Posted: February 18, 2000 at 15:38:26: by Michael Martinez
: : Ok, hear me out first! This came to me last night while I was
: : trying to get to sleep!?!: You do think strange things before sleep!! ;) : : What does anyone else think??? : I think you are probably right that although only 30 gathered
: in haste made it to Pelennor(sp?) that others were following
: and would arrive as soon as possible to either assist in
: regaining the kingdom or to die resisting Sauron, but either
: way, this War of the Ring would be very important to Aragorn's
: kin. As for defending the hill and "risking" his family
: members or what was left of them, these would have been his
: "housecarls" and therefore his most trusted people and those he
: considered his best warriors, so in addition to protecting his
: very person, they would have been entrusted with the "tough"
: jobs. Also, this scene bears striking resemblance to William
: of Poitiers account of the battle of Hastings. I don't recall the Battle of Hastings raging around two hills. Nor did Aragorn use a shield wall. A reasonably good description of the battle may be found at http://www.ancientsites.com/er/hastings.html (and this is by no means my only source of information -- it's just one I found on the Net that everyone can examine). I don't see even the vaguest resemblance between the two battles. At Hastings the guys on the bluff lost, and in LOTR the guys on the two hills won. And I don't see any need to equate the Rangers with "housecarls". Tolkien's Rangers are not personal troops. Although I can find no mention of additional Rangers arriving after the Battle of Pelennor Fields, it seems unlikely in any event because the numbers of Aragorn's army are given in "The Last Debate": 2000 of Aragorn's men from the south
3500 of Minas Tirith's garrison (under Imrahil)
500 unhorsed Rohirrim
500 mounted Rohirrim
500 horsemen including the sons of Elrond, the Dunedain (presumably Aragorn's Rangers), and the knights of Dol Amroth I have always assumed the last 500 included whatever cavalry Denethor had in Minas Tirith, but I can see how it might be inferred this indicates reinforcements arrived. And yet, how could they have reached Minas Tirith? Did they also ride through the Paths of the Dead? There was still an army blocking the road in Anorien. It fell to Elfhelm to disperse it.
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