Gamling

From the One Wiki to Rule Them All, the Lord of the Rings Encyclopedia.

Gamling (Third Age - early Fourth Age ?) is a man of Rohan sometimes known as "Gamling the Old" referenced in The Two Towers and the Return of the King. Gamling was from the Westfold and he understood the language of Dunland. Gamling was a member of the guards of Meduseld. By the time of the War of the Ring, he was an old man of some sixty three years. Gamling fought at the Battle of the Hornburg and aided Éomer, Gimli, and Grimbold while they defended the gates of the Glittering Caves. Gamling rode to Dunharrow afterwards with the king and supervised the horsemen of Westmark. Gamling carried the banner of the Westfold as the Rohirrim rode to the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. He was shocked and grieved to find both Théoden and Eowyn dead, though Eowyn was only poisoned by the Black Breath of the Witch-king. He was among the men that went back to Rohan to bury Théoden while the main host of the west marched to the Black Gate. Gamling died at an unknown time possibly in the summer of an unknown year in the early Fourth Age though the cause of the death is unknown.

[edit] Gamling in The Lord of the Rings Movie Trilogy

In the Two Towers, Gamling is a middle-aged man, portrayed by Bruce Hopkins. He serves as the main lieutenant to King Théoden, also perhaps his bodyguard, and plays quite a major role in organizing the defenses of Helm's Deep, as in the Book. Gamling, unlike in the Book, does not aid the entrance to the Glittering Caves, as such, but instead rides out with the remaining defenders towards the main Uruk-hai army outside.

Gamling again appears in the Return of the King, and rides to Dunharrow with the other Rohirrim, but shows doubts towards Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli leaving towards the lair of the Army of the Dead, instead of staying with the people of Rohan to fight. Gamling is present at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, where he can be seen firing arrows at various Mûmakil, and slaying one. Gamling survives the Battle of the Pelennor Fields and appears at Aragorn's crowning after the battle.

[edit] Trivia

A death scene was filmed for Gamling, as well as a scene where Eomer mourns for him (which can be seen briefly in a trailer for Return of the King), but it was ultimately left out from both the theatrical and extended cuts of the film. Gamling roughly means "old man" in Swedish.