| This article is about the horse in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. For the King of Rohan, see Brego. |
| ! | Non-canon alert The subject of this article originates from non-canonical sources. To learn about what is considered "canon", see LOTR:Canon. |
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Brego was a horse of Rohan who was invented for Peter Jackson's film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
Biography[]
Brego was a bay horse with a white star on his forehead and white markings on his hind legs. He was the steed of King Théoden's son, Théodred, who was mortally wounded in the First Battle of the Fords of Isen. It is assumed that Brego was brought back to Rohan by those riding with Éomer when he went to rescue his cousin.
After that rider's death, Brego became wild and refused to accept any new rider, until Aragorn II met him in the stables of Edoras. Aragorn calmed the horse, speaking to him in Sindarin. After which, he told the stable hands that Brego "has seen enough of war" and for him to be set loose.
On the way from Edoras to Helm's Deep, Aragorn was unhorsed and presumed killed in a battle with Warg-riders; however, he fell into the river and floated downstream. Brego found him on the shore of the river and nudged him awake, carrying him to Helm's Deep in time to bring warning of Saruman's approaching army of Uruk-hai.
Brego was ridden by Aragorn to the Paths of the Dead, though he refused to go any further when drawing closer to the Dark Door. The two of them were later reunited at Minas Tirith, and Aragorn rode him to the Morannon to confront Sauron's forces. Brego's fate is unknown.
Etymology[]
Brego does not appear in any of the books, though he appears to take his name from the former king of Rohan named in the books.
Behind the scenes[]
According to the cast commentary on the extended edition of The Two Towers, Brego was portrayed by a horse named Uraeus; Viggo Mortensen liked the horse so much that he purchased him after production wrapped. Uraeus appears to be named after Uraeus, the stylized cobra that appears on ancient Egyptian crowns which is a representation of the goddess Wadjet. In 2015, Mortensen made the following announcement on his website:
Aged 28, but a timeless presence in the minds of those who had the honour of knowing this proud, handsome, and supremely intelligent being, mighty Uraeus has finally come to rest on the physical plane. Thank you, Jane and Ray, for helping him do so with dignity. Dearest friend and teacher, I hold you and keep you.
—Mortenson's announcement
External links[]
- Brego in The Lord of the Rings at Brego.net