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Helm Hammerhand's daughter lived in Rohan in the Third Age. The legendarium gives little detail about her life or name.
Biography[]
She had two brothers, Haleth and Háma, but whether either was older or younger was not given. In the year TA 2754, the Rohirrim lord Freca rode to a council held by Helm and asked that she be married to Wulf, Freca's son. Helm was angered and later in a private meeting struck Freca whose wound was so severe that he later died.[1]
In adaptations[]
In The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim[]
In The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Helm's daughter is given the name Hèra, and voiced by Gaia Wise.[2] She is also referred to by the names Wild girl and Bride of Death.
During the war, she wore thin armor plates over her chest and limbs. Upon the final battle, she wore a crown of reeves and donned a simple wedding dress as to finally give Wulf the "bride" he wanted for their duel. She also wore vambraces and greaves.
Personality[]
Hèra was free spirited, compassionate, brave, and occasionally too fearless, as it would lead her into potential risks. She loves and respects her brothers, Haleth and Háma, - with her being more respectful of her older brother, but more nurturing for her younger brother - while also loving her father, Helm, but feeling frustrated in his inability to trust in her strength due to his over-protectiveness. Although, even though Helm's intentions were good, his withdrawn nature made him unclear about how much he loved her, thus she felt less important to her brothers because she couldn't become King.
She valued her freedom above any other wish, thus argued against her father's plan to marry her off to a Gondorian prince and rejected Wulf's marriage proposal; however, her rejection of Wulf was gentle, as she tried to reassure him that she still cared for him, rather marriage itself wasn't something she wanted. Despite his entitled outburst in response, she didn't argue with him due to her kindness and sentiment from their close childhood friendship.
Even as Wulf rallies an army in preparation to rebel against King Helm, and kidnapped her, Hèra still tried to reason with him with compassion and peace, even willing to sacrifice her freedom to prevent bloodshed of the Rohirrim people, however, her begrudging acquiescence merely antagonized Wulf further by accident due to his unstable emotional and mental attitude.
As each of her brothers are murdered by Wulf, and Helm fell into a coma of grief, Hèra felt disillusioned about her own capabilities, and felt smothered by sorrow and loss. Aggravating this was this belief that Helm's grief was due to believing that he had lost everything, thus implying Hèra didn't matter to him. Even believing she was unimportant to her father, she worked tirelessly to ensure the survival of their people, and hoping to prove herself to Helm. Eventually, before his own death, when Helm managed to convey his true pride and love for Hèra, she was able to gather the strength of will to work towards the end of the war.
Hèra fought Wulf, defeating him twice, yet staying her hand as she tried to convince him to surrender; this, along with an aborted killing strike, indicated that Hèra still felt affection for Wulf because of their past, but also sympathy for how rejection and his father's death had driven him into something so pitiful. Upon being finally forced to deliver a killing blow by using a shieldmaiden shield to crush his throat, she displayed no positive emotions, rather brief pity before working to foil his army with her reinforcements led by her cousin. The enemy army of raiders and mercenaries was routed, but Hèra decreed that enough blood had been shed, thus permitted the surviving enemies mercy to return home; this reinforced that no matter how much she lost, or suffered, or grieved, she maintained her righteous heart and compassion, therefore capable of both reason and mercy. A factor was likely seeing how revenge destroyed Wulf, once her good friend, thus she understand the danger of needlessly pursuing retribution against a now helpless foe.
Biography[]
In her first appearance, Hèra is the first seen riding on her horse, Ashere, with the Great Eagle flying by, knowing they're hungry. So, Hèra gallops to the rock-top to mount off her horse and gave them some meat to the Great Eagles. One of the Great Eagles approached her. Hèra tries to tame the flying beast, but it is already tamed since she's great with animals and Hèra smiled.
Later, Hèra returns home, greeted by the villagers and her brother, Háma, is waiting for her. Hèra and Háma talk about the messengers and the council, which Olwyn arrived at the stables, scolding her for running off to feed the Great Eagles. Nevertheless, she has her to change for the court.
In video games[]
In Middle-earth: Shadow of War, Helm's daughter is unnamed, but appears in a flashback sequence which deviates significantly from Tolkien's writings. Here she is kidnapped by a rival warlord to be his wife; when Helm returns to rescue her, she attempts to stop him from killing her kidnappers but in his rage, Helm accidentally kills her as well.
References[]
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "Annals of the Kings and Rulers", II. "The House of Eorl"
- ↑ ‘The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim’: Anime Voice Cast Counts Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, Miranda Otto & More