# Orcs sleeping at night!



## Snaga (Apr 20, 2007)

Re-reading the Silmarillion version of the story of Turin, I noticed that strangely the orcs who captured Turin travel by day, and sleep by night. This is needed for the plot to work (otherwise Beleg can't get killed by Turin by accident).

Is this a case of Tolkien developing ideas about the orcs after a key part of the story 'got fixed' - did he ever notice this inconsistency? Anyone know anything about this?


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## Annaheru (Apr 20, 2007)

hmm, I don't know-- but it doesn't necessarily need to contradict established orc habits:

In the Two Towers, at the beginning of _Uruk-hai, _Pippen wakes to find that "Evening was coming and the sky above was growing dim . . . All about them sat or stood a great company of orcs."

from this we could develop the idea that when they were on forced day and night marches orcs prefered to take a their break at dusk and rest in the pleasant darkness for an hour or two before resuming their march.

It's also fully possible that this is an inconsistency.


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## PaigeSinclaire88 (Dec 15, 2016)

Honestly, I noticed the contradiction as well. But I was not sure if it was meant to be an inconstancy or if Tolkien actually had done it on accident or on purpose. It raises (to me anyways to me) the question of the Eagles saving the day. Now realistically Gandalf could have summoned them at any time and in his infinite wisdom chose to deny Frodo the Eagles....but why? And further more he's a wizard he shouldnt need any Eagles, or to even enlist the help of the Dwarfs...

Well I said all that to say this. I cannot tell whether or not Tolkien (much like a director of a film) knowingly kept these discrepancies or if it was an accident.


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