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Old 04-24-2008, 04:16 AM   #7
skip spence
shadow of a doubt
 
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Join Date: Jan 2008
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skip spence is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.skip spence is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.
I just browsed this episope in The Hobbit and found another mention of numbers. Now my copy is in Swedish, but I assume the translator hasn't taken the freedom to invent a number. If someone's up to digging out the proper quotes I'd appreciate it.

It is told that Elven archers first let arrows rain over the Ork host and that a thousand spearmen charged in afterwards. These spearmen are presumably only a part of Thranduils army. It is also told that the elves' spears and swords shone in the evening sun, indicating that not all Elven melee fighters used spears as their primary weapon, further supporting the theory that the thousand spearmen were not the entire elven army.

So I think my assumtion that Thranduil brougth several thousand elves out of Mirkwood holds out fairly well.

Also, would Thranduil feel comfortable that their superiour numbers would be enough if the Dwarves of Dain had only slightly fewer warriors then he did? I think not. These dwarves were veterans of the Ork wars with superiour equipment and strength compared to the rustic and frail woodland elves. Out in in the open Thranduild would not have been so cocky had his men not had a great numerical advantage.

As for the men of Lake Town it is hard to say. I'd definitely say fewer than a thousand, if not only a few hundred.
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Last edited by skip spence; 04-24-2008 at 10:20 AM. Reason: grammar
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