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| image=[[Image:Rohan.gif|250px]]
| image=[[File:Mark Fisher - Rohan.png|250px]]
| name=Rohan
| name=Rohan
| type = Monarchy
| type = Monarchy
| headofstate = [[King of Rohan]]
| headofstate = [[King of Rohan]]
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| formed = The people of [[Éothéod]]
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| established = III 2510
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'''Rohan''' is the territory of the [[Rohirrim]], a people of herdsmen and some farmers on the northern borders of [[Gondor]] in [[Middle-earth]]. Well-known for their [[horses]] and cavalry, they are Gondor's most important ally.  
'''Rohan''' was the territory of the [[Rohirrim]], a people of herdsmen and farmers on the northern borders of [[Gondor]] in [[Middle-earth]]. Well-known for their [[horses]] and cavalry, they were Gondor's most important ally.  


Conceptualized as the "Horse kings of Rohan" allied with [[Mordor]] in early drafts of 1939, the Rohirrim took their final form in 1942 when the text of the Lord of the Rings was completed to about one third.
== Background==
In the 1200s of the [[Third Age]], the Kings of Gondor made close alliances with the [[Northmen]] of  [[Rhovanion]], a people akin to the [[Edain#The Three Houses|Three Houses of the Edain]] (later the [[Dúnedain]]) from the [[First Age]]. In the 2000s, a remnant tribe of such Northmen that called itself the [[Éothéod]] moved from the valleys of [[Anduin]] to the north west of [[Mirkwood]], clearing out what remained of the recently defeated witch kingdom of [[Angmar]], east of the [[Misty Mountains]]. 
[[File:Ted Nasmith - The Oathtaking of Cirion and Eorl.jpg|thumb|left|[[Ted Nasmith]] - The Oathtaking of Cirion and Eorl]]
Later, in {{TA|2509|n}}, [[Cirion]] the [[Stewards of Gondor|Steward of Gondor]] sent summons to the Éothéod for aid in stopping a combined invasion of Men from the north east of Middle-earth, and [[Orcs]] from the [[Misty Mountains]]. [[Borondir]] reached [[Eorl the Young]], king of the Éothéod, who answered the summons, and arrived unexpectedly at a decisive [[battle of the Field of Celebrant]].


==Inspiration==
As a reward, Cirion invited Eorl on [[Amon Anwar]], over the [[tomb of Elendil]] and he swore mutual alliance and cooperation between the two peoples. The Steward also gave Eorl the area of [[Calenardhon]], a province of Gondor that was devastated by the earlier [[Great Plague]] and its survivors to a large extent were slain in the recent invasion.
[[Image:WAR-ICONS Rohan.jpg|thumb|left|150px]]
Several aspects of Rohan's culture and history seem to be inspired by both Goths, Scandinavians and the medieval Anglo-Saxons.


Just like the Germanic Ostrogoths, Rohirric culture was a mounted culture. It had separated from the [[Northmen]], moved south, and had settled in close proximity with a civilisation. In the Goths' case it was the Byzantine Empire and in the case of the Rohirrim, it was Gondor.
==History==
Eorl moved his people there driving out the Dunlendings who attempted to repopulate it without Gondor's consent. Eorl also built the first city of Rohan, [[Aldburg]]. Eorl lost his life fighting the [[Easterlings]] in [[the Wold]].<ref>{{App|Mark}}</ref> Migration was continued to the days of second king [[Brego]] who defended the borders against the Dunlendings and Easterlings, and drove the remaining [[Orcs]] and [[Balchoth]] off the Wold. Brego also built the Golden Hall of [[Meduseld]], and made [[Edoras]] the capital of Rohan.


Especially Hervarar saga, with its [[Mirkwood]], Gothic horsemen and shieldmaidens, appears to have inspired Tolkien when creating the Rohirrim, although he exchanged the Gothic tongue with the Anglo-Saxon.
[[File:Jan Pospisil - Edoras.jpg|thumb|Jan Pospisil - ''Edoras'']]
King [[Aldor]] was the founder of a golden age in Rohan's history, during which he completed Rohan's conquest east of the [[Isen]] and the [[Rohirrim]] increased greatly in numbers, who even settled valleys of [[Ered Nimrais]] including [[Harrowdale]]. He succeeded in driving all the remaining Dunlendings from his realm. During [[Goldwine]]'s rule, the golden age continued and the guard of the borders lessened, but the Dunlendings began to slowly return to northern [[Westfold]], settling the area around the (friendly to them) [[Ring of Isengard]] and the southern eaves of [[Fangorn Forest]]<ref>{{UT|Isen}}</ref>. By [[Déor]]'s time, a powerful Dunlendish force had been established, and the King was forced to ride northward from Edoras, ultimately to defeat his enemies but he was unable to recapture the Ring of Isengard. The following years the Dunlendings harassed and mingled with the Rohirrim.


