Half-orcs or "Goblin-men" were spies and warriors used by Saruman during the time he sought power in Middle-earth in the late Third Age.

Known as Goblin men, they were the servants of Saruman used in the old process of breeding Uruk-hai. Only once are they mentioned in the books. In The Two Towers ("Helm's Deep" chapter, during the Battle of the Hornburg), Gamling, a man of Rohan, refers to the army bred by Saruman as half-orcs and goblin-men.

Frodo quotes to the Fellowship upon leaving Bree 'So that's where that southerner is hiding... he looks more than half like a goblin'' referring to the Squint-eyed Southerner, an outlaw from Dunland and agent for Saruman selling Pipe-weed.

Contents 1 History 2 Portrayal in adaptations 3 References 4 External links

HistoryEdit

Half-orcs were usually the product of the union of Men and Orcs.^{{Citation needed}} They were not as wide spread as Uruk-hai, but they were still deadly. It is recorded that Half-orcs came to be by an evil act of sorcery where Saruman bred Dunlendings with the Uruk-Hai, the evil Half-orcs were the result of this union.^{{Citation needed}} The Half-orcs were slant eyed like orcs yet as tall as men.^{{Citation needed}} They worked in the deep caverns of Isengard for years preparing for Saruman's conquest of Rohan, forging weapons and armour. It is unknown if they were Immortal, or at least longer lived then Men. They were part of the armies of Saruman who attacked Rohan twice in the Battles of the Fords of Isen and of the 10,000 that attacked the Rohirrim in the Hornburg, were most of them perished at the Battle of the Hornburg, either before the fortress walls or in the Huorn's forest.

The rest of them were killed in the pits of Isengard, mostly because of the huge flood the Ents made when they descended upon Isengard with wrath. Some lived beyond that day of doom and followed Saruman into exile, even during the Scouring of the Shire, where they served the fallen wizard with others until his last breath. In the Shire, they were all killed along with their fellow villains the Ruffians in the Battle of Bywater and buried in the Battle Pit.

Portrayal in adaptationsEdit

In the film The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) Gandalf tells Elrond at Rivendell that Saruman has cross-bred orcs

with goblin-men.

ReferencesEdit

• 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
• Unfinished Tales: The Battles of the Fords of Isen pgs. 357-58

External linksEdit

• Half-orcs at Tolkien Gateway
• Goblin-men at Tolkien Gateway