Minor battles in The Lord of the Rings

J. R. R. Tolkien

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...

's high fantasy

High fantasy

High fantasy or epic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that is set in invented or parallel worlds. High fantasy was brought to fruition through the work of authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, whose major fantasy works were published in the 1950s...

book The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...

concerns itself with, among other things, the War of the Ring

War of the Ring

In the fictional high fantasy-world of J. R. R. Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth for control of the One Ring and dominion over the continent. The War of the Ring took place at the end of the Third Age. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom,...

, a war waged by the Dark Lord Sauron

Sauron

Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...

against the Elves

Elf (Middle-earth)

In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...

, Dwarves

Dwarf (Middle-earth)

In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Dwarves are a race inhabiting the world of Arda, a fictional prehistoric Earth which includes the continent Middle-earth....

and Men of the West of Middle-earth

Middle-earth

Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....

. However, the story also contains some battles which are either too minor in scale to be counted as major battles in the War, or may not be part of the War itself. These fights are presented in chronological order.

Warg attack in Hollin

Combatants:
The Fellowship vs. Wargs

In the chapter "A Journey in the Dark" of The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring is the first of three volumes of the epic novel The Lord of the Rings by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It takes place in the fictional universe Middle-earth. It was originally published on July 29, 1954 in the United Kingdom...

, the Fellowship was attacked by Sauron's Warg

Warg

In Norse mythology, a vargr is a wolf and in particular refers to the wolf Fenrir and his sons Sköll and Hati. Based on this, J. R. R. Tolkien in his fiction used the Old English form warg In Norse mythology, a vargr (often anglicised as warg or varg) is a wolf and in particular refers to the...

s, evil wolves, in Hollin, after their failed attempt to cross the mountains above Moria. The battle was the first taste of action the Fellowship had on their journey.
Both Boromir and Aragorn each killed at least one warg; Legolas killed four. Gimli did his part as well, though the book does not specify whether or not he slew any wargs. Gandalf set the nearby trees aflame, which drove the wargs away. The bodies of the dead wargs were gone the next morning; they were no ordinary wolves.

In adaptations

In Peter Jackson

Peter Jackson

Sir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...

's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy

The Lord of the Rings film trilogy

The Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...

, this fight is omitted. Instead, a fight scene with Warg-riding Orcs against Rohirrim was invented for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

Fight in the Chamber of Mazarbul

Combatants: The Fellowship vs. Moria Forces

In the chapter "The Bridge of Khazad-dûm" of The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Fellowship of the Ring is the first of three volumes of the epic novel The Lord of the Rings by the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It takes place in the fictional universe Middle-earth. It was originally published on July 29, 1954 in the United Kingdom...

, the Fellowship is attacked by Orcs in the Chamber of Mazarbul (Chamber of Records) in Moria.

Pippin had foolishly dropped a stone into a well in a guard-room some days earlier, and it is probable that the Orcs were alerted to the intruders' presence. These Orcs had previously fought and wiped out an expedition of Dwarves led by Balin, who had set off to re-colonize the mines, long-abandoned by their folk. The Chamber of Mazarbul contained Balin's tomb.

The attackers included both common Orcs and larger black Uruks of Mordor — the first time the Uruk-hai

Uruk-hai

The Uruk-hai are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth. They are introduced in The Lord of the Rings as an advanced breed or breeds of Orcs that serve Sauron and Saruman...

are mentioned in the book (though the term "Uruk-hai" first appears in The Two Towers). The Fellowship tried to bar the doors to the chamber on the attackers' side (there were two doorways) with broken weapons, but a cave-troll

Troll (Middle-earth)

In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Trolls are large humanoids of great strength and poor intellect.While in Norse mythology, the Troll was a magical creature with special skills, in Tolkien's writings they are portrayed as evil, stupid, with crude habits, although still intelligent enough to...

beat on the doors and forced a foot and a scaly arm through.

Boromir hacked at the arm, but only notched his sword. Frodo pierced the foot with Sting and drove the troll off. The Orcs loosed arrows through holes made in the doors, hitting no one. At last, the orcs managed to break their way through the doors, and a fierce skirmish ensued.

