Tuesday, October 15, 2019

A Few Stories About the Rohirrim

Uglúk's lore:
  • they "have better night-eyes than most Men" (454)
    • STATUS: This may or may not be true; riders miss the hobbits at night (457) but are described as "keen-eyed" when they hunt down the remaining orcs  after dawn (459)
  • "their horses [...] can see the night-breeze" (454)
    • STATUS: confirmed, in Tolkien's typically ambivalent way: "Whether because of some special keenness of sight, or because of some other sense, the horse lifted and sprang lightly over them; but its rider did not see them" (457)
Isengarders' taunts to the Northern orcs:
  • they "will catch you and eat you" (452)
    • STATUS: hahaha! or more likely, leave your stinking orc corpses on the road unburied -- except where the corpses are numerous enough to burn in a big heap (440)
Aragorn's explanation of what he, Gimli and Legolas have observed:
  • "they do not heed the wrath of Fangorn, for they come here seldom, and they do not go under the trees" (441)
Story that they pay tribute to Sauron/Mordor:
  • At the Council of Elrond, Gandalf reports Gwaihir's words: "They pay a tribute of horses [...] and send many yearly to Mordor, or so it is said; but they are not yet under the yoke" (262).  Aragorn is very surprised and deeply grieved to hear this; Boromir is certain it is "a lie that comes from the Enemy" (id.)
  • On the brink of actually meeting them, Gimli reminds Legolas and Aragorn that "Gandalf spoke of a rumor that they pay tribute to Mordor" (431).  Aragorn now says he believes it "no more than did Boromir" (431), although he remains uncertain about their loyalties (262, 430, 433). 
    • STATUS: When Gimli asks about it, Éomer angrily refutes it (436).

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