When Faramir tries to retake Osgiliath, during the harrowing scene where Pippin sings his song in the vast halls of Denethor, almost all of the men he rides with dies, and he himself is struck by a poison arrow, and has to be taken to the houses of healing, where he meets Eowyn. And at the battle of Pelennor Fields, when King Theoden dies and the enemies of the dark master are vastly outnumbered, there seems no hope that good could ever prevail over evil. But then, in the nick of time, the Army of the Dead appears.
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The Army of the Dead is a strange and ethereal race, who once were brave and noble men. During the battle of the Last Alliance that was fought on Dagorlad, which later became known as the Dead Marshes due to the hundreds of bodies who still lie there beneath the water, the men of the white mountains were supposed to meet and join forces with the allies against Sauron. The men had pledged their services to Isildur, the Gondorian king upon whom the Argonath are based. Isildur led the army of his own men, and Gil-galad led a host of elves also, and together they were able to push back the forces of the dark lord until Sauron entered the battle in physical form himself. This is when the ring was cut from his finger and passed into the possession of Isildur. It later betrays him, however, and slips off of his finger (which is why Frodo carries the ring on an elven chain) and tries to get back to its master.
During the 7 year long battle, Isildur sought out the men and demanded an answer as to why they didn’t hold their end of the bargain. They explained that they had once worshipped Sauron in the dark ages, and felt that it would be an ill decision to side with Gondor against his might and power. In reply, Isildur spat at their king: ‘This curse I lay upon thee and thy folk; to rest never until your oath is filled. For this war will last through years uncounted and you shall be summoned once again ere the end.’ This decision, unbeknownst to him, affects the fate of the fellowship in achieving their quest, as well as the whole of Middle Earth, who are saved by the undead soldiers.
However, many Lord of the Rings fans have queried how Isildur was able to curse the army, being simply a mortal man with seemingly no magical abilities. And the answer lies within the importance of oaths as a part of the world. There is a huge significance placed upon these promises, and there is a power within them that is so forceful it creates an almost gravitational pull that holds those involved in its path. This is in part why Gandalf warns Pippin against swearing fealty to Denethor the Steward of Gondor when they go to the white city of Minas Tirith.
Pippin does fulfill his duties, by fighting in the citadel when the enemy tries to besiege it, but nonetheless, it is ill-advised to swear such oaths as they are dangerous and damaging when not abided by. Another theory is that Isildur retains a sort of power from the Numenorean bloodline he is descended from. Aragorn too shares similar traits from his heritage, including knowledge of the ancient healing arts and flowers, and extraordinarily long life. According to the Silmarillion, Iluvitar, a common ancestor of both men, was able to cause men to remain on Arda after death, and perhaps there is still a hint of this power in his line, even by the end of the Third Age.
Many believe it may have something to do with Isildur’s possession of the ring, and the unholy malice that surrounds it, but the exact time at which he curses the dead is unknown, so it is difficult to be sure if he claimed the One Ring before or after his encounter with the men of the white mountain.
There are many controversies surrounding this fabled army, which is the main reason why Peter Jackson was at first opposed to including them in his film adaptations. He disliked the idea that a single undead soldier could come along and desecrate the entire opposition, including the Haradrim and their giant Mumakils, the Ring-wraiths on their flying fell beasts, and the vast horde of orcs. Eventually, he consigned himself to portraying them in the movies but drew the limit at having them also defeat the hidden army in the barracks of Mordor, which is why Aragorn releases them from their bind before the final stand at the Black Gates.
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