Legolas

Legolas

Legolas is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. He is an Elf of the Woodland Realm and one of nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring.- Literature :...

shot two Orcs through the throat, while Gimli

Gimli (Middle-earth)

Gimli is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. A Dwarf warrior, he is the son of Glóin ....

hewed the legs from under one. Aragorn

Aragorn

Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...

and Boromir

Boromir

Boromir is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in the first two volumes of The Lord of the Rings , and is mentioned in the last volume, The Return of the King....

killed many. Sam

Samwise Gamgee

Samwise Gamgee, later known as Samwise Gardner and commonly as Sam, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. Samwise is one of the chief characters in Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, in which he fills an archetypical role as the sidekick of the protagonist, Frodo...

received a cut on his scalp but killed his assailant.

When the Fellowship had downed 13 Orcs, the rest fled outside; then a large Orc-chieftain charged, pinning Frodo to the wall with a spear. Aragorn killed the chieftain and carried Frodo away as they left the chamber through the doors on their side, thinking him dead. It is later revealed that Frodo was only bruised, thanks to his hidden mithril
Mithril
Mithril is a fictional metal, originally used in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. It is described as silvery and stronger than steel but much lighter in weight. The malleability, lack of tarnishing and use of the metal in jewellery suggest some similarity to the non-fictional metal...

chainmail.

Gandalf remained in the chamber while the rest of the Fellowship fled, and set a shutting-spell on the other door. But then a mysterious creature arrived and put a counter-spell on the doors, making them open. Gandalf then used a "word of Command" to shut the doors, but they broke under the magical strain, and the Chamber collapsed. Gandalf only just escaped, and said to the others that he had met his match.

In the same chapter the mysterious creature is revealed to be a Balrog

Balrog

Balrogs are fictional demonic beings who appear in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Such creatures first appeared in print in his novel The Lord of the Rings, though they figured in earlier writings that posthumously appeared in The Silmarillion and other books.Balrogs are described as...

of Morgoth

Morgoth

Morgoth Bauglir is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium. He is the main antagonist of The Silmarillion, figures in The Children of Húrin, and is mentioned briefly in The Lord of the Rings.Melkor was the most powerful of the Ainur, but turned to darkness and became...

In adaptations

Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated version of The Lord of the Rings follows the book faithfully though it skips the magical confrontation with the Balrog.

In Peter Jackson's 2001 live-action version of The Fellowship of the Ring, it is enlarged; the Fellowship fights more Orcs and the cave-troll, who spears Frodo. The Balrog is introduced later, when the heroes are surrounded by Orcs after fleeing the chamber. The setup is also modified. Pippin drops a skeleton, bucket and a chain into a well in the chamber; almost immediately, Orcs attack.

Battle of the Peak

Combatants: Gandalf the Grey vs. The Balrog of Moria

The Battle of the Peak was a duel between Gandalf

Gandalf

Gandalf is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard, member and later the head of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West...

and the Balrog

Balrog

called Durin's Bane atop the Silvertine mountain. It is recounted by Gandalf himself in The Two Towers, in the chapter "The White Rider".

After Gandalf and the Balrog fell into the abyss in Moria

Moria (Middle-earth)

In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Moria was the name given by the Eldar to an enormous underground complex in north-western Middle-earth, comprising a vast network of tunnels, chambers, mines and huge halls or 'mansions', that ran under and ultimately through the Misty Mountains...

on January 15, 3019, they fought long underground and then climbed the Endless Stair to the peak of the Silvertine where Durin's Tower stood. There on a narrow eyrie they fought the Battle of the Peak from January 23 to January 25. The Balrog, whose fire had been quenched in a subterranean lake, burst into renewed flame. The sun shone at first, but as the combatants struggled thunder boomed and lightning flashed, vapour and steam rose, and ice fell. From a distance it appeared that a storm was raging over the Silvertine. At last, Gandalf defeated the Balrog; he threw the Balrog down from the peak, and the mountainside broke where the Balrog landed. Gandalf then died from his wounds and passed into darkness out of thought and time, but was sent back to Middle-earth as Gandalf the White to complete his task. When Gandalf awoke on February 14, he was lying naked on the peak of the Silvertine. Durin's Tower had crumbled and the entrance to the Endless Stair was blocked, and Gandalf was trapped high on the mountaintop until Gwaihir the Windlord came on February 17 and bore him to Lothlórien.

