10 War Of The Rohirrim Easter Eggs & Lord Of The Rings References

This article contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is full of J.R.R. Tolkien Easter eggs. The movie, released in December 2024, is based on “The House of Eorl,” a short story in Appendix A of The Lord of the Rings. It does not follow its source material to the letter but does drop intriguing references to the rest of The Lord of the Rings and the wider legendarium. The movie enjoys referring to Peter Jackson’s Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogies with smart callbacks, making its deep myth and legend known.

You are watching: 10 War Of The Rohirrim Easter Eggs & Lord Of The Rings References

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The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim movie is directed by anime legend Kenji Kamiyama, who also worked on Ghost in the Shell. It was about time Tolkien’s high fantasy masterpiece was united with Japan’s ancient animated art form. Lord of the Rings is perfectly suited to anime, which allows its fantastical monsters and characters to breathe and grow into the most spectacular versions of themselves. The format allowed Tolkien’s work to bleed into every line, corner, and image of the movie, making every scene Tolkienian, even if it was original material.

10 The War Of The Rohirrim Creatures

The Lord Of The Rings’ Fantasy Beasts Appear In The Movie

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There are some obvious Lord of the Rings callbacks in The War of the Rohirrim movie, and many of these involve monsters. Tolkien populated his work with fantasy beasts that influenced writers and moviemakers for generations to come. These included the Great Eagles, the Mûmakil, the Watcher in the Water, and the Orcs. Uniquely for a Warner Bros. Lord of the Rings movie, War of the Rohirrim does not include Elves.

Related What Happens To Héra After War Of The Rohirrim In Lord Of The Rings Lore

Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim tells the story of Héra and her leadership during a devastating conflict. Here’s what happens to her next.

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However, it certainly does include the Great Eagles, the Mûmakil, the Watcher in the Water, and Orcs. And yet, none of these beasts appear in the movie’s source material, making them Tolkien Easter eggs rather than natural and logical aspects of the adaptation. The Watcher in the Water appears most beguilingly in a lake, bearing very little resemblance to Peter Jackson’s version of the beast. Likewise, the Mûmakil rampages through the woods like the infected boar in Princess Mononoke, Hayao Miyazaki’s legendary anime movie.

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9 Symbols Of Rohan Pervade War Of The Rohirrim

J.R.R. Tolkien’s Rohan Echoes Through The Movie

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The War of the Rohirrim picture ensures ample reference to J.R.R. Tolkien’s rich Rohan imagery. Tolkien went to great pains to describe simbelmynë, the white flower that grew on Rohirrim graves. This flower was also known as aspirin and is referenced in Amazon Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. This rich Easter egg occurs toward the end of War of the Rohirrim as the flower creeps into view during Fréaláf’s coronation.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
came out in 2002.

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The movie also displays Helm’s horn, which was proudly blown by Gimli, son of Glóin, in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers movie. This is the horn of Helm Hammerhand, a Rohirrim relic used to herald war and the assault of the legendary Riders of Rohan. The horn was blown in The War of the Rohirrim during Rohan’s war with the Dunlendings, signaling the onset of greater violence.

8 Southrons Venture Into The War Of The Rohirrim

War Of The Rohirrim References Wider Middle-Earth

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Tolkien’s scary Southrons made an appearance in The War of the Rohirrim, despite not showing up in “The House of Eorl.” Of all The Lord of the Rings’ types of Men, the Haradrim may have been the most warlike. These mysterious people were also known as the Southrons due to their southerly climes. The Haradrim hailed from Harad and allied with Sauron in the War of the Ring, also appearing as a mysterious threat in The War of the Rohirrim.

Northern Harad was known as Near Harad and southern Harad was called Far Harad.

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In one of the movie’s earlier scenes, a dead and decaying Southron is discovered in the snow. This is a portent of war, with violence soon to follow. The Southron recalls Peter Jackson’s Haradrim without copying them, displaying a tribal aesthetic all its own. The Oliphaunts, or Mûmakil, which also appeared in the movie, were linked to the Haradrim in The Lord of the Rings.

