and Beleg became his teacher of warfare.
When after eight years Dor-lómin was cut off and tidings from Morwen and Nienor ceased, Túrin decided to put his strength against Morgoth's forces, hoping to avenge thus the sorrows of his kin. Thingol appointed him to be one of his "knights of the sword", and Túrin departed to the northern marches of Doriath to fight the Orcs
, where he was joined by Beleg
. His chief weapon for ever after became the sword, and in addition he wore now the Dragon-helm of Hador
, so that the Orcs began to fear him.
At the age of 20, Túrin accidentally killed Saeros, one of Thingol's counsellors, who had scorned him for his attire and mortal lineage. Túrin injured him for this, but later was ambushed by Saeros. Túrin overpowered him, chasing him at sword point to a ravine where, in an attempt to jump, Saeros stumbled and died on the rocks below. Heedless of Mablung
's counsels, and before Túrin could have been either punished or absolved, he fled from Doriath, fearing imprisonment. Thingol, after learning of the circumstances from Nellas, eventually pardoned Túrin, and Beleg obtained leave to seek out his friend.
Túrin was unaware of this and fled westward, eventually meeting up with a band of outlaws called Gaurwaith that dwelt in the woods south of the river Taeglin. He proved his worth for them by killing one of their best warriors, and thus earned himself a place in the band. At that moment he wished neither to depart anywhere else, nor to strive with them, and so he did little to restrain other members from their evil deeds, such as harassing scattered homesteads of Men. A year later, in an attempt to save the daughter of Larnach, a woodman, Túrin accidentally killed Forweg, the leader of the band. He then claimed his place, and this was granted to him as "the best man" among the outlaws.
Soon Beleg found the band in the wild, while Túrin was absent spying upon the Orcs
. The outlaws treated the Elf badly, and this, as well as the counsels of Beleg, made Túrin stop the lawless way of the band's life, hunting hereafter only the servants of Angband. He rejected Beleg's advice to return to Doriath, and the Elf then departed to Menegroth. Later Túrin's band captured Mîm
the Petty-dwarf; his two sons escaped, but one of them, Khîm
, was mortally wounded by an outlaw Andróg
. In order to save his own life, Mîm was forced to share his dwellings upon the hill of Amon Rûdh with the band.
Beleg returned to Túrin after a time, healing those of the band that had become sick with cold and delivering them lembas of Melian. He also brought the Dragon-helm, and the area around Amon Rûdh became known as Dor-Cúarthol, the "Land of Bow and Helm". Many warriors joined them, and much of West Beleriand
was freed from evil by the prowess of the "Two Captains", Beleg and Túrin. However, by wearing the Helm Túrin revealed his identity to Morgoth, who sent a host of Orcs against Amon Rûdh two years later. These found Mîm, and he once again bought his life by leading them up the hill. Túrin was captured and all his men slain, except Beleg and Andvír.
Beleg followed the Orcs through the forest of Taur-nu-Fuin
, where he met Gwindor, a slave who escaped from Angband. Together they rescued Túrin upon the confines of Anfauglith. Unfortunately, when Beleg was cutting the sleeping Túrin free from his bonds, he pricked Túrin's foot with the sword Anglachel
, and Túrin, mistaking Beleg in the darkness for an orc come to torment him, took the sword and slew Beleg. Túrin became dazed with grief after this, but Gwindor led him to the Pools of Ivrin, where he returned to senses.
They journeyed to the hidden fortress of Nargothrond
, where Gwindor had formerly been a lord. He gave Beleg's black sword Anglachel to Túrin now, who had it reforged and renamed as Gurthang, "Iron of Death". Túrin hid his own name, eventually becoming known as Mormegil or the Blacksword of Nargothrond, because of his prowess with Gurthang. Gwindor met there again his beloved, Finduilas
daughter of King Orodreth
, but she unwillingly fell in love with Túrin; however, Túrin did not perceive this and held her in awe.
Túrin was extremely influential in Nargothrond, becoming a chief counsellor of Orodreth and eventually overruling both him and Gwindor. He encouraged the Elves to abandon their practice of secrecy, and they built a great bridge before the Doors of Nargothrond and managed to clear the land between River Sirion and Falas from enemies. However, Túrin became arrogant, ignoring even a warning from the Vala
Ulmo
, brought by Gelmir and Arminas, to destroy the bridge and return to secrecy.
When Túrin had dwelt in Nargothrond for five years, Morgoth sent a great host of Orcs led by the dragon
Glaurung
against Nargothrond, and Túrin encouraged Orodreth to send his forces to fight them in the open. During the ensuing Battle of Tumhalad
, Nargothrond's forces were destroyed and Orodreth was slain, while the bridge helped Morgoth's forces to locate the fortress and cross the river Narog. Túrin fought valiantly and was alone able to withstand Glaurung, but he forsook the battle to carry away the mortally wounded Gwindor. Before he died, he instructed Túrin to save Finduilas, prophesying that she alone can save Túrin from his doom.
Hastening to save the captives of Nargothrond, Túrin was caught by the powerful gaze of Glaurung, and stood by enspelled and moveless as Finduilas was dragged away, calling to him. The dragon deceived him into believing that Morwen and Nienor were suffering in Dor-lómin, and Túrin abandoned Finduilas to seek out his kin.
Next year he reached Dor-lómin, but found his old house empty and went to the halls of Brodda the Easterling, who had taken Húrin's lands and possessions. There Túrin learned from Brodda's wife Aerin
that Morwen had already left for Doriath before the fall of Nargothrond, as Túrin's own efforts had made the way passable. In his rage he killed Brodda and his followers, rising a revolt. As he left, Aerin burnt herself alive in her halls, and the remnant of the Folk of Hador was persecuted even more cruelly from that time.
Túrin next tried to find Finduilas and followed the trail towards the forest of Brethil, but came too late: the woodmen informed him that she had been killed by the orcs when the Men of Brethil had ambushed them in an attempt to rescue the prisoners. Túrin collapsed of grief upon her grave, and was brought to Ephel Brandir. There he took up his life again, now calling himself Turambar ("Master of Doom") and renouncing his descent, hoping to overcome thus his curse. The Folk of Haleth dwelling there was ruled by Brandir the Lame
, who hoped to preserve his people by secrecy. Turambar quickly gained the favour of the Folk and once again overruled Brandir, gathering companies to fight Orcs upon the borders. He stopped wielding Gurthang and fought rather with a spear and a bow.
