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Rohan

GENERAL INFORMATION

TYPE Kingdom

OTHER NAMES Riddermark, The Mark, The

Mark of the Riders, Rochand,
Rochann

LOCATION From Fangorn Forest to White

Mountains, between the Isen
and the Entwash

CAPITAL Edoras

PEOPLE

INHABITANTS Rohirrim,
Durin's Folk

SPOKEN LANGUAGES Rohirric, Westron, Khuzdul

HISTORY

FOUNDED/BUILT TA 2510

LIFESPAN TA 2510 - ?

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The Kingdom of Rohan,[1] or the Riddermark

(Rohirric), was a great kingdom of Men located in
the land once known as Calenardhon, situated in
the plains between the Misty Mountains and the
White Mountains. The land of Rohan extended
from the banks of the River Isen in the west, up to
the East Wall of Rohan and shores of the River
Anduin in the east. The forest of Fangorn lay on its
border, and the Elven forest of Lothlórien lay north
of the River Limlight.

The land was known as "Rohan" to the Men of

Gondor, and its people the Rohirrim, meaning 'the
Horse-lords', but the people of Rohan called
themselves the Eorlingas, sons of Eorl the Young,
Mrst King of Rohan. The province of Calenardhon
was given in gift to Eorl and his people by Cirion,
Steward of Gondor, in thanks for their service to
Gondor in battle against the Balchoth. Eorl swore
an oath of friendship, and of aid when summoned,
to the Lords of Gondor, and thus the Rohirrim
became the greatest ally of the Men of Gondor
from the later part of the Third Age and beyond.
They were known for their cavalry and horse
mastery, which was crucial in battles such as the
Battle of the Hornburg and at the Pelennor Fields.

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History

Descent from the Northmen

In the 13th century of the Third Age, the Kings of

Gondor made alliances with the Northmen of
Rhovanion, a people thought to be distantly
descended from the Edain, those peoples of Men
who crossed into Beleriand in the First Age and
later settled in Númenor. The Men who would
become the Rohirrim were in fact more closely
akin to the Beornings and the Men of Dale, and
were accounted as Middle Men, who, while not
directly descended from the Men of Númenor,
never served the will of Sauron. In The Two Towers,
Aragorn describes the Rohirrim:

“
They are proud and wilful, but they are true-
hearted, generous in thought and in deed; bold
but not cruel; wise but unlearned, writing no
books but singing many songs, after the
manner of the children of Men before the Dark
Years [...]. It was in forgotten years long ago
that Eorl the Young brought them out of the
North, and their kinship is rather with the
Bardings of Dale, and with the Beornings of the
Wood, among whom may still be seen many
men tall and fair, as are the Riders of Rohan.

THE TWO TOWERS, BOOK THREE, THE RIDERS

OF ROHAN, PG. 41

Early in the Third Age, such men occupied a part

of Rhovanion, the lands east of Greenwood the
Great, west of the inland Sea of Rhûn, and south
of the Celduin. While never united under one single
king, the Men of Rhovanion nonetheless were
allies of Gondor, and many of the great Princes of
Rhovanion and their kin served in the armies of
Gondor. In this way was the ruling House of
Gondor mingled with the Northmen during the
reign of King Eldacar, and some Northmen
intermarried with the Dúnedain of the South and
were eventually reckoned Men of Gondor.

In the late 19th century of the Third Age, one such

population of Northmen, dwelling in the eaves of
Mirkwood, became a separate people under the
lordship of Marhari, a descendant of Vidugavia,
one of the most powerful princes of Rhovanion.
Fighting alongside King Narmacil II of Gondor, his
people were defeated by the Wainriders, invaders
from the east, and the Northmen were either
scattered or enslaved. Marhwini, son of Marhari,
took up the lordship of his father and, retreating
west and north with a remnant of his people,
became the Mrst Lord of the Éothéod, the people
who would become the Rohirrim. Settling Mrst in
the Vales of Anduin between the Carrock and
Gladden Fields, his people began to slowly recover
their strength, and became known as the Éothéod,
the horse peoples. Marhwini, and later his son
Forthwini, continued their alliance with Gondor,
Mghting the Wainriders and other eastern invaders
alongside Kings Calimehtar and Ondoher.
Although the Éothéod won a victory over their
Wainrider foes while allied to Gondor, their
settlements remained near the Anduin.