The first line of kings lasted for 249 years, until the ninth king [[Helm|Helm Hammerhand]]. In {{TA|2758}}, Rohan was invaded by Dunlendings under [[Wulf]], son of Freca, of mixed Dunland and Rohan blood. The King, Helm Hammerhand, took refuge in the [[Hornburg]] until reinforcements from Gondor and [[Dunharrow]] (a refuge of the Rohirrim) arrived a year later and defeated the invaders. In a daring raid [[Fréaláf]] recaptured Edoras, and managed to reclaim it. He eventually drove the Dunlendings back across the rivers Isen and Adorn, freeing all of Rohan.
===Language===


Tolkien rendered Rohirric as Old English, but also included Scandinavian names, such as [[Westfold]].  Even words and phrases that were printed in Modern English showed a strong Anglo-Saxon influence. Old English was supposed to render an archaic form of [[Westron]], which was supposedly rendered by Modern English. This solution occurred to Tolkien in 1942, when he was searching for an explanation of the Eddaic name of the dwarves already published in [[The Hobbit]].
The Rohirrim now kept a strong force in north [[Westfold]], however at some time King [[Folcwine]] would need the help of Gondor to drive some of them from the area.<ref>{{App|Mark}}</ref> He was successful but the people who remained were largely of mixed blood, and not loyal to Edoras.<ref>{{UT|Isen}}</ref>


Rohirric nouns were pluralized with the suffix "-as", as were Old English nouns of the strong-masculine declension.
It was soon after this that [[Saruman]] arrived and took over [[Isengard]], and was welcomed as a strong ally, since it would take Rohan close to 200 years to recover its strength after the invasion.  


The Rohirrim used the Germanic patronymic "-ing". They called themselves the '''[[Eorlingas]]''', and [[Beorn]]'s people were the '''[[Beornings]]''', Scyld's people were the Scyldingas in Norse and Anglo-Saxon mythology.
As Rohan was still recovering from the war with the Dunlendings, hostilities remained at the western borders. For two generations, during the coincidental [[War of Dwarves and Orcs|conflict]] many thousands of [[Orcs]] tried to claim a refuge in the [[White Mountains]] and troubled the Rohirrim; [[Brytta]] fought them off, and when he died it was believed Rohan was free of Orcs; they were not entirely driven from the White Mountains until {{TA|2864}} by [[Folca]].


[[Théoden]] was referred to as "Théoden King", rather than "King Théoden", just as Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon kings had the word "konungr"/"cyning" ("king") added after their names, e.g. ''Hervarðar konungr'', rather than before.
During [[Thengel]]'s reign, a mysterious Northerner calling himself [[Thorongil]] entered his service, and rode with him for some time.  


Many Rohirric names appear to be derived from Old English words. These include:
Around {{TA|2960|n}} Saruman started to harass Rohan and in {{TA|3014|n}}, he began using his influence to weaken the King, [[Théoden]], as part of a campaign to invade or take over the kingdom. In {{TA|3019|n}}, he launched a full-scale invasion of Rohan, with victories; (Théoden's son, [[Théodred]] was killed during the [[First Battle of the Fords of Isen]]) and defeat at the [[Battle of the Hornburg]], where the [[Huorns]] came to the aid of the Rohirrim.  


* '''Éothéod:''' from "eoh" ("war-horse") and "þeod" ("folk", "people", "nation")
[[File:Ted Nasmith - Pursuit in Rohan.jpg|thumb|left|[[Ted Nasmith]] - ''Pursuit in Rohan'']]
On the heels of this victory, [[Théoden]] rode with an army to [[Minas Tirith]] and helped break its siege in the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]], where he was slain. [[Éomer]], the nephew of King [[Théoden]], then succeeded to the throne, beginning the third line.  [[Éomer]] rode with the armies of [[Gondor]] to the gates of Mordor and took part in the final battle with the forces of [[Sauron]], who was defeated when the [[The One Ring|Ruling Ring]] was destroyed.


* '''Gríma:''' possibly from "grima" ("mask", "helmet", "ghost")
The rule of the Stewards of Gondor was now over. King Éomer and the new king of Gondor, [[Aragorn|Aragorn II]] (Aragorn), renewed their oath of alliance, and reaffirmed Cirion's grant of Calenardhon to the Rohirrim. But though Sauron had perished Éomer often fulfilled the Oath of Eorl and went with [[Aragorn|King Elessar]] far into the East and South. He was known as Éomer Éadig, or "the Blessed", because during his reign Rohan recovered from the hurts of the War and became a rich and fruitful land again.


