Curse of Túrin

[Arvegil145]

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hicklin

From the exerpt from Osanwe-kenta:


And that I think encapsulates my view: the "curse" was Morgoth's ability to amplify the worst aspects of the target's nature. This is actually not unlike the operation of the One Ring in a later age. Morgoth didn't make Turin build the bridge at Nargothrond, but he made him arrogant (or more arrogant); he didn't make Turin hound Saeros to his death, but he made him wrathful and hot-tempered (or moreso). This is generally assumed among Christians (and I believe Jews) to be the usual way in which diabolic temptation works- qv The Screwtape Letters- which JRRT disliked, but ironically were dedicated to him.

That Morgoth could act as the Tempter, capital-T, can be seen in Tolkien's offstage but unmistakable allusion to the Eden story, especially the Tale of Adanel.

Can you elaborate more on that Osanwe-kenta passage? That is, in what context does it appear?

Because the way I see it, 'Morgoth's will' could be nothing more than just his extreme fixation on Hurin's family, and determination to destroy them through any means at his disposal - what all those means were, I'm not completelly sure, but Glaurung was definitely one of them.

And I'm not exactly sure how Morgoth managed to achieve things like making Turin more wrathful, arrogant, etc. And if he could do those things, why didn't he do them to all his other major foes - lord knows his enemies did not lack for character faults.