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Blodren was an Easterling during the First Age.[1]
Biography[]
Blodren son of Ban was an Easterling who was taken by Morgoth and tormented because he was one of the faithful that had withstood Uldor. He entered into Morgoth's service and was released after an untold amount of time, being sent in search of Túrin.[1]
Blodren entered into the hidden company in Dimbar and, because of his love of plunder,[2] served Túrin faithfully for two years. However, after Túrin's encounter with Beleg and subsequent reformation, Blodrin became dissatisfied with the new life "in which wounds were more plentiful than booty" due to the outlaws only targeting Orcs.[2] Thus, he saw his chance and betrayed the refuge of Beleg and Túrin to the Orcs, completing his errand. Thus, their hideout in Dimbar was surrounded and taken, and Túrin was captured alive and carried towards Angband. Beleg was left for dead among the slain, and Blodren himself was slain by a chance arrow from his new evil allies[2] in the dark.[1]
In other versions[]
Blodren was the replacement of an earlier character, the Gnome Blodrin, son of Ban. As a child, the hostile, bearded wicked dwarves dragged him to their deep mansions in Nogrod. Here he was nurtured and taught to hate his kin, and both Elves and Men. He had lived long with the Dwarves and developed a personality and greed similar to the wicked Dwarves he grew up among, and was evil of heart.
Later in his life, he joined Túrin's outlaw-band for the love of plunder. Much like the Dwarves, he lusted for treasure for his greed for gold was as great as the Dwarves he had been raised within, and as great as the Hell-dragon's. He loved the new life in which wounds were more plentiful than booty. However, he hated Húrin's offspring and the bowman Beleg.
In the end he betrayed the hiding places of Turin. He fled their fellowship and forest dwellings and allied with Orcs. He bargained with them for Gold, and thus he betrayed his fellowship to the Orcs in the forest hideouts. Surprising them, the traitor and the Orcs killed many men through treachery. Túrin was captured and Beleg was buried in a pile of bodies, though he escaped death. But in the end Blodrin was killed by chance in the gloom, a poisoned arrow from his evil allies struck him in the throat and held him fastly to the tree behind, making it appear as if he was standing.[3][4]
The sinister effect of Elvish association with the wicked dwarves had on Blodrin followed afterward, as it had with Ufedhin.
In an even earlier version, Blodren was the son of Bór.[5]
The story of Túrin's traitor went through several revisions, and apparently became the basis for the emergence of Mîm as the traitor of the outlaws who had lied with the orcs, and betrayed their location. However, in early writings Mîm and Blodrin were two seperate characters.
In The Grey Annals Blodrin was emended to Blodren. These revisions took place after the publication of The Lord of the Rings.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XI: The War of the Jewels, "III: The Grey Annals", §265
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The History of Middle-earth, Vol. IV: The Shaping of Middle-earth, III: "The Quenta", pg. 123, 304
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. IV: The Shaping of Middle-earth, "II: The Earliest 'Silmarillion' (The 'Sketch of the Mythology')", pg. 28
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. IV: The Shaping of Middle-earth, chapter VII: "The Earliest Annals of Beleriand"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. III: The Lays of Beleriand, "I: The Lay of the Children of Húrin"