Tuor, the Man who became Immortal | Tolkien Explained

Tuor, a man raised by elves, was so great among the people of Gondolin, and such a great instrument of Ulmo, that he would come to be counted among the Eldar. In this video, we cover his childhood in Dor-lomin, his years in captivity under the Easterlings, and his journeys from Vinyamar, to Gondolin, to the Havens of Sirion, and ultimately, into the West.

Along the way, Tuor plays an important role in the history of Gondolin. Not only delivering Ulmo's message, but also leading the survivors from the fallen city. His son, Earendil, would come to fulfill the prophecy of his grandfather - becoming a new star that would give hope to elves and men.

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Rian gives Tuor to Annael - Svirina Vera
Tuor and Ulmo - David Greset
The King's Tower Falls - Alan Lee
A Vision of Gondolin - Peter Xavier Price
Tuor at Vinyamar - Ted Nasmith
And he knew he had tarried overlong - Jenny Dolfen
Hurin and Huor Approaching Gondolin - Donato Giancola
Beleriand Map - Lamaarcana
Rian and Huor - Marya Filatova
Tears Unnumbered - Jenny Dolfen
Day Shall Come Again - Abe Papakhian
Morgoth Curses Hurin - Fumeres Art
Rian searches the Hill of Slain - Alan Lee
Haudh-en-Nirnaeth - Alan Lee
Anfauglith - Matej Cadil
The Hill of Slain - Ted Nasmith
Tuor - Alarie Tano
Tuor From Gondolin - Vrolokya
Tuor in bonds - Juliana Pinho
The Return of Turin to Dor-lomin - Alan Lee
Tuor escapes the Easterlings - Peter Xavier Price
The Gate of the Noldor - Peter Xavier Price
Gate of the Noldor - Jonathan Guzi
And his heart was filled with longing - Jenny Dolfen
Tuor Eladar - Lida Holubova
Tuor Led By The Swans - Ted Nasmith
Tuor at Nevrast - Eric Faure-Brac
Tuor - Lourdes Velez
Tuor and Ulmo - Jacek Kopalski
Ulmo, Lord of Waters - John Howe
Ulmo appears before Tuor - Fabio Leone
The Lord of Waters - Anke Eissmann
Ulmo and Tuor - Daniel Pilla
Tuor and Voronwe - Anke Eissmann
Tuor and the Swans - Jef Murray
Tuor and Voronwe See Turin at the Pool of Ivrin - Ted Nasmith
Cousins - Anke Eissmann
Tuor at Gondolin - Volodymyr Ivanitsky
A Vision of Gondolin - Peter Xavier Price
Tuor - Lourdes Velez
Turgon of Gondolin - Antti Autio
The Curse of Mandos - Lourdes Velez
The delta of the River Sirion - Alan Lee
Turgon, Idril, and Maeglin together - Catherine Karina Chmiel
Gondolin - Alan Lee
Tuor Reaches the Hidden City of Gondolin - Ted Nasmith
Idril - Venlian
Idril with a Green Gem - Venlian
The Coming of Fingolfin - Jenny Dolfen
Helcaraxe - Stefan Meisl
Celebrimbor - Angus McBride
Elven Smith - Tolman Cotton
Elessar, Elfstone - John Howe
Elessar Elfstone - Sarka Skorpikova
Tuor and Idril - Jenny Dolfen
Gar Ainion - Sara M Morello
The Wedding of Tuor and Idril - Alystraea Art
Beren and Luthien - Janka Leteckova
Arwen and Aragorn - Matthew Stewart
He Beheld a Vision of Gondolin Amid the Snow - Ted Nasmith
Lords of Gondolin - Kazuki Mendou
Idril, Tuor, & Maeglin - Catherine Chmiel
Maeglin Lomion and the Black Sword - Sara M Morello
Idril, Earendil, and Tuor - Sarka Skorpikova
Tuor's first view of the sea - Anke Eissmann
Travelling South - Sarka Skorpikova
Melkor - Thomas Rouillard
Gondolin - Kenneth Sofia
Evil in His Heart - Peter Xavier Price
Idril - Ebe Kastein
Gondolin (Gates of Summer) - Alystrea Art
Gondolin Falls - Federico Cimini
The Fall of Gondolin - Ralph Damiani
The Defense of Gondolin - Ozakuya
Maeglin laid hands on Idril and on Earendil - Catherine Chmiel
The Fall of Gondolin - Jonathan Guzi
Maeglin, the Fall of Gondolin - YidanYuan
Family - Liga Kjavina
Glorfindel's Bane - Ted Nasmith
Elwing receives the survivors of Gondolin - Alan Lee
Tuor - Liga Kjavina
Elrond, Elros, Earendil, and Elwing - Jenny Dolfen
Earendil the Mariner - Jenny Dolfen
Earendil - Alarie Tano
Earendil Searches Tirion - Ted Nasmith
Earendil - Alystraea
Vingilot - Lida Holubova
White Ships - Ted Nasmith
Star of Earendil - Alan Lee

#tuor #tolkien #silmarillion

[NerdoftheRings]

Do you think Tuor truly became immortal? Or is it merely a legend among the Elder and Edain?

