 | |
| Vampire | |
| Thuringwethil | |
|---|---|
| Biographical Information | |
| Position | Messenger of Sauron |
| Location | Tol-in-Gaurhoth |
| Affiliation | Sauron, Morgoth |
| Death | F.A. 465 Tol-in-Gaurhoth |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Female |
| Gallery | Images of Thuringwethil |
Thuringwethil was a Vampire servant of Sauron during the First Age.
History
She was Sauron's messenger, but was caught in the battle between her master, Lúthien and Huan at Tol-in-Gaurhoth ("Isle of Werewolves"). She was slain either by the Hound of Valinor or in the collapse of Minas Tirith. Lúthien later used her cloak to sneak into Angband during the Quest for the Silmaril.[1]
Because of Thuringwethil's ability to change forms, she may have been an Ainu[2][note 1] or some sort of skin-changer.
Etymology
The name is glossed as "Woman of Secret Shadow"[3] or "she of hidden shadow".[4]
The above can be analyzed as thurin ("secret, hidden"), gwath ("shadow") and an obscure ending -il which perhaps denotes feminine gender (and which causes "umlauting" (or "affection") of gwath to gweth).
Other versions of the legendarium
The character of Thuringwethil appears for first time in the legendarium in the Lay of Leithian. Thus, in The Tale of Tinúviel (the first version of the tale of Beren and Lúthien), Tinúviel simply wears her dark cloak of magic sleep when entering Angamandi.[5]
Notes
- ↑ In The Etymologies, Thuringwethil is referred to as "a bat-shaped fay", implying that she may have been one of the Maiar since many instances of fays became Maiar in Tolkien's later writings.
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Beren and Lúthien"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies", entry THUR-
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Index of Names"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lays of Beleriand, "III. The Lay of Leithian: Canto XIII (Beren and Lúthien in Angband)", Note to line 3954, p. 304
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "I. The Tale of Tinúviel", p. 31