Meanwhile Morwen and Nienor dwelt in Doriath, but when the news of Nargothrond's destruction had reached them, they rashly went to look for Túrin, aided by a small company of Elves. Glaurung, who now lived in the ruined halls of Nargothrond, descended into the river so that a fog rose and enmeshed the company. Morwen was lost, but Nienor met the dragon and was enspelled by him, forgetting her past. Eventually she fled from both the Elves and the Orcs that pursued her and reached Brethil.
Turambar found her at Finduilas's grave, naked, unable to speak and remembering nothing. He named her Níniel, "Maid of Tears", and took her to Ephel Brandir. There she was healed by Brandir, who fell in love with her; however, Níniel and Turambar came to love each other. Túrin asked her in marriage, but Brandir managed to dissuade her, foreboding evil; yet when Turambar had vowed to forsake war for her sake unless to protect her, Níniel finally married him. Turambar was forced to go back to war when Glaurung sent Orcs to attack Brethil: taking the sword up again, Túrin drove them away, taking control of the Folk from Brandir. Next year Níniel conceived; however, soon Glaurung attacked Brethil himself.
Turambar decided to ambush the Dragon as he crossed the ravine of Cabed-en-Aras and to try stabbing him from beneath. He took two companions with him, Dorlas
and Hunthor, but the first deserted them and the other was slain by a stone. Turambar mortally wounded Glaurung with Gurthang, but was hurt by the venom of the Dragon's blood and fell in a swoon. When Níniel came to search for him, Glaurung with his last words undid his spell, and she remembered who she was and realized that Turambar was her brother. Horrified, Nienor cast herself over the brink of the ravine into the river Taeglin and died.
Brandir witnessed this, and when Turambar awoke, he told him what had happened and taunted him from his jealousy that Túrin had more respect than he and had had the love of Níniel. Refusing to believe and in wrath on his fate, Túrin slew the defenceless Brandir and ran in madness towards Finduilas's grave. There he was met by Mablung
of Doriath, who confirmed the words of Brandir were true. In despair and shame Túrin fled back to Cabed-en-Aras and cast himself upon the point of his sword Gurthang.
Túrin was buried in a high mound near the brink of Cabed-en-Aras, together with Gurthang which had broken asunder. A great stone was set upon the grave, upon which the Elves wrote in Cirth
, the runes of Doriath:
TÚRIN TURAMBAR DAGNIR GLAURUNGA
NIENOR NÍNIEL
However, Nienor's body was not there and could not have been found. Two years later Morwen and Húrin met at that place for the last time, and Morwen was also buried there. The mound survived the War of Wrath
and the Drowning of Beleriand, and as Tol Morwen was one of the islands off the coast of Middle-earth in later ages
.
Tolkien also wrote several contradictory versions of a prophecy about Túrin's fate after his death: see Concept and creation below.
." In this he is stated to have taken after his mother Morwen, descended from the House of Bëor
, in contrast to his fair-haired father Húrin from the House of Hador. According to Gwindor's words, Túrin was very tall, "as tall as are the Men from the misty hills of Hithlum
," in which he supposedly took after his grandfather Galdor the Tall since both Húrin and the Folk of Bëor were shorter than was usual among the Men of Hador.
Tolkien was not consistent in describing Túrin's eyes. According to some texts "he had the beauty of his mother and the eyes of his father", which were blue, while in other Túrin is said to have inherited the grey eyes of his mother. It is also stated that his eyes were bright, and that "few indeed could challenge the eyes of Túrin in set will or in wrath." Thus it is possible that he inherited the "elven-light ... hard to endure" of his mother's eyes.
As a child of five years, Túrin is described thus:
A similar reference to this last trait of Túrin's character is found in Finduilas' words: "He is not yet awake, but still pity can ever pierce his heart, and he will never deny it. Pity maybe shall be ever the only entry." His reserved nature is also said to have resulted from Morgoth's curse; thus during Túrin's sojourn in Doriath "...it seemed that fortune was unfriendly to him, so that often what he designed went awry, and what he desired he did not gain; neither did he win friendship easily, for he was not merry, and laughed seldom."
Túrin is said to have been greatly affected by the deaths of his friends; thus after overcoming pestilence himself and the death of Lalaith
, Túrin's character was hardened and he became even more reserved. Tolkien also stated that Túrin ever after "sought in all faces of women the face of Lalaith," that he did not love Finduilas because "his mind and heart were elsewhere, by rivers in springs long past," and that Túrin did fall in love with Níniel because she reminded him of Lalaith. The grief that he had slain Beleg "was graven on the face of Túrin and never faded"; early Tolkien's writings add that after this time "wild and black was his hair yet streaked with grey, and his face was pale and marked as with deep sorrows of the past."
Tolkien gave another Túrin's trait which differed him from others: "his speech and bearing were that of the ancient kingdom of Doriath", implying that he used a more archaic and 'noble' variant of the Sindarin
language.
Túrin was a cousin of Tuor Eladar
, father of Eärendil the Blessed
. There are many parallels between the circumstances of their lives (both lost their fathers in the Nírnaeth Arnoediad, were raised in part by Elves, spent time as outlaws, were war-leaders in great Elvish fortresses and survived their downfall), but the outcome of Tuor's life was quite different. Even Túrin's colouring was dark, enhancing his resemblance to the Noldor
in Elves but further setting him apart from his fair-haired cousin. The two never actually met, but Tuor did once see his cousin in passing at Eithel Ivrin. The cousins' respective fates- suicide and paradise- are analogous to those in Greek myth of Ajax
and Achilles
.
Túrin is one of the few characters in Tolkien's writings to have committed suicide
, and several of the others – Aerin, Nienor, and Húrin – are connected to his story.
, with unknown etymology (see House of Hador). Turambar derives from Quenya
, an Elvish language created by Tolkien, with the meaning "Master of Fate" (Q. Tur- 'mastery', umbar or ambar 'fate'). All other names given to and taken by Túrin come from Sindarin
, another Elven-tongue devised by Tolkien. The Sindarin form of Turambar, rarely used by Tolkien, was Turumarth (S. umarth or amarth 'fate', also úmarth 'ill-fate').