7 War Of The Rohirrim Develops Tolkien’s Shieldmaidens

Lord Of The Rings’ Female Warriors Have Pride Of Place In The Movie

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One of Lord of the Rings’ strongest women (Éowyn) was a shieldmaiden and The War of the Rohirrim riffs on this. The shieldmaidens are a major theme in War of the Rohirrim, symbolizing female empowerment. War of the Rohirrim represents the first time a woman has been a main character in a Lord of the Rings movie, and this is accompanied by her growth into a shieldmaiden.

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Tolkienian Age	Event Marking The Start	Years	Total Length In Solar Years
Before time	See more : Who is Billy Unger Wife? Know Everything About Billy Unger Indeterminate	See more : Who is Billy Unger Wife? Know Everything About Billy Unger Indeterminate	See more : Who is Billy Unger Wife? Know Everything About Billy Unger Indeterminate
Days before Days	Ainur entered Eä	1 – 3,500 Valian Years	33,537
Pre-First Age Years of the Trees (Y.T.)	Yavanna created the Two Trees	Y.T. 1 – 1050	10,061
First Age (F.A.)	Elves awoke in Cuiviénen	Y.T. 1050 – Y.T. 1500, F.A. 1 – 590	4,902
Second Age (S.A.)	War of Wrath ended	S.A. 1 – 3441	3,441
Third Age (T.A.)	Last Alliance defeated Sauron	T.A. 1 – 3021	3,021
Fourth Age (Fo.A)	Elven-rings left Middle-earth	Fo.A 1 – unknown	Unknown

Héra honors Lord of the Rings’ Éowyn through War of the Rohirrim’s shieldmaiden Easter eggs. The movie tries to show how Héra paved the way for Éowyn to become the Third Age hero that she is in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Perhaps even more interesting than Héra is the significantly less sexualized Olwyn, the older shieldmaiden who inspires and guides Héra.

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6 No Tales Tell Of War Of The Rohirrim’s Main Character

The Movie Knows That Hèra Gets Just One Line In the Book

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The movie’s narration confirms that “no tales tell” of Héra, which is a “The House of Eorl” Easter egg. This clever aspect of the script references its source material, knowingly acknowledging its bizarre choice of main character. War of the Rohirrim’s divisive choice of main character does make sense as it allows Helm to remain something of a mystery, but Héra only occupied one line in “The House of Eorl.”

The movie provides an in-universe reason for its choice of main character, suggesting that a subtle misogyny exists in the historical documentation of Rohan’s legends.

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Helm Hammerhand is the main character of “The House of Eorl”, but giving him the lead role in the movie may have evaporated some of the appeal of his mythological character. The movie provides an in-universe reason for its choice of main character, suggesting that a subtle misogyny exists in the historical documentation of Rohan’s legends, leaving Héra out of its narrative. This interesting twist gives the movie a feminist slant.

5 The War Of The Rohirrim Uses The Rohirrim’s Famous Battle Cry

The Movie’s Dialogue References J.R.R. Tolkien’s Book

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The War of the Rohirrim drops Tolkien’s dialogue into its script, constituting some of its most evocative Lord of the Rings Easter eggs. The Lord of the Rings builds the Rohirrim into one of its most glorious races. They were based on the Anglo-Saxons, who Tolkien was an expert on, and symbolized early English people. This race, of huge importance to Tolkien, was given some of the best lines in the book and movies, which wasn’t ignored by War of the Rohirrim.

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The anime film screamed its Tolkienian origins from the rooftops every time a Rohirrim bellowed “Forth Eorlingas.” This beloved line, pulled straight from the pages of Lord of the Rings, may have been most famously yelled by Théoden in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. “Fell deeds awake. Now for wrath, now for ruin and the red dawn” were the immortal lines shouted by the King before he unleashed the Rohirrim’s legendary battle cry.

