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Aliases:
Glaurung
–
possibly, "dark gold"
The
Father of Dragons
The
Great Worm
The
Worm of Morgoth
Race:
Dragons
Lived:
First
Age ? – 498
Physical
description:
Giant wingless
reptile-like creature with scales the color of gold, with eyes keener
then those of Elves.
What you must
know after reading The Silmarillion:
Glaurung
the Golden was the first of the
Urulóki,
fire-breathing breed of the dragons created by
Morgoth.
He first showed himself 200 years after
Dagor
Aglareb
(F.A. 265), although his date of birth is unknown. He had not yet is
fully grown then but Elves fled before him and only
Fingon
with the host of archers on horseback managed to stop his assault.
Glaurung retreated to
Angband
and
Morgoth
was displeased that his minion had discovered himself too soon.
By the time of
Dagor
Bragollach
(F.A. 455) he was in his full might and played a major part in the
fourth battle splitting apart hosts of
Maedhros
and
Fingon.
However,
Dwarves
of
Belelgost
stopped him, saving the remnants of the
Noldorin
forces.
Azaghâl,
Lord of
Belegost,
wounded him in the belly, perishing in the deed.
Glaurung was forced to withdraw from the field.
In F.A. 495 Glaurung, with his host of
Orcs,
sacked
Nargothrond
getting in the sity over the bridge.
Fulfilling th curse
Morgoth
put on
Húrin
and his offspring, he laid his spell on
Túrin
Turambar
making him view himself in twisted and misshapen light while
Orcs
drove captives away from the city. Then he broke the bridge over
Narog,
gathered a hoard from the city’s reaches and rested there.
He was lured from
Nargothrond
by the company of
Mablung,
who were escorting
Morwen
Eledhwen
and
Nienor
her daughter in their search for
Túrin.
Discharging the guard, he met
Nienor
on the top of
Amon
Ethir,
and put a spell of forgetfulness on her, and left her stand there
unmoving. Then he returned to his lair where he stayed until the year
F.A. 497, when the rumors reached him about the
Black
Sword being
seen again in
Brethil.
In the spring of F.A. 498 he left
Nargothrond
and near to summer came to the borders of
Brethil.
He met
Turambar
upon
Cabed-en-Aras
and was slain by him while passing over
Nen
Girith.
Mortally wounded in the belly, he managed to cross the ravine and burned
all the surrounding land in his agony. When
Turambar
came once more near Glaurung to retrieve
Gurthang
from the wound in the dragon’s bulk, Glaurung
opened his eyes, stunning him unconscious with their hatred, and burning
his hand with venomous blood.
When
Niniel
came upon
Cabed-en-Aras
following
Turambar
and saw her husband and the dragon laying as if dead,
Glaurung opened his eyes yet one more time
and spoke revealing her heritage to her to fulfil
Morgoth’s
curse. After he died, her memory returned to her and she learned that
she is
Nienor,
Húrin’s
daughter,
Turambar’s
sister.
Other materials
recommended, if you want to know more about
Glaurung:
The Book of Lost
Tales 2, Turambar and the
Foaloke.
This is one of the
earliest versions of the story of Túrin and
Glaurung (there named
Glorund).
The Unfinished
Tales, Narn I
Hîn Húrin.
The Unfinished
Tales, Narn i
Hîn Húrin (The
Tale of the Children of Húrin).
Slightly more detailed account of the story.
If you have specific
questions, or would like to discuss Húrin,
his life and his accomplishments, feel free to post
here.
Written by
Morrigan
by Ted Nasmith
by Anke-Katrin Eissman
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