In adaptations

In the opening scene of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Gandalf is shown falling down the vast chasm in Moria after the Balrog, catching Glamdring in mid-flight then hacking at his falling enemy several times. The pair fall for nearly a minute locked in a free-fall battle until landing in the great subterranean lake beneath Moria. Their following battle and chase up the Endless Stair is not shown; however, the climax of their fight on the Silvertine is. Gandalf ducks a swipe from the Balrog and kills it with a stab from a lightning-charged Glamdring. It tumbles over the edge of the cliff and smashes into the mountainside, extinguished. This detail is not found in the text, where Gandalf only "throws down" the Balrog.

Attack on Amon Hen

Combatants: The Fellowship vs. Isengard

Isengard

In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Isengard , a translation of the Sindarin Angrenost, was a large fortress. Both names mean "Iron fortress" In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Isengard , a translation of the Sindarin Angrenost, was a large fortress....

, Mordor

Mordor

In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Mordor or Morhdorh was the dwelling place of Sauron, in the southeast of northwestern Middle-earth to the East of Anduin, the great river. Orodruin, a volcano in Mordor, was the destination of the Fellowship of the Ring in the quest to...

The Two Towers starts with fighting upon Amon Hen, where the Fellowship of the Ring is attacked by Uruk-hai and other Orcs. It directly continues from the last chapter of the first volume, The Fellowship of the Ring. The fighting is not directly shown, being narrated by various characters instead in the chapters "The Departure of Boromir" and "The Uruk-hai".

The Uruk-hai and some of the other Orcs were either in the service of Sauron

Sauron

or Saruman

Saruman

Saruman the White is a fictional character and a major antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. He is leader of the Istari, wizards sent to Middle-earth in human form by the godlike Valar to challenge Sauron, the main antagonist of the tale, but later on aims at gaining...

, while other Orcs had been pursuing the Fellowship since their sojourn through the Mines of Moria

Moria (Middle-earth)

, to avenge their slain fellows. They had already been stalking the company for some time before the attack, and had previously shot arrows at them as they passed down the River Anduin

Anduin

In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest river in the Third Age . The ancestors of the Rohirrim called it Langflood. It flowed from its source in the Grey and Misty Mountains to the Mouths of Anduin in the Great Sea...

.

Previously (in The Fellowship of the Ring), the Hobbit

Hobbit

Hobbits are a fictional diminutive race who inhabit the lands of Middle-earth in J. R. R. Tolkien's fiction.Hobbits first appeared in the novel The Hobbit, in which the main protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, is the titular hobbit...

Frodo Baggins

Frodo Baggins is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium.He is the main protagonist of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. He was a hobbit of the Shire who inherited Sauron's Ring from Bilbo Baggins and undertook the quest to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom...

had resolved to continue the quest of destroying the One Ring

One Ring

The One Ring is a fictional artifact that appears as the central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy novels. It is described in an earlier story, The Hobbit , as a magic ring of invisibility. The sequel The Lord of the Rings describes its powers as being more encompassing than...

of Sauron alone, due to its influence having grown on Boromir

Boromir

Boromir is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in the first two volumes of The Lord of the Rings , and is mentioned in the last volume, The Return of the King....

from the realm of Gondor

Gondor

Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. The third volume of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, is concerned with the events in Gondor during the War of the Ring and with...

, who wanted to claim it for his country and for himself. Frodo had put the Ring on (functionally making him invisible) to get away from Boromir and had gone missing. The rest of the company had grown anxious and had scattered, looking and calling for him. Aragorn

Aragorn

, who led the company after Gandalf's fall in Moria, had ordered Boromir to watch over Merry and Pippin, two younger hobbits. However, Frodo's faithful servant Samwise Gamgee

Samwise Gamgee

espied his escape, and insisted on coming with him to Mordor, land of Sauron.

