Beleg

Beleg
Tolkien's legendarium character
Beleg Strongbow illustration by Tom Loback
Aliases	Cúthalion Strongbow
Race	Elves
Gender	Male
Book(s)	The Silmarillion, The Children of Húrin

In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Beleg is a major character who appears in numerous books, tales and poems about the First Age of Middle-earth such as The Silmarillion, The Lays of Beleriand and the Children of Húrin.

Beleg's name means "great" or "mighty" in Sindarin. He is further known as Beleg Cúthalion, or Beleg Strongbow. The nickname (epessë) was bestowed for his skill as an archer and is the same in both cases, one being in Sindarin and the other in Common Speech (cú means "bow" and thalion means "strong" or "steadfast").

Beleg was a Sindarin Elf who served in the army of King Elu Thingol of Doriath. He "followed no man", and "could not be restrained". Together with Mablung he is one of the great captains of Thingol. He describes himself with the following verse:

"I am the hunter Beleg - of the hidden people;
the forest is my father - and the fells my home."

Beleg conducts the defence of the realm of Doriath leading smaller companies in actions along the borders as Chief of the Marchwardens. He has larger commands such as the battle in Brethil against a Legion of Orcs as Captain commanding the axe-armed Sindar with Halmir and the Haladin archers. He leads the front line scouts in the battle against Boldog's Orc-host on the North March. Beleg, along with Beren, Thingol, Mablung and Huan, is a member of the party in the legendary hunt of the great wolf Carcharoth. He later defeats Orcs invading Dimbar. Beleg serves in battles of the wider struggle beyond the borders of Doriath fighting in the Fifth Battle. He is said to be unequalled in woodland skills of stalking, hunting and tracking.