three houses of the edain ➴ house of haleth ➴ headcanon disclaimer
Hundar was the son of Halmir and the brother of Haldir, Hareth, and Hiril. In his youth he mingled with the other Houses of the Edain, and on a visit to Ladros met and married the woman Astoriel of the House of Bëor. Astoriel returned with him to Brethil and bore him two children, Hunleth and Hundad, but in time she would reunite with her family when Ladros was destroyed and they fled to Brethil for safety. Astoriel was an herb-woman, and passed her skill onto her daughter Hunleth. They both accompanied the host of the Haladin to the Fifth Battle, and witnessed the disaster that became known as the Nírnaeth Arnœdiad. There Hundar was slain, and Hunleth also as she tended to the wounded, but Hundad fled the battle early and took his mother with him back to Brethil. Hundad was not a man of mark or gallantry, and though he justified his retreat by claiming he needed to stay alive for the sake of his young son Hardang, those who had lost fathers and brothers in the war resented him for his desertion. But his wife Brognil was glad of his survival, and together they were one of very few couples who were able to raise their child together. When Chieftain Handir was killed by orcs, Hardang attempted to usurp the leadership of the Haladin from his cousin Brandir the Lame, the rightful heir. Though many believed Brandir was unfit to rule, he persevered in the end, further embittering Hardang against him. When Turambar rose to power among the Haladin, Hardang was displeased, for he was reluctant to join the other woodmen in orc-hunts and could not prove his valour. Thus Hardang was glad when Turambar and Brandir both perished, leaving the leadership of the Haladin uncertain. An election was held between the two remaining heirs of Halmir: Hardang and Manthor, the grandson of Hiril. Though Manthor was the more popular choice, his claim was weaker as he was descended from the youngest of Halmir’s children who was also a woman, and thus finally Hardang rose to the Chieftainship. Not wishing to anger those of his folk who would have preferred Manthor as a leader, Hardang promoted him to Captain of the Guards at the Crossings of Teiglin, a move which appeased Manthor for the time being. Two years into Hardang’s rule, the marchwardens discovered a group of Hadorian outlaws who spoke of the return of Húrin Thalion. This was ill news for Hardang, who had no love for Húrin’s son Túrin, and he accused the wanderers for being spies of Angband. He stripped them of their weapons and ordered them expelled from his borders, warning them to count themselves lucky he spared them their lives, and that he would not be so generous if they trespassed a second time. Some days later, Húrin arrived in Brethil and was taken to see Hardang, who did not rise to greet him nor to offer him a chair, forcing the old man to sit on the ground. Only after Manthor rebuked him did Hardang grudgingly offer Húrin food and rest, and his weak courtesy so offended Húrin that he threw a stool at Hardang, cutting his head. Avranc, one of Hardang’s lackeys, arrested and imprisoned him and advocated for his execution. At this Manthor protested, having sympathy for Húrin, and quit Hardang’s service to summon the People of Haleth to a Folkmoot. Húrin was put on trial for his assault of the Chieftain, but with Manthor’s support and counsel he soon won the Haladin over to his side. Yet instead of justice being served, a riot broke out between the followers of Hardang and the followers of Manthor, culminating in the burning of the Hall of the Chieftains. Though Hardang attempted to flee the fire, he was hit in the back with a spear and perished. Thus ended the last Chieftain of the Haladin, for in this conflict Manthor was slain also, and the ruin of the House of Haleth was completed.
