LOTR DP: The Ride of the Rohirrim and The Battle of the Pelennor Fields

[Valandil]

The Ride of the Rohirrim and The Battle of Pelennor Fields

Strap yourselves in, because the action is now getting fierce! I’ve always loved this part of the story – maybe for the exciting pace, maybe that we finally get a part of what we’ve been building toward. It just amazes me though to see how few pages this all covers (10 and 12 in my paperback edition, respectively).

The Ride of the Rohirrim:

We start with Merry among the Rohirrim as they’re encamped for the night, having drawn fairly near to Minas Tirith. He has been traveling with “Dernhelm” – and the others in the company (or “eored”), just seem to ‘look the other way’ in regard to him, not acknowledging his presence because they know he was not supposed to come. This allowance is given because there is some ‘understanding’ between Dernhelm and Elfhelm, who commands this eored. This particular night, things are stirring, drumbeats come continuously from the woods and Merry cannot sleep. Elfhelm, after nearly tripping over him, acknowledges him enough to tell him what’s going on. Some “Woses” – Wild Men of the Woods have come to speak with King Theoden.

Finally, Merry makes his way over to where he can look in and listen in on the pow-wow. He sees a chieftain of these people – who reminds him of the Pukel Men of Dunharrow, the stone figures lining the pass. This chieftain’s name is Ghan-buri-Ghan. Eager to see the destruction of the invading Orc armies, he has come to propose that his people work together with the Rohirrim. Not by helping them on a field of battle, but by being their ears and eyes and helping to put them in the best position to do battle. He shows that he can deliver too; by informing them that Minas Tirith is on fire, by demonstrating that he knows the very number of Theoden’s force, and by revealing his knowledge of an old road that has fallen into disuse, which would be perfect for advancing Rohan’s army directly to the field of battle. All Ghan-buri-Ghan asks is that they kill Orcs – and that they stop hunting his people like beasts.

The Rohirrim agree and make the march along the abandoned road. After leading them there, Ghan-buri-Ghan departs from them in peace, his final words remarking on how the wind has shifted to the south – a change from the east wind which had been blowing the clouds of Mount Doom westward for several days. Soon after, they find indications that Denethor never received word that they were coming – indications in the form of slain messengers and mounts.

The Rohirrim still have a good ride to the city, so after a brief rest, they start up once more, sweeping past some lightly guarded outerworks as they advance. Dernhelm has pulled forward from Elfhelm’s company and near the King and the riders of his household. They drew nearer to the city just before dawn – and can see and smell the fires. Then, even as shadow and fear seem likely to overtake them, a fresh breeze from the south strikes their faces, there comes a flash of lightening (surely the breaking of Minas Tirith’s gate by Grond, from the previous chapter) – and Theoden rises to the occasion. He rallies his men with words of war, seizes a great horn and blows such a blast on it that it bursts asunder, then leads his forces into battle – flying before them on Snowmane. It’s impossible to say it any better than this:

Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!

Suddenly the King cried to Snowmane and the horse sprang away. Behind him his banner blew in the wind, white horse upon a field of green, but he outpaced it. After him thundered the knights of his house, but he was ever before them. Eomer rode there, the white horsetail on his helm floating in his speed, and the front of the first eored roared like a breaker foaming to the shore, but Theoden could not be overtaken. Fey he seemed, or the battle-fury of his fathers ran like new fire in his veins, and he was borne up on Snowmane like a god of old, even as Orome the Great in the battle of the Valar when the world was young. His golden shield was uncovered, and lo! It shone like an image of the Sun, and the grass flamed into green about the white feet of his steed. For morning came, morning and a wind from the sea; and darkness was removed, and the hosts of Mordor wailed, and terror took them, and they fled, and died, and the hoofs of wrath rode over them. And then all the host of Rohan burst into song, and they sang as they slew, for the joy of battle was on them, and the sound of their singing that was fair and terrible came even to the City.

The Battle of the Pelennor Fields:

This epic battle is only 12 pages – and yet 2/3rds of it is devoted to four characters (Theoden, Eowyn, Merry and the Lord of the Nazgul) – two of whom die, two of whom are wounded.

The chapter opens by jumping back to Gandalf’s confrontation with the Lord of the Nazgul – who had just broken through the gates of the city and was about to enter on horseback – only now that the wind has shifted, the morning has come, and the horns of Rohan are heard coming onto the battlefield, he departs from the Gate.

We then pick up once more with Theoden’s charge. He leads his knights against their southern counterparts, the horsemen of the Haradrim, who had come out to attempt to overwhelm him. Their standard of a black serpent upon scarlet would contrast nicely with the white horse on green. Theoden strikes down their leader himself, then cuts down the enemy standard and its bearer.

But then darkness and terror seize Theoden’s men and their horses. Even as he tries to rally them, Snowmane is shot from under him with a black dart (this term was commonly used for arrows) and falls – on top of the King. Then onto the scene arrives the source of this new terror and darkness – the Lord of the Nazgul, now mounted on a fell beast – which sounds quite a bit like a pteranodon, or something. The beast moves in to feast on Snowmane – but a lone knight remains to defend fallen King and steed – Dernhelm, alone and unhorsed – with Merry observing in a daze and in horror.

