Théoden and Gandalf lead the host of the Rohirrim towards the fords of the Isen to strengthen the forces holding back Saruman’s army. But when they meet a rider coming back from the front line with news of defeat, Théoden takes Gandalf’s counsel and changes course for Helm’s Deep and the mighty fortress of the Hornburg. We look at Unfinished Tales for an account of the recent battle, learn way too much about military supply chains, and discuss Tolkien’s visits to Cheddar Gorge… which leads to far fewer cheesy jokes than might be expected.
For J.R.R. Tolkien’s sketch of “Helm’s Deep and the Hornburg”, please see Tolkien Gateway here.
A big thank-you from the PPP to Bret Devereaux at A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry for his 8-part blog series analyzing the Battle of Helm’s Deep. Please see Bret’s blog here, and follow Bret on Twitter at @BretDevereaux.
Recommended Reading:
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Two Towers: Being the Second Part of The Lord of the Rings (Mariner Books, paperback) “Helm’s Deep”, pp. 514-19
Tolkien, J. R. R. (Christopher Tolkien, ed.) The Silmarillion (Mariner Books, paperback)
“… as if armies long-forgotten were issuing to war from caves beneath the hills.”
Huh, I never caught on before, but that’s foreshadowing isn’t it?