In order to understand what the creatures known as the ‘Crebain of Dunland’ are, knowledge of Dunland itself, and where it sits in proximity to the other kingdoms of Middle Earth is essential. 'Dunland' means 'dark land,' and is the place from which the Wild-men, who ransack Rohan, come. It is called thus due to the dark hair and features of its inhabitants.
Dunland lies just beside the lands of Rohan, and there have long been misunderstandings and malcontent between the peoples of the two lands after a long-ago ruler of Dunland tried to marry his son to the princess of Rohan. When the request was denied, war broke out between the two kingdoms, and the peoples have been on uneasy terms ever since. This is why Saruman was so easily able to convince the wildmen to join his side and fight against the Rohirrim.
The Crebain are a species of black-feathered bird, who reside in the wilds of Dunland, and historically, also within Fangorn Forest. They are one of the only creatures still to dwell in the cursed woodland. The name Crebain comes from the Sindarian elvish word ‘craban’, which means ‘crow’. The creatures have long been in cohorts with Saruman, in the days when he used to walk through the woods around Isengard, and converse with the creatures in peace.
When Saurman is corrupted by the influence of Sauron, and pledges his allegiance to him, he is thus able to convince the Crebain to act as spies for him, seeking the halflings who he knows to be in possession of the One Ring. There are many different hobbits, however, and he doesn’t know that it is Frodo specifically who carries the burden. He subsequently orders both the crows and the orcs to be on the lookout for the hobbits, which results in Merry and Pippin being captured by the Uruk-hai.
The audience first sees the Crebain of Dunland in the 2001 film adaptation by Peter Jackson, when the fellowship are sparring and practicing sword fighting before they enter the Mines of Moria. Merry and Pippin are battling with Boromir, who is teaching them self-defense, whilst the other members of the fellowship discuss their path, and Bill the Pony stands guard for any possible threat. Suddenly, Legolas catches sight of a dark mass approaching, which looks like a large cloud moving swiftly against the breeze. The portrayal of elves changes from the books to the films, but one thing in which both agree on is the elven race’s unusually keen eyesight and lightfootedness. Legolas is therefore able to identify the creatures as the spies of Saruman, and the fellowship flees into hiding just in time.
The scene then follows the Crebain as they fly back to Saruman to report their findings. Interestingly, the 1-minute long scene in which they fly through the forge of Isengard, and see the trees falling down into the flames, and the orcs building weapons for their armies to use, is filmed entirely in miniature. Many miniature sets were built for the filming of the Lord of the Rings, including some iconic scenes like Rivendell and Lorien. The miniature was built to extreme detail, with ladders, machines, lights in-built to look like fire, and textured walls to imitate the rocks and boulders within every crevice, so that it could withstand filming at close proximity. A camera was then scoped throughout the miniature, recording every detail, and the Crebain were digitally placed over the footage at Weta Workshop.
After they fly through the forge and reach Saruman, they inform him of the fellowship’s whereabouts, and the possible paths that they may take. How they inform him is unknown, as it isn’t suggested that they speak in the common tongue, or have any language facilities beyond that of the squawking noise of birds, however, the Order of Wizards is known for their communication with all manner of creatures across Middle Earth. This is how Saruman knows to make the mountain path so treacherous that they cannot possibly pass it. They leave the choice to Frodo, who feels that they have no option but to take the route under the mountains and enter the mines. The involvement of the Crebains of Dunland is what ultimately leads to Gandalf’s death, to the breaking of the fellowship, and to Frodo and Sam taking their own route through Mordor.
However, many Lord of the Rings fans would argue that the Crebain of Dunland, who can cross vast distances in the blink of an eye, infiltrate the tallest tower or the smallest keep, and communicate in an unknown language with the leader who commands them, were not utilized enough. Perhaps the Amazon Lord of the Rings TV Series will explore the Crebains and their origins further, and how their might can be best harnessed by the dark lord trying to seize power.
Source: Lord of the Rings book by J.R.R. Tolkien