After leaving Doriath, Túrin usually tried to conceal his curse and, consequently, his true name. When he first appeared among the outlaws, he called himself Neithan, "the Wronged", as he thought that he had been expelled from Doriath. Later he took the name Gorthol, "the Dread Helm" (S. gor- 'horror', thôl 'helm'), since he wore the Dragon-helm then. When Túrin came to Nargothrond, he hid his identity under the epithet
Agarwaen son of Úmarth, "the Bloodstained, son of Ill-fate", but soon became generally known as Adanedhel, "Man-Elf", since he greatly resembled Elves in manners and looks. Finduilas also called him Thurin, "the Secret", and after the reforging of the black sword Gurthang and because of his prowess with it, Túrin was known as Mormegil, "the Blacksword" (S. mor- "black", magol or megil "sword"). When he first met the Men of Brethil, Túrin presented himself as the Wildman of the Woods, but soon took the name Turambar when decided to settle there. He was also entitled Dagnir Glaurunga, "the Bane of Glaurung" (S. dagnir 'slayer').
, concerning the fate of his works:
Túrin is mainly based on Kullervo
, a character from the Finnish
folklore
poems known as Kalevala
, who was also "cursed" in a sense, seduced his sister, brought ruin upon his family and slew himself. Sigmund
, the father of Sigurd
in the Volsunga saga
, also resembles Túrin in the incestuous relationship he has with his sister. In Richard Wagner
's opera Die Walküre
(also drawn in part from the Volsung myths), Siegmund and Sieglinde
are parallels of Túrin and Nienor. (One notable resemblance of Túrin to Siegmund is that in the first act of Die Walküre, Siegmund gives his name as Wehwalt, just as Túrin tells the Elves of Nargothrond his name is Agarwaen "blood-stained".) Túrin further resembles Sigurd himself, as both achieve great renown for the slaying of a dragon of immense power and magic.
Túrin shares some similarities with Michael Moorcock
's Elric of Melniboné
, who is also based on Kullervo. Both are anti-heroes who wield sentient black swords (both one of a pair — though this detail is not yet present in the earliest version of Túrin's story written in the 1910s), unwittingly kill friends or lovers with them, and are killed by them. The first Elric stories were published before The Silmarillion, so the detail of the black sword(s) may have been conceived independently by both writers.
Another parallel is the tale of Sir Balin
in the Arthurian Legend. Though he knows he wields an accursed sword, Balin nevertheless continues his quest to regain King Arthur's favour, though he unintentionally causes misery wherever he goes. Fate eventually catches up with him when he unwittingly kills his own brother, who in turn mortally wounds him.
form Rúsitaurion and Gnomish bo-Dhrauthodavros.
Tolkien was hesitant about the exact Elvish translations of names: in various texts the later Turumarth appears as Turumart, Turmarth, or Turamarth; Mormegil as Mormagli(r) or Mormael in Gnomish/Sindarin and as Mormakil in Quenya. The original form of Agarwaen "Bloodstained" was Iarwaeth, and Thurin "the Secret" supposedly originated in Thuringud "the Hidden Foe". In early texts Tolkien usually interpreted Turambar as "the Conqueror of Fate".
to abide shortly in the Halls of Mandos and then leave Arda
forever. However, the precise nature of this part of the legendarium was changed several times.
In the earliest outline preserved, where the tale is drafted only cursorily and has many elements missing, a reference already appears to "purification of Turambar and Vainóni (the original name of Nienor) who fare shining about the world and go with the hosts of Tulkas against Melkor (Morgoth)]." In the finished manuscript of The Tale of Turambar and the Foalókë this is elaborated into a story that Túrin and Nienor were not at first admitted to Mandos because of their deeds; but after their parents' prayers, they were permitted to enter the "bath of flame", where the Sun replenished its light, "and so were all their sorrows washed away." A new detail is introduced, that "in the Great Wrack" Túrin would fight Morgoth's dragons with his renowned sword.
In later Tolkien's writings no reference to Nienor's fate appears, but Túrin's destiny is made even more prominent. The notion maintained for a long time was that Túrin would take part in the Last Battle
fought before the End of the World, when Morgoth would return and make the final assault upon the Valar
and the Children of Ilúvatar
. In an early text it is "the spirit of Túrin" who came back and fought, while in the revision of the Quenta Noldorinwa carried out in 1937 the battle is described thus:
In the same text it is said that to Túrin "a place is given among the sons of the Valar"; however, both the concept of the Children of the Valar and Túrin's ranking among them were removed in later revisions. The idea that Túrin tarried in Mandos for an immeasurable time was seemingly also discarded; instead Tolkien referred to Túrin as "returning from the Doom of Men at the ending of the world;" the precise implications of this phrase are unclear. In addition, he introduced Beren Camlost
as likewise returning from the dead. It was also stated at this stage that when Varda
set the constellation of Menelmacar, she intended it to be "a sign of Túrin Turambar" and "a foreshowing of the Last Battle."
However, in a late note Tolkien presented an entirely different conception: Túrin had indeed remained in Mandos overlong, but only for some 50 years, not for the whole lifespan of the World. According to the prophecy of Andreth, during the War of Wrath
at the end of the First Age
Túrin "should return from the Dead, and before he left the Circles of the World for ever should challenge the Great Dragon of Morgoth, Ancalagon the Black, and deal him the death-stroke." Thus the original idea that Túrin was to fight dragons re-emerged, but it would have required of Tolkien serious revisions if he had intended to replace Eärendil
with Túrin as the slayer of Ancalagon. Because of these and similar discrepancies, Christopher Tolkien
decided not to include any references to the Last Battle or to Túrin's ultimate fate in the published Silmarillion.
contains images by Alan Lee, while various editions of The Silmarillion
and Unfinished Tales
were illustrated by Ted Nasmith
. Other images were done by John Howe and Anke Katrin Eißmann
.
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 legendarium
Tolkien's legendarium
The phrase Tolkien's legendarium is used in the literary discipline of Tolkien studiesto refer to the part of J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy fiction being concerned with his Elven legends; that is, historic events that have become legendary from the perspective of the characters of The Lord of the...
. "Turambar and the Foalókë", begun in 1917, is the first appearance of Túrin in the legendarium. J.R.R. Tolkien consciously based the lay on the medieval story of Kullervo
Kullervo
In the Finnish Kalevala, Kullervo was the ill-fated son of Kalervo. He is the only irredeemably tragic character in Finnish mythology.-Rune 31 - Kullervo, son of Evil:...
in the Finnish mythological poem Kalevala
Kalevala
The Kalevala is a 19th century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology.It is regarded as the national epic of Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature...
, saying that it was "an attempt to reorganize...the tale of Kullervo the hapless, into a form of my own". Also called "The Tale of Grief", "Narn i Chîn Húrin", commonly called "The Narn", it tells of the tragic fates of the children of Húrin, namely his son Túrin (Turambar) and his daughter Nienor. Excerpts of the story were published before, 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...
