Battle of the Pelennor Fields

The Battle of the Pelennor Fields was a battle for the city of Minas Tirith and ultimately Gondor, immediately following a large-scale siege of Minas Tirith by Sauron's Morgul-host. It was the greatest battle of the War of the Ring and indeed the largest of the entire Third Age. Major casualties resulted, including King Théoden and the Witch-king of Angmar.
== History ==
=== Prelude ===
With Gondor's setback in the Battle of Osgiliath and the impending assault from Sauron's Morgul-host, Denethor was dismayed that Théoden did not come as quickly as he had hoped. Soon, despite the efforts of Faramir, the Rammas Echor was overrun, and the city isolated. The enemy began preparations for its attack, which commenced shortly and quickly pressed Minas Tirith greatly.The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book Five, Ch. IV: "The Siege of Gondor"
=== The battle ===
==== Arrival of the Rohirrim ====
Unknown to both Gondor and Mordor, the Drúedain secretly guided Théoden's army safely through the Drúadan Forest via an old, hidden road built by the Men of Gondor long ago, and forgotten by all save the Wild Men. This allowed the Rohirrim to circumvent the defenses of the enemy on the northern road and attack the forces of Mordor from the rear. Rohan was joined by men from Dunland who wished to journey to Minas Tirith to fight with Gondor against the Dark Lord. Due to the dismantling of the Rammas Echor, Sauron's forces could not mount a strong defense, and Théoden's forces quickly overran the northern half of the Pelennor Fields. However, after forcing the retreat of the Haradrim cavalry, they were halted by the appearance of the Witch-king. He mortally wounded Théoden, who was crushed by his own horse, Snowmane.The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book Five, Ch. VI: "The Battle of the Pelennor Fields"
At that moment, Éowyn and Meriadoc Brandybuck rode up to face him. Éowyn killed the winged steed upon which he rode, and the Witch-king fell to the ground. He was unharmed by this, however, and he stood up menacingly, readying his mace. He swung at Éowyn, who managed to block the attack with her shield, which shattered under the great mace's force. Éowyn's arm was also shattered upon impact. She fell to the ground, and the Witch-king lifted his mace for a final blow. As he did so, Merry, who was behind him, stabbed him in the back of the leg with his Barrow-blade. The Witch-king was wounded, and Éowyn used this distraction to drive her sword into his face, killing him. During this, and afterwards, the Dunlendings and Rohirrim (under the command of Éomer) continued their assault, while footmen of Gondor launched their own counterattack, sortieing from the gate while Imrahil, his Swan Knights, and Gondor's cavalry tried to reach Éomer. Even so, they were all outmatched by the Mûmakil and Haradrim as the enemy committed their reserves. As the tide of battle turned against Gondor, the Men of the West were dismayed to see the Corsairs of Umbar apparently arrive.
==== The final stage ====
Neither side knew that Aragorn and the Grey Company, with the help of the Army of the Dead, had vanquished the fleet of the Corsairs in the Battle of Pelargir. The Army of the Dead repaid their debt to Isildur by driving the Corsairs upon the ships mad, causing them to jump overboard and drown. After loading the ships with as many men of southern Gondor as possible, they sailed north to the battle. Upon arriving, the enemy found itself in a disadvantageous position, with their enemies where (and when) they least expected. The extra reinforcements brought by Aragorn punched a wide salient within the most vulnerable area of the Mordor-host, severing the forces nearer to Minas Tirith and the ones close to the river Anduin. 
The Men of Gondor, Rohan, and Dunland used this tactical advantage to the fullest, utterly routing the enemy with prolonged infantry charges and cavalry pursuit. The tactical and morale advantage was effective in turning the battle into a rout of the Mordor host. Most of the Mordor-host was slain and the rest fled back toward the Land of Shadow, many drowning in the Anduin. A strong force of Easterlings fought to the last man, and Gothmog rallied many evil servants across the Pelennor to fight while other Orcs retreated. While they were decimated by the now numerically superior Armies of the West, Sauron's remaining army inflicted considerable casualties among their foes. The battle was over by sunset, with most enemies dead and a meager few fleeing.
