Beleg was a Sinda of Doriath, the chief of the marchwardens who guarded its borders for Thingol. He was called Cuthalion, the Strongbow, and he was the greatest archer of his people and a hunter without equal in Beleriand.1
He was the friend of Túrin son of Húrin, who was brought to Doriath as a boy and grew up in Thingol's halls. When Túrin, having killed Saeros, fled the Girdle of Melian and became a leader of outlaws, Beleg was one of the few who never gave up on him. He left the safety of the wardens and went into the wild to find him.1
He found Túrin leading a band of outlaws in the wild, fought beside him, and lived with him for a time, but could not persuade him to return to Doriath. When the Orcs, guided by the Petty-dwarf Mîm, took Túrin and carried him off in bonds, Beleg followed them through the passes, and met on the way the Elf Gwindor, who had escaped from Angband.1
Beleg came upon Túrin bound in Taur-nu-Fuin and went to cut him free with Anglachel, a sword he had been given by Thingol. In the dark Túrin woke and took Beleg for an enemy and killed him with the sword. When he understood what he had done, he was struck dumb with grief, and so began his long descent into the darker part of his doom.1
Sources
Citations name the chapter rather than the page, so they work in any edition. The colour of each note shows what kind of source it is.
- Edited posthumously The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales and Tolkien's late writings on the Elder Days, assembled by Christopher Tolkien from his father's papers.
- Edited posthumously The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, ch. 21, “Of Túrin Turambar”