4 War Of The Rohirrim References Lord Of The Rings’ Beacons

Rohan Hesitates To Light The Beacons In The Movie

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Helm is not keen to light the beacons and call for aid in The War of the Rohirrim, which bears a striking resemblance to a political quandary in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. These two proud nations just can’t seem to maintain their historical friendship without the odd quarrel. Just as Denethor stubbornly refused to call for help in Return of the King by lighting the beacons, Helm refused to do so in War of the Rohirrim.

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The Nature of Middle-earth specifically refers to “the full beacon system,” confirming that the beacons worked both ways. This justifies the movie’s allusion to the beacons being lit from Rohan’s side, although it may seem as if they were only for Gondor’s use. This Easter egg shows a deep appreciation of the wider legendarium, suggesting strong knowledge of Tolkien’s work on the screenwriters’ parts.

3 War Of The Rohirrim Shows Lord Of The Rings’ Looming Evil

Tolkien’s Third Age Isengard Is On Show In The Movie

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There is evil lurking in the background of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, and it is littered with Easter eggs that prove it. Isengard becomes populated by Wulf and his team of warriors in The War of the Rohirrim, showing the intriguing development of the area. Wulf is shown to start pioneering the kind of machinery that Saruman was known for in The Two Towers.

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Saruman appears at the end of the movie, solidifying its exploration of Isengard. This appearance, however, is totally canonical, unlike the movie’s detailed engines of war, which weren’t outlined in “The House of Eorl.” Meanwhile, Lord of the Rings’ villain Sauron is referenced in a subtle Easter egg as well. Orcs hunt for rings in War of the Rohirrim, wondering out loud what Mordor wants with them. This positions the movie’s story in the bigger picture of the looming threat of the War of the Ring.

2 A Tolkien Rune Appears At The End Of War Of The Rohirrim

This Ancient Symbol Is One Of Lord Of The Rings’ Runes

A mysterious symbol appears near the end of The War of the Rohirrim, but this is actually a Lord of the Rings Easter egg recalling one of Lord of the Rings’ best characters. Héra appears after the movie’s war has ended, holding a letter. This letter bears a strange mark, seeming like a rune. This is a Cirth rune from an alphabet invented by J.R.R. Tolkien for The Lord of the Rings.

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Tolkien invented numerous languages for The Lord of the Rings, many of which were Elvish. The Elves used an alphabet called Tengwar, which was precipitated by the Cirth Runes. The runes were adopted by the Dwarves as they were composed of many straight lines, making them easy to carve into rock, and they were fond of carving rock. This rune was used among Dwarves in The Hobbit.

1 The War Of The Rohirrim Drops A Gandalf Reference

The Movie Alludes To One Of Tolkien’s Best Characters

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If The War of the Rohirrim’s rune is familiar to some, that is likely because it is the same rune that Gandalf carved on the door of Bag End in The Hobbit. Those who recognize this may, at this point, be getting excited about what is to come. This rune, meaning “G,” does indeed signify Gandalf’s appearance in the movie. However, this iconic Wizard does not appear in person.

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As she handles the letter, Héra reveals that she rides to meet Gandalf to discuss the search for rings, paralleling the movie’s previous reference to Mordor’s hunt for the same. This powerful closing Easter egg confirms the movie as a part of a huge ongoing story. Gandalf’s name is a highlight of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, offering the possibility of an exciting sequel.

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5/10 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim PG-13AnimationActionAdventureFantasy

Set before the events of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is an animated action-adventure fantasy film that follows a King of Rohan named Helm Hammerhand. When his home comes under siege by Dunlendings, Hammerhand prepares himself and his allies to fight back against them, with the war leading to the eventual establishment of Helm’s Deep.

Release Date December 13, 2024 Runtime 134 Minutes Main Genre Fantasy Franchise(s) The Lord of the Rings Cast Brian Cox , Miranda Otto , Gaia Wise , Luke Pasqualino , Laurence Ubong , Shaun Dooley Director Kenji Kamiyama Sequel(s) The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring , The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers , The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Studio(s) New Line Cinema , Warner Bros. Animation , Sola Entertainment Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Expand

Source: https://truongnguyenbinhkhiem.edu.vn
Category: Entertainment