#brandir

by the Breaking News team at Dimbar Daily

(aka, my entry for Day 7: AU of @silmarillionepistolary week! also for @sallysavestheday who prompted me to write an obituary for Túrin, which turned into...this.)

~

2 days ago

The dragon known as Glaurung was found dead upon the banks of the River Teiglin by the gorge of Cabed-en-Aras. A massive wound to the creature’s stomach indicates the mortal blow was caused by a sword. Investigators are at the scene, searching for evidence of the dragonslayer.

2 days ago

Preliminary reports indicate that a Man known as Turambar set out from Brethil with two companions on a quest to slay the dragon yesterday evening. One of his companions, Dorlas, was spotted returning to Amon Obel some time before the dragon was sighted. It is not known if if Turambar and the other Man continued onward, but the dragon’s carcass is proof that their goal was achieved in some manner.

The name of Turambar’s second companion is Hunthor, according to sources in Brethil. The current location of Brethil’s lord, Brandir, is unknown, as is the location of Dorlas himself. Turambar and Hunthor are likewise unaccounted for.

1 day ago

More information has come to light regarding the death of the dragon Glaurung. The situation has evolved into a mass casualty event.

The bodies of Turambar, Dorlas, Hunthor, and Lord Brandir have been discovered at or near the banks of Teiglin. Hunthor’s cause of death appears to be blunt-force trauma to the head. The rest were slain by blows from one or more swords. Investigators have not ruled out murder-suicide. The slayer of the dragon remains unclear.

This morning

New details have been released in the case of the Teiglin mass casualty event.

The cause of death of Hunthor, one of Turambar’s companions, has been officially declared as “blunt-force trauma to the head by a falling rock.” No foul play is suspected.

The same cannot be said for the rest of the deceased...

I'm contemplaiting his friendship with Sador: A man in the service of Hurin who had an accident with his axe and hewed his right foot. Turin called him Labadal, which means 'Hopafoot'.Bbut he didn't do so with ill intent and Sador did not mind. Turin pitied him but he also loved him. He even gifted him the knife he received as a birthday presemt from Hurin and he stood by that act even when Morwen expressed that Sador did not deserve the gift. After that incident Turin is content to notice that Sador is treated more kindly.

Then we meet Brandir whose foot is also hurt. Brandir is not a man of war, and that goes past the trouble he has with his foot. He IS brave in his own way, but he has a kinder temperament. He's a healer with good instincts and with advice that would have changed the tragic trajectory of the story if they had been followed. He does not even seem to hate Turin despite the fact that he loses everything because of him.

Well, as Turin becomes fell when his doom is upon him, his behaviour shifts. He calls Brandir "clubfoot" in his verbal attacks several times and even "limping evil-", trying to diminish him. It's a surprising contrast to the compassionate character we meet early in the story (glimpses of whom we get still when Turin and Brandir meet) and it's important to me that this sort of behaviour is presented as irrational and as a product of the character's descent.

For the Silmarillion Ask Game you just reblogged: I'd love to hear your thoughts on

🐉

or

🍽️

(+ bonus - if I may be greedy - which character would you entrust with your favorite secret ice cream recipe? ^_^)

Thank you so much and have an amazing day! 😁

It’s always lovely talking with you, so thank YOU so much! ♥️

🐉: An eldritch HC for a Silm character

Eldritch-y stuff isn’t always my strong suit, but I personally like to think that the horrors of his time in Nan Dungortheb literally changed some of Beren’s DNA that then showed up in Dior in various traits that really creeped out his enemies. It’s somehow notably hard to look straight at him. He knows things that you dreamed about even if you didn’t tell him. He doesn’t outright talk to them but it sure looks like he has some kind of understanding with bugs and other little creatures he comes across. Stuff like that!

🍽️: Which 5 Silm characters to invite to a dinner party

Perhaps this is predictable of me, but I’d invite a bunch of the lovely people out of the tale of Túrin Turambar who deserved so much better than they got: Gwindor, Beleg, Finduilas, Brandir and Aerin. We’re having a vegetarian feast with a side of group therapy! (Perhaps we’d have our meal picnic-style, out in the woods of Doriath, in the hopes that Nellas would be comfortable enough to at least hang out on the periphery ♥️)*

Bonus Q! I’m entrusting my personal homemade baklava ice cream recipe only to my guy Námo. Canonically, he knows more about Eru’s plans than anyone but Manwë, but you don’t see him running around blabbing all his special knowledge to anyone — the dude can keep a secret! Plus, I think his job as doomsman is probably REALLY hard and often depressing, so if there’s a Vala in need of a little ice cream treat, I think it would definitely be him!

I wonder if anyone else has pointed out how Túrin’s attitude towards disabled characters shifts throughout the story with his fall into the curse. Of course, in the beginning there’s Sador, a sort of mentor figure to the young Túrin. Túrin clearly respects him and does not understand why Sador would be treated any different.

Then we don’t see another disabled character until the very end of the tale, not until Túrin has grown into a man and has faced all sorts of horror from the curse laid onto him. Brandir is not the sage figure to Túrin that Sador was, and is even called ‘club-foot’ by Túrin in his despair and anger after the death of Níniel. A young Túrin would be quite anguished to learn that in his later years he will come to lobby such low insults towards a disabled man.

House of Hador & Haladin

House of Bëor

- The War of Jewels: The Wanderings of Húrin

Christopher Tolkien's commentary: Thus Túrin was the second cousin of Brandir on the ‘Hadorian’ side, and he was also his second cousin on the Haladin side; while in the ‘Bëorian’ line he was Brandir’s second cousin once removed – a genealogical situation to delight the heart of Hamfast Gamgee. Pointing out these relationships in an isolated noteof this time, my father observed that ‘Túrin would be more readily accepted by the Haladin when his true name and lineage were known or guessed’, since he was akin to their lords in these ways. Harathor, on the other hand, ‘had no love for the house of Hador and no part in their blood’ (although he also was Túrin’s second cousin, his great-aunt Hareth being Túrin’s grandmother).

The Hamfast Gamgee reference is this btw:

‘Well, so they say,’ said the Gaffer. ‘You see: Mr. Drogo, he married poor Miss Primula Brandybuck. She was our Mr. Bilbo’s first cousin on the mother’s side (her mother being the youngest of the Old Took’s daughters); and Mr. Drogo was his second cousin. So Mr. Frodo is his first and second cousin, once removed either way, as the saying is, if you follow me.

- The Fellowship of the Ring: The Long Expected Party