Huor

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	By Ardamir. (Help; more articles)

Huor was the younger son of Galdor, Lord of Dor-lómin, and grandson of Hador Lórindol, Huor was in his turn the father of Tuor and grandfather of Eärendil the Mariner. Huor had the fair hair and blue eyes of his grandfather's house, and was accounted one of the tallest of the Edain, second only to his own son Tuor.

Following the custom of Men in those days, Huor and his elder brother Húrin were fostered by their uncle Haldir, the lord of the Haladin of Brethil, and so they were dwelling in that forest at the time of the Dagor Bragollach ("Battle of Sudden Flame") in First Age 455. Though they were too young to go to open war (Huor was only thirteen years old at this time, and his brother sixteen), they went with the Haladin to destroy an orc-legion that had come to the forest.

The Orcs were routed, and the forest had peace for many years after, but Huor and his brother were cut off from the main force. Ulmo sent a mist to aid their escape, and they retreated across the Brithiach into northern Dimbar, in the shadows of the Crissaegrim, the "Encircling Mountains" of Gondolin. Seeing that they were lost and weary, Thorondor sent two of his eagles to rescue them, and they were carried over the mountains into King Turgon's Hidden Kingdom.

Ulmo had warned Turgon to look favourably on the Men of the House of Hador, and so he welcomed the brothers, and they stayed in Gondolin for nearly a year. Although the law of Gondolin forbade any to leave who had entered the city, Turgon made an exception because the eagles had carried Huor and Húrin, and so they had no clear idea where Gondolin lay. The eagles carried them away, and they returned to the house of Galdor in Dor-lómin. Turgon had bound them under an oath of silence, and it was never told where they had been for that year.

When Huor had grown to manhood, he wedded Rían the daughter of Belegund, and they conceived a son. Huor named his son even before his birth, Tuor. Two months after the wedding, the Elven-lords assembled a great army to assail Morgoth, and Húrin and Huor went to join that army with the muster of Dor-lómin. This was the great battle that was to be called Nirnaeth Arnoediad, the "Battle of Unnumbered Tears".

Huor stood with the forces of his brother under the walls of the tower of High King Fingon at Barad Eithel, and their armies were arrayed in the woods on the eastern slopes of the Ered Wethrin, so that Morgoth could not descry their numbers. Turgon also came out of Gondolin with his armies for the first time since the city was built to join that battle.

After six days of fighting, the battle turned to Morgoth and the Elves were routed. Turgon retreated south to return to his halls in Gondolin, and Huor and Húrin, with the remnant of the forces of Dor-lómin, stood at his back to guard his withdrawal. Before they parted, Huor prophesied to Turgon that new hope would spring from the two of them, saying "...from you and from me a new star will arise." This later proved to be true, for his son Tuor wedded Turgon's daughter Idril, and their son was Eärendil the Blessed.

Then came the last stand of the Men of Dor-lómin, who held the Pass of Sirion against the hosts of orcs and creatures of the Enemy. They gave slowly back until they came to the Fen of Serech and the stream of Rivil, and there they and their host stood firm. As the day grew dark on that last desperate battle, Huor was slain, by a poisoned arrow in his eye.