Misfortune befell Merry and Pippin, for they blundered upon the Orcs. Sauron and Saruman both desired to gain (or in the former case, regain) the One Ring, and had instructed the Orcs to take the hobbits alive without taking spoils, but to kill the rest. Thus the Orcs surrounded the two and only tried to grab them, even after Merry had cut off some of their hands and arms. Then Boromir came and scattered the Orcs, and the three ran away. Saruman's Uruk-hai, led by Uglúk, then attacked and shot Boromir with many arrows. Boromir blew his horn, calling for aid, but it came too late, for the hobbits were captured. The Orcs cut his horn in half and left him lying against a great tree, mortally wounded.

Meanwhile, the elf Legolas and the dwarf Gimli were in the forest, hunting Orcs by themselves. Aragorn had sat on the Seat of Seeing, from which Amon Hen got its name, looking for Frodo, but had not seen him. However, he heard Boromir's horn-calls, and rushed through the trees. He came too late, for the Orcs were gone, and the hobbits with them, and Boromir lay dying, surrounded by at least 20 Orcs that had died by his hand. Before he expired, Boromir informed Aragorn of the situation, and charged him to save Minas Tirith

Minas Tirith

Minas Tirith , originally named Minas Anor, is a fictional city and castle in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It became the heavily fortified capital of Gondor in the second half of the Third Age...

from falling, as he had failed it.

Legolas and Gimli then turned up. The three remaining members inspected the Orc corpses, laid Boromir

Boromir

Boromir is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He appears in the first two volumes of The Lord of the Rings , and is mentioned in the last volume, The Return of the King....

to rest in a funeral boat, and paid their last respects to him through a mourning song. They sent the boat down the Falls of Rauros, but it was discovered intact by Faramir

Faramir

In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Faramir is a fictional character appearing in The Lord of the Rings. He is introduced as the younger brother of Boromir of the Fellowship of the Ring and second son of Denethor II, the Steward of the realm of Gondor...

, brother to the deceased, three days later.

In adaptations

Ralph Bakshi

Ralph Bakshi is an Israeli-American director of animated and live-action films. In the 1970s, he established an alternative to mainstream animation through independent and adult-oriented productions. Between 1972 and 1992, he directed nine theatrically released feature films, five of which he wrote...

's 1978 animated version of The Lord of the Rings follows the book faithfully, even keeping its structure.

In Peter Jackson's 2001 live-action version of The Fellowship of the Ring, it is shown as a climactic

Climax (narrative)

The Climax is the point in the story where the main character's point of view changes, or the most exciting/action filled part of the story. It also known has the main turning point in the story...

battle, where all members of the Company except Sam and Frodo (and of course Gandalf) slay several of the creatures. The Orcs are solely composed of Uruk-hai, and their leader Lurtz, an original character, mortally wounds Boromir, though not before Boromir slays dozens of Orcs. Lurtz is the Uruk to slay Boromir, shooting him with three arrows from a longbow, but before he is able to shoot him again, Aragorn appears and, after a duel, kills Lurtz. The other Uruks have all departed by this point. The dying Boromir hails Aragorn as his "brother, captain and king", which his book counterpart does not do, having already recognized Aragorn

Aragorn

's claim to the throne of Gondor

Gondor

. In the extended edition of The Two Towers, the Uruk-hai meet with Mordor Orcs who wish to take them to Sauron

Sauron

Ambush in Ithilien
Ithilien
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Ithilien is a region and fiefdom of Gondor.Ithilien, or "Moon-land," is the easternmost province of Gondor, the only part of Gondor across the Great River Anduin lying between the river and the Mountains of Shadow , subdivided by the stream of...

