View Single Post
Old 01-31-2006, 04:31 PM   #10
Maédhros
The Kinslayer
 
Maédhros's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Formenos
Posts: 658
Maédhros has just left Hobbiton.
Send a message via MSN to Maédhros
White Tree

Quote:
Originally posted by Aiwendil
I have given the matter of the Dragon-helm some more thought. It still seems to me that the note in which the Helm is given to Hurin was superceded by WH. The crucial point, it seems to me, is that in the original note the new lord of Brethil gave the Helm to Hurin. I don't think there can be any doubt that at this stage, that lord was imagined to be sympathetic to Hurin and that the Helm was given in friendship; if some other story lay behind the gesture, I'm sure this would have been mentioned. The introduction of Hardang makes the note obselete, in my opinion.

I certainly acknowledge that it's possible that Tolkien would have re-introduced the Helm had he continued WH. But this is just one of many cases where there is something Tolkien might have done. Moreover, it seems to me very likely that, had he still envisioned the Helm coming to Hurin, he would have mentioned it in one of the outlines for the continuation of WH.

So it looks like I'm still against giving the Helm to Hurin.
Quote:
Originally posted by Findegil
One last and nearly desparate idea would be to insert an note at Húrins death that with him the Dragon-helm disapeared. In that way we could make clear that Húrin got the Helm but we could let the way in which this happened completly unmentioned. Thus the core-idea of the note that Húrin got the Dragon-helm back would be kept.
I would have liiked nothing better than for Húrin to get the Dragon-helm back but I don't think that we can use the last idea. There is no mention in the note that at Húrin's death, he had with him the helm, unless I'm mistaken.
I think that Aiwendil, alas have made a very strong point about the helm.
__________________
"Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy."
Maédhros is offline   Reply With Quote