* '''Eorl:''' from "eorl" ("nobleman")
== Description ==


* '''Théodred:''' from "þeod" ("folk", "people", "nation") and "ræd" ("counsel")
The borders of Rohan were the river [[Isen]] in the west, bordering [[Saruman]]'s [[Isengard]]; the river [[Adorn]], a tributary of Isen, also in the west, forming the border with the unfriendly [[Dunlendings]]); the [[White Mountains]] in the south; the [[Mering Stream]] in the southeast, at the border between Rohan and Gondor; the Mouths of [[Entwash]] in the east; and the [[Limlight]], a tributary of the [[Anduin]] as the northern border.


The antipathy between the Rohirrim and the [[Dunlendings]] resembles the historical tension between the Anglo-Saxon settlers of Britain and the native Celts.
The most significant feature of Rohan's geography was the river [[Entwash]], which divided the country between [[Eastemnet]] and [[Westemnet]], itself divided as [[Eastfold]] and [[Westfold]]. Other lands were [[the Wold]], the [[Folde]], the [[Downs]] and the [[Undeeps]].
[[File:Ted Nasmith - The Riders of Rohan.jpg|thumb|[[Ted Nasmith]] - ''The Riders of Rohan'']]
The Rohirrim found abandoned Gondorian fortresses and refuges in the White Mountains, such as the [[Dunharrow]], the [[Orthanc]] and the [[Hornburg]] which they restored and used themselves.  


== History ==
The capital of Rohan was the hill fort of [[Edoras]] which lay on the slopes of the [[White Mountains]]. Another large city was '''[[Aldburg]]''', the capital city of the Eastfold and original city of Eorl the Young. Other cities must have existed but are not named.
In the 1200s of the [[Third Age]] (T.A.), the Kings of Gondor made close alliances with the Northmen of [[Rhovanion]], a people akin to the [[Three Houses of Men]] (later the [[D&uacute;nedain]]) from the [[First Age]].  


In the 2000s, a remnant tribe of such Northmen calling itself the [[Éothéod]] moved from the valleys of [[Anduin]] to the north west of [[Mirkwood]], clearing out what remained of the recently defeated witch kingdom of [[Angmar]], east of the [[Misty Mountains]]. While there, some dispute arose between them and the dwarves over the treasure-hoard of [[Scatha]] the dragon.
At the time of the War of the Ring, Rohan was roughly a third the size of Gondor, whose borders had slowly been shrinking for decades.


Later, in 2509, [[Cirion]] the [[Steward of Gondor]] sent summons to the Éothéod for aid in throwing off a combined invasion of Men from the north east of Middle-earth, and [[Orcs]] from [[Mordor]].  
===Climate and countryside===
The countryside of Rohan was described as a land of pastures and lush tall grassland. The lands of Rohan are frequently described as appearing like "seas of grass". Most of the Rohirrim dwelt in small villages or farms.


[[Eorl the Young]], king of the Éothéod, answered the summons, and arrived unexpected at a decisive battle at the Field of Celebrant.  
== Politics ==
===Military===
[[File:The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers - Rohirrim.jpg|thumb|''"Forth Eorlingas!"'']]
The military of the Rohirrim was commanded by Marshals. The [[First Marshal of the Riddermark]] was the highest military rank and commanded  the [[Muster of Edoras]]: Riders of the capital Edoras and the surrounding lands, including the King's Lands and [[Harrowdale]]. In his youth, King Théoden had led the Riders of the Muster of Edoras himself, so that no First Marshal was needed and at the time of the War of the Ring, there was no First Marshal.  


As a reward, Eorl was given the plains of [[Calenardhon]], and he moved his kingdom there. This land had earlier been part of Gondor proper, but had been devastated by the plague of 1636, and the survivors to a large extent slain in the invasion mentioned above.  
The Second and Third Marshals had no fixed duties, and their roles changed according to the needs of the time. The [[Second Marshal of the Riddermark]] and was based in the [[Helm's Deep]] and around the War of the Ring it was filled by Théoden's son, Prince [[Théodred]]. The [[Third Marshal of the Riddermark]] was based at [[Aldburg]] in the [[Folde]] and around the War of the Ring it was filled by [[Éomer]].


The first line of kings lasted for 249 years, until the ninth king [[Helm Hammerhand]] died. His sons had been killed earlier, and his nephew [[Fréaláf Hildeson]] began the second line of kings, which lasted until the end of the Third Age.  
After the War of the Rings, the new rank of [[Marshal of the East-mark]] was created for the eastern Rohan by King Éomer. The first Rider to hold it was his lieutenant, [[Elfhelm]].


