Túrin

Túrin Turambar was a man of the House of Hador in Middle-earth, who became a tragic hero (or anti-hero) of the First Age, in the tale called Narn i Chîn Húrin ("The Tale of the Children of Húrin").
== Biography ==
=== Early life ===
Túrin was the only son of Húrin Thalion, Lord of Dor-lómin, and Morwen Eledhwen. He had a younger sister Urwen, whom everyone called "Lalaith" because of her laughter. Urwen was loved more than Túrin, who did not speak often and seemed older than his years. However, she died in childhood of a plague and Morwen forbade Túrin from speaking Urwen's nickname. Túrin became a close friend of Sador the one-legged carpenter, whom he named Labadal ("hop-a-foot"). On the morning of Túrin's eighth birthday, his father gave him an Elf-wrought knife, but he gave it to Sador. After Húrin was captured in the Nírnaeth Arnoediad, Túrin remained with his mother Morwen, who hid him from the Easterlings that Morgoth had sent to Hithlum, fearing they would kill Túrin or enslave him. Unknown to Túrin at that time, Morgoth had placed a curse on all of Húrin's family.
=== Time in Doriath ===
When Túrin was eight years old, Morwen decided to send him to the Elven realm of Doriath. Before his departure, Sador offered him to give him his blade back, but he refused. After travelling to Doriath with Gethron and Grithnir, he was found by Beleg, who gave food to him, and was adopted by Thingol as a son after meeting the Elf-maiden Nellas in the woods. After this, Túrin's second sister Niënor was born. Túrin was restless, and as soon as he was permitted he joined Beleg Cúthalion on the marches of Doriath, fighting the Orcs of Morgoth. It was in this time he received the Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin from Thingol. In his early battles his helm protected him from many injuries, as he was inexperienced in warfare. The helm was an heirloom of the House of Hador and because of it the Orcs feared him above all others.
=== Life as an outlaw ===
Túrin accidentally caused the death of Saeros, one of Thingol's counsellors who provoked and attacked him. Before he could be either punished or forgiven for it, he fled, eventually encountering a band of outlaws that dwelt south of Brethil. With them, he identified himself only as Neithan ("the wronged"). The men of the band realized he was by far more skilled then themselves, so they accepted him. Túrin slew their leader after seeing him terrorize a woman, and became the outlaws' leader in his place. As leader, he stopped the band from raiding houses of free folk, and directed them to only assail Orcs.
In the meantime, Beleg Cúthalion obtained leave from Thingol to seek out his friend. In FA 487, Beleg found Túrin's outlaws at the outskirts of Amon Rûdh and was held and tied up by them until Túrin returned. Andróg, who was a prominent member of the group, mistrusted Beleg even after Túrin declared him a friend and begrudged him Túrin`s friendship. Beleg tried to persuade Túrin to return to Doriath, for the king held that he was innocent. When Beleg could not persuade his friend to leave the outlaws, he left to return to Doriath. Túrin's band later captured Mîm the Petty-dwarf while Beleg and Túrin were parted. Mîm was forced to share his halls on Amon Rûdh with his company while Túrin promised to repay Mîm for the accidental death of his son Khîm.
=== Death of Beleg ===
At Doriath, Beleg asked to be able to join his friend. Thingol allowed this and also gave him the sword Anglachel, and Thingol's wife Melian gave him Lembas. Beleg returned to Túrin that winter, healing those of the band that had become sick with cold. Beleg brought with him the Dragon-helm, after Túrin agreed to take the Dragon-helm, the area around Amon Rûdh became known as Dor-Cúarthol, "The Land of Bow and Helm" (since Beleg was known as a mighty bowman). There Túrin took the name Gorthol, "The Dread Helm". Many warriors joined them, and much of the west of Beleriand was freed from evil for a while. Mîm, however, was greatly jealous of Beleg's friendship with Túrin.
Eventually, Túrin was betrayed by Mîm the dwarf. He allowed a pack of Orcs to have information with which they could destroy the company, as long as he was allowed to kill Beleg himself. Túrin was captured at the top of Amon Rûdh and all his men were slain about him. Beleg was saved by Androg who killed Mím with his last action before dying. Beleg then rescued Túrin from the Orcs in Taur-nu-Fuin with the help of Gwindor, an escaped slave of Morgoth, but Túrin accidentally killed Beleg with the sword Anglachel, for Beleg, who was trying to cut Túrin's bonds, was mistaken by Túrin as one of the Orcs tormenting him. Gwindor and Túrin then fled the others, and as Túrin's mind was lost in a silent sadness, Gwindor led him to the Pools of Ivrin, where Túrin then cried and his madness was cured.
