Chapter XIV Journey of Morwen and Niënor to Nargothrond Part 5

[Saelind]

Last post for the week.

Mablung searches the halls of Nargothrond but finds nothing. He recrosses the Narog as Glaurung is returning. “But he (Glaurung) was slow now and stealthy; for all the fires in him were burned low; great power had gone out of him, and he would rest and sleep in the dark… But he turned before he went in and looked back eastward, and there came from him the laughter of Morgoth, dim but horrible, as an echo of malice out of the black depths far away. And this voice, cold and low, came after: ‘There you lie like a vole under the bank, Mablung the mighty. Ill do you run the errands of Thingol. Haste you now to the hill and see what is become of your charge!”
Nasty creature! Again what do you think of Glaurung’s almost human like characteristics?

Mablung finds Niënor in a trance-like state but is able to lead her away. Mablung reflects on what has happened. A little like Aragorn after the breaking of the Fellowship, doubting his choices.
“’Not for nothing did I dread this errand,’ he said . ‘For it will be my last, it seems. With this unlucky child of Men I shall perish in the wilderness, and my name shall be held in scorn in Doriath: if any tidings indeed are ever heard of our fate. All else doubtless are slain, and she alone spared, but not in mercy.’”
Is Mablung being too hard on himself?

Mablung and Niënor are joined by three members of the company and they make their way back to Doriath. They get close to the border and fall asleep without posting a watch. They are attacked by orcs. Niënor panics and runs.

“But a strange change had come upon Nienor and now she outran them all, flying like a deer among the trees with her hair streaming in the wind of her speed.”
Where did this otherworldly speed come from?
Mablung and the others cannot find her. Kind of odd that one of the greatest huntsman in Middle-earth can’t find a panicked human female? Is this the curse at work?

Mablung comes back to Doriath full of guilt. Melian absolves him of any guilt in the disappearance of Niënor and Morwen.
“But Melian said: ‘It is not so, Mablung. You did all that you could, and non other among the King’s servants would have done so much. But by ill chance you were matched against a power too great for you, too great indeed for all that now dwell in Middle-earth.’”

Comments?

Thank you for letting lead this week. I look forward to seeing some of you at Dragoncon.

 

[JTM]

My question is- was there a reason why Glaurung left Nienor alive after the encounter? Wouldn't it have suited the purpose of Morgoth more to have her put to death? Or am I just spoiling a good yarn by asking such questions?

 

[N.E. Brigand]

the more Húrin suffers.

 

[Curious]

... But he turned before he went in and looked back eastward, and there came from him the laughter of Morgoth, dim but horrible, as an echo of malice out of the black depths far away. And this voice, cold and low, came after: ‘There you lie like a vole under the bank, Mablung the mighty. Ill do you run the errands of Thingol. Haste you now to the hill and see what is become of your charge!” Again what do you think of Glaurung’s almost human like characteristics?

Human like? Morgoth is not human. This is the clearest evidence yet that Glaurung speaks with Morgoth's voice.

Is Mablung being too hard on himself?

Yes, although Mablung is also picking up on Glaurung/Morgoth's suggestion that "Ill do you run the errands of Thingol." Even though he did not look into Glaurung's eyes, it seems that Mablung may have succumbed somewhat to the power of suggestion. The same thing happened to Bilbo when he spoke to Smaug, even though he was careful not to look into the dragon's eyes. And Saruman also could use his voice alone to weave spells of suggestion, even over powerful people.

Kind of odd that one of the greatest huntsman in Middle-earth can’t find a panicked human female? Is this the curse at work?

This attack by orcs reminds me of the battle of Gladden Fields, in which berserker orcs attacked Isildur and his army due to the power of the Ring. It also reminds me of Gollum's escape from the elves of Mirkwood, made possible by attacking orcs. In this case the orcs were of course under Morgoth's command, and I suggest that Morgoth directed their actions, and probably also directed them to cover Niënor's tracks. Morgoth also seems to have had some continuing power over Niënor herself, telling her when and where to run, especially since she not only eludes Mablung but ends up running into the arms of Turin. I judge that Melian speaks for Tolkien himself when she absolves Mablung, and again hints that Mablung was not just matched against Glaurung, but against Morgoth himself.