Nienor
Nienor confronts Glaurung by John Howe
Daughter of Hurin; sister of Turin. Nienor was born in year 473 of the First Age. She was the third child of Morwen and Hurin. Nienor's mother Morwen was of the House of Beor and her father Hurin was Lord of the House of Hador. Nienor never met her father because he was captured during the Battle of Unnumbered Tears. She also never met her elder brother Turin who had been sent away to Doriath shortly before Nienor's birth. Nienor had also had a sister named Lalaith, but she had died young when Morgoth sent the Evil Breath to their homeland of Dor-lomin.
Nienor's divided family once live in Dor-lomin, but while Nienor was an infant her homeland was suffering plundering and invasion.
After allying themselves with Morgoth during the ill-fated Battle of Unnumbered Tears, the Easterlings invaded Hithlum, and men of the Edain of the House of Hador were killed or enslaved in the initial invasion. Neither Morwen nor Nienor were enslaved because the Easterlings feared that Morwen was a witch in league with the Elves.
During her youth, Nienor and her mother were aided by a kindly woman of the House of Hador named Aerin. Aerin provided Nienor and her mother with food, water, and shelter. Aerin had been forced to marry Brodda the Easterling, who was one of the enemy commanders in the invasion of Hithlum.
In 494, Morwen and Nienor finally left Dor-lomin to find Turin in Doriath. When they arrived, Turin was no longer there. So Morwen and Nienor became guests at the court of King Thingol for a time.
Turin had gone to Nargothrond to encourage its inhabitants of Elves to drive Morgoth's servants out of Beleriand. In 495, the dragon Glaurung attacked Nargothrond, and many survivors soon arrived at Doriath. They told Morwen that they had seen Turin in Nargothrond before it was attacked. Despite counsel from Thingol and Melian, Morwen set out for Nargothrond to look for her son. When Thingol discovered her absence, he sent out a company of Elves led by Mablung to retrieve her. Nienor secretly followed Mablung's company, and she found her mother before they could catch up to her.
When Nienor confronted her mother, Morwen ordered her daughter to return to safety in Doriath. But Nienor refused to leaver her mother behind. Nienor and her mother soon reached Nargothrond, and their pursuers from Doriath crossed the Meres of Twilight and caught up with them. But then Glaurung released an enchantingly evil fog and Mablung's horses galloped away. Morwen escaped the fog, but Nienor was ensnarled in the enchanting fog and was given amnesia. As a result, Nienor forgot her true identity. Not having a clue who she was, Nienor wandered into the Forest of Brethil.
Nienor was found naked in a storm at Haudh-en-Elleth in the Forest of Brethil. She was found by her brother Turin, but neither of them knew that they were siblings. Turin introduced himself as Turambar, but when he asked Nienor her name, she wept because she had forgotten it. Turin renamed her Niniel, meaning "tear maiden."
Turin adored Nienor because she reminded him of his beloved sister Lalaith. Turin brought Nienor to safety in the stronghold of Ephel Brandir, where the men of the House of Haleth took refuge. The people of Haleth were at that time being led by Brandir.
Brandir had had an accident as a child and could no longer walk, but he was still able to nurse Nienor back to health. He was unable to restore her memory, but her physical self was refurbished. He also taught her how to speak, for she had forgotten when she was given amnesia. Brandir grew to love Nienor, but she thought of Brandir as a brother and loved Turin.
Turin proposed to Nienor in 497. Upon hearing of this, Brandir advised Nienor to wait because Turin was the son of Hurin of the House of Hador, and he would likely go to war against Morgoth and die. Brandir also forsaw that the marriage of Turin and Nienor would be ill-fated, but he did not say why or how. Nienor agreed and told Turin to wait.
Turin assured Nienor that he would not go to war unless he was defending his homestead. So in 498, Nienor finally decided to accept his marriage request. They were married in the summer of 498, and by 499 Nienor had fallen pregnant with their first child.
Nienor became unhappy, but she could not say why. She had little interaction with other people, and she became somewhat depressed. In time, Glaurung began sending legions of Orcs to attack the borders of Brethil, and soon the dragon himself attacked.
