Andróg

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Legendarium
Name Andróg
Race Men
Culture Edain, Third House
Date of birth Y.S. c. 440[1]
Date of death Y.S. 489
Realm Dor-Cúarthol
Book(s) The Children of Húrin,
Unfinished Tales

In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Andróg (pronounced [ˈandrɔːg]) was a Man of the First Age featured in The Children of Húrin.[2] He was the father of Andvír.[1]

[edit] Appearance and history

Andróg was descended from the Folk of Hador and originally lived in the land of Dor-lómin, but having slain a woman, he was hunted and fled southward. Being an archer, he then joined Gaurwaith, a band of outlaws that hunted the forests to the south of river Taeglin, and was remembered as "the grimmest among them".

When Túrin first appeared among the outlaws and slew one of their men, Andróg quickly perceived both Túrin's superiority and the Curse of Morgoth that followed him, but still esteemed him and became one of his closest followers. Later Túrin spared Andróg despite his participating in Forweg's attempt to trap Larnach's daughter, and Andróg supported him in becoming the leader of the band. After Beleg was captured by the outlaws, Andróg egged them to kill him, coveting Beleg's bow Belthronding, and he showed no favour to the Elf even after his release by Túrin.

Andróg was the foremost in the attempt to capture the Petty-dwarves, seizing Mîm and shooting arrows at his sons. Once again, he wished to slay Mîm immediately, despising all Dwarves, and misdoubted his gift of Amon Rûdh. Andróg was cursed by Mîm when it became known that his arrow slew Khîm:

“ He that loosed the shaft shall break his bow and his arrows and lay them at my son's feet; and he shall never take arrow nor bear bow again. If he does, he shall die by it.[2] ”

Andróg obeyed, fearing the Dwarf's curse, but prophecised in reply that Mîm will "lack a bow at need ere his end".[3] Some time afterwards Andróg took up bow and arrows again, and was wounded by a poisoned shaft. He was healed by Beleg at Túrin's bidding, but continued to mistrust the Elf; Mîm's curse, however, was not put to rest thus.

During the sack of Amon Rûdh Andróg lead some of the band to the top of the hill by a secret stair that he discovered some time before. There he fought more valiantly than any, but fell mortally wounded by an arrow. His son Andvír, however, survived the battle.[4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b J. R. R. Tolkien (1994), Christopher Tolkien, ed., The War of the Jewels, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, "Ælfwine and Dírhaval", ISBN 0-395-71041-3  The son of Andróg, Andvír, is stated to have been "very old" by the time of composition of the Narn i Chîn Húrin, which occurred at some time between Y.S. 511 and 538 ("in the days of Eärendil"). He was thus born in c. 465, and his father c. 25 years earlier.
  2. ^ a b J. R. R. Tolkien (2007), Christopher Tolkien, ed., The Children of Húrin, London: HarperCollins, ISBN 0-007-24622-6 
  3. ^ In Unfinished Tales another version of this latter curse is given as primary, that Mîm will "die with a dart in his throat". However, J. R. R. Tolkien's intentions concerning this are unknown, as elsewhere Mîm is stated to have been slain by Húrin with a sword, and this is the story included by Chistopher Tolkien into the published Silmarillion. See J. R. R. Tolkien (1980), Christopher Tolkien, ed., Unfinished Tales, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, "Narn i Hîn Húrin": "Of Mîm the Dwarf" and note 18, ISBN 0-395-29917-9 
  4. ^ Ælfwine and Dírhaval, p.311 (see note 1): "... he found a man named Andvír, and he was very old, but was the son of that Andróg who was in the outlaw-band of Túrin, and alone survived the battle on the summit of Amon Rûdh." The wording of J. R. R. Tolkien is unclear, and on p. 315 Christopher Tolkien surmised that it was Andróg who survived the battle. But this cannot have been intended by his father, as this would discard the history of Andróg's death stated elsewhere (Unfinished Tales) and also there would have been no need to introduce Andvír as the source.