In 2758, Rohan was invaded by [[Dunland|Dunlendings]] under Wulf, son of Freca, of mixed Dunland and Rohan blood. The King, Helm Hammerhand, took refuge in the Hornburg until aid from Gondor and [[Dunharrow]] (a refuge of the Rohirrim) arrived a year later and defeated the invaders.  
===Alliance with Gondor===
The alliance between Rohan and Gondor came into existence in the year {{TA|2510|n}} of the [[Third Age]]. In that year the [[Easterlings]] launched a massive invasion of Gondor. The army of Gondor was defeated and trapped between the Limlight and the [[Celebrant]]. Gondor, which had always been on friendly terms with the different tribes of the [[Northmen]], sent messengers to the closest tribe, the [[Éothéod]]. Although it was unlikely that the message calling for aid would come through, it did. Then [[Eorl the Young]] and his fierce Éothéod Riders unexpectedly took the field during the Battle of Celebrant and turned the tide in the favour of Gondor. As a reward [[Cirion]], the [[Steward of Gondor]], gave Eorl the depopulated province of Calenardhon for his people to settle, while fulfilling Gondor's need for a strong ally. The [[Oath of Eorl]] was sworn by both Cirion and Eorl. Neither nation has ever broken the alliance ever since. Rohan has gone through great lengths to fulfill their part of the treaty including sacrificing two of its heirs when Gondor was under threat from the [[Haradrim]] in 2885, when [[Fastred (son of Folcwine)|Fastred]] and [[Folcred]], the twin sons of King [[Folcwine]], were killed during the Battle of Crossings of [[Poros]]. King [[Théoden]] once again honoured the alliance in the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]].


It was soon after this that [[Saruman]] arrived and took over [[Isengard]], and was welcomed as a strong ally, since it would take Rohan close to 200 years to recover its strength after the invasion.  
===War with the Dunlendings===
To the west of Rohan lived the [[Dunlendings]], a native people who had been hostile against the Free Peoples for a long time. The Dunlending [[Wulf]] briefly usurped of the throne of Rohan during the long winter.


In 3014, Saruman began using his influence to weaken the King, [[Théoden]], as part of a campaign to invade or take over the kingdom. In 3019, he launched a full-scale invasion on Rohan, with victory in the two first battles (at the [[Fords of Isen]]; Théoden's son, [[Théodred]] was killed during these attacks) and defeat at the [[Battle of the Hornburg]], where the [[Huorns]] came to the aid of the Rohirrim.  
During the [[War of the Ring]], Saruman would incite them against the Rohirrim and they would fight alongside the [[Uruk-hai]] in the [[Battle of the Hornburg]].


On the heels of this victory, [[Théoden]] rode with an army to [[Minas Tirith]] and helped break its siege in the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]], where he was slain. [[Éomer]], the nephew of King [[Théoden]], then took up the reign, beginning the third line.  [[Éomer]] rode with the armies of [[Gondor]] to the gates of Mordor and took part in the final battle with the forces of [[Sauron]], who was defeated when the [[One Ring|Ruling Ring]] was destroyed.
===Wormtongue===


The rule of the stewards of Gondor was now over. King Éomer and the new king of Gondor, [[Elessar]] (Aragorn), renewed their oath of alliance, and reaffirmed Cirion's grant of Calenardhon to the Rohirrim.
When king Théoden began to grow old, he took as an advisor [[Gríma]], later called ''Wormtongue''. Gríma quickly became Théoden's chief advisor, but unknown to all he was secretly working for Saruman. Gríma played on Théoden's fears to further weaken the strength of the king and all of Rohan, always advising retreat where an attack was needed. He may have also begun poisoning the king at this time. This nearly proved disastrous for Rohan, and also for Gondor, by robbing them of their strongest ally in the north. Gríma Wormtongue's plans were not revealed until [[Gandalf]] arrived in Edoras during the War of the Ring.


===See also===
==Etymology==
[[Timeline]]


== Description ==
The name ''Rohan'' (coined by [[Hallas]]) is [[Gondor Sindarin]], meaning "Horse-country". ''Rohan'' is a debased form of the proper [[Sindarin]] name ''Rochand'' (or ''Rochan''), containing the elements ''[[Horses#Etymology|roch]]'' ("[[Horses|horse]]") and the toponymical ending ''[[-nd|-and]]''.<ref>[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Nancy Smith]], ""[[Index questions]]"</ref><ref name=Cirion>{{UT|Cirion}}, "iii. Cirion and Eorl"</ref><ref>{{HM|RC}}, pp. 247-8</ref>


===Important places and the borders of Rohan===
The native name of the country was '''[[Riddermark]]''', or simply '''the Mark'''.
The capital of Rohan is the hill fort of [[Edoras]] which lies on the slopes of the [[White Mountains]]. Another large city is '''Aldburg''', capital city of the Westfold and original city of Eorl the Young. Other cities must have existed but are not named.


