Dírhaval

From Tolkien Gateway
Dírhaval
Adan
Juliana Pinho - The Lay of the Children of Hurin.png
Dírhaval (left) in "The Lay of the Children of Hurin" by Juliana Pinho
Biographical Information
Other namesDírhavel
Titlesof the Havens[1]
PositionPoet
LocationDor-lómin, Havens of Sirion
LanguageTaliska, Sindarin
DeathF.A. 538
Third Kinslaying
Notable forauthor of the Narn i Chîn Húrin[2]
Family
HouseHouse of Hador
Physical Description
GenderMale
GalleryImages of Dírhaval

Dírhaval was a Man of Dor-lómin[2] of the House of Hador who lived among the exiles and refugees at the Havens of Sirion during the closing century of the First Age, at the time of Eärendil.

History[edit | edit source]

Dírhaval was known as a poet, though he only produced a single poem in the Minlamad thent/estent, one of the three Elvish Verse Modes. At the Mouths of Sirion, he drew upon “all the tidings and lore” [1] of the people of Dor-lómin, Nargothrond, Doriath, and other lands of Beleriand. Dirhaval also learned from people such as Mablung and Andvír. He compiled and wrote it all in the Narn i Chîn Húrin ("Tale of the Children of Húrin"), telling of the tragedy of Morgoth's curse on Húrin's children: Túrin and Nienor. It was written in Sindarin, in which he had great skill, and it was the longest of all the lays to come out of Beleriand.

Dírhaval did not write other poems or lays, as the Silmaril captured by Beren and Lúthien was in the keeping of Elwing: soon the Sons of Fëanor launched an attack on the exiles in the Havens of Sirion to claim it. Dírhaval was one of those who fell in the Third Kinslaying.[3][1]

Other versions[edit | edit source]

In the first draft of the introductory note, Tolkien's original spelling of the name Dírhaval was Dírhavel.[1]

Christopher Tolkien used the earlier spelling within the Unfinished Tales, but notes in The War of the Jewels that the name Dírhavel should have been spelled as Dírhaval since the latter spelling was the latest variation of the name.[4]

External links[edit | edit source]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part Three. The Wanderings of Húrin and Other Writings not forming part of the Quenta Silmarillion: II. Ælfwine and Dírhaval", pp. 311-313
  2. 2.0 2.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, Index, entry "Dírhavel"
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Narn i Hîn Húrin (The Tale of the Children of Húrin)", "Notes", introductory note
  4. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part Three. The Wanderings of Húrin and Other Writings not forming part of the Quenta Silmarillion: II. Ælfwine and Dírhaval", Note 5