"To one of these councils Freca rode with many men, and he asked the hand of Helm's daughter for his son Wulf. But Helm said: 'You have grown big since you were last here; but it is mostly fat, I guess'; and men laughed at that, for Freca was wide in the belt" (p. 346, The Return of the King). This, of course, enraged Freca who insinuated the King's refusal would lead to Helm's ruin. Helm did not directly respond saying matters of the kingdom must first be addressed. At the end of the counsil Helm forced Freca to walk with him outside by laying his great hands on his shoulders. Freca's men came at once but Helm wished to talk with their lord alone and seeing they were outnumbered by the King's men they backed away. And so Helm spoke with Freca.
"'Now Dunlending,' said the king, 'you have only Helm to deal with alone and unarmed. But you have said much already, and it is my turn to speak. Freca, your folly has grown with your belly. You talk of a staff! If Helm dislikes a crooked staff that is thrust on him, he breaks it. So!' With that he smote Freca such a blow with his fist that he fell back stunned, and died soon after" (p. 347, The Return of the King). Hence the moniker Hammerhand. Freca's people were declared enemies of Rohan and were pursued by Helm.
In four years time great troubles came upon Gondor and Rohan. Gondor was attacked along all its coasts by the Corsairs. "Three great fleets, long prepared, came up from Umbar and the Harad, and assailed the coasts of Gondor in great force; and the enemy made many landings, even as far north as the mouth of the Isen" (p. 334, The Return of the King).
"At the same time Rohan was again invaded from the East, and the Dunlendings seeing their chance came over the Isen and down from Isengard. It was soon known that Wulf was their leader" (p. 347, The Return of the King). The Rohirrim were quickly defeated and many either fled or were capture for servitude. "Helm was driven back with great loss from the Crossings of Isen and took refuge in the Hornburg and the ravine behind (which was after known as Helm's Deep). There he was besieged. Wulf took Edoras and sat in Meduseld and called himself king. There Haleth Helm's son fell, last of all, defending the doors" (p. 347, The Return of the King).
In a stroke of both tragedy and good fortune the Long Winter began and Rohan was covered in snow from November to March 2758-59. This brought misery to the Rohirrim but their enemies also suffered great losses. As food ran scarce in the Hornburg Hama, Helm's younger son, led out a sortie and was lost in the snowstorms and never returned. Pushed by famine and grief Helm became a fierce thorn in the Dunlendings side. "He would go out by himself, clad in white, and stalk like a snow-troll into the camps of his enemies, and slay many men with his hands. It was believed that if he bore no weapon no weapon would bite on him. The Dunlendings said that if he could find no food he ate men. That tale lasted long in Dunland" (p. 347, The Return of the King). To mark his going out Helm would blow a great horn and though he was only one man the enemies would flee in fear before that sound.
"One night men heard the horn blowing, but Helm did not return. In the morning there came a sun-gleam, the first for long days, and they saw a white figure standing still on the Dike, alone, for none of the Dunlendings dared come near. There stood Helm, dead as a stone, but his knees were unbent. Yet men said that the horn was still heard at times in the Deep and the wraith of Helm would walk among the foes of Rohan and kill men with fear" (p. 348, The Return of the King). Wow, Helm Hammerhand was one bad dude. And yet another story of the Rohirrim proving these are among the hardiest and toughest peoples in Middle-earth.
"At the end of his reign Rohan suffered great loss, by invasion and the Long Winter. Helm and his sons Haleth and Hama perished. Frealaf, Helm's sister's son, became king" (p. 349, The Return of the King). When the Long Winter finally ended Frealaf led a band of desperate Rohirrim out of Dunharrow (where many other Rohirrim had fled) into Edoras and killed Wulf in Meduseld. At last help form Gondor, via Beregond son of Beren the Steward, came and the Dunlendings were driven out of the land, including Isengard. "Helm was brought from the Hornburg and laid in the ninth mound. Ever after the white simbelmyne grew there most thickly, so that the mound seemed to be snow-clad. When Frealaf died a new line of mounds was begun" (p. 348, The Return of the King).
Middle-earth timeline: Third Age, 2691-2758
Today's reading comes from: The Return of the King, pages 346-347; 334; and 348-349
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