== Losses ==
The Dark Host was lost all but completely. Few ever made it to Mordor, and fewer still survived of the Haradrim forces. However, they only represented a fraction of the forces of the Dark Lord. Most important to Sauron was the loss of his mightiest servant, the Witch-king. Although the numbers lost were not incredibly significant to Sauron, as he could afford to lose many times that of his enemies, the loss of his chief servant was a devastating blow.
The losses of the West were significant as well. In addition to the lost commanders, it was said by Éomer later that not 4000 Riders were combat worthy, and the losses in the forces of Dunland were probably considerable as well. However, despite that, with the newcomers from southern Gondor and more arriving by prior order of Aragorn, even with all the losses of the battle and the 7000 heading for the Morannon, the city was estimated to be better defended than before the battle, discounting the loss of the Great Gate.The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book Five, Ch. IX: "The Last Debate"The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book Five, Ch. X: "The Black Gate Opens"
== Concept & creation ==
Sauron Defeated, the fourth volume of The History of The Lord of the Rings, contains superseded versions of the battle. Some changes of detail are apparent: e.g. Théoden slain by a projectile to the heart instead of being crushed by his horse; or when Éowyn reveals her sex, her hair has been cut short, a detail absent from the final version. J.R.R. Tolkien had also considered having Éowyn die.
There are repeated references by Tolkien to a historic account of the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains by Jordanes. Both battles take place between civilisations of the "East" and "West", and like Jordanes, Tolkien describes his battle as one of legendary fame that lasted for several generations. Another apparent similarity is the death of King Theodoric I on the Catalaunian Fields and that of Théoden on the Pelennor. Jordanes reports that Theodoric was thrown off by his horse and trampled to death by his own men who charged forward. Théoden also rallies his men shortly before he falls and is crushed by his horse. And like Theodoric, Théoden is carried from the battlefield with his knights weeping and singing for him while the battle continues.
== In adaptations ==
=== Rankin and Bass ===
In the 1980 animated The Return of the King film, the battle is only seen partway through. The men amongst Sauron's forces are never clearly seen, only the Trolls, Orcs, and integrated Uruks. Exchanges of arrows between the two sides are seen, as well as melee battles. Some of the Mordor forces ride the towers lashed to the backs of the Oliphaunts. As the battle rages on, Pippin alerts Gandalf to Denethor's despair. Denethor insists that the West has failed, and he wishes his end to be on his terms and not Sauron's. Gandalf protests, reminding him that Théoden's forces from Rohan are en route. But Denethor reveals his palantír, and informs Gandalf that even that will be only a brief reprieve because the black fleet from Umbar is sailing upriver towards them. He then orders his servants in, to burn him.
Eventually, the forces of Mordor bring out Grond, towed into position by a team of Oliphaunts and operated by trolls. The Witch-king of Angmar arrives to direct the ram, borne to the fight on his Fellbeast. Gandalf and Pippin ride down to the gate to confront him. As Gandalf and the Witch-king duel with words, they are interrupted by a the crowing of a rooster, announcing the new dawn. The Horn of Rohan sounds in answer, announcing the arrival of the Rohirrim. They charge into the fray, cutting through Sauron's troops. The Witch-king retreats for the time being. Merry and Pippin are reunited in the fracas. As the fight progresses for days, the Dawnless Day arrives, overshadowing the field. During this the Witch-king returns filled with extra power, which spooks Snowmane and causes him to throw Théoden off to his death. Merry swears revenge. Éowyn challenges the Witch-king, slaying his mount and then dueling him. Merry distracts him with a well-timed stab to the buttocks, allowing Éowyn to slice off his invisible head.Due to the film not having time for the healing-house scenes, they are not portrayed. The Mordor troops panic and start scattering, some throwing themselves into the river. The black fleet arrives, giving them fresh hope until the flagship raises the standard not of Mordor but of the King of Gondor. The Orcs are thrown into disarray, and overcome by the forces of Rohan and Gondor. Afterward, Aragorn and Gandalf prepare for the march to the Black Gate.
