SWG Re-Read - "Of Túrin Turambar" Discussion Post

[oloriel]

Of Túrin Turambar

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Welcome this fortnight's chapter discussion!

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Comments

[hhimring]

I think Morgoth's curse is real. But it is more than the uttering of a single curse that then takes effect. Morgoth's malice is an active force that pursues Turin, especially after he leaves the protection Doriath affords him. Things do not go well for others in post-Nirnaeth Beleriand either and that is by no means entirely Turin's fault--barriers to Morgoth's influence have broken down.
That said, Turin's own flaws lay him wide open to Morgoth's curse--and his strengths, also...

[indy1776]

I think it's real, too. But I also think Túrin's stubbornness made things worse for him. (Some things he had absolutely no control over. But I cannot understand why he didn't return to Doriath when he learned he'd been pardoned.)

[oloriel]

I can only assume that it was a combination of pride and of his belief that he could somehow outrun his fate (judging by his name-changing, he already seems to have realised that something was going on). Maybe he thought that his doom was clearly looking for him in Doriath, so it was safer to be somewhere else? [You know the old story about the dude in Athens who is visited by Death, who frowns and tells him he'll come for him tomorrow? Dude is terrified, decides to outrun death, rides and rides and rides until he reaches Damascus, where... he dies. Death comes, and the dude asks "OK, you won, but why did you frown like that yesterday?" Says Death: "Because I was supposed to pick you up in Damascus, and there you were in Athens..."]
Anyway, I don't think Túrin fully understood that the curse wasn't upon "Túrin son of Húrin, resident of Doriath", but upon "the seed of Húrin", i.e., going by genetics (which he couldn't well change) rather than a mere name or location!

[indy1776]

That's a good point about Túrin thinking his doom might be tied to Doriath.

Anyway, I don't think Túrin fully understood that the curse wasn't upon "Túrin son of Húrin, resident of Doriath", but upon "the seed of Húrin", i.e., going by genetics (which he couldn't well change) rather than a mere name or location!

Thinking about it, I'm not sure anyone understood that it was on Húrin's family rather than on Túrin himself until all the facts were collected and Túrin and Nienor were dead. Morgoth targeting one person clearly isn't out of the realm of possibilty, which makes me wonder if it happened to anyone else.

[oloriel]

Gwindor has only heard rumours (but believes they are true after having observed Túrin for a while, who knows why? ;)), and he's probably the most reliably source anyone had about Things Going On In Angband. So no, presumably nobody understood just how deep the curse went. And as Túrin never talked to anyone from Doriath until it was too late, he couldn't well guess. So you're right, the only people properly in the know were Morgoth and Húrin (and Glaurung, apparently)...