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Posted on 11/25/2002 10:15:02 AM PST by JameRetief
Ferthu Theoden Hal!
One tale people seldom discuss is the story of Theoden. That is, people who have read The Lord of the Rings recognize Theoden as the heroic king of Rohan who with the aid of Gandalf recovers from the evil spell Saruman's spy and surrogate, Grima Wormtongue, has woven about him. Theoden seems bent with old age when the reader first sees him, and then Gandalf works a near-miraculous recovery on the king. Theoden rides forth to do battle with his enemies and the enemies of Gondor, and he dies in glory on the Pelennor Fields.
It may surprise people to learn that we know a great deal about Theoden's life and career, and that we can probably reasonably infer many things about him from the events and peoples who surrounded him.
Why did the Rohirrim so admire Theoden? Was it simply because he was their king? These were a brave and warlike people who valued courage, honesty, and faithfulness. They would not have been devoted to a king whom they considered weak just because his ancestors had accomplished great things.
We get a glimpse of how the Rohirrim measure men when Eomer meets Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. He is impressed by their courage and loyalty to one another, and also to their dedication to friends who have been lost to Orcs. Later on, when Gandalf refuses to relinquish his staff before entering Meduseld, Hama, Theoden's doorward, relents, saying, "Yet in doubt a man of worth will trust to his own wisdom. I believe you are friends and folk worthy of honor, who have no evil purpose."
The Rohirrim were proud, and perhaps sometimes haughty, but in their pride they recognized that they were no more than equals of other men. Although their kings came from the House of Eorl, it was not necessarily a matter of fine genealogical determination as descent in Gondor would be determined. When the eldest line of Eorl's family failed upon the death of Helm Hammerhand, his nephew Frealaf became king. But Frealaf was the son of Helm's sister Hild. At least one other male of descent still existed in that time: the descendants of Eofer, third son of Brego. So the Rohirrim clearly did not practice primogeniture.
Eofer probably lived from around 2550 to 2640 (his older brother Aldor the Old, second of Brego's sons, lived from 2544 to 2645). Eomund, the father of Eomer, was a descendant of Eofer. These men probably bore the title of Lord of Eastfold, much as Erkenbrand and his family bore the title of Lord of Westfold. If I had to guess, I would say that Erkenbrand's family may have been descended from the first Eomund, the "chief captain of the host of the Eotheod" who, with Eorl, Cirion, and the Lord of Dol Amroth, defined Rohan's boundaries.
The Lords of Eastfold probably experienced uneven fortunes through the years. Many if not all of them may have been Marshals of the Mark. We know that Eomund himself became a Marshal, as did Eomer many years later. Although the Rohirrim's early foes were the Balchoth and Dunlendings, Eastfold was Eorl's home. He undoubtedly selected the region in part to help ensure the defense of Gondor, but also because it was more secure than the northern vales.
As the generations passed the Easterlings became less of a threat but the Dunlendings, many of whom were descended from Gwathuirim of Calenardhon whom the Rohirrim had displaced, became increasingly hostile and threatening to Rohan. There was some intermarriage between the Rohirrim and the Gwathuirim who lived around the river Adorn, the tributary which flowed into the Isen river from the south. Freawine, the fifth king, probably had a younger son who colonized the region, and from that son would have been descended Freca, the rebellious lord whom Helm slew, and the father of Wulf the Usurper.
Hence, Eastfold languished, or at least did not serve the purpose of a buffer state. When Easterlings invaded Rohan to help Wulf usurp the throne Eastfold may have suffered along with other regions of Rohan, but it wasn't a strategic necessity for Wulf to achieve full control of the region. Frealaf had retreated to Dunharrow and was a much more immediate threat to Edoras.
However, centuries later, when Sauron declared himself openly in Mordor, he attempted to buy horses from Rohan, though Rohan refused to sell them according to Eomer. Eomer doesn't say when Sauron made the overture, but it seems certain that events began heating up after Fengel died in 2953. Saruman declared himself Lord of Isengard in 2953 and began to help Rohan's enemies from this time onward.
Appendix A says that Thengel left Rohan when he "came to manhood" because he didn't get along well with his father, Fengel. Thengel probably left Rohan sometime between 2925 and 2930 (he was born in 2905). He married Morwen of Lossarnach, who had been born in 2922, in the year 2943. Morwen was a lady of high Numenorean descent, whose father had moved to Lossarnach from Belfalas, and they were originally descended from the Princes of Belfalas (the Lords of Dol Amroth).
Thengel therefore lived in Gondor during the years that Turgon, son of Turin II, was Ruling Steward of Gondor. Sauron reclaimed Mordor in the year 2951 and Ithilien was finally deserted by the last of its people. By this time Thengel and Morwen had had at least two children (Theoden was their second child and only son; one other daughter was born in Gondor, and two more daughters were born in Rohan).
