He has taken Orcs into his service, and Wolf-riders, and evil Men
Wolf-riders,[1][2][3][4] or wolfriders,[5] were groups of "Orcs or Orclike beings" that rode on wolves.[6]
History
Orcs used wolves as steeds during the First Age.[7] Wolfriders partook in the Battle of Unnumbered Tears alongside wolves and Dragons.[8][9]
During the Third Age, there were alliances that were made between the Wargs in the Vales of Anduin and the Orcs of the Misty Mountains against the Woodmen. The Orcs sometimes rode on wolves.[10] During the Battle of Five Armies, the swiftest wolf-riders were used by the Orcs and Wargs as a vanguard to attack Dale, where they killed many Dwarves and Lake-men before being defeated on the eastern slopes of the Lonely Mountain.[4]
During the War of the Ring, Saruman employed Wolf-riders alongside Orcs and evil Men to harass Rohan.[1] These Wolf-riders[1] were mostly used in tracking fugitives or destroying isolated groups.[11]
On 25 February, "a great pack of the dreaded Orcish wolfriders" were part of the vanguard of the eastern force that Saruman had sent to slay Théodred during the First Battle of the Fords of Isen.[5] These wolfriders[5] were "feared by horses"[5] as they passed through gaps between horsemen and slashed at the bellies of the horses.[11] After Théodred's death,[5] two wolfriders were reported by Elfhelm's outriders, causing him to ride to the Fords of Isen instead of to the Hornburg at Helm's Deep.[5]
On 2 March, "several troops of the dreaded wolfriders" were sent along the eastern bank of the Isen as forerunners to the main division of Saruman's forces. These wolfriders tried to attack Elfhelm's companies and prevent him from reinforcing Grimbold.[5]
After the Second Battle of the Fords of Isen, it was reported by a swift scout "that wolf-riders were abroad in the valley" about Helm's Deep.[2]
Gandalf had sent Elfhelm "with many Riders to Edoras" because he was afraid of "wolf-riders and plunderers" riding to Meduseld when no-one was there to defend it.[3]
Other versions of the legendarium
In the early version of the legendarium in The Book of Lost Tales, Beren slew many "wolf-rider Orcs"[12] during his adventures prior to entering Doriath.[13]
In an early version of the Battle of Tumhalad in the tale of "Turambar and the Foalókë", some of the Orcs in Glorund's army were "mounted upon wolves".[14]
In the immediate aftermath of the Fall of Gondolin in the first version of the tale, Eärendel and six of the Exiles of Gondolin were chased by a score of wolfriders in Tumladin before being rescued by Tuor and the folk of the Wing. Two of the wolfriders escaped. After going through the Encircling Mountains, the Exiles of Gondolin became fearful of encountering any wolfriders.[15]
After the Battle of Unnumbered Tears in The Lay of the Children of Húrin, wolfriders roamed freely alongside "wandering Orcs and the Things of Morgoth" throughout Beleriand.[16]
After the fall of Dor-Cúarthol in The Lay of the Children of Húrin, wolf-riders were among the Orcs and Wolves that took Túrin captive.[17]
In a very early draft of The Lord of the Rings, Treebeard took Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took across Rohan to Minas Tirith, but after smelling some war, they all witnessed "a battle of Wolfriders (Saruman) and the Horsemasters" on the way.[18] It is very likely that this battle was the earliest version of the Battles of the Fords of Isen since those are the only battles in The Lord of the Rings in which Wolf-riders[1] fight against the Rohirrim.
In an early draft of the chapter "The Road to Isengard", Gandalf's fear of "wolf-riders and plunderers"[3] riding to Meduseld was originally a fear of "wolf-riders and cruel plunderers" being "sent swiftly" to the Golden Hall.[19]
In an early draft of the chapter "Flotsam and Jetsam", Merry reported that Saruman emptied Isengard of all his remaining forces, which included groups of Orcs "mounted on great wolves" and regiments of Dunlanders.[20] He also saw the Ents deal "with a pack of wolf-riders" that were escorting Gríma into Isengard.[21]
Portrayal in adaptations
Wolf-riders in adaptations
-
Wolof-riders in MECCG
1995-8: Middle-earth Collectible Card Game:
- The card Wolf-riders can be played either as a creature or as a short-event, the latter increasing the prowess and strikes of a Wolf attack.[22]
2002: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers:
- Saruman refers to the pack of Wolf-riders under the command of Sharku as Warg-riders and sends them to attack the Rohan refugees of Edoras on their way to Helm's Deep. During the skirmish with Warg-riders, Aragorn falls from a cliff, and is later found by Brego.
2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King:
- The Orc lieutenant Gothmog rides a Warg during one scene. Two Warg-riders are seen riding alongside the Easterlings after the Olog-hai breach the Great Gate of Minas Tirith.
2006: The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II:
- In the expansion The Rise of the Witch-king, Thrall Masters can summon Gundabad Wolf-Riders.
2012-14: The Hobbit (film series):
- In the film trilogy, Azog and Bolg, as well as many orcs under their command, are shown to ride Wargs as they pursue Thorin and Company, and later take part in the Battle of the Five Armies.
Notes
- ↑ Éomer's reference seems to suggest that Wolf-riders are not necessarily Orcs, nor Men, making their identity uncertain. Cf. Robert Foster, The Complete Guide to Middle-earth, entry Wolf-riders, p. 429.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, "The Riders of Rohan", p. 437
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, "Helm's Deep", p. 529
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, "The Road to Isengard", p. 551
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "The Clouds Burst"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Battles of the Fords of Isen"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, Index, entry Wolfriders
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Beren and Lúthien"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part One. The Grey Annals": §230
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire"
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Battles of the Fords of Isen", "Notes", note 5
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "I. The Tale of Tinúviel": "Notes and Commentary", p. 67
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "I. The Tale of Tinúviel", p. 44
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "II. Turambar and the Foalókë", p. 84
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "III. The Fall of Gondolin", pp. 190, 195
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lays of Beleriand, "I. The Lay of the Children of Húrin: I. Túrin's Fostering", pp. 10, 110,
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lays of Beleriand, "I. The Lay of the Children of Húrin: II. Beleg", p. 40
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Treason of Isengard, "XXII. Treebeard", p. 412
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Ring, , p. 29
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Ring, , p. 51
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Ring, , p. 54
- ↑ "Search for a card: games > Middle Earth", tradecardsonline.com, accessed 19 November 2014