(prose), Unfinished Tales
Unfinished Tales
Unfinished Tales is a collection of stories and essays by J. R. R. Tolkien that were never completed during his lifetime, but were edited by his son Christopher Tolkien and published in 1980.Unlike The Silmarillion, for which the narrative fragments were modified to connect into a consistent and...
(prose), The Book of Lost Tales
The Book of Lost Tales
The Book of Lost Tales is the title of a collection of early stories by J. R. R. Tolkien, and of the first two volumes of Christopher Tolkien's 12-volume series The History of Middle-earth, in which he presents and analyses the manuscripts of those stories, which were the earliest form of the...
Part II (prose), The Lays of Beleriand
The Lays of Beleriand
The Lays of Beleriand, published in 1985, is the third volume of Christopher Tolkien's 12-volume book series, The History of Middle-earth, in which he analyzes the unpublished manuscripts of his father J. R. R...
(verse in alliterative long-lines) and most recently in 1994 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...
(prose), the latter three part of 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...
series.
Túrin Turambar is the primary protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
and tragic hero
Tragic hero
A tragic hero is the main character in a tragedy. Tragic heroes appear in the dramatic works of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Seneca, Marlowe, Shakespeare, Webster, Marston, Corneille, Racine, Goethe, Schiller, Kleist, Strindberg, and many other writers.-Aristotle's tragic hero:Aristotle...
of the novel 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...
, published after Tolkien's death by his son 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...
and drawing from many of the above sources to finally present a complete narrative.
In the books, Túrin was a Man
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 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...
of 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....
, whose family had been cursed by the ultimate evil being of the legendarium, 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...
. In course of his unsuccessful attempts to defy the curse, Túrin brought ruin upon several Mannish and Elven
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...
strongholds as well as upon himself and his sister Nienor 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...
. Their history was recorded in the Tale of the Children of Húrin or 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...
, which was claimed by Tolkien to be the ultimate source of the published writings.
Túrin is briefly mentioned in The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring is the first of three volumes of the epic novel The Lord of the Rings by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It takes place in the fictional universe Middle-earth. It was originally published on July 29, 1954 in the United Kingdom...
, but little more is said than that he was one of "the mighty Elf-friends of old". In The Two Towers
The Two Towers
The Two Towers is the second volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. It is preceded by The Fellowship of the Ring and followed by The Return of the King.-Title:...
, his name is briefly mentioned as a strong warrior.
Appearances
Túrin was the son 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 the Folk 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:...
. He was born in the month of Gwaeron (March) of the Year of the Sun 464. He had a younger 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...
, but she died of a plague at the age of three, when a pestilent wind came from Angband
Angband (Middle-earth)
-External links:*...
. Túrin was also taken sick at that time, but recovered. His closest childhood friend was Sador One-foot
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....
.
The Siege of Angband
Siege of Angband
The Siege of Angband or "The Long Peace" in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fictional universe was the siege of the Noldor around the fortress of Morgoth in the early centuries of the Years of the Sun, which began following the Dagor Aglareb. For the most part, it was a time of plenitude, peace and...
was already broken at that time, but Túrin's homeland of Dor-lómin was still contested by the Folk of Hador against Morgoth's forces. When Túrin was eight years old, Húrin lead most of his Men to war, and all were slain during the 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:...
. Húrin himself was captured alive, and cursed by Morgoth together with his family. 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...
at Morgoth's command. Túrin remained with 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:...
, who hid him from the Incomers, fearing that they would enslave or kill him as the heir of both Dor-lómin and Ladros. She sent him secretly and under protection of Grithnir and Gethron to the Elven-realm 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...
; Morwen remained in Dor-lómin herself, and shortly afterwards Túrin's second sister, Nienor, was born.
Túrin and his guides eventually reached Doriath, and were enmeshed in the Girdle of Melian. There they came near to death, but the marchwarden Beleg Strongbow
Beleg
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Beleg is a major character who appears in numerous books, tales and poems about the First Age of Middle-earth such as The Silmarillion, The Lays of Beleriand and the Children of Húrin.-Name:...
found them and led to the halls of Menegroth. 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...
adopted Túrin, in memory of Húrin's heroism and because of his kinship with Beren
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:...
. One of Túrin's friends there was an elven-lady Nellas, who watched over him at Queen Melian
Melian
Melian the Maia is a fictional character in the fantasy-world Middle-earth of the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. She appears in The Silmarillion, the epic poem The Lay of Leithian, The Children of Húrin, the Annals of Aman and the Grey Annals....
's bidding and taught elven-lore. Túrin became esteemed and renowned for his prowess and bravery, and Beleg became his teacher of warfare.
When after eight years Dor-lómin was cut off and tidings from Morwen and Nienor ceased, Túrin decided to put his strength against Morgoth's forces, hoping to avenge thus the sorrows of his kin. Thingol appointed him to be one of his "knights of the sword", and Túrin departed to the northern marches of Doriath to fight the 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...
, where he was joined by Beleg
Beleg
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Beleg is a major character who appears in numerous books, tales and poems about the First Age of Middle-earth such as The Silmarillion, The Lays of Beleriand and the Children of Húrin.-Name:...
. His chief weapon for ever after became the sword, and in addition he wore now the Dragon-helm of Hador
Hador
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Hador was a Lord of Men during the First Age.- Biography :Hador, also called in Sindarin Lórindol because he had fair blond hair, was the great-great-grandson of Marach, one of the leaders of the Atanatári, and ruled over the Folk of Marach which later became...
, so that the Orcs began to fear him.
At the age of 20, Túrin accidentally killed Saeros, one of Thingol's counsellors, who had scorned him for his attire and mortal lineage. Túrin injured him for this, but later was ambushed by Saeros. Túrin overpowered him, chasing him at sword point to a ravine where, in an attempt to jump, Saeros stumbled and died on the rocks below. Heedless of 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...
's counsels, and before Túrin could have been either punished or absolved, he fled from Doriath, fearing imprisonment. Thingol, after learning of the circumstances from Nellas, eventually pardoned Túrin, and Beleg obtained leave to seek out his friend.
Túrin was unaware of this and fled westward, eventually meeting up with a band of outlaws called Gaurwaith that dwelt in the woods south of the river Taeglin. He proved his worth for them by killing one of their best warriors, and thus earned himself a place in the band. At that moment he wished neither to depart anywhere else, nor to strive with them, and so he did little to restrain other members from their evil deeds, such as harassing scattered homesteads of Men. A year later, in an attempt to save the daughter of Larnach, a woodman, Túrin accidentally killed Forweg, the leader of the band. He then claimed his place, and this was granted to him as "the best man" among the outlaws.