Though initially Turin kept his promise of not fighting for a time, the men of Haleth were eventually overrun by the forces of Glaurung. Turin led a company of men to help defend the forest at Nen Girith, and Nienor soon followed. When she reached the Crossings of Teiglin, Nienor found Turin lying on the ground. He appeared to be dead, for when she held him he did not wake up. He was also badly wounded. Glaurung also appeared to be dead, but with his last words he told her that Turin was her brother. When Glaurung died, his spell over her was lifted and her memories returned. She remembered that Turin was in fact her brother, and with this knowledge and the belief that her brother was dead, she cast herself off of Deer's Leap into the Teiglin and committed suicide. After her tragic death, the Deer's Leap became known as Cabed Naeramarth. This translates as the Leap of Dreadful Doom.
Brandir soon arrived at the scene and told Turin what had happened, and Turin killed Brandir in disbelief. But when Turin learned that he had been wrong and he was guilty of killing Brandir, and with the knowledge of what had happened to his beloved sister, he killed himself.
Though Nienor's corpse was never found, the name Nienor Níniel was written on the tomb of Turin. This tomb survived the destruction of Beleriand during the War of Wrath and became an island in the Sea known as Tol Morwen.
Nienor's divided family once live in Dor-lomin, but while Nienor was an infant her homeland was suffering plundering and invasion.
After allying themselves with Morgoth during the ill-fated Battle of Unnumbered Tears, the Easterlings invaded Hithlum, and men of the Edain of the House of Hador were killed or enslaved in the initial invasion. Neither Morwen nor Nienor were enslaved because the Easterlings feared that Morwen was a witch in league with the Elves.
During her youth, Nienor and her mother were aided by a kindly woman of the House of Hador named Aerin. Aerin provided Nienor and her mother with food, water, and shelter. Aerin had been forced to marry Brodda the Easterling, who was one of the enemy commanders in the invasion of Hithlum.
In 494, Morwen and Nienor finally left Dor-lomin to find Turin in Doriath. When they arrived, Turin was no longer there. So Morwen and Nienor became guests at the court of King Thingol for a time.
Turin had gone to Nargothrond to encourage its inhabitants of Elves to drive Morgoth's servants out of Beleriand. In 495, the dragon Glaurung attacked Nargothrond, and many survivors soon arrived at Doriath. They told Morwen that they had seen Turin in Nargothrond before it was attacked. Despite counsel from Thingol and Melian, Morwen set out for Nargothrond to look for her son. When Thingol discovered her absence, he sent out a company of Elves led by Mablung to retrieve her. Nienor secretly followed Mablung's company, and she found her mother before they could catch up to her.
When Nienor confronted her mother, Morwen ordered her daughter to return to safety in Doriath. But Nienor refused to leaver her mother behind. Nienor and her mother soon reached Nargothrond, and their pursuers from Doriath crossed the Meres of Twilight and caught up with them. But then Glaurung released an enchantingly evil fog and Mablung's horses galloped away. Morwen escaped the fog, but Nienor was ensnarled in the enchanting fog and was given amnesia. As a result, Nienor forgot her true identity. Not having a clue who she was, Nienor wandered into the Forest of Brethil.
Nienor was found naked in a storm at Haudh-en-Elleth in the Forest of Brethil. She was found by her brother Turin, but neither of them knew that they were siblings. Turin introduced himself as Turambar, but when he asked Nienor her name, she wept because she had forgotten it. Turin renamed her Niniel, meaning "tear maiden."
Turin adored Nienor because she reminded him of his beloved sister Lalaith. Turin brought Nienor to safety in the stronghold of Ephel Brandir, where the men of the House of Haleth took refuge. The people of Haleth were at that time being led by Brandir.
Brandir had had an accident as a child and could no longer walk, but he was still able to nurse Nienor back to health. He was unable to restore her memory, but her physical self was refurbished. He also taught her how to speak, for she had forgotten when she was given amnesia. Brandir grew to love Nienor, but she thought of Brandir as a brother and loved Turin.
