Uruk-hai

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The Uruk-hai are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth. They are introduced in The Lord of the Rings as an advanced breed or breeds of Orcs that serve Sauron and Saruman.

Contents 1 Terminology 2 Literature 3 Adaptations 4 In popular culture 5 See also 6 References

[edit] Terminology

The name "Uruk-hai" has the element Uruk, which is a Black Speech word related to Orc, related to the word "Urko" in Tolkien's invented language of Quenya. The element hai means "folk", so "Uruk-hai" is "Orc-folk". A similar term is "Olog-hai" ("troll-folk"), used for a breed of especially strong and vicious trolls capable of surviving sunlight.

Christopher Tolkien describes "Uruks" as an anglicization of "Uruk-hai" and his father used the two terms interchangeably a number of times. While "Uruk-hai" means simply "Orc-folk", the term was reserved for the soldier orcs of Mordor and Isengard, with "snaga" ("slave") being their term for other breeds.

[edit] Literature

The race of Uruk-hai, described as very large black Orcs of great strength, first appeared about the year 2475 of the Third Age, when they conquered Ithilien and the city of Osgiliath. These original Uruks were of Sauron's breeding, but Saruman bred his own, making further improvements such as resistance to sunlight and more upright stature. All Uruk-hai were larger and stronger than other breeds of Orc and consequently looked down upon and often bullied them.

In The Two Towers, Aragorn observes that the fallen Uruk-hai at Amon Hen were not like any breed of Orc he has seen before. Treebeard speculates that Saruman had crossbred Orcs and Men, "a black evil".^[1] These Orcs, who named themselves "the fighting Uruk-hai", made up a large part of Saruman's army, together with the Dunlendings and other human enemies of Rohan.^[2][3] They were faster, stronger, and larger than normal Orcs and could travel during the day without being weakened, although they still did not like it.^[1] Saruman fed them with human flesh.^[4] Saruman's Uruk-hai fought against the Rohirrim at the Battles of the Fords of Isen, at the first of which King Théoden's son Théodred was killed, and the Battle of the Hornburg, where the vast majority of the Uruks were defeated and destroyed.^[3]

The chapter "The Uruk-hai" gives detailed comparisons between different kinds of Orcs. It follows on from "The Departure of Boromir" where Boromir is discovered dying and the hobbits Merry and Pippin have been captured by Orcs, who had been tracking the Fellowship of the Ring for days. The chapter deals with the Orc party's trek across Rohan, pursued by Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli and encountering horsemen led by Éomer.

The Orc party was composed of Sauron's Orcs of Mordor led by Grishnákh, Saruman's "fighting Uruk-hai" of Isengard led by Uglúk, and "northerners", Orcs of Moria. The Uruks of Isengard were the Orcs who finally killed Boromir and captured Merry and Pippin, and it was their dead whom Aragorn found remarkable.

The Uruk-hai of Isengard were the tallest of the Orcs present and had thick, straight legs (while the Orcs of Mordor were described to be bow-legged) and large hands. Although the Isengarders still did not like the light of the sun, they could withstand it unlike other Orcs. The Orcs of Mordor were all long-armed and crook-legged, not as tall as the Isengarders but larger and more powerful than the Moria Orcs. The Orcs of Moria in turn could see better in the dark than the Isengarders. Grishnákh is described as being very broad, though shorter than Uglúk. Though it is not explicitly stated, the Orcs of Grishnákh may be Uruk-hai of Mordor due to their size and strength. Later in The Return of the King, the Orcs Shagrat and Gorbag are identified as Uruk-hai of Mordor and are described similarly to Grishnákh and his troops.

Throughout The Lord of the Rings, differences in the equipment and heraldry of Uruk-hai and other Orcs described. The Uruks and other Orcs in the service of Barad-dûr, the folk of Mordor, used the symbol of the red Eye of Sauron. The Orcs of Mordor referred to Sauron as the Great Eye and the Red Eye was also painted on their shields. In contrast, Aragorn comments that the Uruk-hai of Saruman the White were not equipped in the manner of other Orcs at all. Instead of curved scimitars, they used short, broad-bladed swords. They also wore iron helms marked with the Elf-rune which had the value of "S". It was clear the "S" stood for Saruman, considering Sauron's general desire not to have his name written or spoken. Saruman's Uruks also used black shields emblazoned with a white hand - a symbol of Saruman, as opposed to the Red Eye emblem of Sauron.

Other forces in Saruman's armies, and under his command in the Shire, are also speculated in the novel to be hybrids of Orcs and Men. However, these individuals, called "half-orcs" and "goblin-men" in The Two Towers, were as tall as Men while the Uruk-hai were not as tall. These are also never described simply as Orcs, as the Uruk-hai frequently are. An account of the first Battle of the Fords of Isen in Unfinished Tales (part of Tolkien's hitherto unpublished writings) apparently treats Uruk-hai and "orc-men" separately.

In a relevant passage in Morgoth's Ring (also part of Tolkien's hitherto unpublished writings), Tolkien states outright that Saruman did interbreed Orcs and Men, resulting in "Man-orcs large and cunning, and Orc-men treacherous and vile." However, the relationship of the Uruk-hai (as well as half-orcs and goblin-men) to these creatures is not made explicit.^[5]

[edit] Adaptations

In Ralph Bakshi's animated The Lord of the Rings, differences between Orc kinds are not noted, though there are recurring physical and costume variations.

In Peter Jackson's film trilogy, Saruman's Uruk-hai are bred from pits beneath Isengard and when the time is "right" they are dug up by common Orcs working for of Saruman, occasionally to the death of the diggers. It is stated that they had been bred from Orcs and "Goblin-men", instead of Orcs and Men. In Tolkien's writings "Goblin" is just another term for Orcs (Although the term is mostly applied for the Moria orcs). They tend to be tall, broad, burly and to have long thin hair. The first of them is Lurtz, an original character, and he is personally responsible for Boromir's death. The Uruks are also shown to use crossbows at Helm's Deep, though Tolkien does not mention the weapon in the book. Berserker Uruks were also utilized during the siege of Helm's Deep, both to clear the ramparts of defenders and to detonate explosive mines to breach the outer walls. These Uruks were even larger then normal Uruk-hai, lightly armored, and said to be prepared for battle (and most likely death) by donning helmets filled with the blood of their enemies. Mordor is shown to have uruks in its army. This is best portrayed when Frodo is captured by the orcs of Cirith Ungol and his mithril shirt leads to a confrontation between Shagrat, the uruk commanding Cirith Ungol and an orc named Gorbag. Gorbag sticks a blade at Shagrat, only for it to be knocked away and for him to be easily mastered by the physically superior uruk, causing him to be thrown down a ladder where he kills several uruks. The uruks and orcs start fighting each other which leads to Sam's being able to enter the fortress easily.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] In popular culture

There is a blackened ambient band named Uruk-hai. Also, black metal band Burzum was named Uruk-hai before settling on the name Burzum, which is also a reference to The Lord of the Rings.

In the 1990s there was a grindcore band from Arizona who used the name Uruk-Hai, releasing one 7" EP.

[edit] See also

• Olog-hai

[edit] References