 | |
| Armour | |
| Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Helm of Hador Dragonhead of the North Dragon of Dor-lómin Dragon of the North[1] Helm of Húrin[1] |
| Location | Nogrod, Dor-lómin, Dimbar, Doriath, Amon Rûdh, Dor-Cúarthol, Nargothrond, Tumhalad, Brethil |
| Owner | Azaghâl, Maedhros, Fingon, Hador, Galdor, Húrin, Túrin |
| Appearance | Visored grey steel helm, adorned with gold and graven runes of victory, that bore defiantly upon its crest a gilded image of Glaurung |
| Creator | Telchar |
| Created at | Nogrod |
| Created in | c. F.A. 260 |
| Notable for | Bearing a gilded image of Glaurung upon its crest |
| Gallery | Images of the Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin |
Grey-gleaming steel, with gold adorned
wrights had wrought it, with runes graven
of might and victory, that a magic sat there
and its wearer warded from wound or death,
whoso bore to battle brightly shining
dire dragon-headed its dreadful crest.
The Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin, also known as the Helm of Hador, was the heirloom of the House of Hador that was worn by Túrin.[2]
The Dragon-helm was crafted for a Dwarf, by a Dwarf, and was too large and heavy for an Elf. Even Men found the Helm was too massive, and only Hador and some of his descendants had the strength to wear it. The Helm of Hador was a grey steel helm with a visor that was made in the fashion of Dwarves so as to shield the eyes of the wearer. The helm was embossed and embellished with gold and graven runes of victory, and bore defiantly upon its crest a gilded image of Glaurung. It was said that a power lay upon the runes that protected its wearer from wounds and struck fear into the hearts of enemies, turning back swords and darts.[3]
History
The Dragon-helm was wrought by renowned Dwarven smith Telchar soon after F.A. 260 when Glaurung first issued from the gates of Morgoth. It had been initially made for Azaghâl, the Lord of Belegost, but he gave it to Maedhros as a guerdon after Maedhros saved his life and treasure when he was waylaid by Orcs on the Dwarf-road. Maedhros subsequently gave it to Fingon in remembrance of his deed in driving the dragon back. As the helmet was designed for Dwarves, it was too heavy to wear at ease, save for the stout head and shoulders of Hador and his son Galdor.[3] In F.A. 416, Fingolfin granted Hador lordship over Dor-lómin,[4] and Fingon gifted him the helmet in commemoration.[3]
Hador and his son Galdor wore it often in combat, and their troops gained morale when they saw the massive crest towering over the other helms in battle. Unfortunately, Galdor did not wear the Helm when a host of orcs assaulted Eithel Sirion, and was slain by an arrow. His son Húrin kept the Helm but seldom wore it, being of shorter stature and greater pride. After his capture by Morgoth at the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, his wife Morwen kept the Helm and sent it to Doriath for Thingol. The king handled it with solemnity, and presented it to Túrin.[3]
When Túrin grew up, he requested the Helm among other arms to fight Morgoth's armies in Dimbar and the north-marches of Doriath. Thus in Beleriand it was known that the Dragon-helm was seen again, and many thought that Húrin had came back from Thangorodrim.[5]
The Helm was left in Doriath when Túrin fled it, but Beleg took it with him on his quest to find his friend. He delivered it when they met on Amon Rûdh.[6] Túrin was monstrous in war and took one of his many titles from it: Gorthol, the "Dread Helm". The two captains were known as "the Bow and the Helm" after their gear, which also give name to Dor-Cúarthol, the land they protected.[7]
It is said that after the Sack of Bar-en-Danwedh, Túrin brought the Helm with him to Nargothrond, although he did not wear it, and later to Brethil.[8][9] After his death, the Men of Brethil somehow recovered it and the new Lord of Brethil handed it to Húrin.[10]
Other versions of the legendarium
The Lay of the Children of Húrin
The Dragon-helm makes its initial appearance in the The Lay of the Children of Húrin as a helm of Húrin. In the first version of the poem, the protection actually offered by the helm is ambiguous: while it is noted that it "’twas o’erwritten with runes by wrights of old", it is only in the words spoken by Thingol to the young Túrin that it is stated as having a magical ability to protect its wearer. A few years later Túrin would wear the helmet when he ventured out with the Elves to fight the Orcs and evil things that roamed on Doriath's borders; notably he was not untouchable as during this time he received hurts from "the wounds of shaft and warfain sword".[11]
In the second version of the poem, the helmet is described in the narrative as now having "runes graven of might and victory, that a magic sat there and its wearer warded from wound or death". It's history is elaborated on as being made by Telchar, and that "it was worn aforetime by the father of the fathers of the folk of Húrin", and given to Húrin by his own father Gumlin. Like the prior version, he wore the helmet to battle on the marches, and continued to receive wounds:[1]
There hard his life, and hurts he lacked not,
the wounds of shaft and the wavering sheen
of the sickle scimitars, the swords of Hell,
the bloodfain blades on black anvils
in Angband smithied, yet ever he smote
unfey, fearless, and his fate kept him.
Later versions
The destiny of the Dragon-helm after the Sack of Bar-en-Danwedh is not addressed in the Narn i Hîn Húrin (and consequently neither is in The Children of Húrin) or the published Silmarillion, but in some revisions of the text, Tolkien intended to extend the history of the Helm into the period of Túrin in Nargothrond and beyond. An isolated scrap of writings says that somehow Túrin had brought the Helm to Nargothrond, but he refused to wear it until the Battle of Tumhalad. There the Helm protected Túrin from Glaurung's enchantment, but Glaurung wanted to remove Túrin's protection. He tried to falsely claim that Túrin was his vassal since he bore the dragon's likeness on his helm. It was only when Glaurung's deception failed that he moved to taunt Túrin, which made made him thrust up the visor to look at the dragon directly in his eyes. There is also another note explaining that Morwen knew that the Mormegil was her son after hearing that the Dragon-helm had been present in the battle. There is also a suggestion of Túrin wearing the Helm when he slew Glaurung.[8]
In the Grey Annals there are many later additions weaving the Dragon-helm into the story similarly as described above.[9] Christopher Tolkien did not include this fragmentary development in his edition of The Silmarillion, as his father never gave details on how the Helm was taken from a place to another or how the Haladin recovered it. Instead, Christopher used one of the many versions, in which Túrin wears a dwarf-mask found within the armories of Nargothrond.[12]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lays of Beleriand, "I. The Lay of the Children of Húrin, Second Version of the Lay: II. Túrin's Fostering"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Index of Names", entry "Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Narn i Hîn Húrin (The Tale of the Children of Húrin)", "The Departure of Túrin"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part Two. The Later Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Coming of Men into the West (Chapter 14)", §31, p. 228
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Children of Húrin, "Túrin in Doriath"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Children of Húrin, "Of Mîm the Dwarf"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Children of Húrin, "The Land of Bow and Helm"
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Narn i Hîn Húrin (The Tale of the Children of Húrin)", "Appendix", pp. 154-5
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part One. The Grey Annals", §§258, 265, 275, 280, 284, 304
- ↑ 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: I. The Wanderings of Húrin", p. 255
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lays of Beleriand, "I. The Lay of the Children of Húrin: I. Túrin's Fostering"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part One. The Grey Annals": Note on §280, pp. 143-4