Turin proposed to Nienor in 497. Upon hearing of this, Brandir advised Nienor to wait because Turin was the son of Hurin of the House of Hador, and he would likely go to war against Morgoth and die. Brandir also forsaw that the marriage of Turin and Nienor would be ill-fated, but he did not say why or how. Nienor agreed and told Turin to wait.
Turin assured Nienor that he would not go to war unless he was defending his homestead. So in 498, Nienor finally decided to accept his marriage request. They were married in the summer of 498, and by 499 Nienor had fallen pregnant with their first child.
Nienor became unhappy, but she could not say why. She had little interaction with other people, and she became somewhat depressed. In time, Glaurung began sending legions of Orcs to attack the borders of Brethil, and soon the dragon himself attacked.
Though initially Turin kept his promise of not fighting for a time, the men of Haleth were eventually overrun by the forces of Glaurung. Turin led a company of men to help defend the forest at Nen Girith, and Nienor soon followed. When she reached the Crossings of Teiglin, Nienor found Turin lying on the ground. He appeared to be dead, for when she held him he did not wake up. He was also badly wounded. Glaurung also appeared to be dead, but with his last words he told her that Turin was her brother. When Glaurung died, his spell over her was lifted and her memories returned. She remembered that Turin was in fact her brother, and with this knowledge and the belief that her brother was dead, she cast herself off of Deer's Leap into the Teiglin and committed suicide. After her tragic death, the Deer's Leap became known as Cabed Naeramarth. This translates as the Leap of Dreadful Doom.
Brandir soon arrived at the scene and told Turin what had happened, and Turin killed Brandir in disbelief. But when Turin learned that he had been wrong and he was guilty of killing Brandir, and with the knowledge of what had happened to his beloved sister, he killed himself.
Though Nienor's corpse was never found, the name Nienor Níniel was written on the tomb of Turin. This tomb survived the destruction of Beleriand during the War of Wrath and became an island in the Sea known as Tol Morwen.
Names & Meanings
Niënor means "mourning," and this name was given to her by Morwen because she was in mourning for her husband Hurin. When he met her, Turin named Nienor Níniel, literally translating as"tear-maiden." Turin called her this because she cried when she could not remember her name.
References
The Silmarillion: "Of Turin Turambar," pages 198-199, 211-226
The Children of Hurin: "Introduction," page 17; "The Departure of Turin," pages 66, 70-78; "Turin in Doriath," page 81; "Turin in Nargothrond," page 170; "The Fall of Nargothrond," pages 179-180; "The Return of Turin to Dor-lomin," pages 184-188; "The Journey of Morwen and Nienor;" "Nienor in Brethil;" "The Coming of Glaurung," pages 222-233; "The Death of Glaurung," pages 239-247; "The Death of Turin"
The Unfinished Tales: "Narn I Hin Hurin," pages 73-78, 106109, 112-149
The History of Middle-earth, Volume XI, The War of the Jewels: "The Grey Annals," pages 79, 85-90, 93-103, 162-164; "The Later Quenta Silmarillion," page 234; "The Wanderings of Hurin," pages 256-257, 290-296, 299, 300
The Children of Hurin: "Introduction," page 17; "The Departure of Turin," pages 66, 70-78; "Turin in Doriath," page 81; "Turin in Nargothrond," page 170; "The Fall of Nargothrond," pages 179-180; "The Return of Turin to Dor-lomin," pages 184-188; "The Journey of Morwen and Nienor;" "Nienor in Brethil;" "The Coming of Glaurung," pages 222-233; "The Death of Glaurung," pages 239-247; "The Death of Turin"
The Unfinished Tales: "Narn I Hin Hurin," pages 73-78, 106109, 112-149
The History of Middle-earth, Volume XI, The War of the Jewels: "The Grey Annals," pages 79, 85-90, 93-103, 162-164; "The Later Quenta Silmarillion," page 234; "The Wanderings of Hurin," pages 256-257, 290-296, 299, 300
All Pages Copyright © 2010, The Middle-Earth Encyclopedia