Turin vs Maeglin: Who Was Morgoth's Greatest Pawn? | Silmarillion

A haunting comparative analysis of two tragic figures from the First Age who served Morgoth's purposes through radically different paths. Turin Turambar, cursed but never corrupted, destroyed the hidden kingdom of Nargothrond through pride and catastrophic counsel—his bridge meant for defense became Glaurung's invasion route. Every heroic intention turned to ruin through Morgoth's distant diabolic oppression. Maeglin of Gondolin, tortured in Angband, betrayed his city's location but eagerly accepted Morgoth's promises of power and forbidden desire for his cousin Idril. Both destroyed great realms. Both killed those they should have protected. Yet Turin served evil more effectively precisely because he never chose it—becoming Morgoth's masterpiece of cruelty, the hero who fought darkness while casting its longest shadow. The paradox: the greatest pawns are those who believe they're playing their own game.