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Old 07-10-2007, 02:12 PM   #47
Morwen
Shade of Carn Dûm
 
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In LotR there is a passage where Gollum observes that Sauron hated Isildur's city, to which Frodo replies "What does he not hate?" One can easily ask the same of Sauron's predecessor. Doubtless Morgoth wanted Doriath destroyed. I just don't see that as his reason for releasing Hurin. If we are talking about the destruction of Gondolin, that I can see. After all, Morgoth had attempted in vain to get Hurin to divulge the location of that city. Having failed to daunt Hurin into giving him that info, Morgoth releases him (new tactic) and Hurin then unwittingly does what he resisted doing for close to three decades: he gives the Dark Lord a clue as to Gondolin's location. So for me there is better link between the release of Hurin and Morgoth's plans to find and destroy Gondolin than there is between releasing him as a way of somehow furthering the destruction of Doriath.

Quote:
Originally posted by Macalaure
Furthering the hatred between Elves and Men in general, and Doriath and Men in particular, by releasing Húrin was one step in it.
The rift between Elves and Men (apart from the three Houses of the Edain) had already been achieved by the treachery of Ulfang and co in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. Could Hurin, angry and insulting, have widened the rift to include the Edain (or at least the remnants of the Houses)? What could he have done, one man against a powerful Elf Kingdom? Was Morgoth hoping that Hurin's anger all by itself could change Thingol's evolved opinion of Men? If that is what Morgoth was aiming for then it would underline his inability to grasp the concept of pity and his underestimation of the power of Melian. It is pity that restrains Thingol's wrath when Hurin appears in Doriath speaking his "wild and bitter words". It is in Menegroth "defended still by the Girdle of Melian" that Hurin is able to see the truth concerning what has happened to him and his family.
That said, for me Hurin's visit to Doriath has more to do with Hurin than Morgorth.
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