#dunlend

[theworldsoftolkein]

The Horn of King Helm Sounded by Breath Art The forces of Saruman, common Orcs and Uruk-hai, along with some orc-human hybrids (called "half-orcs and goblin-men" — which may have referred to or included the Uruk-hai themselves) and human Dunlendings, arrived at the valley of Helm's Deep in the middle of the night during a storm. Meanwhile, Legolas the Elf and Gimli the Dwarf agreed to compete, to see which one could kill the most orcs. The attackers quickly scaled over the first defence, Helm's Dike, forcing the defenders there to fall back to the fortress. When the Orcs were close, the defenders drove them back with arrows and stones, but they managed to get close to the wall after multiple charges. They attempted to break down the gate with a battering ram, but a sortie led by Aragorn and Éomer scattered the forces. The Orcs and Dunlendings then raised hundreds of ladders to scale the wall. Aragorn and Éomer repeatedly motivated the tired defenders to repel the Orcs coming up the ladders. However, some Orcs had crept in through a culvert which let a stream out of Helm's Deep, and while the defenders were busy with the assault on the wall, they were suddenly attacked from behind. This was repulsed and the culvert was blocked up under Gimli's supervision. However, the enemies re-entered the culvert and blasted a wide hole in the wall using an ambiguous explosive device invented by Saruman, a "blasting-fire". The defenders then retreated to the Glittering Caves, Éomer and Gimli among them. Soon Saruman's forces broke through the gate and gained entrance to the fortress. At this moment, however, the horn of King Helm was sounded, and a cavalry charge led by Théoden and Aragorn rode forth, followed by all the Rohirrim left inside. They cut their way through the Orcs and drove them back from the fortress walls. Both armies then noticed that strange forest had suddenly sprung up (actually the arrival of many Huorns) which blocked the escape route for the Orcs. Then Gandalf arrived on Shadowfax, with Erkenbrand and a thousand infantry — the remaining strength of the Rohirrim that had been routed at the Fords of Isen. They charged into the fray. The Dunlendings were so terrified of Gandalf that most of them dropped their weapons. The surviving Orcs fled into the "forest" of Huorns, where they were completely annihilated. After the battle, those Dunlendings who surrendered were given amnesty by Erkenbrand and allowed to return home (much to their surprise, since Saruman had told them that the men of Rohan would burn all survivors alive). The Rohirrim required that all hostilities cease, and that the Dunlendings retreat behind the River Isen again and never recross while bearing arms. Before they were freed, though, the Dunlending captives were put to work in repairing the fortress. Among the Rohirrim dead was Háma, captain of Théoden's personal guard and doorward of his hall (he plays a significant role in the previous chapter, "The King of the Golden Hall"). Háma had fallen defending the gate and the Orcs had hewed his body after he died, an atrocity that Théoden did not forget during the upcoming parley with Saruman. Gimli was wounded, but had killed 42 to Legolas' 41. The "forest" of Huorns had disappeared the next morning, and the Orcs had been buried in an earthen-works hill known as "Death's Down".#rohan#riders of rohan

[anghraine]

It's weird to describe any Tolkien thoughts as "coming out of nowhere" given who I am as a person, but I woke up thinking about Ghân-buri-ghân.

I wish the depiction of him were not deeply entrenched in noble savage tropes, because there's something kind of amazing in this idea of a people who have barely survived through the ages yet still persist; who saw the earliest warning signs and ditched Númenor before most people had the slightest idea of what was going to happen; who have gotten profoundly screwed over by basically everyone except (iirc) the Haladin; who have had their own powers since the First Age; who have always been implacable opponents of Morgoth's and Sauron's forces, even as these days they're hunted for sport by the Rohirrim; and at the same time who are facing down the threat of total obliteration by Sauron. And Ghân-buri-ghân manages to navigate all of this and get his people security and autonomy.

So like ... there's a seed of a really intriguing concept there, but I'm not sure Middle-earth has ever been in the right hands to actually do it right.

[hobbitwrangler]

Dunlending Remains

Prompt: Day 7 of @tolkienocweek

Summary: In the aftermath of the Battle of the Hornburg, Gamling, his grandson and an angry Dunlending must reckon with grief and loss.