=== Leader of Nargothrond ===
Gwindor then led Túrin to Nargothrond, where once he had lived. In Nargothrond, Túrin hid his name, calling himself by the alias Agarwaen son of Úmarth (Sindarin for "Bloodstained son of Ill-fate"), while hoping to hide his identity and escape Morgoth's curse upon his kin. He had Anglachel re-forged and named it Gurthang, "Iron of Death". Finduilas, daughter of Orodreth, fell in love with him, but he avoided her because she had previously been the beloved of his friend Gwindor. Túrin declined to tell her his name, so that she called him Thurin (the secret). He was also called Adanedhel (Man-Elf) because he was so like an elf, though he was human. Gwindor later revealed Túrin's true identity to Finduilas when anger and sadness over took him and it eventually reached Finduilas' father, King Orodreth.
The revelation of his identity resulted in Túrin becoming a chief counsellor of Orodreth, and was extremely influential in Nargothrond. He encouraged the Nargothrondrim to abandon their practice of secrecy, and they built a great bridge before the gates. Because of his prowess with Gurthang, he himself became known as the Mormegil (Black Sword), or the Black Sword of Nargothrond. In FA 495, with Orodreth now deep in the council of Túrin, the Elves of Nargothrond marched out from their secret city with an army of some thousands of Elves to confront the enemy massing beneath the Ered Wethrin (Mountains of Shadow) and in the Pass of Sirion. They were overwhelmed and driven into the Plain of Tumhalad and utterly defeated in the Battle of Tumhalad. Only Túrin, who wore the Dragon Helm of Dor-lómin was able to survive the hot fiery blasts of Glaurung and escaped. There was a desperate attempt to destroy the bridge Túrin has ordered to be built for swifter actions of the army, alas it was too well made and the enemy arrived and Glaurung the father of dragons destroyed the gate and the sacking of the once mighty Nargothrond, began.
=== The Dragon's deceit ===
Túrin was caught by the powerful gaze of Glaurung at the smashed gate of the city, and stood by idly as Finduilas and hundreds of captives was dragged away, Finduilas called to him, once her cries were drowned out in the distance, Túrin was released from Glaurung's spell, which deceived Túrin into believing Morwen and Niënor were suffering in Dor-lómin, and Túrin abandoned Finduilas to seek out his kin. In actuality, Morwen and Niënor were safely in Doriath, as Túrin's own efforts had made the way passable.
Once in Dor-lómin, Túrin found his old home empty. He went to the halls of the Easterling lord Brodda, who had taken Húrin's kinswoman Aerin as a wife and many a time beaten her and enslaved Túrin's people, Brodda had also taken Húrin's lands and possessions to which also rightfully belonged to Túrin. From Aerin, Túrin learned that Morwen had left, and in his rage, he held Brodda up like a dog and threw him in a group of men, breaking Brodda’s neck and killing him, thereby also sealing Aerin's fate. As Túrin left again, Aerin burnt herself alive in Brodda's halls, and the remainder of the House of Hador now was persecuted even more cruelly. There he also met Sador once again before he died, adding to the list of people whose lives his rash actions had ended.
Túrin next tried to find Finduilas, but when he had picked up the Orcs' trail, woodsmen of Brethil informed him she had been killed as they had tried to rescue the prisoners of Nargothrond. Túrin collapsed on the mound she was buried in, and was brought to Brethil.
In Brethil, Túrin renamed himself Turambar (Master of Doom) in an act of bravado, deciding that his curse was finally over. One night in the middle of a fierce storm he and his men found a naked young woman on Finduilas's grave, and called her Níniel "Maiden of tears" due to her crying, for she knew nothing. Túrin years later took her as his wife. Túrin did not know that this was indeed his sister, whose memory had been erased by Glaurung. Brandir, out of jealousy or forecast, told Níniel that a shadow was cast above Túrin, and that instead of being Master of Shadow, the Shadow would inevitably master him.
