Cabed-en-Aras
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Cabed-en-Aras is a place from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. It was a deep gorge in the river Taeglin just to the north of the inflow of Celebros near the Forest of Brethil. The name signifies "Leap of the Deer" in Sindarin, and was devised after a deer once leaped over it from the huntsmen of Haleth.
| “ | Cabed-en-Aras was a grim place indeed. On the east side was a sheer cliff of some forty feet, bare but tree-grown at the crown; on the other side was a bank somewhat less sheer and less high, shrouded with hanging trees and bushes, but between them the water ran fiercely among rocks.[1] | ” |
When Glaurung the Dragon issued from Nargothrond to attack Brethil, he chose a straight route and decided to cross the river over the ravine rather than turning to the Crossings of Brethil. This was guessed by Túrin Turambar, who hid himself under the southern cliff and stabbed the dragon from beneath with his sword Gurthang. Glaurug managed to get across to the northern side, blasting the trees with fire and breaking a great space all about him. Before his death he had managed to lead Nienor Níniel to suicide, as she cast herself down the ravine; and shortly after Túrin slew himself on Gurthang near the brink.
Thereafter no man looked again down into the darkness of Cabed-en-Aras, "nor would any beast or bird come there, nor any tree grow; and it was named Cabed-en-Aras, the Leap of Dreadful Doom."[2] The body of the Dragon was then burned by the Men of Brethil, and the "Field of Burning" was ever after desolate. A mound was raised for Túrin where he had fallen by the brink, and upon it a great grey stone was set, called the Stone of the Hapless or the Standing Stone (Talbor in the tongue of the woodfolk). Upon it was carven in runes:
TÚRIN TURAMBAR DAGNIR GLAURUNGA
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Later their mother Morwen found the stone, and remained there awaiting death. She was found by her husband Húrin, but died on the following day. The Men of brethil buried her on the west side of the stone, and Here lies also Morwen Edhelwen was added to the carvings. A prophecy was made about the place:
| “ | After that day fear left that place, though sorrow remained, and it was ever leafless and bare. But until the end of Beleriand women of Brethil would come with flowers in spring and berries in autumn and sing there a while of the Grey Lady who sought in vain for her son. And a seer and harp-player of Brethil, Glirhuin, made a song saying the Stone of the Hapless should not be defiled by Morgoth nor ever thrown down.[3] | ” |
After the Drowning of Beleriand the northern brink of Cabed-en-Aras survived as Tol Morwen, one of the several islands west of the coast of Middle-earth in later ages, and was probably visited by mariners of Númenor and on their voyages to pay respect to the hero Túrin Turambar buried there.
[edit] References
- ^ J. R. R. Tolkien (1980), Christopher Tolkien, ed., Unfinished Tales, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Narn i Hîn Húrin: "The Coming of Glaurung", ISBN 0-395-29917-9
- ^ J. R. R. Tolkien (1977), Christopher Tolkien, ed., The Silmarillion, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Ch. 21 "Of Túrin Turambar", p. 223-4, emphasis added, ISBN 0-395-25730-1
- ^ J. R. R. Tolkien (1994), Christopher Tolkien, ed., The War of the Jewels, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, The Wanderings of Húrin, p. 296, ISBN 0-395-71041-3