Character(s): Gamling, Gamling's grandson, original Dunlending character

Rating: T

Word count: 9.7k

She stared at Gamling with a flat, empty expression on her face, waiting to see what he would do. "Greetings," he said. "I am Gamling of the Westfold and you must give me that sword." The girl was unmoved, although he could see the sweat prickling her hairline. "I am Heledd of the Marchag,” she said. Her voice was stiff and hoarse and Gamling saw that the edges of her eyes were red. “This is my father's sword." “It was your father’s sword,” said Gamling. “Until he rose up against us.” It was the wrong choice of words and he knew it. The girl’s lip curled, rage flaring behind her eyes. “We rose up against you,” she said, then repeated it in Rohirric. “We aren’t your subjects, old man. We marched against you - our enemies!” One of the Dunlending prisoners nodded but most shook their heads, glancing warily at the swords and spears that they saw about them. “Yes,” Gamling agreed. “I will grant you that. And we all know what happens to the weapons of the enemy when they have lost.” “I did not fight against you,” said the girl quickly. “Can I not take my father’s sword?”

AO3 link - lovely dividers by @saradika-graphics - tagging @from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras because of minor Rohirrim characters!

[sotwk]

I love that you're also interested in the Dunlendings (Dunlending apologist for life here), they've been my funky little guys ever since I read the books. Every time I watch the movies with anyone I will pause it during the like five seconds of screentime they get to go on a massive lecture about it because I am of course very normal about them

HIGH FIVE! It's probably my middle-child syndrome, but I often feel compelled to side with the people who get the short end of the stick just because they aren't the "favored" ones by the those in power to bestow advantages. Sorry Rohan/Eorl, I love you, and you may have earned it, but that's exactly what happened.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but hadn't the the Dunlendings always been there first? I'm not saying they've been noble in their methods, but I believe beneath all their aggression was just the basic desire to survive and carve out a place for themselves--same as the Haradrim. Same as the Númenóreans! Same as everyone!

The fatal flaws of these "evil" races was just that they were deceived and wound up on the bad side. Perhaps if they hadn't grown desperate and bitter from their losses and the wrongs they've suffered, they would have been less prone to falling for Sauron/Saruman's lies, eh?

Anywaaaaaay. Sorry, didn't meant to preach to the choir. XD

Does that mean I have plans to incorporate Dunlending OCs in my upcoming fics? Absolutely!

And you can bet they're not going to be dirty, ugly, violent, or boorish as portrayed in the Two Towers, either!

I mean, come on. They didn't have to take "Wild Men" so literally.

[chadsuke]

why are they making a lord of the rings anime,,,

[cupkakie]

Watching the trailer for The War of the Rohirrim leaves me, at best, hopeful and at worst, sinking into cynicism hoping that it won't be a reprise of the RoP treatment by Amazon.

I don't know if I should take it as a warning sign that a Halbrandriel? Saurondriel? shipper finds parallels in a seeming enemies to lovers (but I would argue the lovers part gets thrown out the window when you look at the lore, even if the movie hints that in childhood a friendship existed between the two as children).

If this will be more of a Héra-centered movie, I wonder if the movie will also pose the question of deeds remembered or what gets recorded in history as a possible answer to why she was not named or why her potential deeds were not remembered as other members of her family were, like her father, brothers, or cousin Fréaláf.

Then again, Tolkien must have had his reasons for not including more information about her. I just hope they do give equal attention to her father and brothers in the story.

In short, I just hope this film is nothing like the hot trash fire that is Rings of Power.

[archaic-arda]

Frank Frazetta

[vakarians-babe]

thought too hard about tolkien things again. going steadily insane.

[piano-hoarder]

This is the funniest thing I've seen all week

(from behind the making of Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers)

via YouTube.com

[lcl-taste-tester]

Finally getting through the lotr books after having been a huge fan of the series through the films for a long time is such a bizarre experience for a lot of reasons but the thing that's sticking out to me the most is how different the orcs are? Specifically how human they seem and how talkative they are. The conflict between the Uruk-Hai and Moria goblins is extended a lot and really fleshes them out and they have a whole back and forth with Aragorn at helms deep. It's much harder to buy into the sort of post lotr mindless evil type thing and as a lifelong orc/evil fantasy "race" lover it's honestly all the more disappointing that even this already pretty bad position got dumbed down to the point that no one blinked at orcs being barely above beasts in the films

[eomer]

I posted 2,098 times in 2022

That's 312 more posts than 2021!

