“Therefore [Iluvatar] willed that the hearts of Men should seek beyond the world and should find no rest therein…[thus] the sons of Men die indeed, and leave the world; wherefore they are called the Guests, or the Strangers. Death is their fate, the gift of Iluvatar, which as Time wears even the Powers shall envy” (Silmarillion, 36).
“Evil have been all thy ways, son of Húrin. Thankless fosterling, outlaw, slayer of thy friend, thief of love, usurper of Nargothrond, captain foolhardy, and deserter of thy kin.” (Glaurung curses Túrin Turambar; Silmarillion, 256).
Death in The Silmarillion in mutlifaceted and reveals two qualities that are opposites: Tragedy and Blessing. While death is given as a “gift” to the race of Men, it also proved to be very tragic in the lives of many central characters in The Silmarillion.
Tragedy
One of the most tragic stories in The Silmarillion concerns the life and death of Túrin Turambar. This man of the House of Hador, son of Húrin Thalion, was a great warrior and was feared by all the orcs of Morgoth. Yet, when he accidentally caused the death of a high-ranking official of Thingol, he began to live the life of an outlaw.
He was pursued by Beleg, who loved Túrin greatly and desired to bring him back from his life as an outlaw. At first he succeeded, but unfortunately Túrin would kill Beleg on accident, mistaking him for an orc. After this point, Túrin would seek to hide his identity and further tragedy would befall him.
In hiding his identity, he fell in love with his sister. Later on in fighting the dragon Glaurung, his sister would come in search for him and it was revealed to her that the man she loved was his brother. Reacting in horror, his sister would commit suicide by jumping into the river.
Túrin, after hearing this truth himself, would also commit suicide and thus end his tragic life.
In reflecting upon this sad story of death and confusion, one thing is revealed: we live in a fallen world. “Death is a consequence of sin” and so we realize that this world we live in is not Paradise and is not as it should have been (CCC 1008). This world has been marked by the ravages of sin. Death too is a result of our fallen nature and is “‘the last enemy’ of man left to be conquered” (CCC 1008).
Blessing
Yet, while death is shrouded by the shadow of Melkor and tainted by sin, it has been “transformed by Christ” and now has that “positive meaning” of a gift (CCC 1009-1010). It has that quality marked by Iluvatar of a “Gift” given to Men to “leave the world.”
(For a more extensive reflection on the “Gift of Men” check out this series of posts)
Thus, we can see in Iluvatar’s “Gift” an anticipation of that redemption wrought by the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. It is through the death of the God-Man that death is destroyed. Death no longer has that “sting” and is turned from a curse to a blessing.
“[Thus], [i]t is better for me to die in Christ Jesus than to reign over the ends of the earth. Him it is I seek – who died for us. Him it is I desire – who rose for us. I am on the point of giving birth. . . . Let me receive pure light; when I shall have arrived there, then shall I be a man” (CCC 1010).
Consequently, death in The Silmarillion is revealed to be both a Blessing and a Tragedy; two features prominent in the reality of our own world.
Note: This is the second post in the series “The Journey Home: Reflections on Death with J.R.R. Tolkien.” Here is the Introduction and Part I. Stay tuned for reflections on death in The Hobbit.