Theoden was only 4 or 5 years old when his father was recalled to Rohan in 2953. 10 years later Theodwyn, last child of Thengel and Morwen, was born in Edoras. Theoden was then only about 15 years old, but he became very fond of his youngest sister. The other three sisters are never mentioned again, but presumably they married and had children. Only, they probably did not marry prominent men.
Theoden, on the other hand, seems to have become involved with the family of Eastfold. His wife was Elfhild of Eastfold. Although her name doesn't necessarily imply she was a descendant of Eofor, she must have come from some prominent family in the region. Their son Theodred was born in 2978, and Elfhild died in childbirth so he was their only child.
Although we don't know when Eomund was born, he married Theodwyn in 2989, nearly 11 years after Theoden and Elfhild were married. It's quite possible that Elfhild was Eomund's older sister. Eomund was probably born sometime in the years 2960-4. Elfhild could have been born in the years 2950-58 and therefore would have been of an appropriate age to marry Theoden, but still would have been young enough to be Eomund's sister.
Uruks from the Misty Mountains began raiding Rohan after 2953. Their raids would have been mostly into the Wold, the northernmost region of Rohan, and the two Emnet regions. The purpose of the raids would most likely have been to acquire food and perhaps slaves. There may also have been attempts to communicate with Mordor. Thengel reigned until 2980, and Theoden probably served in the Muster of Edoras at least from 2968 to 2980. He probably was made a Marshal before Thengel died, and may have known Thorongil, although there seems to be no sign that Theoden remembered Aragorn years later.
Aragorn told Eomer (in "The Riders of Rohan") that he had been in Rohan many times, and that he had both served in the Muster of the Riddermark and that he had in fact ridden with Eomund. Eomund was too young to have served with Aragorn during his period of errantries (2957-80), so Aragorn probably served Thengel in actions against the Dunlendings and Uruks of the Misty Mountains and probably had nothing to do with Eastfold. Aragorn must have known Eomund years later.
Around the time that Eomer (2991) and Eowyn (2995) were born, Orcs from Mordor began raiding Rohan. By this time Eomund had himself become a Marshal of the Mark, and must have commanded the East Muster. What happened to his father? Quite possibly Eomund's father had fallen in battle, either against the northern threat or soon after Mordor began attacking. Aragorn would have had to visit Rohan again during the years 2995-3000. In the year 3001 he was again in Eriador, for then Gandalf confided in him concerning the Ring. Eomund died fighting Orcs in the next year (3002), and Theodwyn died soon after. Theoden then took the two children into his household and raised them as his own.
Twelve years of warfare (2968-80) would be a long time for Theoden to serve as a soldier. It's doubftul that the Rohirrim conducted full campaigns during those years. They probably maintained strong patrols and may have occasionally crossed over into Dunland or other neighboring lands to pursue raiders. And it's not likely the raids would have stopped simply became Theoden had become king, although he might have decided upon different policies from those of his father.
Eomer and Eowyn therefore not only had a special relationship with Theoden, who was their uncle, but they were also quite probably raised in the house of a warrior king. Theodred, 13 years older than Eomer, was ready to serve in the Muster if he was not already doing so when Eomer came to live in Edoras. Twelve years later (3014) Theoden's health began to fail, and Eomer would himself had probably been serving as a Rider of Rohan for several years by that time. In 3017 Eomer was promoted to Third Marshal of the Mark.
Grima tried to portray Eomer as a rival to Theodred, and it certainly could have seemed like the two young men were in competition. Theodred was made Second Marshal of the Mark and given command of the West-muster, while Eomer took command of the East-muster. Both men had to defend Rohan against incursions, but Theodred, older, more experienced, and the King's Heir, was given the much more difficult task of holding the border with Isengard and Dunland.
Theoden's reasons for assigning Eomer to the East-muster rather than the West-muster should have been both practical and sentimental. In Eastfold Eomer could follow in his forefather's steps and not be a hindrance to Theodred. Grima's influence thus must be discounted. That is, it doesn't seem like Grima would have wanted two capable commanders in charge of Rohan's most active armies. The Muster of Edoras seems to have been relatively inactive in these years, although it's clear from "The Battles of the Fords of Isen" that the Muster of Edoras was used to reinforce either army if necessary.
We can thus conclude that Theoden must have been relatively clear of mind when he appointed Eomer Third Marshal in 3017. It would not be until 3018, when Gandalf arrived with the dire news that Isengard was preparing for all-out war with Rohan, when Grima would have to turn up the juice, so-to-speak. Theoden's gradual decline may have become accelerated.
So we can look back at the nearly 40 years of Theoden's reign prior to 3017 as a period when he would have been a vigorous king. Even if he became considerably less active and decisive in 3014, Theoden's strength and confidence as a leader would have been recent in the minds of his people, many of whom would have grown to adulthood under Theoden. Their devotion to Theoden would thus be derived from long years of peace and prosperity.
Rohan was troubled by Orcs and other evils in those years, but it wasn't forced to war. And Tolkien notes that in Theoden's day there were far more Riders than the full Muster of Rohan called for (12,000). Rohan didn't just prosper under Theoden, it became more powerful than ever before. It was therefore strategically necessary for Sauron to neutralize Rohan before he could take action against Gondor.