Soon Beleg found the band in the wild, while Túrin was absent spying upon the 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...
. The outlaws treated the Elf badly, and this, as well as the counsels of Beleg, made Túrin stop the lawless way of the band's life, hunting hereafter only the servants of Angband. He rejected Beleg's advice to return to Doriath, and the Elf then departed to Menegroth. Later Túrin's band captured 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....
the Petty-dwarf; his two sons escaped, but one of them, Khîm
Khim
The khim is a hammered dulcimer from Thailand and Cambodia. It is made of wood and trapezoidal in shape, with brass strings that are laid across the instrument. There are 14 groups of strings on the khim, and each group has 3 strings. Overall, the khim has a total of 42 strings. It is played...
, was mortally wounded by an outlaw Andróg
Andróg
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Andróg was a Man of the First Age featured in The Children of Húrin. He was the father of Andvír.-Appearance and history:...
. In order to save his own life, Mîm was forced to share his dwellings upon the hill of Amon Rûdh with the band.
Beleg returned to Túrin after a time, healing those of the band that had become sick with cold and delivering them lembas of Melian. He also brought the Dragon-helm, and the area around Amon Rûdh became known as Dor-Cúarthol, the "Land of Bow and Helm". Many warriors joined them, and much of West 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...
was freed from evil by the prowess of the "Two Captains", Beleg and Túrin. However, by wearing the Helm Túrin revealed his identity to Morgoth, who sent a host of Orcs against Amon Rûdh two years later. These found Mîm, and he once again bought his life by leading them up the hill. Túrin was captured and all his men slain, except Beleg and Andvír.
Beleg followed the Orcs through the forest of Taur-nu-Fuin
Dorthonion
In the fictional world of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, Dorthonion , later Taur-nu-Fuin, was a highland region of the First Age, lying immediately to the north of Beleriand, and south of the plains of Ard-galen that extended north to Morgoth's stronghold of Thangorodrim...
, where he met Gwindor, a slave who escaped from Angband. Together they rescued Túrin upon the confines of Anfauglith. Unfortunately, when Beleg was cutting the sleeping Túrin free from his bonds, he pricked Túrin's foot with the sword Anglachel
Anglachel
Anglachel is a fictional weapon from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. According to The Silmarillion, it was one of two swords forged by Eöl the Dark Elf out of a black iron meteorite. The sword was carried by Túrin, who had it reforged as Gurthang...
, and Túrin, mistaking Beleg in the darkness for an orc come to torment him, took the sword and slew Beleg. Túrin became dazed with grief after this, but Gwindor led him to the Pools of Ivrin, where he returned to senses.
They journeyed to the hidden fortress of Nargothrond
Nargothrond
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Nargothrond , called Nulukkhizdīn by the Dwarves, was the stronghold built by Finrod Felagund...
, where Gwindor had formerly been a lord. He gave Beleg's black sword Anglachel to Túrin now, who had it reforged and renamed as Gurthang, "Iron of Death". Túrin hid his own name, eventually becoming known as Mormegil or the Blacksword of Nargothrond, because of his prowess with Gurthang. Gwindor met there again his beloved, 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...
daughter of King Orodreth
Orodreth
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Orodreth was an Elf of the First Age, the son of Angrod and nephew of Finrod Felagund, and a ruler of Nargothrond....
, but she unwillingly fell in love with Túrin; however, Túrin did not perceive this and held her in awe.
Túrin was extremely influential in Nargothrond, becoming a chief counsellor of Orodreth and eventually overruling both him and Gwindor. He encouraged the Elves to abandon their practice of secrecy, and they built a great bridge before the Doors of Nargothrond and managed to clear the land between River Sirion and Falas from enemies. However, Túrin became arrogant, ignoring even a warning from 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...
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...
, brought by Gelmir and Arminas, to destroy the bridge and return to secrecy.
When Túrin had dwelt in Nargothrond for five years, Morgoth sent a great host of Orcs led by 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...
against Nargothrond, and Túrin encouraged Orodreth to send his forces to fight them in the open. During the ensuing Battle of Tumhalad
Battle of Tumhalad
In J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the Battle of Tumhalad was the last battle of the Elves of the kingdom of Nargothrond...
, Nargothrond's forces were destroyed and Orodreth was slain, while the bridge helped Morgoth's forces to locate the fortress and cross the river Narog. Túrin fought valiantly and was alone able to withstand Glaurung, but he forsook the battle to carry away the mortally wounded Gwindor. Before he died, he instructed Túrin to save Finduilas, prophesying that she alone can save Túrin from his doom.
Hastening to save the captives of Nargothrond, Túrin was caught by the powerful gaze of Glaurung, and stood by enspelled and moveless as Finduilas was dragged away, calling to him. The dragon deceived him into believing that Morwen and Nienor were suffering in Dor-lómin, and Túrin abandoned Finduilas to seek out his kin.
Next year he reached Dor-lómin, but found his old house empty and went to the halls of Brodda the Easterling, who had taken Húrin's lands and possessions. There Túrin learned from Brodda's wife 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...
that Morwen had already left for Doriath before the fall of Nargothrond, as Túrin's own efforts had made the way passable. In his rage he killed Brodda and his followers, rising a revolt. As he left, Aerin burnt herself alive in her halls, and the remnant of the Folk of Hador was persecuted even more cruelly from that time.
Túrin next tried to find Finduilas and followed the trail towards the forest of Brethil, but came too late: the woodmen informed him that she had been killed by the orcs when the Men of Brethil had ambushed them in an attempt to rescue the prisoners. Túrin collapsed of grief upon her grave, and was brought to Ephel Brandir. There he took up his life again, now calling himself Turambar ("Master of Doom") and renouncing his descent, hoping to overcome thus his curse. The Folk of Haleth dwelling there was ruled by Brandir the Lame
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...
, who hoped to preserve his people by secrecy. Turambar quickly gained the favour of the Folk and once again overruled Brandir, gathering companies to fight Orcs upon the borders. He stopped wielding Gurthang and fought rather with a spear and a bow.
Meanwhile Morwen and Nienor dwelt in Doriath, but when the news of Nargothrond's destruction had reached them, they rashly went to look for Túrin, aided by a small company of Elves. Glaurung, who now lived in the ruined halls of Nargothrond, descended into the river so that a fog rose and enmeshed the company. Morwen was lost, but Nienor met the dragon and was enspelled by him, forgetting her past. Eventually she fled from both the Elves and the Orcs that pursued her and reached Brethil.
