Haleth was the daughter of Haldad, a chieftain of the Haladin, the second of the three houses of Men who came west over the Blue Mountains into Beleriand. Her people first settled in the land of Thargelion, east of Gelion, where Caranthir son of Fëanor held sway.1
Morgoth sent Orcs against them, and the Haladin were driven into the angle between two rivers. There Haldad and his son Haldar were slain. Haleth took command, and held the stockade for seven days against the Orcs until Caranthir's riders came and broke the siege.1
Caranthir offered her lands and lordship under his protection. Haleth was proud, and would not be ruled by Elves, and she declined. She led the remnant of her people west, through great hardship, and at last into the forest of Brethil, where Thingol, at Finrod's word, allowed them to dwell, on condition that they guard the Crossings of Teiglin against the enemy.1
She ruled them there for the rest of her life, and she had no husband or child; her people were called the Folk of Haleth after her, and the rule passed to her brother's son. When she died they buried her in a green mound in the forest, Tûr Haretha, the Ladybarrow.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. 17, “Of the Coming of Men into the West”