Grímhelm (Rohanese. "visored helm") was a Rohir child who lived in Rohan. He was the older brother of Folcred, being the elder son of Elflád and Fastred, the Thane of Snowbourn and the Reeve of the Sutcrofts in East Rohan. Grímhelm was also the cousin of Elfdag.
During the War of the Ring, Fastred refused to allow his family and people to evacuate the Sutcrofts as per Théoden's order, desiring to protect his lands and people as well as avenge his father, Dagred, with everyone capable of fighting, including Grímhelm.
After Elflád secretly sent Folcred with Théodhild to Edoras, Crúmgam, a man from Mordor, led a host of Orcs against Snowbourn. During the Orc-attack, Grímhelm partook in a skirmish alongside his people in south-eastern Snowbourn believing, like his father, that Crúmgan had abducted Folcred. Though the Orcs had the upper hand, Grímhelm was saved by Gísling when support came from Gísil from Garsfeld and Winsig from Walstow. After Crúmgam was driven off, Grímhelm joined his people in their evacuation to Helm's Deep.
Later, when the Rohirrim began to arm themselves in the armory of the Hornburg, Grímhelm stood with watery eyes as a soldier handed him a sword and lowered an oversized helmet over his head. With his vision mostly obscured by the helmet, Grímhelm silently cried in fear as the soldier adjusted the helmet. After being armed, Grímhelm was sent to serve in the garrison on the Deeping Wall.
During the Battle of the Hornburg, when the Uruk-hai breached the Deeping Wall by blowing up a part of it, Grímhelm was knocked off his feet, but remained on the wall. He later fled into the keep when Théoden gave the order to retreat.
The next day, Grímhelm was one of the soldiers that survived the onslaught after the battle was over.
During the muster of Rohan at Dunharrow in Kingstead, Grímhelm was persuaded by a rider named Dernhelm to allow him to secretly take his place among the riders who were to follow Théoden and his guard to the Pelennor Fields in Gondor.
After Fastred's death during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Grímhelm subsequently became the Thane of Snowbourn and the Reeve of the Sutcrofts.
Other names[]
- Cyneferth
- Derning
Notes[]
In book three of "The History of The Lord of the Rings" sub-series to "The History of Middle-earth" series, Grímhelm was originally was a supposed name of Éowyn before it was replaced by Dernhelm. Within an omitted sentence in the draft of the moment when Éowyn was discovered after the battle, J.R.R. Tolkien briefly considered making Derhelm an actual character whose place among the riders was taken by Éowyn, who used his name in his stead. His fate within that draft is unknown because Tolkien omitted the sentence immediately after. It was theorized by Christopher Tolkien that the reason for this was because the name Dernhelm was not as suitable as the name Grímhelm.
Despite this, however, the character may have simply been omitted rather than abandoned and provides context as to how Éowyn was not discovered among the riders since an extra rider would have likely been noticed.