Turambar found her at Finduilas's grave, naked, unable to speak and remembering nothing. He named her Níniel, "Maid of Tears", and took her to Ephel Brandir. There she was healed by Brandir, who fell in love with her; however, Níniel and Turambar came to love each other. Túrin asked her in marriage, but Brandir managed to dissuade her, foreboding evil; yet when Turambar had vowed to forsake war for her sake unless to protect her, Níniel finally married him. Turambar was forced to go back to war when Glaurung sent Orcs to attack Brethil: taking the sword up again, Túrin drove them away, taking control of the Folk from Brandir. Next year Níniel conceived; however, soon Glaurung attacked Brethil himself.
Turambar decided to ambush the Dragon as he crossed the ravine of Cabed-en-Aras and to try stabbing him from beneath. He took two companions with 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...
and Hunthor, but the first deserted them and the other was slain by a stone. Turambar mortally wounded Glaurung with Gurthang, but was hurt by the venom of the Dragon's blood and fell in a swoon. When Níniel came to search for him, Glaurung with his last words undid his spell, and she remembered who she was and realized that Turambar was her brother. Horrified, Nienor cast herself over the brink of the ravine into the river Taeglin and died.
Brandir witnessed this, and when Turambar awoke, he told him what had happened and taunted him from his jealousy that Túrin had more respect than he and had had the love of Níniel. Refusing to believe and in wrath on his fate, Túrin slew the defenceless Brandir and ran in madness towards Finduilas's grave. There he was met by 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...
of Doriath, who confirmed the words of Brandir were true. In despair and shame Túrin fled back to Cabed-en-Aras and cast himself upon the point of his sword Gurthang.
Túrin was buried in a high mound near the brink of Cabed-en-Aras, together with Gurthang which had broken asunder. A great stone was set upon the grave, upon which the Elves wrote 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....
, the runes of Doriath:
TÚRIN TURAMBAR DAGNIR GLAURUNGA
NIENOR NÍNIEL
However, Nienor's body was not there and could not have been found. Two years later Morwen and Húrin met at that place for the last time, and Morwen was also buried there. The mound survived the War of Wrath
War of Wrath
The War of Wrath, or the Great Battle, is a key plot development in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium, portraying the final war against Morgoth at the end of the First Age....
and the Drowning of Beleriand, and as Tol Morwen was one of the islands off the coast of Middle-earth in later ages
Ages of Middle-earth
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the time is typically rendered in Ages. Ages are one epoch of the Valar. Before the arising of the Sun they were approximately one thousand Valian Years in length In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the time is...
.
Tolkien also wrote several contradictory versions of a prophecy about Túrin's fate after his death: see Concept and creation below.
Characteristics
Túrin is said to have been one of the fairest Men to have ever lived: "dark-haired and pale-skinned, ... his face more beautiful than any other among mortal Men, in the Elder DaysElder Days
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Elder Days are the first Ages of Middle-earth.During the Second and Third Age, the term referred to the First Age and before, but in the Fourth Age the term began to be applied to all three ages which came before: a time before the dominance of Men and the...
." In this he is stated to have taken after his mother Morwen, descended from 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:...
, in contrast to his fair-haired father Húrin from the House of Hador. According to Gwindor's words, Túrin was very tall, "as tall as are the Men from the misty hills of 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";...
," in which he supposedly took after his grandfather Galdor the Tall since both Húrin and the Folk of Bëor were shorter than was usual among the Men of Hador.
Tolkien was not consistent in describing Túrin's eyes. According to some texts "he had the beauty of his mother and the eyes of his father", which were blue, while in other Túrin is said to have inherited the grey eyes of his mother. It is also stated that his eyes were bright, and that "few indeed could challenge the eyes of Túrin in set will or in wrath." Thus it is possible that he inherited the "elven-light ... hard to endure" of his mother's eyes.
As a child of five years, Túrin is described thus:
A similar reference to this last trait of Túrin's character is found in Finduilas' words: "He is not yet awake, but still pity can ever pierce his heart, and he will never deny it. Pity maybe shall be ever the only entry." His reserved nature is also said to have resulted from Morgoth's curse; thus during Túrin's sojourn in Doriath "...it seemed that fortune was unfriendly to him, so that often what he designed went awry, and what he desired he did not gain; neither did he win friendship easily, for he was not merry, and laughed seldom."
Túrin is said to have been greatly affected by the deaths of his friends; thus after overcoming pestilence himself and the death of 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...
, Túrin's character was hardened and he became even more reserved. Tolkien also stated that Túrin ever after "sought in all faces of women the face of Lalaith," that he did not love Finduilas because "his mind and heart were elsewhere, by rivers in springs long past," and that Túrin did fall in love with Níniel because she reminded him of Lalaith. The grief that he had slain Beleg "was graven on the face of Túrin and never faded"; early Tolkien's writings add that after this time "wild and black was his hair yet streaked with grey, and his face was pale and marked as with deep sorrows of the past."
Tolkien gave another Túrin's trait which differed him from others: "his speech and bearing were that of the ancient kingdom of Doriath", implying that he used a more archaic and 'noble' variant of the 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....
language.
Túrin was a cousin of Tuor Eladar
Tuor
Tuor is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is the grandfather of Elrond Half-elven and one of the most renowned ancestors of the Men of Númenor and of the King of the Reunited Kingdom Aragorn Elessar...
, father of Eärendil the Blessed
Eärendil
Eärendil the Mariner is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is depicted in The Silmarillion as a great seafarer who, on his brow, carried the morning star across the sky.-Etymology:...
. There are many parallels between the circumstances of their lives (both lost their fathers in the Nírnaeth Arnoediad, were raised in part by Elves, spent time as outlaws, were war-leaders in great Elvish fortresses and survived their downfall), but the outcome of Tuor's life was quite different. Even Túrin's colouring was dark, enhancing his resemblance to the Noldor
Noldor
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Noldor are Elves of the Second Clan who migrated to Valinor and lived in Eldamar. The Noldor are called Golodhrim or Gódhellim in Sindarin, and Goldoi by Teleri of Tol Eressëa. The singular form of the Quenya noun is Noldo and the adjective is Noldorin...
in Elves but further setting him apart from his fair-haired cousin. The two never actually met, but Tuor did once see his cousin in passing at Eithel Ivrin. The cousins' respective fates- suicide and paradise- are analogous to those in Greek myth of Ajax
Ajax (mythology)
Ajax or Aias was a mythological Greek hero, the son of Telamon and Periboea and king of Salamis. He plays an important role in Homer's Iliad and in the Epic Cycle, a series of epic poems about the Trojan War. To distinguish him from Ajax, son of Oileus , he is called "Telamonian Ajax," "Greater...
and Achilles
Achilles
In Greek mythology, Achilles was a Greek hero of the Trojan War, the central character and the greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad.Plato named Achilles the handsomest of the heroes assembled against Troy....
