The Children of Húrin

The Children of Húrin is a fantasy novel by renowned English author J. R. R. Tolkien, whose works are set in the invented world of Middle-earth. The novel was published posthumously in 2007, having been edited together by the author’s son, Christopher Tolkien, from material that the elder Tolkien composed throughout his lifetime. The novel also expands on a story from another posthumously published book, The Silmarillion, about a curse placed by the Dark Lord Morgoth upon the lives of a human lord named Húrin Thalion and his family. Húrin’s children, Túrin Turambar and Niënor Níniel, struggle to elude the curse throughout their lives but ultimately fall victim to Morgoth’s wicked designs in various ways. Tolkien uses this story to explore the struggle between Fate Versus Free Will, The Frail Nature of Humanity, and The Inescapability of the Past.

This guide refers to the 2008 paperback edition of the novel published by HarperCollins.

Content Warning: The source material features depictions of violence, unintended incest, and of death by suicide during a period of grief.

Plot Summary

Húrin Thalion is the lord of Dor-lómin, a region in the land of Beleriand during the First Age of Middle-earth. During his youth, he and his brother stumble upon the secret Elf city of Gondolin, where they briefly reside as guests of King Turgon. Years later, Húrin and his wife, Morwen Eledhwen, have their first two children, Túrin and Urwen Lalaith, the latter of whom passes away from illness in her childhood.

Húrin is called to join a vast alliance of Men (i.e., humans), Elves, and Dwarves in what is intended as a critical strike against the Dark Lord Morgoth, who desires to claim Beleriand as his dominion. Turgon emerges from Gondolin for the first time in centuries to support the alliance. However, the resulting battle, called the Nirnaeth Arnoediad or the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, ends in Morgoth’s favor. In his retreat, Turgon becomes leader of the Elves, making him Morgoth’s most prominent enemy. Morgoth captures Húrin and presses him to reveal the secret location of Gondolin, which Húrin refuses. In retaliation, Morgoth places a curse on Húrin and his kin, ensuring their ruin in the years to come. Húrin remains imprisoned at Morgoth’s stronghold in Thangorodrim, where he is forced to watch the outcome of the curse unfold.

Morwen (now pregnant with the couple’s third child) sends Túrin to the protected forest city of Doriath. There he is raised by the Elf King Thingol and his wife, Queen Melian. He is taught the art of war as he grows up and proves to be a formidable warrior against the forces of Morgoth. When Túrin is implicated in the accidental death of Thingol’s counselor, Saeros, Túrin flees from Doriath to escape the king’s judgment. Taking the name Neithan, he joins a band of outlaws called the Gaurwaith, whom he comes to lead after he kills their previous leader.

Thingol grants Túrin a pardon when he learns that Saeros provoked Túrin into the chase that resulted in his death. The king sends one of his best warriors, Beleg Strongbow, to seek Túrin and invite him back to Doriath. Túrin declines the invitation and asks Beleg to join them instead. After reporting back to Thingol and Melian, Beleg reunites with Túrin at the hill of Amon Rûdh, where the Gaurwaith have settled in the halls of a dwarf named Mîm. They use the hill as a base to strike against the Orcs (goblin-like creatures who serve Morgoth), which attracts more warriors to join them. Disgruntled by Beleg’s presence, Mîm betrays Túrin to the Orcs, leading to an assault where many of the outlaws are killed.

Túrin is captured by the Orcs, and Beleg sets out to rescue him, employing the help of an Elf called Gwindor along the way. During the rescue, Túrin mistakes Beleg for an Orc and kills him. While Túrin grieves, Gwindor leads him to take refuge in Gwindor’s native city of Nargothrond. There, Túrin gains renewed popularity as he rises to the position of commander of the armies of the Elf King Orodreth. Túrin also gains the affection of an Elf called Finduilas, much to the dismay of Gwindor, her former betrothed.

Years later, Nargothrond becomes the target of Morgoth’s armies, prompting Túrin to lead a defense of the city. The initial defense is overwhelmed by the Orc forces, resulting in Gwindor’s death. When Túrin returns to Nargothrond, he finds it under attack by the Orcs and Glaurung, the Father of Dragons. Túrin encounters Glaurung, who petrifies him, and the Orcs succeed in kidnapping Finduilas. Once released from the enchantment, Túrin sets out to rescue her. On the way, however, he finds himself on the road back to his home in Dor-lómin, where he momentarily pauses to learn what happened to his mother.

Túrin discovers that Morwen and Niënor, Morwen’s third child with Húrin and thus Túrin’s younger sister, traveled to Doriath sometime after Túrin joined the Gaurwaith. In his rage, Túrin slays the raiders who have settled in his home country, which results in the death of Sador, a close childhood friend. Túrin leads his remaining people out of Dor-lómin and parts with them in the mountains, where they hope for his return.

Resuming his quest to rescue Finduilas, Túrin arrives in the forests of Brethil, where he learns that Finduilas had been killed during an assault on the prisoner convoy. Grieving her death, Túrin renounces his name and family and assumes a new identity under the name Turambar. He joins the people of Brethil, who live in the settlement of a leader named Brandir.

The narrative turns to Morwen and Niënor, who learn of Túrin’s participation in the defense of Nargothrond. They travel to the ruin of the city, where Glaurung has settled. The Dragon routs Morwen and her company of Elf guards before engaging with Niënor, whose memory he obliterates after he learns she is the daughter of Húrin. Niënor flees into the forests of Brethil, where she encounters Turambar. Because she is unable to remember her name, Turambar grants her a new identity under the name Níniel. The two fall in love, marry, and conceive a child. Níniel is still pregnant when news of Glaurung’s approach reaches Brethil.

Turambar hatches a plan to slay the Dragon before Glaurung reaches their settlement. Employing the help of two men, he successfully intercepts Glaurung at a river gorge and plunges his enchanted sword, Gurthang, into his belly. The Dragon falls by the side of the gorge and appears to have been slain. Turambar descends the gorge to retrieve his sword but is incapacitated when the blood of the Dragon burns his hand. Níniel comes to Turambar’s aid but awakens Glaurung, who uses the last of his strength to reveal their true identities. Distressed by the truth, Níniel throws herself off the gorge cliff to her death. Turambar recovers soon afterward and learns from Brandir what Glaurung revealed to Níniel. Refusing to believe it, Túrin angrily kills Brandir and then goes off to learn if his sister and mother are still in Doriath.

Along the way, Túrin encounters Thingol’s captain, Mablung, who confirms what Brandir had told him. In his grief, Túrin returns to the gorge where Niënor died and throws himself upon his sword. Húrin is soon released from his captivity, and he travels to the site of his children’s death. There he encounters Morwen, who asks him if he knows what happened to Túrin and Niënor. Unable to answer her, he takes Morwen in his arms as she dies.