Huor

Huor Tolkien's legendarium character Race Men Gender male Book(s) The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales

Huor is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He was introduced in The Silmarillion as a hero of Men during the First Age. Huor was a grandson of Hador of the Third House of Edain, and lived in the Hadorian fief of Dor-lómin in Hithlum. His father was Galdor the Tall and his mother Hareth of the Haladin, and he had an older brother Húrin. Both brothers were fair of face and golden-haired, but while Húrin was shorter than his kin, Huor was "the tallest of all the Edain save his son Tuor only, and a swift runner. ... There was great love between the brothers, and they were seldom apart in their youth." (Narn i Chîn Húrin)

In the Year of the Sun 458 of the First Age Huor and Húrin lived with their uncle Haldir in the forest of Brethil, when they joined a war party against Orcs. The brothers ended up in the Vale of Sirion, and were cut off from their company and chased by Orcs. The Vala of Waters Ulmo caused a mist to arise from the river, and the brothers escaped into Dimbar. There two Eagles picked them up, and brought them to Gondolin. King Turgon of Gondolin welcomed the brothers, remembering Ulmo's prophecy that the House of Hador would aid Gondolin in their time of greatest need. Turgon would allow them to remain as he grew to love them, but the brothers wished to return to their kin. They swore an oath to keep Gondolin secret, and Eagles brought them back to Dor-lómin.

In Y.S. 462, Morgoth assailed Hithlum, and Huor's father Galdor fell defending the Barad Eithel. His elder son Húrin, though only 21 years old, now became the Lord of Dor-lómin. His wife was Morwen of the House of Bëor, and in 472 Huor wedded her cousin Rían. Their son was named Tuor by the father even before birth, but was never seen by Huor.

Two months after the marriage to Rían Huor was summoned with his brother to lead his people to war. During the Nírnaeth Arnoediad Huor fought alongside Húrin and the Folk of Hador for Fingon. In the midst of battle Huor met again with Turgon, and prophesied that "from you and from me a new star shall rise", referring to Eärendil the Mariner, son of Tuor and Idril daughter of Turgon. When the battle was lost, the Folk of Hador took a last stand fighting off the Orcs, allowing Turgon to escape, "of all the deeds of war that the fathers of Men wrought in behalf of the Eldar most renowned". Huor was finally slain by a poisoned arrow that hit him in the eye. Rían bore a child before the end of the year, departed and died upon Haudh-en-Ndengin, where the body of her husband was taken by the Orcs.

Huor's death by arrow into the eye may be a reference to Harold Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, who is held to have died in the Battle of Hastings by being shot in the eye with an arrow. Their deaths are also symbolic in a sense, in that they both died during the last resistance against their conquerors.