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TurnerMohan โ Men are freer outside
Published: 2013-11-22 10:57:20 +0000 UTC; Views: 15078; Favourites: 166; Downloads: 105
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'When the council was over, Helm stood up and laid his great hand on Freca's shoulder, saying: "The king does not permit brawls in his house, but men are freer outside"'-- The Return of the King, Appendix A II, The House of Eorl
This is one of a small series of drawings I'm working on for an online, Tolkien RPG centered around the Long Winter, an event which occurred in middle-earth in TA. 2758, some 260 years before the war of the ring, in which the Rohirrim under King Helm Hammerhand held out against the invading Dunlandings in the deeping valley that, centuries later, would still bear his name.
Here we have the incident which started it all; Helm calls out Freca, a half-Dunnish lord of the Westfold, for attempting to push his son Wulf on Helm's daughter. Helm rejects the match and when Freca responds by basically insulting his age, Helm... kills him (yikes) to the king's enduring credit, the killing of his impertinent minister was carried out mano-a-mano, without any help or even a weapon (he punches him really hard, like a boss) I thought a depiction of the fatal event which set the later events in motion would be good to set the stage for the game and also presented the opportunity to show Helm as he must have been for most of his kingship, not the desperate wild animal he later became, following the death of his two sons (see Helm Hammerhand ) it was important to me to convey the great power of the man without skimping on his age (early 60's at the time) or resorting to making him look like some broad-shouldered modern bodybuilder. He's a naturally large, strong, imposing figure, the kind you see in person only rarely (and usually remember) the bones in his hands and wrists are those of a giant. I recently had the distinct pleasure of meeting 6'9" former pro wrestler and actor Tyler Mane (he played sabertooth in "X-men" and Ajax in "Troy") and the experience was in my mind when drawing this (hell of a nice guy too)
Freca was fairly straightfoward, just going on the mental image I got from reading the text, and trying to make him look recognizably related to his more formidable son Wulf. oddly enough, he came out looking uncannily like a friend of mine.
See also: Men of Dunland, Helm's last stand
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Comments: 38
i like your approach to Helm 
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I have never seen an illustration of these two, and I think it's brilliant! Freca looks just as I imagined him.
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that's always reassuring to hear
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The original badass! You did the scene justice! Very good again! So much story in just one image!
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glad you like it, it's one of my favorites from the Long Winter series
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ย It's interesting to note - given your comments here and elsewhere about Helm being a natural giant, as well as about the great height of Mister Mane - that Goliath of Gath himself is described as being 'three cubits and a span' in a height (some accounts say 'four cubits and a span' but this seems to be a later misinterpretation): this puts him as being 6'9 in modern measurement, something of the Gregor Clegane of the Old Testament and further proof (if any were required) that Sir Ridley Scott would have a lot more fun with The Book of Samuel and the Book of Kings than the Book of Exodus!ย
ย (The former two sometimes strike me, given their account of Kings and their ability, as well as their inability to live up to expectations as something close enough to 'A Song of Ice and Fire' for a dramatic work).
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In tolkien's world tallness and nobility (of blood and often, if not always, of character) seem to go hand in hand, almost as if it's this god-ordained biological reward for being noble and of lofty lineage (part of why I have a real problem with jackson's propensity for seven foot WWE orcs) which pretty well rules out the possibility of a randomly occuring 'freak of nature' type of giant like goliath, marv from sin city, or gregor clegane (elendil comes the closest to this in my mind, being kind of freakish even for the numenoreans, although not really a goliath in character and, as i've mentioned before, those few real life eight foot specimines we have are rarely built like 6' linebackers)
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ย I admit that it does make sense for well-born, well-treated types like the Dunedain to be taller than orcs who might count themselves lucky to EAT rather than be eaten, never mind properly-nourished (given that Sauron seems to believe that quantity has a quality all it's own, unlike Morgoth who seems to have enjoyed cooking up or press-ganging more individually-potent henchmen); I have to admit that in moments of levity I sometimes wonder if one of the reasons Numenoreans seem to dwindle in Middle-Earth is because they lost access to the really good, inexpensive fruit!
