LotR -- Book 5 - Chapter 05 - The Ride of the Rohirrim

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

Do the descriptions of "joy of battle" and singing that was "fair and terrible" strike you as paradox? Can you feel a connection between battling and singing, or does that seem irreconcilable to you?

I have just come from watching a television documentary which reminded me of these words of Estelyn's.

The documentary concerned the story of what I suppose can be called the original suicide bombers--at least of the twentieth century--the Japanese kamikaze pilots of WWII.

I won't go into the very fascinating story of how the Japanese military developed the concept of the kamikaze missions, but will restrain myself only to the relevant point.

Apparently, the pilots for each mission were named and then sent to climb a steep hill covered in bamboo. At the top of the hill was the air strip where their planes were waiting for takeoff. I saw the man who made the decisions of which pilot to send describe the occasion. (Well, he was speaking in Japanese and I read the subtitled translations.)

He said the pilots would sing songs as they trod up the bamboo hill. He even sang one of them for the interviewer. Very clearly he was suggesting that the songs helped prepare the pilots for their mission.

There is a museum dedicated to the stories of the kamikaze pilots. The last story in the museum is about a man who was refused, over and over again, every time he volunteered for a kamikaze mission. He was refused because he was married with three young daughters. Finally, his wife drowned the daughters and then killed herself. He was then accepted for a kamikaze mission.

War does very horrible things to people and art--song--can help that happen.

[Lhunardawen]

davem, I see that what we have here is yet another problem with the 'meaning' of the books. Frankly, I never thought there would be another way of reading Ghân's and Théoden's conversation; it only occured to me when I read your post, and then I was surprised that there is actually a different point of view to the whole thing. Maybe part of the reason I was locked into my interpretation of the text is that I never really considered that Wild-Men-hunter nature of the Rohirrim that Ghân hinted at. Please accept my gratitude for giving me a new perspective.

But if I could defend myself, my understanding came from the context of the course of their conversation.

The first thing we have heard from Ghân (through Merry) implies that the Rohirrim requested the Wild Men to fight with them.

'No, father of Horse-men,' he said, 'we fight not. Hunt only. Kill gorgûn in woods, hate orc-folk. You hate gorgûn too. We help as we can. (italics mine)

'But our need is for aid in battle,' said Éomer. 'How will you and your folk help us?'

'Bring news,' said the Wild Man... (again, emphasis mine)

Later, after the Rohirrim are informed of the gravity of the situation in Minas Tirith, Théoden and Éomer express alarm and some despair, to which Ghân says:

'Let Ghân-buri-Ghân finish!' said the Wild Man. 'More than one road he knows. He will lead you by road where no pits are, no gorgûn walk, only Wild Men and beasts...Wild Men will show you that road.'

From this point on, I understood that Ghân was undoubtedly willing to help in any way he could - in fact, he seemed to be very eager to help considering how he brushed off Théoden's and Éomer's interruption. I thought that perhaps his eagerness was because the Wild Men would have this benefit if all goes well until the end:

'Then you will kill gorgûn and and drive away bad dark with bright iron, and Wild Men can go back to sleep in the wild woods.' (emphasis mine)

Of course there's no sense accusing Ghân of self-centeredness at this; he was only declaring what they as a people can gain if the war is won. As far as he and the Wild Men are concerned, peace is the only reward for their help.

So Théoden 'receives their offer,' then comes the discussion of the terms of their agreement. Rohan offers a rich reward and its friendship if the Wild Men are faithful. Ghân refuses this and gives his terms: If Rohan survives the war, they are to 'leave Wild Men alone in the woods and not hunt them like beasts anymore.' And as if to somehow guarantee his faithfulness despite the absence of a reward, Ghân says that he himself will go with the king, and gives them the right to kill him if he proves unfaithful. Rohan accepts this.

The idea I get from this whole conversation is that Ghân still bears the pain of his people being hunted down like beasts, yet he is willing to forget the offense for the sake of Middle Earth. It seems to me, then, that the Wild Men are more civilized than I would care to think.

[Formendacil]

"The Ride of the Rohirrim" builds slowly--we get a glimpse of their arrival in the eucatastrophe of the last chapter, but now we have to rewind to see how it comes about, the tension rising again until its release in the rush across the Pelennor at the end of the chapter--and when it did come, I'm swept up in it. If this were a first time read, there's almost no chance I'd have stopped between chapters; even rereading, the momentum nearly swept me right into "The Battle of the Pelennor."

It's impressive how, though we know they charge from the end of the last chapter, that there's still doubt about what Theoden will do.

The meeting of Ghan-buri-ghan is a unique episode in the books, and it contrasts in interesting ways with Aragorn's adventures with the Dead Men of Dunharrow: the Druedain must have been there before the Dead Men (kin of the Dunlendings, we're told in UT) and probably were first displaced by them. But where the Dead Men are more politically displaced by the Numenoreans (and the later Rohirrim), the Druedain are almost more of a mythological displacement. The Dead Men are displaced like the Celts being driven west by the Anglo-Saxons, but the Druedain are like the builders of Stonehenge: unfathomably older and unknown.

EDIT: I meant to say something, and then forgot, about the role of weather in this chapter: the turning of the wind is much highlighted and it's almost as important to the victory of the West as the arrival of the Rohirrim or Aragorn's fleet. Manwe's timing is subtle in the narrative but perfect.