A known recluse is [[Dunharrow]], even deeper in the White Mountains. One of the most impressive places in Rohan is the [[Hornburg]], a great fortress which is part of a chain of fortifications at [[Helm's Deep]].
In a draft of ''The Appendices'', Tolkien noted that ''Rohan'' "is of [[Noldorin]] origin, a translation of the native ''[[Lōgrad]]''", having the "strictly correct form [...] ''Rochann''."<ref>{{PM|II}}, p. 53</ref>


The borders of Rohan are: the river [[Isen]] (in the west, bordering [[Saruman]]'s [[Isengard]]); the river [[Adorn]] (a tributary of Isen, also in the west, forming the border with the unfriendly [[Dunlendings]]); the White Mountains (in the south); the Mering Stream (in the southeast, the border between Rohan and Gondor); the Mouths of [[Entwash]] (in the east); and the [[Limlight]] (a tributary of the [[Anduin]], the northern border).
==Other versions of the legendarium==
Conceptualized as the "Horse kings of Rohan" allied with [[Mordor]] in early drafts of [[1939]], the Rohirrim took their final form in 1942 when the text of the Lord of the Rings was completed to about one third.


At the time of the War of the Ring, Rohan was roughly a third the size of Gondor, whose borders had slowly been shrinking for decades.
==Inspiration==
Several aspects of Rohan's culture and history seem to be inspired by both Goths, Scandinavians and the medieval Anglo-Saxons.


===Climate and countryside===
Just like the Germanic Ostrogoths, Rohirric culture was a mounted culture. It had separated from the [[Northmen]], moved south, and had settled in close proximity with a civilization. In the Goths' case it was the Byzantine Empire and in the case of the Rohirrim, it was Gondor.
The countryside of Rohan is described as a land of pastures and lush tall grassland. It looks a lot like the Central Asian steppe or North American Great Plains, and its climate was also similar to these places.  The lands of Rohan are frequently described as appearing like "seas of grass".


===The [[Rohirrim]] and their [[horses]]===
Especially Hervarar saga, with its [[Mirkwood]], Gothic horsemen and shieldmaidens, appears to have inspired Tolkien when creating the Rohirrim, although he exchanged the Gothic tongue with the Anglo-Saxon.
The Rohirrim are descendants of the [[Edain]] of the [[First Age]]. They did not go to [[Beleriand]] like the Edain who were later rewarded with the island of [[Númenor]] by the [[Valar]]. The ancestors of the Rohirrim were known as the [[Éothéod]] and were given the province of Calenardhon by Gondor after the afore-mentioned Battle of the Field of Celebrant.


The Rohirrim are famous as skilled horsemen, masters and breeders. Among the horses of the Rohirrim are the famed [[Mearas]], the noblest and fastest horses who have ever roamed [[Arda]]; [[Shadowfax]] was the greatest of all Mearas.  There were very few Mearas left in Middle-earth at this point, but there were enough that a breeding population was present.  The armies of Rohan are almost exclusively cavalry, divided into irregular units termed [[éoreds]].  Rohan's armies were more of a very well trained militia called upon in times of war, with the actual standing army relatively small.  The professional career-soldiers of Rohan may have been limited to the royal bodyguard at Edoras.
The antipathy between the Rohirrim and the [[Dunlendings]] resembles the historical tension between the Anglo-Saxon settlers of Britain and the native Celts.
 
It was because of this close affiliation with horses, both in war and peace, that they received their now famous name. ''Rohirrim'' (or more properly ''Rochirrim'') is [[Sindarin]] for "Horse-lords," and ''Rohan'' (or ''Rochand'') meant "Land of the Horse-lords." These names were devised by Hallas, son of Cirion the Steward.
 
===Rohirric===
Rohirric is, like the languages of all [[Men]], akin to [[Adûnaic]], the language of the Edain. The Rohirrim call their homeland the ''Ridenna-mearc'', the ''Riddermark'' or ''Éo-marc'', the ''Horse-mark'', also simply the ''Mark'' and call themselves the ''Eorlingas'', the Sons of [[Eorl the Young|Eorl]].
In the original Rohirric the name for their land is ''Lôgrad'', with the element "lô-"/"loh-" corresponding to Anglo-Saxon "éo", horse.
 
Rohirric bears a similar relationship to the Common Speech of Middle-earth as that of Old English to modern English, and so Tolkien renders Rohirric names and phrases into Old English (Anglo-Saxon), just as the Common Speech is translated into English. Examples include words such as ''Mearas'' (Old English for horses) and ''éored''.  Tolkien was a philologist, with a special interest in Germanic languages.
 
Many archaic [[Hobbits|Hobbit]] names bear similarities to Rohirric, since the ancestors of [[The Shire]] hobbits lived on the upper reaches of the [[Anduin]], close to the ancestors of the Rohirrim, and there was apparently a good deal of linguistic cross-fertilisation. The name ''Hobbit'' itself is believed to be derived from the Rohirric ''Holbytlan'' (hole builders). These names are also translations of the original Westron ''Kuduk'' (Hobbit) and Rohirric ''kûd-dûkan'' (hole dweller), of course.
 
