What is death, and what strange creature of Middle-earth created them?
While they don’t appear in the movie adaptations of Peter Jackson’s famous trilogy, there are plenty of Downs in the books. Two of the most famous are the North-Downs, where wolves once came to attack The Shire during the bitter winters, and the Barrow-Downs, where four Hobbits were captured by evil creatures dwell there known as the Barrow-wights and would have lost their lives had they not been related to Tom Bombadil, who had come to their rescue.
But there is another place in Two towers that is known to all the men of the Reunion Kingdom in the fourth age, because of the strange events happening there. After the fierce Battle at Helm’s Deep, a band of Rohirrim soldiers, led by their kings Theoden, Gandalf, Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn, travel to Isengard in search of answers as to why Saruman the White has begun a war with his foul Orcs. . To achieve Orthanc Tower where the white witch resides, the group of racers must pass through Wizards Vale, a valley that was once green and beautiful. in the old days, before Saruman ruined it. They set up camp in the valley for the night, ready to receive the wizard the next morning.
However, during the night, a series of unusual moments occurred. First, a dark mist enveloped the whole place, mixed with black smoke blocking the stars above. Then, a group of strange shadows could be seen moving over both edges of the dry river, large shadows that looked like great pillars. Throughout the night it was described that ‘Voices they heard, whispers and groans and an unending rustling sigh, the earth shook beneath them.’ The men were tired of fighting and afraid, but Gandalf assured them that if they stood still, they would not be harmed. When they woke up in the morning, they continued down the Vale and found that ‘A huge hole had been dug deep in the ground, and on top of it, rock was piled up into a hill. The men believed that the orcs they had killed were buried there. ‘ and ever since, it was called ‘The Death Down after that, and no grass grew there.’
So what are these bizarre shapes moving in the twilight? The answer is Huorns. These old trees, something like Fangorn forest ants, are old herders whose hearts have been blackened by all the malice and hatred that has been inflicted on the forests. The Huorns are very dangerous, they can move almost undetected and can wreak havoc on anyone who gets in their way, as is known to the Hobbits, who fear creatures that live in the jungle for this exact reason. The travelers on the way find Saruman unbeknownst to him, Treebeard and his men having taken Isengard, and Bregalad the Ent having locked the sorcerer in his tower. All the Orcs that managed to escape the rubble during the night were trampled and buried in Death Down by the Huorns, who despised Orcs and above all their axes.
The trees went into darkness, after the violence had been completed, and no one could see them anymore. They are among the many strange plants in Middle-earth that have aided the groups in their quest to destroy the One Ring. The recapture of Isengard is one of the key moments in War of the Ring as it wipes out one of the two greatest threats facing the Ringbearer. Frodo and Sam are traveling across the swamps of death with Gollum while the attack on Isengard was taking place, so they were unaware of the victory that had occurred on their behalf. However, the company in Isengard was also blinded, for although they had won a great victory, there were still a bunch of orcs behind Mordor’s black gates, being fed by slaves, ready to attack to protect Sauron guard.
In the end, it took a combination of lots of small victories, including the siege of Isengard, the battle to hold Minas Tirith against the demons and demons trying to take it, and the Battle at the Black Gate, to win the overall war. Although Tolkien himself disagreed with war and described it as useless in his books, he aims to prove that some things are worth fighting for and quests only achieved, and the ring is only destroyed for the honor and loyalty of all involved. Despite their hatred and hostility, the Huors are essential in paving the way for a future for all the peoples of the world.
Continue reading
About the author
https://gamerant.com/lotr-death-downs-creature-creators-explained/ What is death, and what strange creature of Middle-earth created them?