152 posts created (7%)

1,946 posts reblogged (93%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@corvidexoskeleton

@bubbise

@nocompromise-noregrets

@kagrenacs

@daggerfall

I tagged 1,335 of my posts in 2022

Only 36% of my posts had no tags

#rop - 214 posts

#lotr - 207 posts

#tes - 163 posts

#silm - 101 posts

#art - 53 posts

#rop spoilers - 51 posts

#sayings - 46 posts

#the hobbit - 41 posts

#my doodles - 35 posts

#animals - 26 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#i’m also really worried about the show runners glorifying helm hammerhand over the dunk endings whos…lands were stolen in the first place by

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

the gladekeeper’s mercy

song inspo: x x

85 notes - Posted April 29, 2022

#4

martin septim portrait for an old six fanarts challenge 

91 notes - Posted March 15, 2022

#3

flying to fishing grounds

music: x

98 notes - Posted October 7, 2022

#2

lotr fandom: i need there to be a big open world lotr rpg

lotro: hi

lotr fandom: not you 

lotro: i’m literally what you’re describing 

104 notes - Posted May 11, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

But I think you will scream, mortal. For now, you face the one true god."

(my nerevarine and a loose interpretation of ayem duking it out in CWC)

140 notes - Posted January 15, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[fandom-imagines-stories]

Fire Moon

Kili Durin x Reader

Words: 2482

Summary: While on an escort detail with the dwarven princes, you and Kili witness an event that prompts him into a romantic realization. 

Notes: I’ve written a lot of angst for Kili and you know what, the boy deserves some fluff. So I’m going to attempt some cozy adventure fluff for one of my favorite fantasy boys of all time. 

-

Exhaustion weighed heavily over the camp. 

Every step took more effort than you thought you had left. You’d just about completed your patrol when you heard the footsteps behind you. You reached for your sword. 

“You look too tired to lift that, let alone use it,” Kili teased, stepping into the light of your torch. 

You huffed and took your hand off the hilt. Still, even through your fatigue you couldn’t help but smile. 

“Aren’t you supposed to be helping your brother look over the supplies?”

He shrugged. “Fili can handle it. Besides, he always accuses me of stealing the apples.”

“Don’t you?” You scoffed. 

Kili winked and tossed you the bright red fruit. “Though you might be hungry.” 

You laughed, shaking your head. “Thanks.” You took a bite, the bright taste helping restore you a little.

“We should be in Rohan in a couple of days,” he said, taking another apple from his pocket. He spoke with his mouthful of the fruit. “The merchants should find decent trade there.”

“If they can manage not to get themselves killed.” You started walking again.

He followed, chuckling. “They aren’t exactly the exploring type, are they?”

“I’ve saved at least a dozen from poisonous plants alone.” Your hands moved with your words, emphasizing your frustration. 

He thought it was adorable. 

“I’m worried, should we run into any Dunlendings, these people won’t just be unable to defend themselves, they’ll get in our way of defending them” you sighed. 

“I’m sure we’ll manage.” He nudged your shoulder, grinning. “You look so serious.” Kili mockingly mimicked your expression, unable to hold it for long before he was beaming again. “This is supposed to be an adventure.”

“We’re charged with keeping them safe and I can’t do that if they keep putting themselves in danger!” You exclaimed. 

Kili raised a brow. “You really are tired, hmm?” He snickered. 

You laughed, running a hand down your face. “Shut up.” 

A content quiet settled between you as you took in the scenery around. Even in the dark, the silhouettes of the Misty Mountains still took your breath away. 

“I’d forgotten,” you mused. 

Kili tilted his head. “Forgotten what?”

You smiled and took his hand. “Why I agreed to come on this venture in the first place.”

Kili brought your hand up to his lips, holding it a little tighter. His dark honey eyes met yours with nothing less than utter happiness. 

“Well, we’re fortunate you could join us,” he chuckled. “Who knows what kind of trouble Fili and I would get into if you weren’t here to keep us in line.” 

You snorted. “I’m sure he’d say the same about you and me.” 

“He mentioned it just this morning, actually,” Kili beamed. 

“What a trio we make.” You looked over the camp and sighed. All these people traveling to gather supplies to take all the way back to their homes. They worked and prayed and fought to protect something you’d never had. Not that you always minded. With the stars over your head and Kili’s hand in yours, you knew you would be content anywhere. 