=== The Lord of the Rings film trilogy ===
==== The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) ====
On the second day of the battle, with the forces of Gondor on the brink of defeat, the Rohirrim, with 6,000 fully armed horsemen, arrived at daybreak fresh and ready. After a stirring call-to-battle by King Théoden and a series of horn blasts, the legion of horsemen rode out as one towards Sauron's forces with the king at the apex. The Orcs hastily reorganized themselves, setting up their pikemen in front and their archers behind them. As the Rohirrim rapidly closed in, the Orcs opened fire with volleys of arrows, killing several of the horsemen but it was all for naught as the barrage had no effect whatsoever on the Rohirrim's momentum. The Orc commander could only look on in stunned horror as the Rohirrim smashed headlong into the Orc ranks with all the power and fury of a force ten times their actual size, slicing through and mowing down thousands of the panicking Orcs with shocking ease. The Orc lines buckled, splintered and then shattered completely, causing them to rout the field; yet the Rohirrim pursued them still, slaughtering the Orcs by the hundreds.
Desperate to regain control of the battle, Sauron frantically deployed his reserve force; 20 Mûmakil each ridden by a force of 100 Haradrim. Though momentarily stunned by the sight of the intimidating animals, King Théoden reformed his forces and valiantly launched a counter-charge against the Haradrim. At first the Rohirrim suffered heavy losses from the tusks and trunks of the Mûmakil as well as the arrows and javelins of the Haradrim and floundered. Then, almost by accident, Éomer realised that the rampaging Mûmakil had a key weakness; their vulnerable drivers and confirmed this by killing the Haradrim King with a thrown spear, causing the Mûmakil he was controlling to swerve and crash into another Mûmakil, killing both animals and all the Haradrim riding them. Using this, the Rohirrim were able to bring down several more Mûmakil; Éowyn taking down one with Merry's help but in the confusion, the Orc forces regrouped and charged back into battle, threatening the Rohirrim even more.
As the battle raged on into the afternoon, The Witch-king joined the battle with his winged steed, attacking and mortally wounding King Théoden. Landing before him, the winged steed prepared to finish off the monarch but before it could, Éowyn threw herself in between her uncle and the black-clad wraith and struck with two mighty slashes on the steed's neck, decapitating it. Rising from the corpse of his mount, the Witch-king and Éowyn engaged in a ferocious duel, with Éowyn narrowly evading two of his mace swings, and parrying one glancing blow. Spotting an opening, the Witch-king reversed his attack direction and countered with a devastating blow from his mace, shattering her shield and breaking all the bones in her arm. Seizing the shield-maiden by the throat, the Witch-king prepared to kill her but before he could strike, Merry stabbed the Witch-king in the leg with his enchanted Barrow Blade, crippling the wraith and giving Éowyn an opportunity to plunge her sword into the center of the Witch-king's shrouded face, destroying him once and for all.
Back inside the walls of Minas Tirith, the remaining forces of Gondor along with Gandalf and Pippin prepared to make their last stand against the encroaching Orcs. Out on the Pelennor Fields, the Rohirrim continued to fight hard but were still heavily outnumbered and assailed from all sides. Then, just as defeat seemed inevitable for Gondor and Rohan, the ships of the Corsairs of Umbar arrived at the Harlond. A detachment of Orcs arrived at the harbor to join up with them but were instead greeted by the sight of Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli jumping off the lead ship. Wasting no time, the trio then charged the Orc ranks, followed immediately by the forces of the Dead Men of Dunharrow, who poured onto the field slaughtering every Orc and Haradrim in their path before flooding into the city itself and massacring every Orc within. The remaining Mordor/Harad forces stood no chance against the dead and were quickly overwhelmed. By the day's end, the men of Gondor and Rohan were in control of Minas Tirith and the surrounding countryside.
== Aftermath ==
The battle ended with a grand, albeit costly, victory for the Free Peoples. Sauron meanwhile had suffered his heaviest defeat to date. His primary orc armies had been completely wiped out, the Haradrim so badly mauled that they were no longer a threat and the Corsairs of Umbar were destroyed as a fighting force. Worst of all was the loss of his most powerful servant the Witch-king. Yet despite the heavy losses, it was not a war-winning victory and all was not lost for the Dark Lord, for he still possessed large reserves of Orcs in Mordor and was prepared to carry on the war for as long as was necessary.
