History of the Lord of the Rings and connection of the two towers

The Lord of the Rings expanded franchise with The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrimand in doing so, further explored an important figure from Rohan's past in Helm Hammerhand, who is only briefly mentioned during Peter Jackson's original trilogy. Set almost 200 years before the events of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The War of the Rohirrim is an anime-style animated feature film. It chronicles the exploits of Helm Hammerhand and his family, and how they fight back when their home and kingdom come under siege.

The end of The War of the Rohirrim helps set the stage for Rohan, as he will exist in the context of The Lord of the Rings. The echoes of the conflict in the center of Lord of the Rings The anime adventures are felt long after the events of the film, as Helm Hammerhand's wartime exploits led him to achieve legendary status. Hammerhand is a key character in the recent history of Middle Earth, and the most significant event of his reign is worth exploring with a feature-length adaptation.

Helm Hammerhead Was the Ninth King of Rohan: Full History Explained

Hammerhand was the last of Rohan's first line of kings

Helm Hammerhand was a direct descendant of Eorl the Young, the first king of Rohan. Eorl reigned over the province of Calenardhon (which would later become known as Rohan) beginning in the year 2510 of the Third Age. Calenardhon was given as a reward to Eorl and his people by Cirion, the administrator of Gondor, for coming to the rescue of the army of Gondor in a great battle against an army of Easterlings under the influence of Sauron known as Balchoth. Eorl's line continued to rule Rohan, and Helm Hammerhand became the ninth king of Rohan in TA 2741.

Given its location between the Misty Mountains and the White Mountains, the people of Rohan were long besieged by foreign enemies, and during Helm Hammerhand's lifetime their chief tormentors were the Dunlendings, the race of wild men whose lands made border with Rohan. As crown prince of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand was likely experienced in battle against the Dunlendingswho frequently attacked Rohan's outer territories. When he was finally crowned king at age 50, hostilities with the Dunlendings had reached a boiling point, which is approximately where The War of the Rohirrim he meets.

Helm Hammerhead's Role in the Rohirrim War Explained

The film chronicles his family's battle to defend their kingdom

The main conflict in The War of the Rohirrim stems from Helmhammerhand's dealings with Freca, a Rohirric landowner who has the darker countenance of a person of Dunlending blood. Despite claiming to be a descendant of the ancient kings of Rohan, Hammerhand does not trust Freca and is angered when he tries to threaten the king (with a small army at his back) into marrying his son Wulf to Helm's daughter Hèra. The discussion that follows comes to blows, and Helm kills Freca with nothing more than his powerful fist, earning him the name 'Hammer Hand'.

This leads to a revolt, with Wulf taking Freca's men and declaring himself against the throne. He would eventually return with a powerful force and invade Rohan. Helm Hammerhand and his allies are taken back for a final defense of Súthburgwhere Wulf and his allies besieged them. During the siege, Helm Hammerhand ascends to a mythical, almost supernatural status, as he repeatedly escaped and killed many enemies with his bare hands. Helm dies fighting in the snow and is discovered frozen to his feet, still ready to fight.

Helm's legendary status as a bare-handed fighter and lethal combatant led both the Rohirrim and Dunlendings to believe that he had become a ghosta vengeful spirit who still defended the fortress even in death. Helm was succeeded by his nephew Fréaláf, who used Helm's armor and the deep sound of his war horn to frighten the Dunlendings into thinking that Helm's specter had returned, causing them to flee.

Brian Cox voices Helm Hammerhead in War of the Rohirrim

The Emmy winner has a long history of top-notch voice work

In The Lord of the Rings: War of the RohirrimHelm Hammerhand is voiced by Brian Cox, a screen and stage legend with a long history of voice acting in addition to his extensive filmography. More recently, Cox is best known for playing family patriarch Logan Roy on the Emmy-winning drama Max. Succession. His work ranged from small British theaters to American blockbusters, as Cox appeared in the famous film X-Men franchise as Colonel William Stryker, the Planet of the Apes franchise, Wes Craven Red Eyeand the Jason Bourne franchise starring Matt Damon.

Cox has appeared in several period dramas and action adventures which make him ideal for The War of the Rohirrim despite its fantasy underpinnings. His roles in Brave heart, Troyand The reckoning all gave him experience with the kind of ancient royalty needed to accurately portray Helm Hammerhand. In addition to his acting credits, Cox has years of voice work, especially in modern video gameswhich makes him a great choice for the role.

How Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers references Helm Hammerhead

The climactic battle takes place in the great fortress called Hammerhand

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is most famous for the massive battle between Rohan's last, desperate forces and Saruman's massive Uruk-hai army, which acts as the film's third act. The battle takes place at the gates of the mountain fortress named after Helm Hammerhand, after his valor and wrath helped save the kingdom of Rohan from Wulf and his forces. The Súthburg was renamed Hornburg, and the entire site was renamed Helm's Deep; the siege in The Two Towers is an echo of the siege portrayed in The War of the Rohirrim.

Peter Jackson's acclaimed sequel even features a huge statue of Helm Hammerhand when Théoden and his people arrive at Helm's Deep after their escape from Edoras. Finally, as Théoden and Aragorn prepare their last attack against the Uruk-hai who have besieged Trumpet Hold, Gimli is sent to blow Helm Hammerhand's horn, intending to intimidate his enemies just as he has for hundreds of years. rather, when it acted as a harbinger of Helm's wrath. The Two Towers generally acts as an echo over timeas the Battle of Helm's Deep features many of the same narrative elements as The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim.