Tuor

Tuor at Vinyamar by Ted Nasmith.

Tuor (First Age 471 – c. 560, aged 89 years when he sailed into the West) was a great hero of the Third House of Men, the only son of Huor and Rían. He was the cousin of Túrin Turambar. In some writings he is named Tûr.

Tuor's father Huor died shortly before his birth in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, and his mother Rían died two years later.

Tuor was first fostered by Elves, then captured by Easterlings, who had been sent there by Morgoth and who cruelly oppressed the remnant of the House of Hador.

Tuor later escaped, and lived the life of an outlaw. He was ordered by the Vala Ulmo to go to Gondolin, in order to warn the King Turgon. Passing through the old Gate of the Noldor (Annon-in-Gelydh in Sindarin) into Nevrast, Tuor found arms and armour in the ruins of Vinyamar which had been left there centuries ago, then met Ulmo himself at the coast of Belegaer. Ulmo gave him a message for Turgon of Gondolin, and also sent him Voronwë, an Elf of Gondolin, to guide him.

Passing through the Fell Winter, Tuor and Voronwë eventually arrived in Gondolin, where Tuor remained, and eventually married Turgon's daughter, the elf Idril Celebrindal. This was the second union between an Elf and a Man, after Beren and Lúthien. Their only child was Eärendil the Mariner. Tuor was one of the leaders of Gondolin during the sack of the city by Morgoth, of the House of the Wing, and with his family and a remnant of its people escaped to the Mouths of Sirion. Tuor eventually built the ship Eärramë ("Sea-wing") and sailed to the West with Idril. It was a tradition under the Eldar and Edain that they arrived in Valinor, successfully bypassing the Ban of the Valar, and that Tuor alone of Men was counted as Elven kindred, still living there now.

Genealogy

                                     Turgon = Elenwë
                                            |
                Galdor = Hareth             |
                       |                    |
                _______|_______             |
               |               |            |
               |               |            |
    Morwen = Húrin            Huor = Rían   |
           |                       |        |
   ________|________               |        |
  |        |        |              |        |
  |        |        |              |        |
Túrin   Lalaith   Nienor          TUOR = Idril
                                       |
                                       |
                                    Eärendil

See Also

• Images of Tuor
• The Horns of Ylmir, a poem written by Tuor for his son Eärendil
• Family-Tree of the Eldar and Atani