January 13, 2003

Re: Who Was At Helm's Deep
Aiglos

Kevan, the movie added the arrival of the Lothlorien elves; PJ probably added this to illustrate unity between the free peoples of Middle Earth. However, in the book the only people defending Helm's Deep are the men Theoden leads from Edoras and the Helmingas, the people who live in the area around the Deep. Erkenbrand, the master of Helm's Deep, is presumed dead along with the force of men he was with; however, he arrives with the dawn (somewhat similar to the movie) along with a group of Ents and Huorns sent by Treebeard. The attacking force is composed of Saruman's army of Uruk-Hai; there is also a contingent of Dunlendings, a people who lived on Rohan's western borders and who accused the Rohirrim of stealing their land. You may be confusing them with the Easterlings that show up in RotK as part of Sauron's army. One final note: the refugees of Rohan are led to Dunharrow, a hiding place in the mountains, not Helm's Deep.