Combatants: Gondor vs. Harad

The Two Towers
The Two Towers
The Two Towers is the second volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. It is preceded by The Fellowship of the Ring and followed by The Return of the King.-Title:...

contains a skirmish or ambush which was part of the smaller battles in the War of the Ring

War of the Ring

, recounted in the chapter "Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit".

It was fought by Men

Man (Middle-earth)

The race of Men in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth books, such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, refers to humanity and does not denote gender...

against Men: Rangers of Ithilien

Rangers of Ithilien

In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Rangers of Ithilien, also known as the Rangers of the South and Rangers of Gondor, were an elite group of the Southern Dúnedain warriors who scouted in and guarded Ithilien...

, led by Faramir of Gondor, against Southrons of Harad

Harad

In J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy legendarium, Harad was the name for the immense lands south of Gondor and Mordor. Called Haradwaith from the people who lived there, it literally means "South-folk", from the Sindarin harad, "South" and gwaith, "people"...

, Men allied with the evil Sauron

Sauron

. Most of the fighting is actually not seen, but heard by the hobbits Frodo Baggins

Frodo Baggins

and Samwise Gamgee

Samwise Gamgee

.

Frodo and Sam had come across the Rangers prior to the fighting; their guide Gollum

Gollum

Gollum is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He was introduced in the author's fantasy novel The Hobbit, and became an important supporting character in its sequel, The Lord of the Rings....

had sneaked off. While Faramir left two of his men, Mablung and Damrod, to guard them, the Rangers ambushed the Haradrim, who were soundly beaten. As the battle ended, Sam had a flash of empathy for a dead warrior of Harad who had fallen at his feet; he wondered if he was truly evil at heart, or merely deceived or enslaved by Sauron.
Immediately afterward, he saw a raging, out-of-control Oliphaunt, a great beast of war he knew only from folklore (which the author describes as a larger ancestor of the modern elephant), and was both elated and terrified.

There were ~ 200-300 Rangers of Ithilien left following the battle, and the Southron regiment was defeated and most were slain.

After Faramir questioned Frodo for a while, the Rangers withdrew to their hidden stronghold, Henneth Annûn, taking the hobbits with them.

In adaptations

In Peter Jackson

Peter Jackson

Sir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...

's film version, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Frodo, Sam and Gollum watch the battle together; there are two Oliphaunts. The film shows the Haradrim quickly defeated, and no Gondorian losses are seen. Afterwards the Rangers capture Frodo and Sam while Gollum escapes.

The extended DVD version of Jackson's film includes the sympathy for the dead man of Harad, though it is Faramir who says it.

Fight in the Tower of Cirith Ungol

Combatants: Orcs of Cirith Ungol vs. Orcs of Minas Morgul

Minas Morgul

Minas Morgul , also known by its earlier name of Minas Ithil , is a fictional fortified city in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth...

In The Return of the King the Orcs of the Tower of Cirith Ungol and a patrol from Minas Morgul fight over the captured Frodo's mithril shirt, and nearly wipe themselves out. The two sides were led by Shagrat, Captain of Cirith Ungol, and Gorbag, a minor commander from Minas Morgul, both Uruks. Shagrat wished to follow his orders, which were to send EVERYTHING found with captive to Lugbúrz (Barad-dûr

Barad-dûr

Barad-dûr is the fortress of Sauron in the heart of the black land of Mordor and close to Mount Doom in the fantasy world of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings...

), while Gorbag coveted the mithril shirt for himself. Eventually, Shagrat and Gorbag started fighting over the mithril shirt. As a result, only three Orcs were left alive in the tower, making it much easier for Sam to break in and rescue Frodo. Shagrat was the only survivor and he escaped and brought the mithril vest to Lugbúrz.

In adaptations

The aftermath of the fight is featured in the animated 1980 version of The Return of the King while Peter Jackson's live-action version shows the fight itself in the extended cut. In this version the only survivors of the fight are Gorbag for the Morgul orcs and Shagrat with three uruks of Mordor. The uruks and Gorbag are killed by Sam and Shagrat sneaks away with Frodo's mithril vest in tow to Barad-dûr.

External links

Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul on Tolkien Gateway, which has been used as a source

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