The Children of Húrin

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

Túrin Turambar is the primary protagonist and tragic hero of The Children of Húrin. As Húrin Thalion’s firstborn son, he is heir to the lordship of the House of Hador. His mother, Morwen Eledhwen, is also descended from nobility, hailing from the House of Bëor. Túrin has two sisters: Urwen Lalaith, who dies from illness as a child, and Niënor Níniel, who later becomes his wife.

Túrin is primarily characterized by his serious nature. He is said to resemble his mother in both appearance and behavior since she also reserves her emotions out of pride and often presents as being stern. As a child, Túrin receives comparatively little affection since his parents seem to prefer Urwen, even calling her “Lalaith” for her laughter. When Urwen dies, Túrin experiences grief for the first time and reflects on The Frail Nature of Humanity. As he grows older, his serious nature is compounded by his pride and his short temper, which those around him often provoke.

Nevertheless, Túrin’s nobility and charisma consistently win him strong friendships, even in unlikely places; as a child, he bestows gifts of love on the outcast Sador and he later enjoys the respect of Mîm the Dwarf despite the role one of his own men played in the death of Mîm’s son.