Hurin's Stand

by Eonwe-(Valar 1998-2000) 
September 1998

Man > Hurin Thalion > Húrin's Stand
For Hurin standing storm unheeding,
unbent in battle with bitter laughter,
his axe wielded as eagles wings,
the sound of its sweep swinging deadly,
as livid lightning it leaped and fell,
as toppling trunks of trees riven,
his foes had fallen thus fought he on,
where blades were blunted
and in blood foundered the men of mithrim.
Thus a moment stemmed with sad remnant
the raging tide of ruthless orcs,
and the rear guarded.

--Lays of Beleriand, "The Lay of the Children of Húrin", Narn I Hin Hurin

    This tells of Húrin's heroic stand at the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, the fifth battle in the Wars of Beleriand. He and his house stood as the rear-guard and allowed Turgon the time to escape back to Gondolin. The last man alive on the battlefield after his brother Huor was killed by an arrow in the eye, Húrin slew a thousand orcs (or seventy trolls according to which story version) thus earning himself the name Húrin Trollslayer before he at last was captured. This deed is the most renowned of men among elves.
    Due to his mother's (Hareth's) being the daughter of the chieftain of the house of Haleth and the son of the chieftain of the house of Hador (Galdor or Gumlin, also two different versions) and the wife of the daughter of the chieftain of the house of Beor, later named the house of Húrin, and being the last survivor of all these families (though not by much as the tale says) he is rightfully, at the end, chieftain of all three houses of the Edain.

top