.
Túrin is one of the few characters in Tolkien's writings to have committed 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...
, and several of the others – Aerin, Nienor, and Húrin – are connected to his story.
Names and titles
The name Túrin supposedly comes from the speech of the Folk of HadorTaliska
Taliska is a constructed language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien. It is one of the many fictional languages set in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Taliska was based on the Gothic language. Gothic was an early interest of Tolkien...
, with unknown etymology (see House of Hador). Turambar derives from Quenya
Quenya
Quenya is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his Secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Quenya is one of the many Elvish languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called Quendi in Quenya. The tongue actually called Quenya was in origin the speech of two clans of Elves...
, an Elvish language created by Tolkien, with the meaning "Master of Fate" (Q. Tur- 'mastery', umbar or ambar 'fate'). All other names given to and taken by Túrin come from 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....
, another Elven-tongue devised by Tolkien. The Sindarin form of Turambar, rarely used by Tolkien, was Turumarth (S. umarth or amarth 'fate', also úmarth 'ill-fate').
After leaving Doriath, Túrin usually tried to conceal his curse and, consequently, his true name. When he first appeared among the outlaws, he called himself Neithan, "the Wronged", as he thought that he had been expelled from Doriath. Later he took the name Gorthol, "the Dread Helm" (S. gor- 'horror', thôl 'helm'), since he wore the Dragon-helm then. When Túrin came to Nargothrond, he hid his identity under the epithet
Epithet
An epithet or byname is a descriptive term accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, divinities, objects, and binomial nomenclature. It is also a descriptive title...
Agarwaen son of Úmarth, "the Bloodstained, son of Ill-fate", but soon became generally known as Adanedhel, "Man-Elf", since he greatly resembled Elves in manners and looks. Finduilas also called him Thurin, "the Secret", and after the reforging of the black sword Gurthang and because of his prowess with it, Túrin was known as Mormegil, "the Blacksword" (S. mor- "black", magol or megil "sword"). When he first met the Men of Brethil, Túrin presented himself as the Wildman of the Woods, but soon took the name Turambar when decided to settle there. He was also entitled Dagnir Glaurunga, "the Bane of Glaurung" (S. dagnir 'slayer').
Inspiration
Resemblance of Túrin to figures from medieval tales can be confirmed by a letter which Tolkien wrote to Milton Waldman, a publisher from the HarperCollinsHarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
, concerning the fate of his works:
There is the Children of Húrin, the tragic tale of Túrin Turambar and his sister Níniel – of which Túrin is the hero: a figure that might be said (by people who like that sort of thing, though it is not very useful) to be derived from elements in Sigurd the Volsung, OedipusOedipusOedipus was a mythical Greek king of Thebes. He fulfilled a prophecy that said he would kill his father and marry his mother, and thus brought disaster on his city and family...
, and the Finnish Kullervo.
Túrin is mainly based on Kullervo
Kullervo
In the Finnish Kalevala, Kullervo was the ill-fated son of Kalervo. He is the only irredeemably tragic character in Finnish mythology.-Rune 31 - Kullervo, son of Evil:...
, a character from the Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
poems known as Kalevala
Kalevala
The Kalevala is a 19th century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology.It is regarded as the national epic of Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature...
, who was also "cursed" in a sense, seduced his sister, brought ruin upon his family and slew himself. Sigmund
Sigmund
This article is about the mythological hero Sigmund; for other meanings see: Sigmund .In Norse mythology, Sigmund is a hero whose story is told in the Völsunga saga. He and his sister, Signý, are the children of Völsung and his wife Hljod...
, the father of Sigurd
Sigurd
Sigurd is a legendary hero of Norse mythology, as well as the central character in the Völsunga saga. The earliest extant representations for his legend come in pictorial form from seven runestones in Sweden and most notably the Ramsund carving Sigurd (Old Norse: Sigurðr) is a legendary hero of...
in the Volsunga saga
Volsunga saga
The Völsungasaga is a legendary saga, a late 13th century Icelandic prose rendition of the origin and decline of the Völsung clan . It is largely based on epic poetry...
, also resembles Túrin in the incestuous relationship he has with his sister. In Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
's opera Die Walküre
Die Walküre
Die Walküre , WWV 86B, is the second of the four operas that form the cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen , by Richard Wagner...
(also drawn in part from the Volsung myths), Siegmund and Sieglinde
Signy
Signy or Signe is the name of two heroines in two connected legends from Scandinavian mythology which were very popular in medieval Scandinavia. Both appear in the Völsunga saga, which was adapted into other works such as Wagner's Ring, including its famous opera The Valkyrie.The first Signe was...
are parallels of Túrin and Nienor. (One notable resemblance of Túrin to Siegmund is that in the first act of Die Walküre, Siegmund gives his name as Wehwalt, just as Túrin tells the Elves of Nargothrond his name is Agarwaen "blood-stained".) Túrin further resembles Sigurd himself, as both achieve great renown for the slaying of a dragon of immense power and magic.
Túrin shares some similarities with Michael Moorcock
Michael Moorcock
Michael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
's Elric of Melniboné
Elric of Melniboné
Elric of Melniboné is a fictional character created by Michael Moorcock, and the antihero of a series of sword and sorcery stories centering in an alternate Earth. The proper name and title of the character is Elric VIII, 428th Emperor of Melniboné...
, who is also based on Kullervo. Both are anti-heroes who wield sentient black swords (both one of a pair — though this detail is not yet present in the earliest version of Túrin's story written in the 1910s), unwittingly kill friends or lovers with them, and are killed by them. The first Elric stories were published before The Silmarillion, so the detail of the black sword(s) may have been conceived independently by both writers.
Another parallel is the tale of Sir Balin
Sir Balin
Sir Balin le Savage , also known as the Knight with the Two Swords, is a character in the Arthurian legend. Merlin told King Arthur he would have been his best and bravest knight. A knight before the Round Table was formed, Sir Balin hails from Northumberland, and is associated with Sir Balan, his...
in the Arthurian Legend. Though he knows he wields an accursed sword, Balin nevertheless continues his quest to regain King Arthur's favour, though he unintentionally causes misery wherever he goes. Fate eventually catches up with him when he unwittingly kills his own brother, who in turn mortally wounds him.