== Politics ==
 
===Alliance with Gondor===
The alliance between Rohan and Gondor came into existence in the year 2510 of the [[Third Age]]. In that year the [[Easterlings]] launched a massive invasion of Gondor. The army of Gondor was defeated and trapped between the Limlight and the [[Celebrant]]. Gondor, which had always been on friendly terms with the different tribes of the [[Northmen]], sent messengers to the closest tribe, the [[Éothéod]]. Although it was unlikely that the message calling for aid would come through, it did. Then [[Eorl the Young]] and his fierce Éothéod Riders unexpectedly took the field during the Battle of Celebrant and turned the tide in the favour of Gondor. As a reward [[Cirion]], the [[Steward of Gondor]], gave Eorl the depopulated province of Calenardhon for his people to settle, while fulfilling Gondor's need for a strong ally. The [[Oath of Eorl]] was sworn by both Cirion and Eorl. Neither nation has ever broken the alliance ever since. Rohan has gone through great lengths to fulfil their part of the treaty including sacrificing two of its heirs when Gondor was under threat from the [[Haradrim]] in 2885, when [[Fastred]] and [[Folcred]], the twin sons of King [[Folcwine]], were killed during the Battle of Crossings of [[Poros]]. King [[Théoden]] once again honoured the alliance in the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]].
 
===War with the Dunlendings===
To the west of Rohan lived the [[Dunlendings]], a native people who had been hostile against the Free Peoples for a long time. The Dunlending [[Wulf]] briefly usurped of the throne of Rohan during the long winter.
 
===Rumours of tributes paid to Sauron===
During the early days of the [[War of the Ring]], rumours were spread that the Rohirrim supplied Sauron's armies with horses. These rumours were obviously false: the Rohirrim valued their horses more than anything, and would never send them away, even as tribute.  Still these rumours had some effect, in that they obscured the fact it was Saruman who had fallen, rather than Rohan.  The basis of the rumour was that Sauron's [[Orcs]] on raids into Rohan stole their horses for use in Mordor's army, but this was outright theft that angered the Rohirrim against Sauron. 
 
===Wormtongue===
 
When king Théoden began to grow old, he took as an advisor [[Gríma Wormtongue|Gríma]], later called ''Wormtongue''. Gríma quickly became Théoden's chief advisor, but unknown to all he was secretly working for Saruman. Gríma played on Théoden's fears to further weaken the strength of the king and all of Rohan, always advising retreat where an attack was needed. He may have also begun poisoning the king at this time. This nearly proved disastrous for Rohan, and also for Gondor, by robbing them of their strongest ally in the north. Gríma Wormtongue's plans were not revealed until [[Gandalf]] arrived in Edoras during the War of the Ring.
 
== Important Rohirrim ==
 
* [[Eorl the Young]]
* [[Helm Hammerhand]]
* [[Théoden]]
* [[Théodred]]
* [[Éomer]]
* [[Éowyn]]
* Various participants in the final wars.
* [[Gríma Wormtongue]]


[[Category:Realms]]
[[Category:Gondor Sindarin words]]
[[Category:Regions]]
[[Category:Regions]]
[[Category:Rohan| Rohan]]
{{references}}
[[de:Rohan]]
[[fa:روهان]]
[[fi:Rohan]]
[[fr:encyclo/geographie/royaumes/rohan]]

Revision as of 15:26, 1 June 2015

"I shan't call it the end, till we've cleared up the mess." — Sam
This article or section needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of article quality.
Rohan
Mark Fisher - Rohan.png
General information
LocationNorth of the White Mountains, South of Fangorn Forest
CapitalEdoras
People
LanguageWestron/Rohirric
GalleryImages of Rohan

Rohan was the territory of the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers on the northern borders of Gondor in Middle-earth. Well-known for their horses and cavalry, they were Gondor's most important ally.

Background

In the 1200s of the Third Age, the Kings of Gondor made close alliances with the Northmen of Rhovanion, a people akin to the Three Houses of the Edain (later the Dúnedain) from the First Age. In the 2000s, a remnant tribe of such Northmen that called itself the Éothéod moved from the valleys of Anduin to the north west of Mirkwood, clearing out what remained of the recently defeated witch kingdom of Angmar, east of the Misty Mountains.

Ted Nasmith - The Oathtaking of Cirion and Eorl

Later, in 2509, Cirion the Steward of Gondor sent summons to the Éothéod for aid in stopping a combined invasion of Men from the north east of Middle-earth, and Orcs from the Misty Mountains. Borondir reached Eorl the Young, king of the Éothéod, who answered the summons, and arrived unexpectedly at a decisive battle of the Field of Celebrant.

As a reward, Cirion invited Eorl on Amon Anwar, over the tomb of Elendil and he swore mutual alliance and cooperation between the two peoples. The Steward also gave Eorl the area of Calenardhon, a province of Gondor that was devastated by the earlier Great Plague and its survivors to a large extent were slain in the recent invasion.