=== Slayer of Glaurung ===
Túrin's happiness ended when Glaurung came near Brethil, burning miles and miles of forest so that he could reach where the woodsmen lived. Túrin with two others set out to kill the dragon, but he was the only one to reach the drake. Darlas, being too cowardly, abandoned Túrin, but Hunthor the faithful went on. As Túrin passed underneath the dragon, he nearly toppled into the waters due to the dragon's stench had it not been for Hunthor, who steadied him. Unfortunately, as a result of this action, a stone moved by Glaurang's passing hit Hunthor on the head, and he fell into the ravine. With his black sword and bitterness in his heart, Túrin then stabbed the dragon's belly with all his hatred and power; killing Glaurung at Cabed-en-Aras, but as he retrieved his sword the foul blood of the Dragon fell on his hand and he was hurt and fell in a swoon. As Níniel came to search for him, Glaurung with his last words revealed to her that she was Turin's sister. Horrified, and believing Túrin dead, Niënor Níniel killed herself by leaping into the ravines of the river.
=== Death ===
When Túrin awoke he was told by Brandir the Lame, lord of the Haladin of Brethil what had happened. In anger, he killed Brandir in front of many people, refusing to believe the truth. When he learned from Mablung of Doriath, who had come to seek him, that Brandir was telling truth and that he had wrongfully slain him, Túrin could no longer live with the pains and misfortunes of his life and determined to commit suicide. Just before his death, he revealed that he had been 'blind'; Morgoth's curse had had him groping in the dark since childhood.
Then, Túrin said to Gurthang: "Hail Gurthang, iron of death, thou alone now remainest! But what lord or loyalty dost thou know, save the hand that wieldeth thee? From no blood wilt thou shrink! Wilt thou take Tùrin Turambar? Wilt thou slay me swiftly?"
And from the blade rang a cold voice in answer: "Yea, I will drink thy blood, that may I forget the blood of Beleg my master, and the blood of Brandir slain unjustly. I will slay thee swiftly." Then Tùrin set the hilts upon the ground, and cast himself upon the point of Gurthang, and the black blade took his life. Túrin and several of the others connected to his story are some of the few people in the Middle-earth legendarium to have committed suicide.
An alternate interpretation of Túrin's revelation mirrors that of his father's in the Silmarillion, that all that he had seen was twisted by the malice and might of Morgoth, and so as if blind, he stumbled through life.
Túrin was buried near Finduilas' grave, in a high mound where he had fallen, and the shards of Gurthang were set beside him.
=== Aftermath ===
After Húrin, Túrin's father, was released from Angband, he and his wife Morwen met at the gravesite of their children for the first and last time, and Morwen died when the sun set holding Húrin's hand and was also buried there. The mound they were buried beneath survived the War of Wrath and Tol Morwen was the westernmost isle off the coast of Lindon in the Second and Third Ages.
Whether the tragedies in Túrin's life were the result of Morgoth's curse or of his own arrogance, or some combination of the two, are a subject of some debate among fans and scholars.
== Legacy ==
The second prophecy of Mandos (later removed from The Silmarillion by Christopher Tolkien) states that at the End of Time, Morgoth would wage a final battle against the Valar, the Final Battle, and that Túrin Turambar reincarnated would plunge Gurthang into Morgoth's heart and defeat him once and for all, exterminating evil forever, and avenging the Children of Húrin.
At the same time, according to the in first age human seer and wise woman Andreth, before Turin left the world's circles, he will return at the war of wrath. And in this war he will fight against the forces of Morgoth and kill the dragon Ancalagon.
The supposed resemblance of Túrin to figures from medieval tales can be confirmed by part of a letter Tolkien wrote to Milton Waldman, a publisher, concerning the publication of his works.
== Etymology ==
The name Túrin means "he who desires mastery", from the Sindarin words tûr ("power, mastery, lord") and ind (desire, heart"). In Quenya, his name becomes Turindo, from tur ("master") and indo ("mood").
Turambar means "Master of Doom", from the Quenya tur ("master") and ambar ("doom").
=== Other names ===
* Adanedhel, "Man-Elf"
* Agarwaen, son of Úmarth, "Bloodstained, son of Ill-fate"
* Gorthol, "The Dread Helm"
* Mormegil, "Black Sword"
* Neithan, "The Wronged", among the outlaws
* Thurin, "The Secret"