I found some interesting innundo....

[Caelan Arendor]

The name "Hend the striker" is mentioned just once in the wheel of time series, namely in "A Memory of Light" Vol XIV.

Throughout my search for a real person with this name on the internet, I came across a certain John Henry, whom, due to my European heritage, I unfortunately never heard of before. As it turned out, John Henry was an African American laborer who manually drilled holes in rock in order to place dynamite into them. He is said to have won a competition against a steam-powered drilling machine but paid for this triumph with his life due to total exhaustion. Did you know about this connection with the Age of Legends?

 

[HeavyHalfMoonBlade]

I have never heard of him, the poor bloke. 

[DojoToad]

20 hours ago, Caelan Arendor said:

The name "Hend the striker" is mentioned just once in the wheel of time series, namely in "A Memory of Light" Vol XIV.

Throughout my search for a real person with this name on the internet, I came across a certain John Henry, whom, due to my European heritage, I unfortunately never heard of before. As it turned out, John Henry was an African American laborer who manually drilled holes in rock in order to place dynamite into them. He is said to have won a competition against a steam-powered drilling machine but paid for this triumph with his life due to total exhaustion. Did you know about this connection with the Age of Legends?

'Manually drilled holes' makes me think of a hand-held manual drill with a hand crank.  But John Henry made holes in the rock by by hitting a steel spike/drill with a large hammer, maybe a sledge.  This picture shows what I had always imagined.  He look ready to crush some trolloc skulls...

 

[Caelan Arendor]

Thanks a lot for showing me this picture, this guy must realy be well known in your country! I am deeply moved that a Black African is being honored with a statue.

 

Greetings and best 73 from

Caelan  --.../...--