Talk:Huan

Inclusion of material from Canto VIII

There's some interesting material in Canto VIII about Huan that I think we could include, especially the part (emphasis mine) that he followed Celegorm into battle and "often" saved him.

...Hounds untold
baying in woods beyond the West 
of race immortal he possessed: 
grey and limber, black and strong, 
white with silken coats and long,
brown and brindled, swift and true 
as arrow from a bow of yew; 
their voices like the deeptoned bells 
that ring in Valmar's citadels,
their eyes like living jewels, their teeth 
like ruel-bone. As sword from sheath 
they flashed and fled from leash to scent 
for Tavros’ joy and merriment. 
In Tavros’ friths and pastures green 
had Huan once a young whelp been.
He grew the swiftest of the swift, 
and Oromë gave him as a gift 
to Celegorm, who loved to follow 
the great God's horn o'er hill and hollow. 
Alone of hounds of the Land of Light,
when sons of Fëanor took to flight
and came into the North, he stayed 
beside his master. Every raid
and every foray wild he shared, 
and into mortal battle dared.
Often he saved his Gnomish lord 
from Orc and wolf and leaping sword. 
A wolf-hound, tireless, grey and fierce 
he grew; his gleaming eyes would pierce 
all shadows and all mist, the scent 
moons old he found through fen and bent, 
through rustling leaves and dusty sand; 
all paths of wide Beleriand
he knew. But wolves, he loved them best; 
he loved to find their throats and wrest
their snarling lives and evil breath. 
The packs of Thû him feared as Death. 
No wizardry, nor spell, nor dart, 
no fang, nor venom devil's art 
could brew had harmed him; for his weird 
was woven. Yet he little feared 
that fate decreed and known to all: 
before the mightiest he should fall, 
before the mightiest wolf alone
that ever was whelped in cave of stone.

Thoughts? Oberiko (talk) 13:32, 19 August 2023 (UTC)