Besides, you were far too restless to ever stay in one place. As were your traveling companions. Even now, Kili could hardly stand still. 

You stretched beside him, yawning. 

“You should get some rest,” Kili said. “I can take watch for the next few hours.”

You shook your head. “I’ll be fine.” You yawned again before you could stop it. 

He shook his head and pressed a kiss to your temple. “Sleep, my darling.” The rumble of his voice warmed every inch of you. 

You knew there was no point in arguing. 

“Only if you promise to sleep as well.” You leaned in, lips brushing his ear. “It gets too cold without you.”

Kili turned his head, quickly capturing your lips in a kiss. He smirked. “I’ll do a few rounds and then switch with one of the others.”

You gave him another quick kiss before heading back to where you’d set up your bedrolls. 

Kili watched you go, his grin never faltering for a second. In all the years he’d known you and all the time you’d been together, Kili had still never gotten used to simply gazing at you. 

“You’re supposed to be watching the whole camp, you know,” Fili teased, appearing at his brother’s side. 

Kili cleared his throat and turned to the tents. “I am.”

Fili chuckled, shaking his head. “I still can’t believe that the girl who followed us around, demanding archery lessons grew up to be-” he motioned to your retreating figure, “well, Y/N.”

“I think she’s always been beautiful,” Kili mused, the taste of your kiss still lingering in his smile. 

Fili snorted. “That’s not what you said the first time you took her shooting.” He ruffled his younger brother’s hair. “Ah, the power love has over memory.”

Kili stopped dead. “L-love?” He stammered. 

“It’s only an expression,” Fili laughed. He watched Kili’s face turn red. “Unless… by the gods, you are in love!”

Kili yanked him aside. “Would you keep your voice down?” He hissed. 

Fili lit up with a mischievous smile. “You haven’t told her?”

“There hasn’t exactly been a good time.” Kili crossed his arms and turned away, looking more bashful than Fili had ever seen him. 

Fili pat him on the back. “Well, I wish you the best of luck, brother.” He snickered. “You’re going to need it.”

-

Fili cast many knowing looks in your direction the next day. Every side-glancing smirk made you wonder just what the dwarven prince was keeping from you. Unfortunately, you took the middle of the party while he stayed in the back, so you didn't get the chance to interrogate him. 

Kili, on the other hand, couldn't seem to get away from you quickly enough. Every time you approached him, he came up with some excuse to get away. Even last night, he’d remained distant, staring up at the stars while he lay across the grove from you. Between that and Fili’s odd attention, you couldn’t help the doubts that began to flit through your head. 

Had you done something wrong?

Another day of travel passed, vast and rolling fields to one side and jagged, towering peaks to the other. The mountain breeze wisped through your hair. Its briskness carried the scent of wildflowers and helped to distract from your thoughts. 

Kili, who was leading the party, called everyone to a stop. This would be where you camped tonight. It was a good spot- near a creek, trees for firewood, and plenty of rabbits for restocking previsions. But since he was giving you the cold shoulder, you kept this praise to yourself. 

He and Fili met you in the middle to tie up your ponies and discuss the evening’s plan. But once the ponies were secured, the three of you just… stood there. An odd and unfamiliar tension hung between you. 

So Fili took matters into his own hands. 

“Some of the merchants were talking,” he said, glancing between the two of you. “Apparently, they saw some smoke along the ridge.” 

Kili made a face. “I didn’t see any smoke.”

“I did,” Fili said- a little too quickly, you noted. He put a hand on you and Kili’s shoulders. “You two should go scout it out.” And before either of you could argue, he continued. “We wouldn’t want to be surprised by a group of Dunlendings, would we?” He hurried off to join the others, turning back just for a moment. “Don’t get killed. I’m sure you’ll have plenty to talk about when you get back.”

Fili shot his brother a wink. 

Kili promptly reddened and muttered a string of curses. 

“He seems… odd today,” you noted, watching the blonde vanish amongst the tents. 

“It’s a long story,” Kili grumbled and started up the path. 

You took a deep breath, trying in vain to banish the worries pounding through your head like a war drum.

Fili was right about one thing. 

It would certainly be an interesting night. 

