** Helm's Deep & The Hornsburg

Helm's Deep & The Hornburg - Stronghold in Rohan; site of the Battle of Helm's Deep - one of the key battles of the War of the Ring.

Helm's Deep was located near the Gap of Rohan at the foot of the three mountains called the Thrihyrne - the northernmost peaks of the White Mountains. Between the arms of the Thrihyrne lay a valley called the Deeping-coomb. A trench and rampart called Helm's Dike stretched across the Deeping-coomb. Two furlongs - or a quarter mile - behind Helm's Dike was Helm's Gate, the entrance to Helm's Deep.

Helm's Deep was a narrow ravine with high cliffs on the northern and southern sides that blocked out the sunlight. The Deeping-wall was built across the entrance to the ravine, and at the northern end of the wall was the fortress of the Hornburg. No enemy had ever captured the Hornburg while it was defended.

The Hornburg stood on a spur called the Hornrock that jutted out from the northern cliff. The Hornburg was surrounded by a wall, behind which was an outer court and a citadel containing an inner court and a tall tower. In the tower was the great horn of Helm Hammerhand. When the horn was sounded, it echoed throughout the ravine and caused fear and dismay among enemy forces.

A causeway led up to the Hornburg-gates. To one side of the main gate a narrow walkway led along the edge of the Hornrock to a small postern-door into the Hornburg. There was also a rear-gate with a stairway leading down from the Hornburg into the ravine behind the Deeping-wall. The Deeping-wall stood 20 feet high and was wide enough for four men to stand side by side. The surface of the wall was smooth and nearly seamless. There was a tall parapet on the wall with openings for archers. Three staircases led down from the back of the wall into the ravine, and another staircase led up into the Hornburg.

Behind the Deeping-wall, the cliffs drew closer together and formed the Narrows. At the far end of the Narrows was the entrance to the Glittering Caves under the Thrihyrne. The Deeping-stream flowed from the caves and passed under the Deeping-wall through a small culvert and then looped around the Hornburg and under the causeway.

The fortress and the Deeping-wall were built by the Men of Gondor sometime during the reign of the Sea-kings (830-1149). Its purpose was to guard the southern side of the Gap of Rohan, while Isengard guarded the northern side. In 2510, the stronghold became part of the new land of Rohan. When Rohan was invaded by Men from Dunland in 2758, King Helm led his people to take shelter there. The ravine became known as Helm's Deep, and the fortress was called the Hornburg because Helm would sound his great horn before coming forth from the stronghold to raid the enemy camps.

The invaders were finally driven out of Rohan by Helm's nephew Frealaf.Helm and his people were besieged in Helm's Deep during the Long Winter of November 2758 to March 2759. After Yule, supplies ran low and the people in Helm's Deep were starving. Helm's son Hama left to find food but never returned. Helm himself later froze to death standing on Helm's Dike.

At the time of the War of the Ring, King Theoden's son Theodred had his base at Helm's Deep, and Erkenbrand, the lord of the Westfold, dwelled there as well. After Theodred was killed in the First Battle of the Fords of Isen on Feburary 25, 3019, Erkenbrand realized that Saruman was planning to invade Rohan. He made necessary repairs and strengthened the defenses of Helm's Deep. Many of the people of the Westfold took shelter in the Glittering Caves. Erkenbrand rode out to gather the forces of the Westfold, leaving about 1,000 Rohirrim to defend Helm's Deep, including a company led by Gamling to man Helm's Dike.

King Theoden arrived at Helm's Deep with a force of more than 1,000 Rohirrim from Edoras on the evening of March 3. Theoden entered the Hornburg while his nephew Eomer commanded the defenses on the Deeping-wall with the help of Aragorn. Saruman's army of 10,000 Orcs as well as Men of Dunland began the assault on Helm's Deep after midnight on March 4.

Eomer and Aragorn led a sortie from the postern-door to prevent the enemy forces from battering down the gates and entering the Hornburg. But Orcs set off an explosive device in the culvert under the Deeping-wall and they entered Helm's Deep through the breach. Many of the Rohirrim retreated into the Hornburg, while others who were cut off went farther back into Helm's Deep to defend the entrance to the Glittering Caves where the refugees hid. At dawn, the Orcs blew up the main gate of the Hornburg, but at that moment the horn of Helm Hammerhand sounded and Theoden led a charge from the gate down the causeway and all the way to Helm's Dike. Saruman's forces fled before them, and in the Deeping-coomb beyond Helm's Dike they were confronted by a forest of Huorns sent by Treebeard that had filled the valley during the night. On the western ridge of the valley, Erkenbrand arrived with Gandalf and 1,000 Rohirrim and charged down the slopes. The Men of Saruman's army surrendered, and the Orcs fled among the Huorns and never emerged again.

The day after the Battle of Helm's Deep, the dead of Rohan were buried in two mounds in the field in front of the Hornburg, while Hama, the captain of the King's guard, was buried in a solitary grave. In the middle of the next night, the Huorns buried the Orcs under a hill of stones that became known as the Death Down where no man dared to walk.

Other Names:
The Hornburg was also sometimes simply called the Burg and the Hornrock was called the Rock. The Men of Gondor originally gave the same name to the stronghold and the caves behind it - Aglarond, meaning "glittering caves." Before the time of Helm Hammerhand, the Rohirrim called the Hornburg the Suthburg.

Etymology:
Helm's Deep was named for Helm Hammerhand, who took refuge there. The word deep refers to the deep valley between the cliffs.

The Hornburg was named for the great horn of Helm. The word burg means "fortress, castle" in Old English. The earlier name Suthburg means "southern fortress," because it guarded the southern side of the Gap of Rohan.

Sources:

• The Two Towers: "Helm's Deep," passim; "The Road to Isengard," p. 148-53, 158

• The Return of the King: "The Passing of the Grey Company," p. 48-56

• Appendix A of LotR: "The House of Eorl," p. 347-48

• Unfinished Tales: "The Battles of the Fords of Isen," p. 356, 358-60, 362-63, 365 note 6, 367, 370-71, 373

• Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien: #26 - "Helm's Deep and the Hornburg"