Sauron seems to have begun moving against Rohan in earnest around the year 3000, which the Tale of Years suggests was the year when Saruman first dared to use the palantir of Orthanc. The battle in which Eomund was lost, where he pursued a small band of Orcs to the Emyn Muil only to be ambushed by a larger force, may therefore be a sign that Sauron was seeking to eliminate Theoden's greatest asset. Erkenbrand had once been an officer in the Muster of Rohan (according to "The Battles of the Fords of Isen" in Unfinished Tales) but Tolkien doesn't say he was ever a Marshal before the War of the Ring. So it would seem that Eomund was indeed the most prominent of Theoden's officers when Sauron turned his attention to Rohan.
With the loss of Eomund Theoden would actually have to groom his own son and Eomer to become Rohan's next great captains. Hence, the great affection the three felt for each other would have worked to Theoden's strategic advantage. He would have eager students. And the difference between Eomer and Theodred's ages ensured that Theoden would not have to train two young boys together. Theodred must have been put on the fast track to command as soon as Eomund was killed, and there could be no doubt that Eomer, rightful Lord of Aldburg, would receive the best training a Rider of the Mark could expect.
Eowyn is a different matter. Many people feel she was an unusual example among the women of Rohan, but I'm not so sure of that. She was a shieldmaiden, and Appendix A says there were many valiant men and women among the Rohirrim and their ancestors. Eowyn's battle with the Witch-king, where she lopped off the head of his winged steed with one stroke, and, despite suffering the great pain from her broken arm, subsequently dealt him a deft death-blow, clearly demonstrates she knew how to use a sword.
Eowyn's training as a shieldmaiden must therefore have been dictated by Theoden. But for what purpose? He had no queen and she had no hope of becoming either the captain of Theoden's guard or a Marshal of the Mark. Did Theoden foresee that war would come to Rohan in his time, and that it would be war of the most desperate kind which his people hadn't seen for generations? Yet, there is an incongruity between Eowyn's obvious martial education and the facts of the story presented in The Two Towers. Why didn't Theoden think of Eowyn when he needed to appoint someone to govern the people of Edoras when he rode to Helm's Deep?
It may be that Eowyn's education was more a matter of sport. That is, she may have been trained as a shieldmaiden as a way of helping to maintain the tradition of the shieldmaiden among the Rohirrim. If that was the case, there may have been few women like Eowyn in Theoden's time. Perhaps he was even reviving an ancient custom his people had not observed for generations.
Theoden made some interesting decisions during his reign as King of the Mark. He didn't just sit around and wait for old age to take him. It cannot be said that Theoden was moved to bring Gondorian customs to Rohan. It may be that Thengel had attempted to elevate Rohan to Gondor's culture. Tolkien does say that the language of Gondor was spoken in the King's household during Thengel's reign, and that some of the Rohirrim were not entirely happy with that change. Theoden at least restored use of the old language as a means of distinguishing between friend and foe. Even in his dotage, that was a shrewd move.
The training of Eowyn may thus also have been a move to restore traditions which his father may have allowed to fall by the wayside. Theoden may have seemed like a Renaissance king to the Rohirrim, a restorer of old traditions. Hence, their love for him would be even greater than their love for his father.
Theoden's life is therefore not as much a questionmark as the lives of many of his forebears. The sudden advent of his character into the main story, long foreshadowed by Gandalf's account at Rivendell, is rounded out by a solid representation of the relationship Theoden had built up with his people through the decades. The history is there, and it seems to be stand out behind the story clearly enough to show that Theoden isn't simply a convenient resource to throw at the reader as a means of helping the story along.
He posed some intriguing questons about possible past connections with Aragorn, and his life sheds some light on Sauron's strategic moves against Rohan. While we cannot examine Theoden's motives in great detail, we can see that he did act with purpose and that he probably was relying as much on a natural ability to adjust to changes in circumstance as upon Gandalf when he decided to ride west to Helm's Deep.
Author: Michael Martinez
Published on: October 6, 2000
Michael Martinez is the author of Visualizing Middle-earth
Your Daily Tolkien Ping! Coming from many sources, these articles cover many aspects of Tolkien and his literary works. If anyone would like for me to ping them directly when I post articles such as this let me know. Enjoy!
1) Who was Tom Bombodil? by Gene Hargrove
2) Celeborn Unplugged by Michael Martinez
3) Speaking of Legolas... by Michael Martinez
4) A Bit of Light: Visions and Transformations of the Ring Quest by Cara J. Loup
5) Them Dwarves, Them Dwarves! - Part One and Two by Michael Martinez
6) Something wicked this way comes by Michael Martinez
7) Men Are From Gondor, Women Are From Lothlórien by Anwyn
8) By this sword, I rule! by Michael Martinez
9) Ferthu Theoden Hal! by Michael Martinez
 Ring Ping!! |
That is precisely my "gut feeling" about Eowyn!
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