History

Eorl moved his people there driving out the Dunlendings who attempted to repopulate it without Gondor's consent. Eorl also built the first city of Rohan, Aldburg. Eorl lost his life fighting the Easterlings in the Wold.[1] Migration was continued to the days of second king Brego who defended the borders against the Dunlendings and Easterlings, and drove the remaining Orcs and Balchoth off the Wold. Brego also built the Golden Hall of Meduseld, and made Edoras the capital of Rohan.

Jan Pospisil - Edoras

King Aldor was the founder of a golden age in Rohan's history, during which he completed Rohan's conquest east of the Isen and the Rohirrim increased greatly in numbers, who even settled valleys of Ered Nimrais including Harrowdale. He succeeded in driving all the remaining Dunlendings from his realm. During Goldwine's rule, the golden age continued and the guard of the borders lessened, but the Dunlendings began to slowly return to northern Westfold, settling the area around the (friendly to them) Ring of Isengard and the southern eaves of Fangorn Forest[2]. By Déor's time, a powerful Dunlendish force had been established, and the King was forced to ride northward from Edoras, ultimately to defeat his enemies but he was unable to recapture the Ring of Isengard. The following years the Dunlendings harassed and mingled with the Rohirrim.

The first line of kings lasted for 249 years, until the ninth king Helm Hammerhand. In T.A. 2758, Rohan was invaded by Dunlendings under Wulf, son of Freca, of mixed Dunland and Rohan blood. The King, Helm Hammerhand, took refuge in the Hornburg until reinforcements from Gondor and Dunharrow (a refuge of the Rohirrim) arrived a year later and defeated the invaders. In a daring raid Fréaláf recaptured Edoras, and managed to reclaim it. He eventually drove the Dunlendings back across the rivers Isen and Adorn, freeing all of Rohan.

The Rohirrim now kept a strong force in north Westfold, however at some time King Folcwine would need the help of Gondor to drive some of them from the area.[3] He was successful but the people who remained were largely of mixed blood, and not loyal to Edoras.[4]

It was soon after this that Saruman arrived and took over Isengard, and was welcomed as a strong ally, since it would take Rohan close to 200 years to recover its strength after the invasion.

As Rohan was still recovering from the war with the Dunlendings, hostilities remained at the western borders. For two generations, during the coincidental conflict many thousands of Orcs tried to claim a refuge in the White Mountains and troubled the Rohirrim; Brytta fought them off, and when he died it was believed Rohan was free of Orcs; they were not entirely driven from the White Mountains until T.A. 2864 by Folca.

During Thengel's reign, a mysterious Northerner calling himself Thorongil entered his service, and rode with him for some time.

Around 2960 Saruman started to harass Rohan and in 3014, he began using his influence to weaken the King, Théoden, as part of a campaign to invade or take over the kingdom. In 3019, he launched a full-scale invasion of Rohan, with victories; (Théoden's son, Théodred was killed during the First Battle of the Fords of Isen) and defeat at the Battle of the Hornburg, where the Huorns came to the aid of the Rohirrim.

Ted Nasmith - Pursuit in Rohan

On the heels of this victory, Théoden rode with an army to Minas Tirith and helped break its siege in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, where he was slain. Éomer, the nephew of King Théoden, then succeeded to the throne, beginning the third line. Éomer rode with the armies of Gondor to the gates of Mordor and took part in the final battle with the forces of Sauron, who was defeated when the Ruling Ring was destroyed.

The rule of the Stewards of Gondor was now over. King Éomer and the new king of Gondor, Aragorn II (Aragorn), renewed their oath of alliance, and reaffirmed Cirion's grant of Calenardhon to the Rohirrim. But though Sauron had perished Éomer often fulfilled the Oath of Eorl and went with King Elessar far into the East and South. He was known as Éomer Éadig, or "the Blessed", because during his reign Rohan recovered from the hurts of the War and became a rich and fruitful land again.

Description

The borders of Rohan were the river Isen in the west, bordering Saruman's Isengard; the river Adorn, a tributary of Isen, also in the west, forming the border with the unfriendly Dunlendings); the White Mountains in the south; the Mering Stream in the southeast, at the border between Rohan and Gondor; the Mouths of Entwash in the east; and the Limlight, a tributary of the Anduin as the northern border.

The most significant feature of Rohan's geography was the river Entwash, which divided the country between Eastemnet and Westemnet, itself divided as Eastfold and Westfold. Other lands were the Wold, the Folde, the Downs and the Undeeps.

Ted Nasmith - The Riders of Rohan

The Rohirrim found abandoned Gondorian fortresses and refuges in the White Mountains, such as the Dunharrow, the Orthanc and the Hornburg which they restored and used themselves.

The capital of Rohan was the hill fort of Edoras which lay on the slopes of the White Mountains. Another large city was Aldburg, the capital city of the Eastfold and original city of Eorl the Young. Other cities must have existed but are not named.

