Olog-hai

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

The Olog-hai (Black Speech: "troll-folk") were a fierce breed of Trolls that appeared during the last days of the War of the Ring in Sauron's service in Middle-earth.

[edit] Behavior

They had none of the old Troll vulnerabilities: they were very intelligent and able to move under the sun unlike their other counterparts. For this reason they were seen by some to be orcs like the Uruk-hai, but they were definitely of Troll stock. They were improved Trolls, much like the Uruk-hai were improved orcs.

They spoke seldom and never in any language other than Sauron's Black Speech. After the War of the Ring, all of the Olog-hai were killed.

[edit] In the book

The Olog-hai are not mentioned by name in The Lord of the Rings; the term appears only in the Appendices. However, they are described as being in the Battle of the Morannon at the Black Gate, where Pippin saves his friend Beregond from one. It is possible that some Olog-hai were also present at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.

The Olog-hai are described as being taller than a man, and covered in horny scales, carrying war hammers , large swords or spiked maces, and bucklers, and having claws and, on occasion, tusks.

[edit] In film

Olog-hai were shown as the shock troops in the motion picture The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, sporting armor and war hammers alluded to in the appendices. They were used in the Siege of Gondor as primary shock troops after the gates of Minas Tirith were broken, and an Olog-hai actually duels Aragorn at the Black Gate. They differ from the other Trolls depicted in the movies in that they have more forward-facing eyes as well as hair on their bodies, suggesting that they are a more advanced form of Troll. They are usually gray to black in color. They have twenty-four teeth. Their eyes are also bright orange, showing their evil connection with Sauron.