Words are exchanged. Dernhelm is oddly defiant of the great Lord of the Nazgul – or very protective of the King. The haughty foe boasts that no man may hinder him – but this last is met with laughter, and the revelation that “Dernhelm” is really Eowyn, a woman and not a man – who has disobeyed Theoden’s command to stay with her people and has taken up arms and the guise of a rider to join in the battle, out of her own despair and hopelessness. This revelation gives the Nazgul Lord pause, he must be wondering if he has stumbled upon a loophole. So – he rushes her with his winged mount, but she neatly side-steps, slices off the creature’s head and then jumps back to let it fall (must have been a thing of beauty!).

“Now you’ve made me angry!” (not his exact words) – the Nazgul rises from where he and his beast had fallen, wielding a great mace. Eowyn is armed with shield and sword, but his first blow shatters her shield and breaks her arm, she falls to her knees. All he has to do is finish her off.

But Merry has gathered his wits, snuck around behind, and he strikes at the hated Nazgul Lord just then – right where he can best reach, down low – back of the knee, up under the hem of his protective mail. Now he falls. Eowyn rises and thrusts with all her might where his head must be – the space between his crown and shoulders, and her sword “broke sparkling into many shards”. She fell forward, but only onto the clothing and armor where the Nazgul Lord used to be. He wasn’t there anymore, but a cry went up – and faded away.

Merry stood there for a bit, not really knowing what to do. The arm with which he had struck the Nazgul had lost its use, and he even watched the weapon he used – the dagger from the Barrow Downs – wither and dissolve into smoke before his eyes. He speaks words of parting with Theoden, but is unable to tell him that Eowyn in near. Eomer arrives with his knights – and just before he dies, Theoden gathers himself one last time to signify that Eomer is to be King. Just then Eomer spots Eowyn and assuming that she’s dead, rushes back off into battle. Some of the men stay behind to bear Theoden and Eowyn to the city and to gather together those others of Rohan who had fallen near them. Merry tags along, still pretty much as un-noticed as he had been by Elfhelm’s outfit. Finally Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth comes to them, leading his own knights outward from the city to help the forces of Rohan win the field. He discovers and reveals that Eowyn still lives, then rushes off to the succor of Eomer.

The battle is going… well, OK. The forces of Rohan have been successful thus far, and those of Gondor are advancing onto the field as well – but it looks like things are about to take a turn for the worse. The southern half of the field holds great armies that are still unfought, fresh forces are coming from Osgiliath, and those Mumakil – the Oliphaunts – have just been unassailable. Prince Imrahil has been stymied in trying to unite his forces with Eomer’s – the enemy has engaged them both separately and is driving a wedge up between them.

Just when things are starting to look bad, they start to look worse. Riding that wonderful southern wind, which has now scattered the clouds and fumes of Sauron’s darkness, are ships of Umbar. On enemy of Gondor coming to aid Gondor’s other foes.

Or so it seems. Until the standard of Elendil is unfurled – the one which Arwen had prepared for Aragorn and sent with Halbarad. For Aragorn has traversed the Paths of the Dead and has arrived on the field of battle at just the right time, with his Dunedain kindred, with his companions Gimli and Legolas, and with fresh forces from Gondor’s southern regions, who now have nothing to fear from Umbar. The spirits of Gondor’s allies surge and those of Gondor’s enemies fade. Aragorn leads the charge ashore (apparently mounted) with Narsil reforged into Anduril – and he meets Eomer on the field of battle.

The fight has turned, but the foes are grim. Once the main part of the battle is won, there’s still plenty of mopping-up to do, all across the field. This continues from noon to sunset, by which time there is no living foe left within the Rammas – the outer wall of the Pelennor Fields. Many have fallen, including Halbarad, and a number of the chieftains that Pippin and Beregond had watched marching into the city just days before. The chapter ends with an Ode to the Fallen.


Discussion Questions:

The Ride of the Rohirrim
1. Why did Elfhelm allow Eowyn and Merry to travel with his company? Did he only know about Merry, and think that Eowyn was indeed ‘Dernhelm’ – perhaps a lone rider from a distant part of the land? Or did he know both about Merry and about Eowyn?
2. Was Merry the ONLY one who didn’t realize that Dernhelm was really Eowyn?
3. What do you think about the situation of Ghan-buri-Ghan’s people? They were apparently hunted down by men of Rohan and/or Gondor – but they were willing to ally with them against the forces of Mordor. Sort of a “My enemy’s enemy is my ally” pragmatism. But why would they have more hatred for a new foe than the ones who had pursued them for so long?
4. How did those people of the Druadin Forest both survive and stay separate all those many years, so close to Gondor’s chief city?
5. What do you think of Theoden bursting the horn as he blew it?
6. Comment on that quoted description of Theoden – especially the usages of imagery and color.

The Battle of the Pelennor Fields
1. Now that it has just ended, how is Gandalf’s confrontation with the Lord of the Nazgul at the Gate of Minas Tirith like/unlike his earlier confrontation with the Balrog of Moria?
2. Note the Nazgul’s cry of hatred as his mace fell and broke Eowyn’s shield. Normal Nazgul cry – like the Hobbits have heard since they were in the Shire? A spell?
3. Who killed the Lord of the Nazgul – Merry or Eowyn?
4. Comment on the ‘Warrior Culture’ of the Rohirrim – in particular with the words spoken as they go into battle, and the final words of Theoden to both Merry and Eomer, as well as Eomer’s response.
5. Any comments on Eomer’s reaction to seeing Eowyn? Why did he assume she was dead, instead of checking, like Prince Imrahil would do?
6. Who / what was Gothmog – the lieutenant of Morgul: Man, Orc, Nazgul, Other?

Any other questions, discussions, comments are more than welcome.