Tuor

Tuor is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, a mortal man of the Edain in the First Age. He is the son of Huor, a prince of the House of Hador, and is regarded as a noble warrior among the Edain.

Ulmo, one of the Valar, calls Tuor to Middle-earth and entrusts him with a message for the hidden elven city of Gondolin. Tuor travels to Gondolin and is warmly received by King Turgon, who recognizes the significance of Ulmo’s warning. He becomes Idril Celebrindal’s husband, and together they have a son, Eärendil the Mariner.

Tuor’s voyage and his alliance with Gondolin place him at the center of its history. He helps defend the city during Morgoth’s assault, and his counsel and courage are noted in accounts of the city’s fall. During the Fall of Gondolin, Tuor and Idril, along with their son Eärendil, survive the catastrophe and depart from the city, a moment that shapes the future of the House of Hador and the greater war against Morgoth.

Legacy and significance extend through Tuor’s line. His son Eärendil becomes a pivotal figure, sailing to Valinor to seek aid against Morgoth, a quest that ultimately leads to renewed alliances between Elves and Edain. Tuor’s story is recounted in The Silmarillion, in the tale Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin, and later expanded in the narrative of The Fall of Gondolin.

In literary reception, Tuor is presented as a foundational bridge between Elven and Human realms in the First Age, illustrating themes of warning, hospitality, and endurance in the face of overwhelming peril.