The Folk of Haleth retained many practices that seemed strange to the Eldar and the other Atani; Alan retains a few strange practices and Don wants nothing to do with them. Join The Man of the West and The Obscure Lord of the Rings Facts Guy as we begin our two-episode look at the Unfinished Tales chapter on the enigmatic people known as the Drúedain. The Haladin are already unusual, so what’s one more quirk among Edain?; the Drûg might be ‘unlovely’ but they’re incredible trackers; and their orcs decide not to dare disturb the sound of silence. We only wish we had merriment untainted by scorn, admit we might also be unlovely in looks, and speculate about Drúedain in Númenor. Also, maybe the Drúedain don’t like mushrooms after all?
Recommended Reading
Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth
Tolkien, J. R. R. (Christopher Tolkien, ed.) (William Morrow, paperback)
The Silmarillion
Tolkien, J. R. R. (Christopher Tolkien, ed.) (William Morrow, paperback)
The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of the Lord of the Rings
Tolkien, J. R. R. (William Morrow, paperback)
The Two Towers: Being the Second Part of the Lord of the Rings
Tolkien, J. R. R. (William Morrow, paperback)
The Return of the King: Being the Third Part of the Lord of the Rings
Tolkien, J. R. R. (William Morrow, paperback)
The Peoples of Middle-earth (The History of Middle-earth Vol. 12)
Tolkien, J. R. R. (Christopher Tolkien, ed.) (Harper Collins, paperback)
I’ve just listened to the discussion of Haleth the “Amazon” and women warriors. This reminds me of a scene in CS Lewis’s The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe. The two girls, Lucy and Susan, ask to be allowed to join in the upcoming battle. Aslan tells them no, they can’t fight alongside their brothers. Lucy says something like: “I think I could be brave enough” and Aslan tells her that’s not the point, of course she could be brave but “Battles are ugly when women fight.” To which I always wanted to tell Aslan/Lewis that battles are hideous when men fight! Haleth was a brave warrior who did what she had to for her people, without worrying about how her image.
Haleth really is another of the underrated women of Tolkien’s legendarium – what she does for her people is incredible!