Rejected names
The idea of Túrin changing his name to escape his doom is present already in the original versions of the tale, although to a lesser extent. The name Turambar goes to preliminary drafts, where however it was taken by Túrin at his first encounter with Glaurung after the latter had "revealed" to Túrin that he was cursed. Blacksword also appears there, as a side-name; in addition Túrin is said to have called himself "Turambar son of the weary forest" when he returned to Dor-lómin, with QuenyaQuenya
Quenya is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his Secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Quenya is one of the many Elvish languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called Quendi in Quenya. The tongue actually called Quenya was in origin the speech of two clans of Elves...
form Rúsitaurion and Gnomish bo-Dhrauthodavros.
Tolkien was hesitant about the exact Elvish translations of names: in various texts the later Turumarth appears as Turumart, Turmarth, or Turamarth; Mormegil as Mormagli(r) or Mormael in Gnomish/Sindarin and as Mormakil in Quenya. The original form of Agarwaen "Bloodstained" was Iarwaeth, and Thurin "the Secret" supposedly originated in Thuringud "the Hidden Foe". In early texts Tolkien usually interpreted Turambar as "the Conqueror of Fate".
Fate after death
Tolkien from the beginning was stable in his view that Túrin should have some exceptional destiny after his death, unlike to the fate of other Mortal MenMan (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...
to abide shortly in the Halls of Mandos and then leave Arda
Arda
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Arda is the name given to the Earth in a period of prehistory, wherein the places mentioned in The Lord of the Rings and related material once existed...
forever. However, the precise nature of this part of the legendarium was changed several times.
In the earliest outline preserved, where the tale is drafted only cursorily and has many elements missing, a reference already appears to "purification of Turambar and Vainóni (the original name of Nienor) who fare shining about the world and go with the hosts of Tulkas against Melkor (Morgoth)]." In the finished manuscript of The Tale of Turambar and the Foalókë this is elaborated into a story that Túrin and Nienor were not at first admitted to Mandos because of their deeds; but after their parents' prayers, they were permitted to enter the "bath of flame", where the Sun replenished its light, "and so were all their sorrows washed away." A new detail is introduced, that "in the Great Wrack" Túrin would fight Morgoth's dragons with his renowned sword.
In later Tolkien's writings no reference to Nienor's fate appears, but Túrin's destiny is made even more prominent. The notion maintained for a long time was that Túrin would take part in the Last Battle
Dagor Dagorath
The Dagor Dagorath is a fictional battle described in the legendarium of J. R. R. Tolkien. As Tolkien's works were conceived as a fictional "forgotten history" of the world, the Dagor Dagorath represents the coming End of the World, and is often referred to as simply "The End"...
fought before the End of the World, when Morgoth would return and make the final assault upon the Valar
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...
and the Children of Ilúvatar
Children of Ilúvatar
The Children of Ilúvatar is the name given to the two races of Elves and Men in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium because they were created by Ilúvatar, the One God, without the help of the Ainur....
. In an early text it is "the spirit of Túrin" who came back and fought, while in the revision of the Quenta Noldorinwa carried out in 1937 the battle is described thus:
In the same text it is said that to Túrin "a place is given among the sons of the Valar"; however, both the concept of the Children of the Valar and Túrin's ranking among them were removed in later revisions. The idea that Túrin tarried in Mandos for an immeasurable time was seemingly also discarded; instead Tolkien referred to Túrin as "returning from the Doom of Men at the ending of the world;" the precise implications of this phrase are unclear. In addition, he introduced Beren Camlost
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:...
as likewise returning from the dead. It was also stated at this stage that when Varda
Varda
Varda Elentári is a deity in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium to whom the hymn A Elbereth Gilthoniel is directed..-Character overview:Varda is one of the Valar, a group of semi-divine beings similar to archangels. Also known as "Queen of the stars", she is said to be too beautiful for words; within...
set the constellation of Menelmacar, she intended it to be "a sign of Túrin Turambar" and "a foreshowing of the Last Battle."
However, in a late note Tolkien presented an entirely different conception: Túrin had indeed remained in Mandos overlong, but only for some 50 years, not for the whole lifespan of the World. According to the prophecy of Andreth, during the War of Wrath
War of Wrath
The War of Wrath, or the Great Battle, is a key plot development in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium, portraying the final war against Morgoth at the end of the First Age....
at the end of 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...
Túrin "should return from the Dead, and before he left the Circles of the World for ever should challenge the Great Dragon of Morgoth, Ancalagon the Black, and deal him the death-stroke." Thus the original idea that Túrin was to fight dragons re-emerged, but it would have required of Tolkien serious revisions if he had intended to replace Eärendil
Eärendil
Eärendil the Mariner is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is depicted in The Silmarillion as a great seafarer who, on his brow, carried the morning star across the sky.-Etymology:...
with Túrin as the slayer of Ancalagon. Because of these and similar discrepancies, 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...
decided not to include any references to the Last Battle or to Túrin's ultimate fate in the published Silmarillion.
Portrayal
Many artists have created illustrations of Túrin's story. The stand-alone novel The Children of HúrinThe 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...
contains images by Alan Lee, while various editions of 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...
and Unfinished Tales
Unfinished Tales
Unfinished Tales is a collection of stories and essays by J. R. R. Tolkien that were never completed during his lifetime, but were edited by his son Christopher Tolkien and published in 1980.Unlike The Silmarillion, for which the narrative fragments were modified to connect into a consistent and...
were 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....
. Other images were done by John Howe and Anke Katrin Eißmann
Anke Katrin Eißmann
Anke Katrin Eißmann is a German illustrator and graphic designer known for her illustrations of J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. She studied visual communication at Bauhaus University in Weimar and at the Colchester Institute in the United Kingdom. Eißmann has also made a number of short films...
.
See also
- KullervoKullervoIn the Finnish Kalevala, Kullervo was the ill-fated son of Kalervo. He is the only irredeemably tragic character in Finnish mythology.-Rune 31 - Kullervo, son of Evil:...
- Character of Finnish mythology - KalevalaKalevalaThe Kalevala is a 19th century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology.It is regarded as the national epic of Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature...
that Tolkien used while creating story of Túrin Turambar. - Timeline of Arda (Years of the Sun 464-499 in the First Age)
- LalaithLalaithIn 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...
- NienorNienorNiënor, 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...
- Cabed-en-Aras
General references
- Narn:
- The Silmarillion:
- The War of the Jewels:
- The Lost Road: