Húrin

Húrin was the most powerful warrior among Men of the First Age in the Silmarillion. His other names are Húrin Thalion and Úmarth, and he was also the father of the Túrin Turambar.

Hurin belongs to the House of Marach, also called House of Hador. He was the firstborn of Galdor and his wife, Haladin. Húrin's brother was Huor and was younger than him. Húrin had an unpleasant physique. And for this reason, he could not adorn himself with the Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin because his body was too small for it. Despite that, he was superior among all warriors of his people. During the year FA 458, Húrin and his brother Huor settled with their clan in the woods of Brethil. From there, the brothers united with a warring platoon to battle the Orcs. The two eventually reached Vale of Sirion being separated from their troop. Orcs hunted them and Ulmo the Valar saved them. He summoned a mist out of the river waters, and Hurin and Huor fled to Dimbar.

Two Giant Eagles flew them over from Dimbar to Gondolin. Gondolin’s King Turgon gladly accepted the brothers because of the prophecy of Ulmo. The prophecy states that the House of Hador would help Gondolin in a time when they needed it most. Turgon turned fond of Húrin and Huor and asked for them to stay. Yet the two brothers longed for their home and left. They took an oath promising not to speak of Gondolin and keep its secrecy. And so the Great Eagles carried them to Dor-Lómin.

In FA 462, Morgoth attacked Hithlum. Galdor the Tall, the father of Húrin fought to defend Ered Wethrin but perished in the battle. Húrin drove off the Orcs, yet they suffered grave damages in the fields of Anfauglith. With his father’s death, Húrin received the title Lord of Dor-Lómin and reigned the Hadorian territory of Dor-Lómin, in the land of Hithlum. After two years, Húrin married Morwen, an Elf Seer from the House of Bëor. In the same year, Morwen gave birth to their firstborn Túrin. They also had a daughter named Lalaith, but she died when she was three years of age because of a plague from Angband. Another daughter named Nienor was born when Húrin was later imprisoned in Morgoth.

During Nirnaeth Arnoediad in FA 473, Húrin and Huor took part in the war with the rest of the House of Hador. In the middle of battle, the brothers reunited with Turgon. Unfortunately, the enemies defeated them as the battle ends. Húrin and Huor assembled the last stand with the last men of House of Hador against the Orcs. In doing so, they saved Turgon by letting his getaway. Morgoth’s army slowly forced them back one step at a time until it cornered them at the River Rivil. There they stood relentlessly and fought back until twilight. The enemies killed Huor and his men, and Húrin was the only one left standing.

He stood there, hurled his sword and shield, then picked up an Orc commander’s massive broadaxe. All by himself, he moved through the water to the Troll guards of Gothmog. He killed them one by one while shouting “Aure entuluva!” with all his might. For seventy times he roared this oath which meant “Day will come again”. Húrin kept on fighting even when his weapon fell, as the battle-ax thawed from the corrosive blood of trolls. The Orcs wrestled with him and captured him, even as he hacked their extremities in the struggle.

They imprisoned him in Morgoth and tortured him abominably. Despite the torment, he did not utter a word about Gondolin’s whereabouts. Because of his rebelliousness, Morgoth cast a curse of despair and suffering to Húrin and his family. Morgoth punished Húrin by chaining him at the highest point of Thanorodrim, seated and bound through a spell. There he could see all the pain and misery rendered to his son Turin. Húrin also lost the chance to see his daughter Nienor, as she was born while he was already imprisoned in Morgoth. Many years passed and all his children [1] died while Morgoth held him prisoner.

In FA 500, with all of Húrin's children dead, Morgoth finally released him, pretending that it was out of sympathy for a devastatingly broken enemy. But Morgoth intended to fill Húrin with rage and resentment by forcing him to watch his children suffer. And by releasing him, he would spread the same hatred and disaster to everyone he meets.

They set him free in his home in Hithlum, the land of his kin. All the House of Hador were killed or captured. The Easterlings were already inhabiting the area. Lorgan, the ruler of the Easterlings, failed to recognize him at the beginning. But when he did, he drove him away from presuming that Húrin has turned into a valuable subject of Morgoth.

Seven rebels gathered with Húrin and all of them traveled to the valley of Sirion, which he remembers as the location of Gondolin. Eventually, Húrin left the rebels and headed for the gates of Gondolin. Yet Gondolin declined to open its gates for him. King Turgon refused his entrance, knowing he had long been a captive of Morgoth.

Húrin shouted in his anger to Turgon. In doing so, he unknowingly exposed Gondolin’s location to the forces of Morgoth. When Húrin left, Turgon realized his mistake to a former comrade and sought Húrin. He bid the Eagles fly Húrin back to Gondolin, but they could not find him.

Húrin returned to the woods of Brethil, where the bodies of all his children rest. On their graves, he finally reunited with his wife Morwen just moments before she died. In his hatred and sorrow, he searched the Haladin for revenge, accusing them as the reason for his wife and children’s demise. They placed Húrin in the trial, and this triggered an uprising. In the uproar, Hardang from the House of Haldad perished. Some Haladin joined Húrin while the rebels reunited with him. With their combined forces, they headed to Nargothrond. Húrin defeated the Petty-dwarf Mîm, bearer of the treasure of Glaurung and invoking the gold’s curse. Húrin and the rebels sent the cursed riches to Doriath, mocking Thingol for his failure to protect the kin of Húrin. They rejected it and a violent battle broke in Menegroth, ending in carnage in which all of them perished. The curse destroyed them and the tragedy added more to its evil. This eventually led to the fall of Doriath. Yet the forgiving words of Melian reached past the hazed thoughts of Húrin. He realized at last that all of his actions only advanced Morgoth’s vicious plans, further marking the Dark Lord’s evil triumph in his life. Crushed in spirit, he threw himself into the sea and there his life reached its bitter end.

The Sindarin meaning of Húrin is “steadfast”, while Thalion is “hardened.” Úmarth, another name that rarely mentioned for him, has the meaning “ill-fated”.

1. ^A Summary & Review of The Children of Húrin.