Estes são os Drúedain 1 , também chamados de Woses ou os Homens Selvagens.
'Is the enemy coming then?' asked Merry anxiously. 'Are those their drums? I began to think I was imagining them, as no one else seemed to take any notice of them.'
'Nay, nay,' said Elfhelm, 'the enemy is on the road not in the hills. You hear the Woses, the Wild Men of the Woods: thus they talk together from afar. They still haunt Drúadan Forest, it is said. Remnants of an older time they be, living few and secretly, wild and wary as the beasts.
Return of the King Book V Chapter 5: "The Ride of the Rohirrim"
Théoden, não Aragorn 2 , inicialmente faz um acordo com eles (através de seu líder, Ghân-buri-Ghân) para conduzi-los através da Floresta Drúadan para alcançar o Pelennor:
'I am great headman, Ghân-buri-Ghân. I count many things: stars in sky, leaves on trees, men in the dark. You have a score of scores counted ten times and five. They have more. Big fight, and who will win? And many more walk round walls of Stone-houses.'
'Alas! he speaks all too shrewdly,' said Théoden. 'And our scouts say that they have cast trenches and stakes across the road. We cannot sweep them away in sudden onset.'
'And yet we need great haste,' said Éomer. 'Mundburg is on fire!'
'Let Ghân-buri-Ghân finish!' said the Wild Man. 'More than one road he knows. He will lead you by road where no pits are, no gorgûn walk, only Wild Men and beasts. Many paths were made when Stonehouse-folk were stronger. They carved hills as hunters carve beast-flesh. Wild Men think they ate stone for food. They went through Drúadan to Rimmon with great wains. They go no longer. Road is forgotten, but not by Wild Men. Over hill and behind hill it lies still under grass and tree, there behind Rimmon and down to Dîn, and back at the end to Horse-men's road. Wild Men will show you that road. Then you will kill gorgûn and drive away bad dark with bright iron, and Wild Men can go back to sleep in the wild woods.'
Éomer and the king spoke together in their own tongue. At length Théoden turned to the Wild Man. 'We will receive your offer,' he said. 'For though we leave a host of foes behind, what matter? If the Stone-city falls, then we shall have no returning. If it is saved, then the orc-host itself will be cut off. If you are faithful, Ghân-buri-Ghân, then we will give you rich reward, and you shall have the friendship of the Mark for ever.'
Return of the King Book V Chapter 5: "The Ride of the Rohirrim"
No final do livro, Aragorn declara que a floresta será sua terra para todo o sempre:
Without haste and at peace they passed into Anórien, and they came to the Grey Wood under Amon Din; and there they heard a sound as of drums beating in the hills, though no living thing could be seen. Then Aragorn let the trumpets be blown; and heralds cried:
'Behold the King Elessar is come! The Forest of Drúadan he gives to Ghân-buri-ghân and to his folk, to be their own for ever; and hereafter let no man enter it without their leave!'
Then the drums rolled loudly, and were silent.
Return of the King Book VI Chapter 6: "Many Partings"
O que aconteceu com eles na Quarta Era e além disso é, infelizmente, desconhecido.
A "palavra-p" mencionada pela pergunta "Púkel-men" refere-se explicitamente às estátuas de Dunharrow. Apesar de terem sido originalmente esculpidas pelo povo Drúedain, o nome foi dado pelos Rohirrim, que não sabiam da conexão:
[I]n Rohan the identity of the statues of Dunharrow called "Púkel-men" with the "Wild Men" of the Drúadan Forest was not recognized
Unfinished Tales Part Four Chapter I: "The Drúedain"
1 O nome "Drúedain" é dado em Contos Inacabados , no ensaio com esse nome
2 Aragorn não está nessa jornada, tendo deixado os Rohirrim em Dunharrow para percorrer os Caminhos dos Mortos