How did Maedhros stay alive?

[Galadriel55]

And Morgoth...set his power upon [Hurin], so that he could not move from that place, nor die, until Morgoth should release him.

~The Words of Hurin and Morgoth, COH

This quote supports what Nerwen said. However, even as the greatest Ainu, Morgoth is inferior to Eru, and Eru holds the power to give or take im/mortality. It's not up to Morgoth to decide to make a human immortal until he got what he wants?

Or is it just withholding the death, not making one completely immortal?

I don't get it.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

~The Words of Hurin and Morgoth, COH

This quote supports what Nerwen said. However, even as the greatest Ainu, Morgoth is inferior to Eru, and Eru holds the power to give or take im/mortality. It's not up to Morgoth to decide to make a human immortal until he got what he wants?

Or is it just withholding the death, not making one completely immortal?

I don't get it.

I've understood that to mean Morgoth basically froze Húrin's body in that particular moment of time, while Húrin's conscious mind remained awake and aware. Morgoth didn't permanently alter Húrin's potential for mortal death, he merely postponed the aging process.

It's not so incredible, really. Sauron accomplished something similar with the Nazgûl, making death unattainable to them while they were under his will. Of course, when Sauron's power was lost upon the destruction of the Ring, his hold over the Ringwraiths was loosened. Had Húrin still been there when Morgoth was defeated in the War of Wrath and forced into the Void, Morgoth's power over Húrin would have dissipated and Húrin freed.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I've understood that to mean Morgoth basically froze Húrin's body in that particular moment of time, while Húrin's conscious mind remained awake and aware. Morgoth didn't permanently alter Húrin's potential for mortal death, he merely postponed the aging process.

He didn't really postpone it, he just slowed it down, I guess.

[Hurin's] hair and beard were white and long, but he walked unbowed, bearing a great black staff...

~The Ruin of Doriath, The Sil

The white hair is ok, but if Hurin starved for 28 years, even if Morgoth delayed his death, how did he live after Morgoth released him? How can a Man still be so physically strong after almost three decades of no food? (if it's even possible to live 3 decades without food?)


The Nazgul are different. They are not flesh-and-bone humans. They are indead (or, rather, unliving). They don't need food. I'm sure Sauron fed them well before their rings did their job. In this case Sauron just leves them hanging between the living and the dead, never changing physically (thus remaining in their best years). With Hurin - he seems to still be alive, still age, but react to starvation as an undead.



Edit: To compare Hurin and Maedhros with Gwindor who was Morgoth's slave for a lesser time than Hurin, and yet was aged and broken to the point that even his kin didn't recognise him at first.

Too many questions! :/


Edit2: on the other hand, repeatedly in the legendarium we meet characters that refuse to die from natural deaths because of some fire inside. Could just be a desire to live, or a desire to accomplish something, but it is overpowers death.

So all these cases could be dependant on this.