Húrin

Húrin, known also as Húrin Thalion or once Úmarth, was a hero of Men during the First Age. He was the father of the tragic Túrin Turambar. According to The Silmarillion, he was the greatest warrior of Men in the First Age.

Biography[]

Life in Dor-lómin[]

Húrin was a grandson of Hador, of the House of Marach, or House of Hador. Húrin was the elder son of Galdor and Hareth of the Haladin, and he had a younger brother Huor. He was known to be of unimpressive stature, so much so that he could not wear the Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin because it was too large on him to fit properly. Despite this, his prowess in combat surpassed that of all his peers.

In the year FA 458, Huor and Húrin dwelt with their mother's kin in the forest of Brethil, when they joined a war party against Orcs. The brothers ended up in the Vale of Sirion, and were cut off from their company. Chased by Orcs, the Vala Ulmo caused a mist to arise from the rivers, and the brothers escaped into Dimbar, where two Great Eagles picked them up and brought them to Gondolin. King Turgon of Gondolin welcomed the brothers, remembering Ulmo's prophecy that the House of Hador would aid Gondolin in their time of greatest need. Turgon wished them to remain as he grew to love them, but the brothers wished to return to their kin. The brothers swore an oath to keep Gondolin secret, and Eagles brought them back to Dor-lómin.

In FA 462 Morgoth assailed Hithlum and Húrin's father Galdor the Tall fell defending the Ered Wethrin. Húrin chased the Orcs away with heavy losses over the plains of Anfauglith. Afterwards, Húrin was the Lord of Dor-lómin, ruling over the Hadorian fief of Dor-lómin in Hithlum.

Two years later, he wedded Morwen Elf-Sheen of the House of Bëor, and later in the year their son Túrin was born. A daughter Urwen followed, but she died aged three years old in a plague sent from Angband.

Nirnaeth Arnoediad[]

In FA 473, in the Nírnaeth Arnoediad, Húrin fought alongside Huor and the Sons of Hador. In the midst of battle, he met again with Turgon, and their meeting was sweet. When the battle was lost, Húrin and Huor gathered all the remaining men of the House of Hador and they took a stand fighting off the Orcs, allowing Turgon to escape. Step by step, the army of Morgoth pushed them back into the Fen of Serech. They stepped back until the river Rivil was in front of them, there they did not take one-step back. They kept on fighting until dusk when Huor was slain. In the end, Húrin stood there alone, there he threw his sword and shield on the ground and he took a grand battle-axe of an Orc captain. He waded alone into Gothmog's bodyguard of Trolls, and with every one he slew he yelled with all his voice: "Aure entuluva!" ("Day will come again!") This battle cry was heard seventy times.

Húrin fought with the battle axe until the axe itself withered away from the caustic blood of the trolls he had been slaying. He was grappled by the Orcs and taken hostage, even though he hewed their limbs off as they grabbed him. Húrin was brought captive to Morgoth, and despite horrific torture at the hands of the second Balrog lord Lungorthin (who smote Hurin across the mouth with a whistling fiery whip), he refused to reveal the location of Gondolin. Due to his defiance, Morgoth cursed him and his family to misery and hopelessness.

Húrin was bound by Morgoth's power in a seat high on the peaks of Thangorodrim There, Morgoth cursed him with the ability to see from afar all the evils would befall his son, Túrin.^[5] He never saw his second daughter Niënor, however, who was born while he was a captive.

Release from captivity and death[]

In the year FA 500, after the death of his children, Morgoth released Húrin, feigning pity to an utterly defeated foe.^[6] In reality however, Morgoth hoped that the bitterness and hate that had been wrought in Húrin throughout his years of watching his family suffer would cause strife and misfortune to those whom Húrin encountered. He was brought to his old homelands in Hithlum, but the Easterlings now living there, under Lorgan, did not recognize him at first, and feared him, believing him to be high in the favor of Morgoth. The House of Hador had been destroyed or enslaved. Seven outlaws joined Húrin, and together they went to the vale of Sirion, where he knew Gondolin to be. In time Húrin abandoned the outlaws and sought for the entrance, but Gondolin was closed, and the King Turgon at first did not wish to allow him in. Húrin cried out against Turgon, thus inadvertently revealing the general location of Gondolin to Morgoth's spies, and then left. Only after he had left did Turgon have a change of heart, and sent Eagles to fetch him, but they came too late and did not find him.

Húrin continued to the forest of Brethil where his son and daughter had died, and met his wife Morwen there at their grave, minutes before she too passed away. In anger and despair, he sought out the Haladin, blaming them for the death of his wife and children, and after being put on trial caused a revolt in which Hardang, of the house of Haldad, was slain.^[7] Húrin met up again with the outlaws, and together with a few of the Haladin, they went to Nargothrond, where Húrin killed the Petty-dwarf Mîm who had claimed the treasure of Glaurung, earning a curse on the gold. Húrin and his outlaws brought the treasure, including the Nauglamír, to Doriath, insulting Thingol by giving it as a fee for his 'good care' of Húrin's kin. The outlaws did not accept this, and a bitter battle was fought at Menegroth, leading to the death of all of them, and further cursing the gold. Húrin thus brought a curse on Doriath as well, eventually leading to its downfall.

Melian's kind words managed to break through to Húrin's clouded mind, and Húrin finally saw that all his deeds had only aided Morgoth. A broken man, he finally cast himself in the sea and ended his life.

Etymology[]

In Sindarin, Húrin means "steadfast" and Thalion means "hardened." Úmarth means "ill-fate".^[8]

In other versions[]

In early versions of Tolkien's mythology, Húrin was called Úrin or Úrinthalion.^[8]

Gallery[]

Húrin, by GustavoMalek

Translations[]

References[]