ย
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Apologies, my memory failed me - the Biblical measurement was FOUR cubits and a span, with the exaggerated account stating SIX cubits and a span (although curiously enough I recall that his spear was compared to 'the shaft of a weavers loom' which shows you the peculiarity of the human memory retention).
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I find it difficult to add anything meaningful to the most excellent commentary and compliments which this wonderful piece of work has already received, so I will confine myself to saying that I am of the opinion that EVERY SINGLE IMAGE from your 'Long Winter' series ought to be regarded as THE Iconic depiction of this event and the personalities involved; I particularly admire the way in which you have taken Helm from the somewhat remote appendices and given him life to the point where your image of him on paper almost seems to breathe by itself!
ย I'll just close here by remarking that your observations concerning Abraham Lincoln as a good inspiration for Helm Hammerhand, a rougher but equally-natural giant of a man, caused me to cast about for a suitable visual inspiration for Eorl the Young from amongst their Excellencies, the President of the United States present and those past (a character whom I have never really seen illustrated to my full satisfaction, although Games Workshop have produced an excellent model for the character, painted with a particularly wonderful heraldic image at the other end of the link included below); it might amuse you to know that the model I like best for the adventurous, rather boyish Lord of the Eotheod was Mr Theodore Roosevelt! (not an Anglo-Saxon, but he DOES seem to have boasted something of that adventurous, youthful spirit appropriate to the character).ย
The Link Mentioned Above:
ย www.blackbirdmedia.org/miniatuโฆ
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That fits well enough. I see Eorl as this young cowboy type, very different from Helm, and enshrined by the rohirrim of theoden's time, like durin for the dwarves, into a platonic ideal of his real self; an embodiment of the spirit of fearless youth, swift and confident, beautiful and dangerous. Maybe he'll get a picture at some point
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I would love to see your illustration of another of Theoden King's Mighty Forefathers; in all honesty I would be equally interested in seeing your rendition of Cirion the Steward, who sent to the Eotheod for help and seems to have been as astonished as he was gratified to see them charge to his aid on the Field of Celebrant (much as you have evoked a certain sympathy for the Dunlendings it's not hard to see why The Steward favoured the Northmen - the Hillfolk were far closer than the Fathers of Rohan, but seem to have sent NOTHING to the aid of Gondor in it's hour of need).
ย By the sounds of him he seems to have been quite an old fellow, closer to Faramir than Denethor and 'The Oath of Eorl' is one of my favourite passages in Tolkien's work depicting the formation of a friendship, right up there with the fealty of Beor to Finrod; you can just about FEEL the former's relief at being able to yield up the burden of leadership to someone genuinely older and more experienced than himself (a decision that might well have extended his life even more than Elvish medicine) - one also, however, gets something of an impression that Beor would have seen himself as a right-hand man and no Menial.
ย I have this powerful mental image of Beor and Huan taking a friendly interest in one another - a hound, big as a pony but something Beor can still assimilate to more easily than elves and one of the first new things Huan has scented in an age - with Finrod Felagund looking on with polite interest (and a little amusement), with Celegorm the Fair looking rather as though he doesn't know whether to snarl or wag his tail himself!
ย (I confess that I have taken to seeing old Celegorm as rather like a dog himself, given his love of the chase and loyalty to Curufin, not to mention his close association with Huan - think a dog of Afghan or Borzoi breed in older times, a pedigree paragon and terribly PRETTY, not in the least threatening โฆ until you recall that the founding fathers and foremothers of this breed tore into wolves for their living).
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the body image is fantastic - you managed to convey both the feeling of the situation, and something of the personality of the people involved... Helm really came off as someone still powerful in mind andbody, despite obviously aging. I loved all the illustrations for this project!