-

It was hard to remain irritated once you began to take in the beauty around you. Massive trees enveloped you on either side, giving you glimpses of the rocky landscape through their branches. Birds and frogs filled the air along with the bubbling of creeks made from snowmelt. The setting sun cast the world in hues of orange and gold, giving the mountain peaks the illusion of being capped with fire. 

“We should be at the top of the ridge within the hour,” Kili said, hiking slightly behind you. 

“I’m not sure we need to go that far,” you observed. “I see no sign of smoke at all. And besides, why would Dunlendings be camped out this far?”

Kili caught up to you. He looked strange, almost nervous. This only worsened your confusion. 

“Why don’t we go anyway?” He gave you a small smile. “Just to be sure.”

You watched him for a second, tilting your head as if he was a riddle you couldn't solve. 

“Alright,” you finally said and the two of you continued onward, now walking side by side. 

Kili felt more anxious than he was when he faced his first one. Every time you glanced at him, the butterflies in his stomach turned brutal, and each time you smiled at the stunning view, he wanted to catch your lips with his and never let go. 

You tried your best to pretend like everything was normal despite the fact that lightning seemed to shoot up your arm every time his hand grazed yours. 

“I heard of a town with a goblin problem not far from Ered Luin,” you said. “Perhaps we could head there when we escort the merchants home.”

Kili nodded. 

You continued in silence.

A deer ran across your path to drink from the creek. Its large brown eyes watched the two of you and must have determined you posed no threat for it bowed its head down to the cool mountain waters. 

This, you thought, was all you needed. The air of the Misty Mountains, the pleasant tiredness of a day’s adventure, and someone to share it with. 

You just hoped that Kili felt the same. 

With the sun almost set completely, the first stars blinked their soft white light over you. Even Kili, who’d only ever seen them as a cold, distant light, couldn’t help but marvel at their splendor. Everything just seemed more beautiful now. 

By the time you reached the top of the ridge, you both knew there’d be nothing to find, but you stayed to enjoy the view anyway, lit by the stars and the lingering light just on the horizon. 

Across a canyon, evergreens painted the rocky hillside with shoots of autumn gold running in between like veins. A distant waterfall twinkled in the starlight. 

Breathless, you stood at the edge, taking in every sight and sound. 

“It’s beautiful,” you gasped. 

“Yes, it is,” Kili agreed, though he wasn’t looking at the mountain at all. 

You turned and he quickly glanced away. Your heart pounded. It was now or never, you supposed. 

“Have I done something?” You blurted. 

Kili’s nose scrunched up adorably, his brows drawing together. 

“What?”

“Well, you’ve been different and I thought I may have done something.” You could feel your cheeks grow pink. 

“No,” he paused, smirking at himself, “well, I suppose, in a way-” He thought of the way you smiled at every person in the camp, even when they irritated you. He thought of how your eyes lit up when you saw something beautiful, like the view before you now. How, even in the dark, it pained him not to see you for a single moment. 

Your stomach sank. You took his hand. “What is it? If I’ve said something or done something to upset you, then please tell me now.”

Kili’s expression morphed, a bright smile taking over his features, bringing a light to his eyes that rivaled the stars. 

“No, Amrâlimê,” he said sweetly, “the only thing you have done is be the incredible woman you are.” Kili took a breath, holding your hand to his chest to feel you closer. “The woman I have fallen utterly and completely in love with.”

He kissed your fingers, then your palm, then the inside of your wrist.

“K-Kili,” you breathed, feeling as though you’d given all of the air in your lungs away. Like you had given yourself to him completely. You opened your mouth to tell him this, but both of you turned as you were swallowed by a warm light like the most powerful and enchanting sunrise. But it was not the sun rising about the dark peaks and emerald trees.

It was the moon. Impossibly large and glowing it embraced everything in reds and oranges and golds. It turned the already incredible view of the canyon into a wall of magic.

“A fire moon,” Kili gasped. “I’ve only ever heard tales of them for old explorers. Truly the stories cannot compare.”

The moon continued its ascent slowly, both of you frozen by its brilliance. The pure rays washed over you, giving you all the clarity you needed. 

“Marry me,” you said suddenly.

Kili tore his eyes away from the celestial splendor to look at you in surprise. The light surrounded you with an ethereal glow. You were the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. 

You continued, stepping closer to him so that your faces were breaths apart.

“I love you, Kili of the Line of Durin,” you beamed, tucking a strand of chestnut hair behind his ear. “This journey has shown I don’t want a single adventure without you by my side. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” You paused, trying to gauge his response, but he remained entranced. “If you’ll have me.” 

