Tolkien Gateway

The Wanderings of Húrin

Revision as of 14:59, 26 October 2006 by The Lord Rhys (Talk | contribs)

Húrin and the tragedy of his children is referred to as Narn i Chîn Húrin. "The Wanderings of Húrin" is the conclusion to the "Narn". It is found in ''The War of the Jewels'', the eleventh book in The History of Middle Earth. This was not included in the final Silmarillion because Christopher Tolkien feared that the heavy compression which would have been necessary to make it a stylistic match with the rest of the book would have been too difficult and would have made the story overly complex and difficult to read.



The text starts with Húrin being realeased by Morgoth. Húrin gathers some outlaws together, led by Asgorn, and went to the halls of Lorgan. Lorgan finds out that Húrin wasn't with Morgoth as Lorgan hoped. Húrin seeks Gondolin, but fails to find it. All he manages is to reveal to Morgoth where abouts Gondolin is, and to seperate himself from his men.

Asgon and the outlaws expect to find Húrin in the Forest of Brethil. They were brought before Hardang but then sent out because they were ruled by the House of Hador of which Túrin was of also.

Meanwhile, Húrin travels along the Taeglin were he meets Morwen, his wife. He talks and Morwen dies. He goes back to the Ford of Taeglin and collapses. A man named Manthor brings Húrin to the house of Hardang. Hardang is rude, so Húrin throws a stool at his head. He is put into prison.

Manthor becomes a friend of Húrin, and they find that they are cousins. The next day the people have a moot to decide the fate of Húrin. Manthor is for him, while Hardang and Avranc, son of Dorlas, are against him. Manthor succeds in convincing the people that Húrin should be let free by telling them about his hardships and how his food was drugged. Húrin convinces them by saying that Hardang had thrust Morwen out to die.

The people become crazy. They want Manthor to be Cheiftan so they chase Hardang and Avranc, with some loyal ones, into the Hall of the Haladin. The people set it on fire. Hardang and Avranc escape by a back door. Avranc gets through, but Hardang is killed by a spear.

Húrin and Manthor go to find Morwen's body. They bury her. Later, when they stop, Avranc apears then shoots Manthor, then runs away. Manthor dies. Húrin, and his son Túrin manage to destroy the House of Haleth.