At the time of the War of the Ring, Rohan was roughly a third the size of Gondor, whose borders had slowly been shrinking for decades.

Climate and countryside

The countryside of Rohan was described as a land of pastures and lush tall grassland. The lands of Rohan are frequently described as appearing like "seas of grass". Most of the Rohirrim dwelt in small villages or farms.

Politics

Military

"Forth Eorlingas!"

The military of the Rohirrim was commanded by Marshals. The First Marshal of the Riddermark was the highest military rank and commanded the Muster of Edoras: Riders of the capital Edoras and the surrounding lands, including the King's Lands and Harrowdale. In his youth, King Théoden had led the Riders of the Muster of Edoras himself, so that no First Marshal was needed and at the time of the War of the Ring, there was no First Marshal.

The Second and Third Marshals had no fixed duties, and their roles changed according to the needs of the time. The Second Marshal of the Riddermark and was based in the Helm's Deep and around the War of the Ring it was filled by Théoden's son, Prince Théodred. The Third Marshal of the Riddermark was based at Aldburg in the Folde and around the War of the Ring it was filled by Éomer.

After the War of the Rings, the new rank of Marshal of the East-mark was created for the eastern Rohan by King Éomer. The first Rider to hold it was his lieutenant, Elfhelm.

Alliance with Gondor

The alliance between Rohan and Gondor came into existence in the year 2510 of the Third Age. In that year the Easterlings launched a massive invasion of Gondor. The army of Gondor was defeated and trapped between the Limlight and the Celebrant. Gondor, which had always been on friendly terms with the different tribes of the Northmen, sent messengers to the closest tribe, the Éothéod. Although it was unlikely that the message calling for aid would come through, it did. Then Eorl the Young and his fierce Éothéod Riders unexpectedly took the field during the Battle of Celebrant and turned the tide in the favour of Gondor. As a reward Cirion, the Steward of Gondor, gave Eorl the depopulated province of Calenardhon for his people to settle, while fulfilling Gondor's need for a strong ally. The Oath of Eorl was sworn by both Cirion and Eorl. Neither nation has ever broken the alliance ever since. Rohan has gone through great lengths to fulfill their part of the treaty including sacrificing two of its heirs when Gondor was under threat from the Haradrim in 2885, when Fastred and Folcred, the twin sons of King Folcwine, were killed during the Battle of Crossings of Poros. King Théoden once again honoured the alliance in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.

War with the Dunlendings

To the west of Rohan lived the Dunlendings, a native people who had been hostile against the Free Peoples for a long time. The Dunlending Wulf briefly usurped of the throne of Rohan during the long winter.

During the War of the Ring, Saruman would incite them against the Rohirrim and they would fight alongside the Uruk-hai in the Battle of the Hornburg.

Wormtongue

When king Théoden began to grow old, he took as an advisor Gríma, later called Wormtongue. Gríma quickly became Théoden's chief advisor, but unknown to all he was secretly working for Saruman. Gríma played on Théoden's fears to further weaken the strength of the king and all of Rohan, always advising retreat where an attack was needed. He may have also begun poisoning the king at this time. This nearly proved disastrous for Rohan, and also for Gondor, by robbing them of their strongest ally in the north. Gríma Wormtongue's plans were not revealed until Gandalf arrived in Edoras during the War of the Ring.

Etymology

The name Rohan (coined by Hallas) is Gondor Sindarin, meaning "Horse-country". Rohan is a debased form of the proper Sindarin name Rochand (or Rochan), containing the elements roch ("horse") and the toponymical ending -and.[5][6][7]

The native name of the country was Riddermark, or simply the Mark.

In a draft of The Appendices, Tolkien noted that Rohan "is of Noldorin origin, a translation of the native Lōgrad", having the "strictly correct form [...] Rochann."[8]

Other versions of the legendarium

Conceptualized as the "Horse kings of Rohan" allied with Mordor in early drafts of 1939, the Rohirrim took their final form in 1942 when the text of the Lord of the Rings was completed to about one third.

Inspiration

Several aspects of Rohan's culture and history seem to be inspired by both Goths, Scandinavians and the medieval Anglo-Saxons.

Just like the Germanic Ostrogoths, Rohirric culture was a mounted culture. It had separated from the Northmen, moved south, and had settled in close proximity with a civilization. In the Goths' case it was the Byzantine Empire and in the case of the Rohirrim, it was Gondor.

Especially Hervarar saga, with its Mirkwood, Gothic horsemen and shieldmaidens, appears to have inspired Tolkien when creating the Rohirrim, although he exchanged the Gothic tongue with the Anglo-Saxon.

The antipathy between the Rohirrim and the Dunlendings resembles the historical tension between the Anglo-Saxon settlers of Britain and the native Celts.

References

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