May 25, 2002
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Turin
> Turin Turambar
Names of Turin:
Túrin a.k.a. Neithan (outlaw of Doriath),
Gorthol (based off of the Dragon Helm of Dor-Lómin), Agarwaen
son of Umarth, the Bloodstained, son of Ill-fate (entrance into
Nargothrond), Adanedhel (for his beauty and noble bearing by the
elves), Mormegil – Black Sword of Nargothrond (for his sword Gurthang),
Wildman of the Woods (for his proposed return to Nargothrond), and
Turambar (his name in the settlement with the Haladin)
History:
Turin was the son of Húrin
and Morwen. He had
a sister Lalaith,
which means laughter, but she died as a result of a
pestilence that came from Angband.
The Easterlings invaded and held power over the
people in Dor-Lómin, and were enslaving the people where young
Turin lived, but
“…so
great was the beauty and majesty of the Lady of Dor-Lómin that
the Easterlings were afraid, and dared not to lay hands upon her or her
household…”
This was so for a short time but still Morwen feared
that Túrin would be taken from her and enslaved by the
Easterlings.
“Therefore it
came into her heart to send him away in secret, and to beg King Thingol
to harbour him…”
The elf, Beleg,
found the two servants that held
Túrin and led them to Menegroth. Upon Turin's arrival, the
elf-king of Doriath, Thingol,
took him and fostered him in honor of his
father, Húrin. Also, elves were sent to beg Morwen to leave
Hithlum and come to Doriath, but she would not leave. However, she did
give the elves something for Túrin, the Dragon-helm of
Dor-Lómin.
Turin was with Thingol for nine years and during
that time, due to a lack of word from his mother and sister, he chose
to take up arms to help guard Doriath. He fought for a three year
period alongside Beleg away from Menegroth. Upon his return Turin
quarreled with Saeros,
which ended up with Saeros’ death. Túrin
would not see the king and fled. He ran through the Girdle of Melian
and joined up with a group
of desperate men that fought all that came
across them.
Beleg was sent to look for him, because Thingol
loved him and had pardoned him. A year later, he found Túrin’s
outlaw camp, but he wasn’t there, and the rest of the band bound him
and treated him badly. Túrin came back eventually and freed him
and then renewed their friendship.
They parted, as neither of them would remain with
the other. Beleg returned to the king and the king sent him after
Túrin and gave him Anglachel
as his parting gift. Melian
warned
of the blade, saying that too much of the evil of the forger, Eol,
was
in it, but Beleg took it anyway. Melian bestowed upon Túrin (if
Beleg should find him) a store of lembas, which only the queen could
give, and had never been given to a man before, and only very seldom
afterwards.
Soon after, Túrin led his band westward
and
captured a dwarf named Mîm
who, along with his two sons (of the
two,
one would die from an arrow loosed by Túrin’s men), were the
only
three of the Petty-Dwarves left. Mim led them, as ransom, to his hidden
house
upon Amon Rûdh. That winter, Beleg returned and together, the Two
Captains cleared the area of orcs. Túrin’s famed Dragon Helm of
Dor-Lómin
betrayed Túrin’s identity and Mîm showed orcs the path to
Amon
Rûdh. Túrin was captured. The elves Beleg and Gwindor
rescued him, but
Túrin unknowingly killed Beleg.
With Gwindor, Túrin went to Nargothrond.
He reached his full manhood there. He became a great warrior and
trusted advisor. It was during this time that Anglachel (Beleg’s sword)
was reforged for Túrin and named Gurthang.
It was also at
Nargothrond that Finduilas,
Gwindor's betrothed, developed unrequited
love for Túrin.
Túrin fought well in the disastrous
Battle of Tumhalad. But upon his return, Glaurung
ensnared him.
Glaurung released him with a lie that his mother was in danger in
Dor-Lómin. Túrin went there to look for his mother and
unknown sister instead of chasing the captured Finduilas. When he
discovered the ruse, he became angry and slew many Easterlings,
including Brodda, who held sway over Dor-Lómin.
Upon his proposed return for the rescue of
Finduilas, since he could not think of a better place for his kin
except in Doriath where they fled to, he ran across some of the men of
Brethil and saved them. They begged for him to come and stay with them,
but he refused saying that he had one more errand left. They then told
him that Finduilas was slain by the orcs. He then stayed with the men
of Brethil, ruled by Brandir. For many years he lived there, yet
he could not refuse the “deeds of war.” He made Haudh-en-Elleth a place
of terror for the orcs, so that none would come near.
During this time, Morwen had heard of the fall of
Nargothrond and was sad. She set out, with Mablung after her, to find
Túrin of her own accord. Nienor was not allowed to go. Morwen
left, and Nienor followed as one of Mablung’s band. They had made their
way to the “Hill of Spies” that lay before Nargothrond. Once there,
Mablung went away for a short while. Glaurung was aware of all that
they did, and set a great reek and odor all about the hill and
surroundings. He killed all of Mablung’s elves and Morwen was lost. He
cast a very powerful spell of forgetfulness and utter darkness upon
Nienor, and then left. Mablung could not find either Morwen or Nienor,
but kept searching. Nienor ran into the woods, naked and frantic until
she could run no more. She awoke the next morning and wandered around
until she rested on the gravesite, Haudh-en-Elleth. Túrin found
her, and named her Níniel. Soon, Túrin hoped to marry
her, but she resisted due to a darkness that was in her heart. Three
years later, he asked again and they were married.
Orcs issued by Glaurung alerted him that
Túrin was in Brethil, and he left Nargothrond. Glaurung rested
right outside the woods of Brethil.
Túrin decided that Glaurung could not be
beaten by any of the townsfolk and offered himself to attack Glaurung.
Dorlas volunteered; Hunthor, Brandir’s kinsman, offered to go in
Brandir’s stead. Túrin found out that Glaurung stayed upon a
hill with a gorge in between, and he hoped to climb the gorge from the
river below to strike at Glaurung from unawares. Dorlas could not go
and lurked in the woods in shame. On the way up, Hunthor was killed by
a rock dislodged by Glaurung’s movement. Túrin, however, climbed
still and managed to lodge Gurthang into Glaurung’s soft underbelly to
the hilt. And Glaurung died, but not before smiting Túrin with a
look full of so much malice, it knocked him unconscious, and revealing
to Nienor that she was Túrin’s sister.
Brandir overheard the conversation between Glaurung
and Nienor, and went back to Brethil to explain what had happened. He
said Nienor had thrown herself into the River Teiglin, and Túrin
was dead, and for that he was glad, also that the dragon was dead.
Túrin, however, came back to Brethil and heard what Brandir had
said, and became outraged because he thought Brandir was just jealous
of the love of him and Níenor. Túrin then slew Brandir
and went to Haudh-en-Elleth. There Mablung and his followers found him.
Túrin then asked one thing. He asked for tidings of his kin in
Doriath. Then Mablung told him of all that had happened, and
Túrin knew that he slew Brandir unjustly, and went to the top of
Cabed-en-Aras and asked his
sword if it would slay him swiftly. It
replied yes, to forget the blood of its former master, Beleg, and the
blood of Brandir. Then he cast himself upon Gurthang, and it was
broken.
He was then laid under the Stone of the Hapless.
Source: The Silmarillion – Quenta Silmarillion – Of
Túrin Turambar
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