Once the city was secure, Aragorn took over command of the war effort from the fallen Theoden and convened a council with his advisors and companions to decide what to do next. Gandalf despaired over Frodo's fate, believing that he would not be able to reach Mount Doom without having to somehow sneak past Sauron's large reserve forces camped out on the Plains of Gorgorath inside Mordor's borders. Aragon was not deterred and came to the conclusion that the only way to help Frodo succeed in his mission was to draw out Sauron's remaining army by offering battle at the Black Gates, thereby enabling Frodo and Sam to cross the Plains undetected. The plan was incredibly high-risk and would require precise timing but Aragon believed it would come through, for he theorized that if he challenged Sauron at the Black Gate with a lesser force than Sauron had, the Dark Lord would naturally assume that Aragorn was only doing because he would have the One Ring in his possession, making it all the easier for Sauron to reclaim it. Gandalf and Eomer raised doubts that the plan would work but Aragorn was determined and set out for the Black Gates a few days later with his army.
==Translations==
Foreign Language 	Translated name
Afrikaans 	Slag van die Pelennor Velde
Albanian 	Beteja e Fushave Pelennor
Basque 	Pelennorreko Zelaietako gudua
Belarusian Cyrillic	Бітва на Пеленорскіх Палях
Bosnian 	Bitka kod Pelenorskih Polja
Bulgarian Cyrillic 	Битката на Пеленнор полета
Catalan 	Batalla dels Camps de Pèlennor
Chinese (Hong Kong)	帕蘭諾平原之戰役
Czech 	Bitva na Pelennorských Polích
Danish 	Slaget på Pelennorsletten
Dutch 	Slag van de Velden van Pelennor
Esperanto 	Batalo de la Pelennor Kampoj
Estonian 	Lahing Pelennor Väljadel
Finnish 	Pelennorin kenttien taistelu
French 	Bataille des Champs du Pelennor
Galician 	Batalla dos Campos de Pelennor
German 	Schlacht auf dem Pelennor
Greek 	Μάχη των πεδίων Πελεννορ
Haitian Creole 	Batay nan tout Jaden Pelennor
Hausa 	Yakin da Pelennor Filayen
Hebrew 	קרב שדות פלנור
Hungarian 	Csata a Pelennor Mezők
Icelandic 	Orrustan við Pelennor Sviðum
Indonesian 	Pertempuran Bidang Pelennor
Irish Gaelic 	Cath na Páirceanna Pelennor
Italian 	Battaglia dei Campi del Pelennor
Japanese 	ペレンノール野の合戦
Korean 	펠렌노르 (평원) 전투
Latvian 	Kaujas no Pelennor Laukiem
Lithuanian 	Mūšis Pelennor srityse
Luxembourgish 	Schluecht vun de Pelennorfelder
Maltese 	Battalja ta 'l-oqsma Pelennor
Norwegian 	Slaget på Pelennor-engene
Persian 	نبرد دشت پلنور
Polish 	Bitwa na Polach Pellenoru
Portuguese 	Batalha dos Campos de Pelennor
Romanian 	Bătălia de la Domenii Pelennor
Russian 	Битва на Пеленнорских Полях
Serbian 	Битка код Пеленорских поља (Cyrillic) Bitka kod Pelonorskih polja (Latin)
Slovak 	Bitka na Pelennorských poliach
Spanish 	Batalla de los Campos del Pelennor
Swedish 	Slaget vid Pelennors Fält
Turkish 	Pelennor Çayırları Savaşı
Ukrainian Cyrillic 	Битва на Пеленнор поля
Urdu 	غزوہ پالانناور قطعات
Vietnamese 	Chiến của các Trường Pelennor
Welsh 	Brwydr y Caeau Pelennor
Yiddish 	שלאַכט פון די פּעלעננאָר פעלדער
== References ==
ca:Batalla dels Camps de Pelènnor
de:Schlacht auf dem Pelennor
es:Batalla de los Campos del Pelennor
fr:Bataille des Champs du Pelennor
it:Battaglia dei Campi del Pelennor
pl:Bitwa na Polach Pelennoru
pt-br:Batalha dos Campos de Pelennor
ru:Битва на Пеленнорских полях
Category:Battles
Category:War of the Ring