House of Haleth

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The House of Haleth, also known as the Haladin was the second House of the Edain to come over the Ered Luin into Beleriand and survived longest of all three houses, owing to their defensive strategy during The War of the Jewels.


History

The Haladin entered Beleriand in 311 F.A. Unlike The House of Bëor before them and the House of Hador after however they did not advance to Estolad but instead dwelt without leave in the south of Caranthir's realm of Thargelion. The Haladin had no overall leader and so settled in scattered groups in that region. This style of living though came to an end in 375F.A when a host of orcs assaulted their territory. In answer to this Haldad took command of the people, building a stockade between the angle of the rivers Gelion and Ascar south of Sarn Athrad. There he led the defence of his people until he and his son Haldar were slain whereupon his daughter Haleth took up the leadership of the house and held out for a week until Caranthir's army could relieve them. In honour of the valiance of Haleth Caranthir offered the House of Haleth a feif in his lands but Haleth declined and instead led her people away passing through Estolad and Nan Dungortheb before temporarily inhabiting Talath Dirnen and finally moving to the Forest of Brethil where the House of Haleth (as it was now named in their leader's honour) would remain, centered around the capital of Amon Obel.

Eventually Haleth died but as she had produced no heirs the title of Chieftain of the Haladin returned to her brother Haldar's line and to his son Haldan who ruled for 31 years before dying leaving the leadership of the house to his son Halmir. Four years after in 455F.A Morgoth broke the Siege of Angband in the Dagor Bragollach. The House of Haleth played no active part in the battle but fought the hosts of orcs that threatened their realm with the aid of the Sindar of Doriath under Beleg Cúthalion. Both Doriath and Brethil refused to play any great part in the war of the Ñoldor and their allies and only seldom did the House of Haleth march to war alongside them.

Of Halmir's four children, two married into the House of Hador; Haldir, his heir married Hador's daughter Glóredhel, while Hareth married Galdor producing the famed brothers Húrin and Huor, who, in the upheaval following the Bragollach were fostered for a while by Haldir in Brethil.

When the Union of Maedhros was formed, Halmir offered the aid of the House of Haleth and made preparations for war but a year prior to the Nirnaeth Arnoediad he died and the promise was left for his son Haldir to fulfill. Haldir took part in the battle and was slain, alongside his brother Hundar. The son of Haldir Handir took up the leadership but he himself was slain in one of the many orc raids on Brethil at that time and the position passed to his son Brandir.

Later History

After the death of Handir the House of Haleth dwindled and became more reclusive but survived on. It was during the reign of Brandir that Túrin Turambar son of Húrin came to Brethil and became in all but name its leader, leading them in warfare in much the same manner as he had the elves of Nargothrond. Túrin's presence brought the dragon Glaurung to Brethil and though Túrin succeeded in slaying the beast, he slew Brandir in a rage as the final threads sparing him from his doom unravelled. Túrin's suicide ended that period in the history of the Haladin.

But their dealings with Húrin and his cursed kin were not yet over for Húrin himself came among them after twenty eight years of captivity in Angband. Now a broken man he succeeded in sparking a civil war in the House of Haleth owing to his perception of the treatment of his wife whom he found at the grave of their children. Obel Halad was burnt and all potential heirs slain or driven away in the anarchy that followed. In that way did the House of Haleth cease to be in the year 500F.A

Terminology

In the notes to the Wanderings of Húrin in History of Middle-earth XI, Christopher Tolkien points out an interesting usage of the term 'Haladin'. It would seem that Tolkien at some point intended 'Haladin' to refer only to the noble line of the House of Haleth and not the House of Haleth as a whole.

Whether this definition of 'Haladin' would have survived into the final intent is questionable. For the purposes of this article we have taken the more widely used definition of referring to the entire People of Haleth.

Family tree of the House of Haleth and descendants

                              Haldad
                                 |
                       -------------------
                       |                 |
                    Haleth             Haldar
                                         |
                                       Haldan
                                         |
                                       Halmir
                                         |
                              ----------------------------------------------
                              |              |                       |     |
               Galdor   =   Hareth         Haldir = Glóredhel   Hundar  Hiril = Enthor
                        |                           |                      |
                   ---------------------           Handir                 Meleth
                   |                   |            |
           Rían = Huor      Morwen = Húrin        Brandir
                |                  |
                |          ----------------
                |          |       |      |
      Idril = Tuor       Túrin Lalaith Nienor                                                                 
            |
         Eärendil