Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin: Difference between revisions

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{{object infobox
{{object infobox
| name=Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin
| name=Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin
| image=[[File:Alan Lee - The Dragon Helm of Dor-lomin.jpg|250px]]
| image=[[File:Elena Kukanova - The Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin.jpg|250px]]
| caption="The Dragon Helm of Dor-lómin" by [[Alan Lee]]
| caption="The Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin" by [[:Category:Images by Elena Kukanova|Elena Kukanova]]
| pronun=
| pronun=
| othernames=Helm of Hador<br />Dragonhead of the North<br />Dragon of Dor-lómin
| othernames=Helm of Hador<br />Dragonhead of the North<br />Dragon of Dor-lómin
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== History ==
== History ==
The Helm was forged some time after the [[Dagor Aglareb]] ({{FA|260}}) by the [[Dwarves|dwarf]]-smith [[Telchar]] for his lord [[Azaghâl]], who then gave it as a gift to [[Maedhros]]. He in turn passed it on to his cousin [[Fingon]]. In {{FA|416|n}} [[Fingolfin]], the [[High King of the Noldor]], created the fiefdom of [[Dor-lómin]] and made [[Hador]] the first [[Lord of Dor-lómin]]. To celebrate the event Fingon presented Hador with the helm.<ref name=Departure>{{CH|4}}</ref>
The Helm was forged some time after the [[Dagor Aglareb]] ({{FA|260}}) by the [[Dwarves|dwarf]]-smith [[Telchar]] for his lord [[Azaghâl]], who then gave it as a gift to [[Maedhros]]. He in turn passed it on to his cousin [[Fingon]]. In {{FA|416|n}} [[Fingolfin]], the [[High King of the Noldor]], created the fiefdom of [[Dor-lómin]] and made [[Hador]] the first [[Lord of Dor-lómin]]. To celebrate the event Fingon presented Hador with the helm.<ref name=Departure>{{CH|4}}</ref>
 
[[File:Alan Lee - The Dragon Helm of Dor-lomin.jpg|150px|left|thumb|''The Dragon Helm of Dor-lómin'' by [[Alan Lee]]]]
The Dragon-helm was crafted for a Dwarf and was too large and heavy for an [[Elves|Elf]]. Even [[Men]] found the Helm was too massive, and only Hador and some of his descendants had the strength to wear it. He and his son [[Galdor (Lord of Dor-lómin)|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 didn't 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, his wife [[Morwen]] kept the Helm, and sent it to [[Doriath]] for [[Thingol]]. The king handled it with solemnity, and presented it to [[Túrin]].<ref name=Departure></ref>
The Dragon-helm was crafted for a Dwarf and was too large and heavy for an [[Elves|Elf]]. Even [[Men]] found the Helm was too massive, and only Hador and some of his descendants had the strength to wear it. He and his son [[Galdor (Lord of Dor-lómin)|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 didn't 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, his wife [[Morwen]] kept the Helm, and sent it to [[Doriath]] for [[Thingol]]. The king handled it with solemnity, and presented it to [[Túrin]].<ref name=Departure></ref>



Revision as of 09:33, 29 April 2020

Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin
Armour
Elena Kukanova - The Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin.jpg
"The Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin" by Elena Kukanova
Other namesHelm of Hador
Dragonhead of the North
Dragon of Dor-lómin
OwnerAzaghâl, Maedhros, Fingon, Hador, Galdor, Húrin, Túrin
AppearanceVisored steel helm, embelished with gold and runes, bearing a crest in the image of the head of Glaurung
CreatorTelchar
Nogrod, c. F.A. 260
GalleryImages of the Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin
"Proud were the head that bore this helm, which the sires of Húrin bore."
Thingol, in Narn i Hîn Húrin

The Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin, also known as the Helm of Hador, was a visored steel helm, embossed and embellished with gold and runes, that bore as its crest an image of the head of Glaurung. It was said to bear an enchantment that protected its wearer from wounds and struck fear into the hearts of enemies.

History

The Helm was forged some time after the Dagor Aglareb (F.A. 260) by the dwarf-smith Telchar for his lord Azaghâl, who then gave it as a gift to Maedhros. He in turn passed it on to his cousin Fingon. In 416 Fingolfin, the High King of the Noldor, created the fiefdom of Dor-lómin and made Hador the first Lord of Dor-lómin. To celebrate the event Fingon presented Hador with the helm.[1]

The Dragon Helm of Dor-lómin by Alan Lee

The Dragon-helm was crafted for 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. He 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 didn't 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, his wife Morwen kept the Helm, and sent it to Doriath for Thingol. The king handled it with solemnity, and presented it to Túrin.[1]

When Túrin grew up, he requested the Helm among other arms to fight Morgoth's armies in Doriath's borders. Thus in Beleriand it was known that the Dragon-helm was seen again, and many thought that Húrin had came back from hell.[2]

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.[3] 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.[4]

The destiny of the Dragon-helm after the Sack of Bar-en-Danwedh is unknown.

Other versions of the Legendarium

The destiny of the Dragon-helm is not addressed in the Narn i Hîn Húrin (and consequently neither is in The Children of Húrin), 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 his pride made him thrust up the visor and look the dragon directly. There is also another note explaining that Morwen knew that Mormegil was his 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.[5]

In the Grey Annals there are many later additions weaving the Dragon-helm into the story similarly as described above,[6] and in The Wanderings of Húrin there is a last mention, in which it is said that the new Lord of Brethil gives the Helm to Húrin, without explaining how the Men of Brethil could recover it.[7] Christopher Tolkien didn't 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. Instead, Christopher used one of the many versions, in which Túrin wears a Dwarf-mask found in the armories of Nargothrond.[8]

References