Dirhavel was a minstrel of the Edain and was only known for one lay in all his life, but it became the greatest and the most remembered of all the lays made by Men in later times. It was the Narn i Chîn Húrin, the "Lay of the Children of Hurin".

HistoryEdit

Dirhavel (or Dirhaval) was of the House of Hador, and had probably fled from Dor-lómin when he came to the Havens of Sirion. Because of his ancestry, he was very interested in the deeds of his house and searched for information among all the refugees. Thus, he met Mablung of Doriath who told him many things about Túrin Turambar by luck he also met an old man called Andvir. He was a son of Androg who had been a member of Turin's outlaw-band.

He used the information he had gathered and wrote in Sindarin a very long, in fact the longest of all from that time, lay in the verse-mode called Minlamad thent/estent. This mode was spoken verse, not unlike the Old English alliterative mode. The Narn i Chîn Húrin tells of the fates of Húrin's children Túrin and Nienor Níniel, with emphasis on Túrin. It is a very tragic story, but the lay was highly praised by the Elves and remembered by them. It is the only full account on Túrin's life, and all later writings on the subject fall back on this one.

Unfortunately, Dirhavel was killed when the Sons of Fëanor finally attacked the Havens of Sirion in the third and last Kinslaying.

EtymologyEdit

The meaning of the name is unknown. It seems to contain the elements dir "watch", el "star", but this is too uncertain to make any guessing.

ReferencesEdit

• The History of Middle-earth vol. 11 Aelfwine and Dirhaval
• The Silmarillion Index

External linksEdit

• Dírhavel at Tolkien Gateway
• The Inklings blogspot