The tale of Huor, Son of Galdor of Dor-lómin

My name is Huor, son of Galdor, House of Hador. My brother is Húrin Thalion, whose courage all men look up to. I have long walked beside him in the great wars against the servants of Morgoth. We are Men of Dor-lómin, loyal to the Elves of the North and sworn to fight for the freedom of Middle-earth.

I was young when I first saw battle, yet I already experienced the terrible price of what it means to live under shadow. The darkness from the North grows ever stronger, creeping across the lands of Beleriand, burning, corrupting and breaking hope. Still, we of the Edain shall not yield. My brother and I have stood beside the High Elves in their great struggle and seen both their glory and their grief.

Once, by the grace of fate, Húrin and I were saved from the hands of death and taken to a hidden place in the mountains, far out of reach from any evil and for that I will not expose its secrecy. I felt hope for a world  that was not tainted by Morgoth’s darkness, filled with beauty, peace, and the mingling of Elf and Man in friendship. That memory burns within me even now as a reminder that light still exists through the shadow.

Now war gathers again. The hosts of Morgoth swell in the North, and rumors of another great battle spread through every hall. I know that when the horns sound, my brother and I will answer. I do not deceive myself with false hope that there will be no casualties. I know that many will fall, perhaps even I, but I believe no life is wasted in the effort to stop Morgoth.

If I am to die, then let it be with a sword in my hand, standing beside my kin and my king. And if any good remains in this world after me, may it find its way through my line. For even in the darkest hour, the flame of our House will not be smothered.

The Jury's Out: Defending Fëanor

In our class activity we held a mock trial to decide whether Fëanor and his sons were morally responsible for the Doom of Mandos and the tragedy of the Noldor. I was part of the defense team, meaning my job was to argue that even though Fëanor's and his son’s actions were extreme, they were not entirely unjustified. 

At first, I didn't see how Fëanor or his sons could possibly be seen as innocent but after looking  at the evidence more closely, I began to understand their situation. They were bound by an Oath that essentially held them hostage and disobeyed it could bring terrible consequences upon them. 

While I don't believe that killing is right, I can understand where they are coming from and why they did what they did. The jury's decision to find Fëanor and his sons guilty of the Kinslaying of the Elves wasn't a big surprise. Although their actions were somewhat justifiable, they were still crimes and terrible ones to say the least.  

Ultimately, this activity helped me see how complex moral responsibility can be and that its important to understand the full picture of an event before judging what happened.