[yallnallwilliams]

Tuor's story is literally THE most positive ending in The Silmarillion....unlike his valiant cousin.

[lorekeepermeerah]

I love that even though the elves didnt listen to Ulmo, Ulmo still protected the survivors of Gondolin. Good guy ulmo.

[Narutoman]

I swear if TomDaBombadil19 stops donating, I'll riot.

[etienneporras]

The fact that a single man could create a mythos as complex and as enthralling as all the Legends of Greece, Egypt, and Scandinavia is truely awe-inspiring! Tolkien is a true genius and no one can deny that.

P.S. Your narration of these stories are so BEAUTIFULLY well-done. Never stop doing this please!

[aarushpalit]

People worship beren and luthien, aragorn and arwen, but they don't talk about these two. They are UNDERRATED

[qwertyTRiG]

It's amazing how interconnected Tolkien's world is. That light from Eärendil's star, the last surviving Silmaril, helped the Ring bearer on his quest (and vanquished the daughter of Ungoliant) is perfect.

[TheCinderestBlockAround]

It seems like there is no end to the interesting, fascinating, and beautiful things that lay in the depths of Tolkien’s books. Just when you think you’ve heard everything interesting you’re proved wrong.

[pplr]

I can't get over how even minor characters in Tolkien's world are written leaps and bounds better then a lot of modern stories/shows. Truly Tolkien was toppest of tier!

[lukasbocker]

Tuor is amazing. He is just as powerful as his cousin Turin. They are like the two sides of a coin. One walked the light way, joining the elves, married a princess, saved the people of Gondolin and in the end became immortal, the other walked a darker path, became an outcast for some time, but still managed to kill Glaurung (who was in the top 3 threats in the first age in my opinion). Such an amazing family!

[valentinkambushev]

Beren : I had to bring a Silmaril from Melkor himself in order to marrie Luthien, which resulted into me losing a hand and the death of Finrod!
Tuor: That's rough, buddy!

[nathangeorge]

The dogs that follow Tuor and get sent back is actually hilarious to me. Goodest bois.

[lizzies]

Damn Elrond has the coolest family...

God I'd love to see an adaptation of the fall of Gondolin. Great video as always!

[annandune]

The stories of Tuor and Turin are two of the most beautiful of all of Tolkien's stories. Turin's story is so utterly wretched and sad, and Tuor's is full of hope. The moment where Tuor catches sight of Turin for a brief moment on his travels is like one of those poignant moments in time. You are left with the feeling that things could have somehow been different, and yet at the same time feeling as though somehow they couldn't ever have turned out differently from how they did.

That Christopher chose these two stories alongside that of Beren and Luthien to make into longer works is understandable. They have a wonderfully poetic feel to them.

As an aside, what is the music for the first half of the video? It is a very good choice and very atmospheric and evocative.

[ReconciledByFaith]

Tuor and Turin's meeting, of which Turin was unaware, is Tolkien's way of inviting his readers to compare the two cousins. The fact that Gelmir and Arminas from Cirdan also meet both brothers and discuss the differences between them with Turin in Nargothrond reinforces this intentional comparison between them. They were so similar but so different. Both royalty raised in exile by the elves, both lost their parents, both wanted revenge, both mighty warriors with a great fate ahead of them. But Turin had the greater sorrow; he knew what it was that he lost in his parents and their way of life in Dor-lomin, whereas Tuor had no memory of anything other than being raised in the caves with the elves. Turin lost his sister, his father, his mother and younger sister (as it seemed to him), his standing in Doriath, his best friend by his own hand, and eventually everything and everyone else.

Perhaps most importantly and tragically though, Turin also had a different temperament where his own pride often led to the sad events that plagued him. Tuor, on the other hand, always responded with humility and wisdom to the situations that confronted him and followed the counsel of the Valar and the elves. Though his father Huor was not the eldest to receive rule in the house of Hador, his character led him to receive preeminence above Turin who was both the elder of the two and likely the mightier warrior. Tuor is what Turin could have been, apart from Morgoth's curse and his own pride. The meeting of the two happened after Turin had just failed in Nargothrond's outright assaults against Morgoth while Tuor followed different counsel and sought to secretly find his way to the hidden city of Gondolin. The darkness of the Tale of the Children of Hurin is rectified and avenged through another from the house of Hador by whom hope for all Middle Earth would come. This is what is so beautify about Tolkien's work. Though many stories in isolation seemingly lead to utter failure and despair, light breaks through and evil is defeated in the end.

[MenoftheWest]

Great topic brother! Love hearing about this legend of the First Age.

[DoctorMustafaSaad]

I loved how the two stories interconnected when Tuor passed by Turin Turambar in the wild!

[annaanisa]

I swear, when I read the last words by Huor to Turgon I cry EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. The most beautiful words *ever* spoken in The Children of Húrin, my favorite book… 😭💔

[Jayjay-qeum]

"I am Tuor son of Huor of the House of Hador and the kindred of Hurin, and these names, I am told, are not unknown in the Hidden Kingdom." -- Tuor to Elemmakil in Of Tuor and his Coming to Gondolin

[TheMarcHicks]

Tuor's brief encounter with Turin was so cool-even when I first read it in the Silmarillion over 25 years ago.