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thank you, helm became one of my favorite peripheral tolkien characters over the course of doing this series; basically middle-earth's king lear (only if king lear kicked alot more ass)
thanks for your comments!
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I am no artist, but this box asks for critique, so I'll try:
Over all, very good! The style reminds me of Alan Lee's pencil drawings of the Narn I Chรฎn Hรบrin, and that is meant as a huge compliment.ย
What could be better are the outlines, they are a little too dark and make parts of the drawing a bit like a comic. Also, the white details on Freca's face are not as good as in the rest of the picture. Lastly, the shadowy front of Helm seems to lack a bit of detail, but I am not sure; perhaps it is perfectly intentional.ย
I like it!
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Thanks. It is indeed a very great compliment (however much of a stretch i find it 
the hard lines and somewhat vague shading were intentional (it's something you see in alot of both frak frazetta's and John howe's sketching style which i was consciously trying to imitate) but I'm relatively new to working with the white charcoal pencil, and i agree that could have been better done in places.
Thanks for your input. It's always good to have outside opinions.
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Btw, I'm curious: does Freca bear a resemblance to a certain movie-maker from New Zealand?
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All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental (though peej could use a clip upside the head for this www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiRZY8โฆ , alls I'm sayin)
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This is fantastic work. Really nice art, and a much under-represented subject. Great job!
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thank you! the story of helm hammerhand and the long winter is one of those many many obscure little corners in middle-earth's history that are so much fun to go explore. glad you like it.
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Agreed! I really like your style... very reminiscent of John Howe, one of my personal heroes.
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oh wow, did I ever tell you how much I adore your sense of anatomy and shading? Not just on this beautiful piece, but on all? I am in awe of your magnificent skills, they inspire me everytime I come across your page (:
Thanks for sharing your wonderful art!
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thank you so much! your words are wonderfully complimentary, and it's good to know that my work is appreciated, especially by a fellow artist
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Excellent!! I have been looking forward to this one for a while. It's a powerful moment, with dangerous implications for the over-mighty and over-mouthy vassal. The character details are good; Freca looks like a guy who gave up on regular physical exercise a while ago, his pride growing with his belly. Helm looks old, but still strong in the sense that the years have eroded his softness, but left the hard core in place. His spare tire is for a tricycle, not a car.( You see that kids? Do physical workout every day in your youth and prime, so then even when you are a geezer the young punks will give you respect.) Tyler Mane and John Cena are guys who are strong, but not built up to where their muscles impede their agility and energy release. They make good models for physically active men in the Medieval mold. Hugh Jackman in top Wolverine conditioning would make a great Dunlending. Would Russell Crowe as Jack Aubrey be a good Freca?
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I personally think Cena's a bit muscly for someone living at a time without gyms or protein shakes, but I can see your point about him not being impeded by excessive bulk. he's got some of that powerful, functional "human leopard" look you see in some of the more intense specimens of greco-roman statuary, helped by being not excessively tall (he's actually a lot closer to the kind of physique I would imagine for a greek hero like ajax). Northern European people (especially germanics) tend to be more stretched out in their proportions than mediterraenian or celtic people. Alot of Tyler Mane's advantage as an imposing figure is that he's a natural giant (true also of most depictions of beowulf and certainly of Helm as I see him) the guy's got an enormous frame, no matter how much or little flesh you put on it. I've often thought that in the past, with nutrition not being what it is today, a "big man" would have been somebody like Liam Neeson or Rory McCaan (or even Abe Lincoln, who was often remarked for his great strength and huge, work-hardened hands, and was another partial model here) not excessively muscled per se, but a large, functionally strong figure. There's a hardened, composed look that some old men develop (which I go into detail about in my reply to DrDeath153 below) that I was going for here with Helm, you describe it very well as the hard core left in place.
