térin

Túrin Turambar is a central figure in J. R. R. Tolkien’s legendarium, a mortal Man of the First Age whose life is dominated by a malediction laid upon him and his family by the dark power Morgoth. He is also known by the epithet Turambar, often rendered as “Master of Doom” or “Master of Fate,” reflecting the fate-bound arc that defines his story in the later writings.

Túrin’s early years are shaped by exile and war. He is the son of Húrin and Morwen and becomes a prominent warrior among the Edain in the north of Beleriand. Throughout his life he is tested by trials, betrayals, and the lure of pride. He is mentored by Beleg Cúthalion, a noted elf of Doriath, and becomes a gifted leader who fights against various foes, including the dragon Glaurung. The consequence of Morgoth’s curse threads through his decisions and those around him, leading to a series of tragic outcomes.

A defining episode of the Turambar arc is his encounter with Glaurung, after which Túrin marries Niënor, daughter of Thingol and Melian, without realising they are kin. Glaurung reveals their true relationship, driving Niënor to despair and ultimately to death; Túrin, upon learning the truth, dies by his own hand. The story is marked by further misfortune and moral complexity, making Túrin one of Tolkien’s most tragic figures.

The Túrin tale appears in The Silmarillion and is expanded in The Children of Húrin (2007), a standalone publication by Christopher Tolkien that presents a comprehensive version of the narrative with scholarly apparatus. The tale has influenced scholarly and popular reception of Tolkien’s legendarium as one of its defining tragedies.