Speechless, Kili simply took your face in his hands and brought your lips to his for a kiss with a passion that outshone the light of the Fire Moon ten times over. When he pulled away, he could hardly contain his joy.

“Yes,” he said. “A thousand times yes. Amrâlimê… my love… my Y/N.” He kissed you again and again in between each wonderful phrase until you were both breathless and laughing. Kili’s eyes widened with realization. “We must tell Fili at once! This was all his doing, getting us to come up here so I would stop being such a coward.” He grinned, his boyish playfulness returning. 

You smirked. “First, let’s punish him for his trickery and stay here a while longer. Make him worry a little.”

Kili chuckled. “You are a devious thing, aren’t you?” 

“Yes,” you giggled, “but you love me anyway.”

Kili laid a hand on your cheek. “That I do.” 

He pulled you into his arms and held you beneath the brilliant moon.

[gwaedhannen]

I kinda feel like with how much Elrond gets depicted as the heir to Doriath or Gondolin or the House of Fëanor, or all or none of the above, we sometimes forget about his human half.

(or human 3/8ths, whatever)

On Balar, did he ever wander among the escapees from Dor-lómin, the fled from Brethil, the survivors from Sirion, learning their songs and stories and hopes and griefs? Did he find his childhood playmates, now grown? Did any survive? Does he remember them?

Did he ever stand beside his brother as Elros gave mighty speeches of unity and the strength of the Secondborn? Did he, in battle or in uneasy alliance, meet the descendants of those who betrayed Maglor and his kin, who enslaved Tuor and his kin?

Did he ever brave the moonless dark of Taur-nu-Fuin, seeking the ruins of Ladros or the mire that was once Tarn Aeluin? Did he ever wander the scorched plains and shattered encampments of Estolad? Did he see the Hill of Slain and guess which skeleton may have been more recent than the rest? Was another skeleton holding its hand, an arrowhead in its skull?

Did he grudge Elros the Bow of Bregor or Dramborleg or the Ring of Barahir? Did he think to keep relics for himself, if immortal memory could not suffice? Did he know the Bow's name?

In Lindon, did he befriend the Men who refused Númenor? Did he live alongside them for centuries as they lived and died? Did he seek out Dor Firn-i-Guinar, if it may have survived?

Did he find it?

Did he send letters to the West through Númenor, seeking the truth of Tuor's fate? Did he ask after the ancient legends and myths of the House of Bëor, now only remembered by Finrod Atandil? Did he befriend the ancestors of the Dunlendings, distant kin of the House of Haleth? Did he speak against the deforestation of Enedwaith and Minhiriath, their homeland? Did he welcome those who fled into Imladris, if they sought it?

Did he visit Númenor? Did its kings listen to his counsel? When did they stop?

Did he welcome Elendil as a kinsman, as a nephew, or as a stranger?

(I could go on into the Third Age but I think this is getting long enough already.)

[demifiendrsa]

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim | Official Trailer

Japanese Trailer

Synopsis

Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg— a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.

[opinions-about-tiaras]

So apparently the Rohirrim-focused Lord of the Rings animated movie is actually happening. I have to say that after it kept getting pushed back and there was no hype, no trailers, no nothing, I thought it wouldn't. But no, they showed like twenty minutes at Annecy and apparently it looks pretty good? They released no trailer to the public, but they did release some promo images, and I like what I'm seeing:

Image quality is kind of shitty, but that sure is the Golden Hall, and I do like a redhead. Very Princess Mononoke vibe from the whole thing.

So this is honestly a pretty good idea. I have zero interest in watching old man Viggo Mortensen track Gollum for four hours. That is... that does nothing for me. But the saga of Helm Hammerhand is a great hook; it's in familiar, iconic locations, but the events themselves are sketched out so roughly you can do an awful lot with them. There's political machinations, betrayal, war, conquest, pride, envy, some of that good shit that Tolkien really excelled at. Helm's daughter didn't even have a name in the appendices, which means that you're free to flesh her out just about any way you like.

But anyway! This got me to thinking about Helm and his reign.

So I hauled my books down off the shelf and read up on ol' Helm, and... okay, wow. I was honestly sort of surprised by what I found there. I remembered this, but hadn't really thought about it before.