Interesting that you should cite the somewhat rotund but by no means "obese" Russel Crowe as a physical model for Freca. Silmilarly to my thoughts on what it took to make a "big man," I think it probably took an awful lot less to be considered "fat" in the ancient world, before modern supermarkets and high-fructos corn syrup. Even a very fat man of the past like henry viii (who was also a big, powerful athlete in his youth) doesnt look like much compared to these bloated, 500 lbs people you see on motorized scooters today.
Generally I see the Dunlandings as playing into the genetic stereotypes of the welsh and Irish according to 19th century eugenecists; shorter and rounder than the rohirrim, round-skulled (as opposed to the long-skulled, teutonic "dolicho-type") brown, black or red haired, as opposed to blonde. welshmen like Anthony Hopkins or Michael Sheen fit the mold pretty perfectly. Hugh Jackman (or more specifically his rippling abs, furrowed brow and bristling mutton chops) is a bit much for the world of Middle-Earth, except as some natural-born, one-in-a-million hero like Turin.
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Your decisions of physiognomy are sound as always, and make the characters appear very natural and appealing in their setting. The Medieval diet, from what we know of it now, was carb-heavy to an extent that would horrify my nutrition counselor of several years ago. (I am afflicted with Diabetes melitus II, the modern world's answer to gout. 
ย
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very astute reasoning on crowe, I could see him as an overfed but still able lord (and of course agressive enough to fight pick with Helm, even though that proves ill advised) funny you should bring him up as, aside from Tyler Mane, Russel Crowe (and ray winstone) are probably the only celebrities I've ever 'met' (I was an extra on the set for "Noah")
One of the things that's really appealing to me about the physiognomy of characters in middle-earth (especially the humans) is that, being a decidedly not-modern world, you get this effect (which must have been true of people before gym culture, anti aging technology, and plastic surgery) where people really wear who they are on their faces and bodies; if somebody is by nature a hard, bold giant among men like Helm, or a slithering creature like wormtongue, or a jolly, corpulent guy like butterbur, it'll show. As I mentioned, a natural, genetically-fated-to-be-so classical-style hero like Turin is one of these one in a million rarities, like Achilles in "Troy" whose got it all, physically; tall handsome, strong, and seemingly almost magic on the battlefield. (there's a portrait of Turin by this russian guy that is probably my current favorite tolkien illustration deviantart, i'd be tempted to attempt the character myself if I didnt think this was the absolute final word on him meneldil-elda.deviantart.com/aโฆ
the rohirric diet, from what precious little we hear about it (only that they drink alot of meade and that theoden's lunch is referred to as his "meat") seems pretty horrendous, in that medieval sort of way.
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The Medieval diet was a lot of bread and grain-based porridges, soups, and broths, along with ale and beer by the tun. (Mead was only for the feasts.) Baked and boiled meats and fish were good for those who could get them. Oddly enough roast meats were not as popular, due to time involved. (Barbecuing had not been invented yet!) Wine is not mentioned for the Rohirrim, but fruit juice with a kick was ever popular.
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thanks, they're a favorite subject of mine.
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You've done a good job at conveying the inherent threat of a single gesture. It's interesting how the hands (and perhaps the head) are the only real indication of Helm's size- you've kept his forearms covered and looking really quite slender but the subtleties of those hands with the slightly snub fingers come through loud and clear. It reminds me somewhat of the 'Johnson treatment' owing to recently reading the kind of pop culture version of the american presidents- how Lyndon Johnson would invade the personal space of people he wanted to intimidate with his six foot four height. Having one of those hands laid on your shoulder while sitting would be extremely disconcerting- the fact that he could quite easily prevent you from gaining your feet and fighting on a level footing.ย
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well thanks as usual for another of your long, insightful comments (I've been missing them lately
glad you like it. It's good to hear from you again.
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that's what I was shooting for. thanks my friend, glad you like it!
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my pleasure as always
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