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dragon, and o'erwritten with runes by wrights of old (cf. the Narn: 'on it were graven runes of victory'). But nothing is here said of how Hurin came by it, beyond the fact that it was his heirloom. Very notable is the passage (307 ff.) in which is described Thingol's handling of the helm as his hoard were scant, despite his possession of dungeons filled/with Elfin armouries of ancient gear. I have commented previously (see II. 128 -- 9, 245 -- 6) on the early emphasis on the poverty of Tinwelint (Thingol): here we have the first appearance of the idea of his wealth (present also at the beginning of the Lay of Leithian). Also notable is the close echoing of the lines of the poem in the words of the Narn, p. 76:
    *Doncinion is marked on the decorated map by Pauline Bayncs, as a region on the North-western shores of the Sea of Rhun. It must bc presumed that this, like other names on that map, was communicated to her by my father (see Unfinished Tales p. 261, footnote), but its placing seems surprising.) Yet Thingol handled the Helm of Hador as though his hoard were scanty, and he spoke courteous words, saying: 'Proud were the head that bore this helm, which the sires of Hurin bore.'
    There is also a clear echo of lines 315-18
    Then a thought was thrust into Thingol's heart, and Turin he called and told when come
    that Morwin his mother a mighty thing
    had sent to her son, his sire's heirloom
    in the prose of the Narn:
    Then a thought came to him, and he summoned Turin, and told him that Morwen had sent to her son a mighty thing, the heirloom of his fathers.
    Compare also the passages that follow in both works, concerning Turin's being too young to lift the Helm, and being in any case too unhappy to heed it on account of his mother's refusal to leave Hithlum. This was the first of his sorrows (328); in the Narn (p. 75) the second.
    The account of Turin's character in boyhood (341 ff.) is very close to that in the Tale (II. 74), which as I have noted before (II. 121) survived into the Narn (p. 77): the latter account indeed echoes the poem ('he learned much lore', 'neither did he win friendship easily'). In the poem it is now added that in cueaving song/he had a minstrel's mastery, but mirth was not in it.
    An important new element in the narrative enters with the companion-ship of Beleg and Turin (wearing the Dragon-helm, 377) in warfare on the marches of Doriath:
    how Beleg the ageless was brother-in-arms
    to the black-haired boy from the beaten people. (416 -- 17) Of this there is no mention in the Tale at all (II. 74). Cf. my Commentary, II. 122:
    Turin's prowess against the Orcs during his sojourn in Artanor is given a more central or indeed unique importance in the tale ('he held the wrath of Melko from them for many years'), especially as Beleg, his companion-in-arms in the later versions, is not here mentioned.
    In the poem the importance to Doriath of Turin's warfare is not diminished, however:
    for by him was holden the hand of ruin
    from Thingol's folk, and Thu feared him (389 -- 90) We meet here for the first time Thu, thane most mighty/neath Morgoth Bauglir. It is interesting to learn that Thu knew of Turin and feared him, also that Morgoth ordered Thu to assault Doriath: this story will reappear in the Lay of Leithian.
    In the story of Turin and Orgof the verses are very clearly following the prose of the Tale, and there are many close likenesses of wording, as already noted. The relation of this scene to the later story has been discussed previously (II. 121 -- 2). Orgof still has Gnome-blood, which may imply the continuance of the story that there were Gnomes among Thingol's people (see II. 43). The occasion of Turin's return from the forest to the Thousand Caves (a name that first occurs in the poem) becomes, as it seems, a great feast, with songs of Valinor -- quite unlike the later story, where the occasion is in no way marked out and Thingol and Melian were not in Menegroth (Narn p. 79); and Turin and Orgof