Helm, the storied king of Rohan, second in renown only to Theoden and Eorl himself, is sort of... he isn't great. He sort of sucks, actually, I think.

You know what, I'm just going to excerpt the whole thing, which isn't that long:

Of the Kings of the Mark between Eorl and Theoden most is said of Helm Hammerhand. There was at that time a man named Freca, who claimed descent from King Freawine, though he had, men said, much Dunlendish blood, and was dark-haired. He grew rich and powerful, having wide lands on either side of the Adorn. Near its source he made himself a stronghold and paid little heed to the king. Helm mistrusted him, but called him to his councils; and he came when it pleased him. To one of these councils Freca rode with many men, and he asked the hand of Helm's daughter for his son Wulf. But Helm said: "You have grown big since you were last here; but it is mostly fat, I guess"; and men laughed at that, for Freca was wide in the belt. Then Freca fell into a rage and reviled the king, and said this at the last: "Old kings that refuse a proffered staff may fall on their knees." Helm answered: "Come! The marriage of your son is a trifle. Let Helm and Freca deal with it later. Meanwhile the king and his council have matters of moment to consider." When the council was over, Helm stood up and laid his great hand on Freca's shoulder, saying: "The king does not permit brawls in his house, but men are freer outside"; and he forced Freca to walk before him out from Edoras into the field. To Freca's men that came up he said: "Be off! We need no hearers. We are going to speak of a private matter alone. Go and talk to my men!" And they looked and saw that the king's men and his friends far outnumbered them, and they drew back. "Now, Dunlending," said the king, "you have only Helm to deal with, alone and unarmed. But you have said much already, and it is my turn to speak. Freca, your folly has grown with your belly. You talk of a staff! If Helm dislikes a crooked staff that is thrust on him, he breaks it. So!" With that he smote Freca such a blow with his fist that he fell back stunned, and died soon after. Helm then proclaimed Freca's son and near kin the king's enemies; and they fled, for at once Helm sent many men riding to the west marches.

It's been some years since I read this, and I have to say that... well.. Helm doesn't come off as the wronged party here, or as a just, evenhanded king. He comes off as a murderous asshole.

Freca is clearly an overmighty vassal, not doing proper homage to his king. This is a good reason for said king to mistrust him, but so far he hasn't done anything actually wrong.

Freca wants to make a match between his son and a daughter of the royal house. As someone with royal blood himself, a cousin to the king (Freawine is Helm's great-grandfather; Freca is probably Helm's third or second cousin) who has a mighty fief, Wulf would be an acceptable match. Helm, however, doesn't just demur, refusing the match; he responds to the offer with an insult. That's his right as king, of course, but it's still a dick move.

Freca responds by getting angry and "reviling" his king, and then issuing a veiled threat; saying in essence that Helm needs him more than he needs Helm. This crosses a number of lines; even when the king insults you in front of his entire court, you really can't do that back to him. Helm would be entitled to demand an apology, or banish Freca from his councils, or any one of a number of other appropriate proportionate punishments.

Instead Helm escalates about as far as you can escalate. First he forces Freca from his hall, probably so he can't be said to have slain a guest beneath his roof. (The Rohirrim are based on Anglo-Saxon cultural traditions and this had a strong, though not unbreakable, concept of guest right. I'm making a bit of an assumption there, tho.) Then he essentially says that in his eyes, Freca isn't one of the Eorlingas, one of the Men of the Mark; he is a Dunlending, which of course places him outside of the king's protection.

Then Helm simply straight-up murders him with his bare hands in cold blood.

Following this murder, of which there is not even a pretense of it being an act of a king dispensing justice rather than that of a thug murdering a rival, Helm puts the cherry on the sundae by dispossessing Helm's heirs and family and driving them from their homes by force.

And I mean. Fuck me. This is classic "how blood feuds start" shit. If I were Wulf I abso-fucking-lutely would have raised an army and come back and conquered the shit out of Rohan. The king murdered your dad! In front of everyone!

Helm Hammerhand is the proximate cause of his own kingdom's near-demise.

[trendfilmsetter]

First look at THE LORD OF THE RINGS: WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM directed by Kenji Kamiyama

Starring Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, Luke Pasqualino, Miranda Otto, Laurence Ubong Williams, and Shaun Dooley

Synopsis: A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan, and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg.

Releasing in theaters December 13th