Oh one more thing that came to me on with Kings and height. I think it's just been naturally thought through history that Kings were not your ordinary person. Kings were meant to be taller, more noble, because at the belief of the time they were chosen by god(s). What's interesting to go along with this is that a King's killer was never mentioned unless if it was by another King. Because of course your ordinary soldier, is lesser than a "chosen leader by god," so literary techniques are used to make the King's death appear accidental, if the King was not killed by another King.
One common one being that he was simply shot by an arrow. (Example Harold 1066 at Senlac Hill). And the other common one being that the King's horse fell on top...rolled over/crushed him, making it appear accidental. So, Theoden's death is actually rather significant:
Quote:
But Snowmane wild with terror stood up on high, fighting with the air, and then with a great scream he crashed upon his side: a black dark had pierced him. The King fell beneath him...
For Snowmane in his agony had rolled away from him again; yet he was the bane of his master...
Faithful servant yet master's bane,
Lightfoots foal, swift Snowmane...(The Battle of Pelennor Fields)
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Hopefully this isn't off track, I'm just trying to show that Kings were held up higher than your normal everyday person. They were meant to be taller and greater, because they were the "chosen." And it was considered rather demeaning if an ordinary soldier kills a King in battle, because of course the only equal to a King is another King. Therefor, a common literary device is if he's not killed by a King then the King's death is written as something accidental..."will of the god(s)" sort of thing.