The Éothéod

In the 1970's of the Third Age, after the downfall of

the Witch-king and his Kingdom of Angmar, their
need for larger lands and the growing menace of
Dol Guldur, forced Frumgar (called Frungor in
some texts), Lord of the Éothéod, to lead his
people north along the eastern banks of Anduin.
They settled near the sources of Anduin, south of
the Grey Mountains. Their chief settlement
became Framsburg, which lay in a vale between
the rivers Langwell and Greylin. During their time
in the far north, the Éothéod and their horses
multiplied, and they drove the remaining Hill-men
and Orcs of Angmar out of their lands. Fram, son
of Frumgar, slew the dragon Scatha, last of the
Great Worms of the Grey Mountains save for
Smaug; thus he won great wealth from the horde
of Scatha, as well as renown for the deed. He also
earned the hatred of the Dwarves of that region,
for they claimed the treasure of Scatha. Fram
infuriated the Dwarves by sending them the teeth
of Scatha, strung as a necklace, and denying them
the rest of the hoard. Some say that for this insult
the Dwarves slew Fram, for whom the settlement
of Framsburg was named; for that reason there
was no great love between the Rohirrim and
Dwarves.

Five centuries of relative prosperity followed for

the Éothéod in the north, and they became a
numerous people with many farms and horses. In
2501, their chieftain Léod captured a white foal in
the wilds; this foal would grow to great stature,
but remain wild, and was not tamed by any man.
When Léod decided to mount the horse, it bore
him away from his stables and eventually threw
him, whereupon Léod's head struck a rock, killing
him. Eorl, son of Léod, took up the lordship of the
Éothéod at sixteen years of age, and was resolved
to Mnd this white horse. Upon a time, Eorl found
and confronted the stallion, but rather than slay
him, Eorl commanded that the horse give up his
freedom as a weregild for the killing of Léod. This
horse understood the speech of men, and
submitted to Eorl, and was named anew Felaróf.

The Gift of Calenardhon and the Oath of

Eorl

In the year TA 2509, Eorl received summons from

Cirion, Steward of Gondor. The Steward pleaded
for help from Gondor's old allies; as a large army of
Easterling Balchoth had invaded the province of
Calenardhon and threatened to overrun it. Eorl
surprised even the errand-rider of Gondor by
agreeing to come to the aid of Cirion. Though
young, Eorl wisely perceived that if Gondor should
fall, all the lesser realms of men west of Anduin
would eventually fall. He gathered all the Men of
the Éothéod that could possibly be spared, some
7000, and, leaving his land at risk of invasion itself,
rode south to the aid of Gondor. Despite a
prejudice against the Elves that would continue up
until the time of the War of the Ring, a protective
mist seemed to come out of Lothlórien as the
Éothéod journeyed south, rejuvenating horse and
rider and shielding their approach from their
enemies. Believing that there would be no time for
the Éothéod to help his armies, Cirion nonetheless
met them in battle on the Field of Celebrant,
though Gondor's legions were worsted. All hope
seemed lost when an army of Orcs came upon the
gank of the army of Gondor, but at that moment
Eorl and his cavalry thundered out of the north
unlooked for and, smashing into the rear of the
Balchoth, completely reversed the fortunes of
battle. Gondor's army was saved, and the riders of
the Éothéod drove the Balchoth into the Anduin.

