Gamling

Gamling was a Man of Rohan sometimes known as "Gamling the Old" referenced in The Two Towers and the Return of the King.

History
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 as 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.

Etymology
Gamling roughly means "Old one" in Swedish, Icelandic, Danish and Norwegian.

The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
In Peter Jackson's The Two Towers and The Return of the King, Gamling is portrayed by the New Zealand actor, Bruce Hopkins.

Radio series
Gamling was in the The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series) where he was voiced by Patrick BarrIn. 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.

In the films, Gamling's role is greatly expanded actually appears to be a mesh of several different characters from the books. In the books he only appears as the captain of the permanent garrison of men located at Helm's Deep and in this role he likely answered to Theodred, the Second Marshall before his death and later to Erkenbrand. In the films he first appears in Meduseld, apparently either second in command to Hama the door warden, or a replacement of Deorwine, captain of Theoden's knights.

During the third film he is shown to be one of the three main captains of Rohan during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, appearing replacing Elfhelm. He is also appears to replace Guthlaf the banner-bearer who in the books used a great horn to signal the charge of the Rohirrim. In the film, Gamling is seen to do this at the start of the battle and later when Theoden ordered a charge against the Mumakil.

Gamling was not seen riding towards the Black Gate, nor during the battle fought there. It is possible then that, like Elfhelm in the books, he was left in charge of several companies of Rohan who would have remained garrisoned at Minas Tirith while the captains of the West rode out to challenge Sauron (note; such a garrison is not mentioned in the films, but it is unlikely that Aragorn, Eomer and Gandalf would have left Minas Tirith completely un-manned after the battle they fought to keep it safe.)

Video Games


Gamling makes an appearance in The Lord of the Rings Online and LEGO The Lord of the Rings: The Video Game. He is also a playable character, and can be purchased in Fangorn Forest along with Grishnakh. For an unknown reason, his hair is in white instead of brown like in the movie.

External link


Gamling Gamling