- “We must stop this rat-hole, Dwarves are said to be cunning folk with stone. Lend us your aid, master.”
- ―Gamling to Gimli
Gamling is a member of the Rohirrim, a loyal follower of Théoden and a minor character in The Lord of the Rings.
The Lord of the Rings[]
He serves as the main lieutenant to King Théoden, also perhaps his bodyguard, and plays quite a major role in organizing the defenses of Helm's Deep, as in the Book. Gamling, unlike in the Book, does not aid the entrance to the Glittering Caves, as such, but instead rides out with the remaining defenders towards the main Orc army outside.
Gamling again appears in The Return of the King, and rides to Dunharrow with the other Rohirrim, but shows doubts towards Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli leaving towards the lair of the Army of the Dead, instead of staying with the people of Rohan to fight. Gamling is present at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, where he can be seen firing arrows at various Mûmakil, and slaying one. Gamling dies during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
In the films, Gamling's role is greatly expanded actually appears to be a mesh of several different characters from the books. In the books he only appears as the captain of the permanent garrison of men located at Helm's Deep and in this role he likely answered to Théodred, the Second Marshall before his death and later to Erkenbrand. In the films he first appears in Meduseld, apparently either second in command to Hama the door warden, or a replacement of Déorwine, the captain of Théoden's knights.
During the third film he is shown to be one of the three main captains of Rohan during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, appearing replacing Elfhelm. He is also appears to replace Guthláf the banner-bearer who in the books used a great horn to signal the charge of the Rohirrim. In the film, Gamling is seen to do this at the start of the battle and later when Théoden ordered a charge against the Mumakil. In the deleted scene in which Éowyn fights Gothmog and is saved by Aragorn and Gimli, Gamling's corpse could be seen near where Éowyn fell during the fight.