Cirion committed the guardianship of Calenardhon

to Eorl and his men for three months, during
which time the Steward took counsel to determine
what reward he could present to the Éothéod for
their heroic arrival on the Field of Celebrant. At the
end of the three months, he rode north with his
son Hallas and his counsellors, and led Eorl and
some of his guard to the hidden tomb of Elendil
upon Amon Anwar (Hill of Awe), which was later
renamed HaliMrien (the Holy Mountain) in Rohirric.
Cirion realised that the Éothéod as a people
needed more room to gourish, and that they would
make for a strong ally to Gondor against the
growing threat of Sauron and the continued
harassment of the Easterlings. Therefore, upon
Amon Anwar he told Eorl that in reward for their
aid in battle, he would grant the land of
Calenardhon to the Éothéod to dwell in. Eorl was
so impressed and grateful for Cirion's gift that he
swore to the Steward the Oath of Eorl; of
everlasting friendship to Gondor, and aid to the
South-kingdom in war. Eorl thus became the Mrst
King of Rohan, and his army sent north for their
wives and kin. Coming into the land of
Calenardhon the Éothéod were named anew the
Rohirrim in Gondor, and named their new realm
the Mark of the Riders, and themselves the
Eorlingas.

Théoden, the King of Rohan during the Great War of the Ring

The Kingdom of Rohan

Golden Hall of Meduseld

Eorl was succeeded upon his death by his son

Brego. It was Brego who completed the great hall
of Meduseld, which became the home of the Kings
of Rohan thereafter. Brego's Mrst son Baldor made
a vow to tread the Paths of the Dead at the
celebration to commemorate the completion of
Meduseld, but was lost in the caverns beneath
Dwimorberg. Brego was grieved at the loss of his
son and died soon afterward, leaving rule of Rohan
to his younger son Aldor. Aldor was called 'the Old',
for, coming young to the throne, he ruled the Mark
for 75 years.

Of the Kings between Aldor and the 7th king Déor,

little is known, but during the time of Déor, the
Dunlendings, lesser Men who once dwelt in the
mountains and vales but whom the Rohirrim drove
west over the Isen upon entering Calenardhon,
began again to raid the western borders of the
Mark. In 2710, the Dunlendings captured the
mostly-deserted fortress of Isengard, and held it in
deMance of the Rohirrim.

The Dunlendings continued their harassment of

Rohan through the time of Helm Hammerhand,
9th King of Rohan. Helm was a man of great
stature and strength, and a strong king who
wished to again subdue the Dunlendings. One
particularly troublesome Dunlending was named
Freca; though he claimed descent from the Mfth
king Fréawine, Freca was mostly of Dunlendish
blood. Nonetheless, he held a good amount of land
by the Adorn river, and had there made himself a
stronghold where he largely ignored the rule of
Helm. On a time, Freca came to Helm's council at
Edoras, and there suggested that the King allow
his daughter to wed with Wulf, son of Freca. Helm,
seeing this as nothing but a ploy to bring Freca's
heir close to the royal house and thus increase the
potential for Rohan to fall into Dunlending hands,
mocked Freca. Freca then insulted the king, and
Helm took him to a Meld outside Edoras where he
smote Freca a blow with his Mst, killing him. Then
Helm sent his men west to drive away Wulf and his
followers, declaring them enemies of Rohan.

The fortress of the Hornburg

By ill chance, these events were followed by an

attack upon Gondor by the Corsairs and a long and
terrible winter. Seeing the opportunity to attack
Rohan while its allies were beset by other foes,
Wulf, in alliance with the Easterlings and Corsairs,
led a strong force of the Dunlendings out of
Isengard and defeated Helm's army, driving the
king and many of his people to the fortress of
Súthburg. Wulf captured Meduseld, and Helm's
son Haleth was slain in its defense. Wulf sat upon
the throne and called himself king and the Long
Winter began, during which many of the people of
Rohan perished from sickness and hunger and
battle with the Dunlendings. Helm, besieged inside
the Súthburg, became gaunt and grim, and
eventually began to venture from the fort at night,
stalking the camps of the Dunlendings and killing
men with his bare hands. Before he would come
forth in the dark, Helm would blow a blast upon his
great horn, which struck fear into his enemies, and
they ged upon hearing it. In this way, Helm won
renown, and was much feared for many
generations after by the Dunlendings, but one
night he froze to death outside the walls of the
fortress, later renamed the Hornburg in his honour.

Terrain of Rohan

With the onset of spring, Helm's nephew Fréaláf

Hildeson led a small army down from Dunharrow,
where another remnant of the Rohirrim had lasted
out the winter. Coming upon Edoras unawares,
they slew Wulf and reclaimed Meduseld. Helm's
body was brought back from the Hornburg and
buried in the last mound of the Mrst line of the
Kings of Rohan, and the white Simbelmynë grew
so thick upon his mound that it appeared snow-
capped. Fréaláf successfully drove out the
remaining Dunlendings before the year was
ended, Mnally receiving aid from Gondor, which
had defeated the Corsairs, and Fréaláf became
King. To his crowning came Saruman the White,
bearing gifts and praising the Rohirrim for their
courage. He took up his abode at Isengard in 2759
a gift from Beren, Steward of Gondor. Fréaláf was
content to have such a strong ally in the west
against the Dunlendings as Saruman, for the
Rohirrim had sukered great loss of men and
horses during the hard winter. Eventually, though,
as is explained elsewhere, Saruman became an
enemy of Rohan and designed to rule from
Isengard as a lord of Men.

Fréaláf's son was Brytta Léofa, a beloved king. In

his time, however, Orcs geeing the Misty
Mountains after the Battle of Azanulbizar in TA
2799 began to take refuge in the foothills of the
White Mountains. Brytta's son Walda reigned for
just nine years before he was killed by a group of
Orcs. Folca, son of Walda, was a great hunter, and
took a vow upon becoming king that he would not
hunt beasts again until every Orc had been driven
out of Rohan. After destroying the last Orc-hold in
Rohan in TA 2864, he journeyed to the Firien
wood, to kill the great boar that lived there. He
slew the boar, but died of the wounds he received
in the act of killing it. The reign of Folcwine, son of
Folca, saw a return to prosperity for Rohan, as he
subdued the West-march, and drove out the
Dunlendings. In his reign, the Rohirrim Mnally
recovered from their losses in the war against
Wulf. He also came to the aid of Gondor when a
great army of the Haradrim came up against the
South-kingdom. Persuaded not to go to battle
himself, Folcwine sent instead his twin sons,
Folcred and Fastred. Although the combined
armies of Rohan and Gondor won a great victory
at the Battle of the Crossings of Poros on the
banks of the River Poros in South Ithilien, the sons
of King Folcwine fell side by side in battle. Steward
Túrin II of Gondor therefore paid a rich weregild of
gold to Folcwine for his sacriMce.

Folcwine's third son, Fengel, is not remembered

with honor. He did little to further strengthen
Rohan, and was at odds with both his Marshals
and his kin. His only son, Thengel, therefore spent
much time in Gondor, and won praise through his
service to Steward Turgon. He married Morwen
Steelsheen ofLossarnach, and began to raise a
family in Gondor. Eventually, when Fengel died,
Thengel reluctantly returned to Rohan to take up
the kingship. While Thengel was wise and restored
dignity to the House of Eorl, he did create some
discord by encouraging the use of the language of
Gondor in Edoras. At the time of Thengel's return
to Rohan in TA 2953, Saruman Mrst began to
trouble the Rohirrim, and he declared himself Lord
of Isengard. Also during Thengel's reign, the
captain Thorongil (later revealed to be Aragorn II
Elessar) Mrst appeared in Rohan, and entered the
service of the king, and won great renown.
Thengel died in TA 2980 and was succeeded by
his son, Théoden the Renowned.

The War of the Ring

Éomer, Marshall of the Mark and nephew of Theoden

Théoden Ednew had the makings of a great king

for, in his youth, he proved valiant in battle, and he
possessed both wisdom and a gentle heart away
from war. Yet by TA 3014, Saruman had begun to
invade the king's mind, using spells and his
servant Gríma Wormtongue to bewitch Théoden.
As the king slipped into indikerence, Saruman
began to probe the borders of Rohan with his
armies. He had taken into his service Orcs and
Uruk-hai, and would eventually recruit the
Dunlendings to again assail their neighbors in
Rohan. Théodred, son of Théoden, along with his