Éomer
From Tolkien Gateway
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| Éomer | |
|---|---|
| Rohir | |
| Biographical information | |
| Other Names | Éomer Éadig |
| Position | King of Rohan |
| Number in Royal Line | 18 |
| Date of Birth | Third Age 2991 |
| Years of Rule | Third Age 3019 - Fourth Age 63 |
| Death (Age and Date) | Fourth Age 63, aged 93 years |
| Personal information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Parentage | Éomund and Théodwyn |
| Spouse | Lothíriel |
| Children | Elfwine |
| Physical Description | 6' 6" tall, strong, dark blond hair |
Éomer, of the House of Eorl, was the eighteenth King of Rohan, and first of the Third Line. He was the son of Théodwyn, sister of King Théoden of Rohan, and Éomund, a Chief Marshal of the Riddermark. After he and his sister Éowyn were orphaned Théoden adopted them as his own children.
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[edit] History
[edit] Youth
Éomer was born in 2991 as son of Éomund and Théodwyn. When he was eleven years old his father was slain by Orc raiders in the Emyn Muil. His mother fell ill and died soon after. His uncle Théoden adopted him and his sister Éowyn as his own children and they went to live at Meduseld.
[edit] Struggle against Saruman the White
Éomer grew strong and tall and became a valiant and skilled warrior and rider. Théoden made him third Marshal of the Mark and he was in command of the East-mark like his father. He had his home at Aldburg in the Folde, one of the oldest towns of Rohan. With his Éored he defended Rohan mainly against Orcs from Mordor.
But Rohans enemies were not only at the borders but also within. Gríma Wormtongue, the King's advisor, was secretly a spy of the wizard Saruman the White, who dwelled at Isengard and had become a servant of Sauron. Gríma in secret worked to weaken Théoden and his kingdom and Théoden fell deeply under his influence. Gríma, however, did not manage to destroy Éomers loyalty to Théoden or his son Théodred, whom Éomer regarded as his brother although he actually was his cousin.
His Éored hunted down the Uruk-hai that had taken Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took as they camped near Fangorn Forest, slaying them all. He never saw the Hobbits, as they fled during the battle. Afterwards he met Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas in the plains of Rohan, and he gave them two horses.
Éomer returned to Edoras, and reported on meeting the Ranger and friends. However, he was arrested after threatening Gríma Wormtongue because of his advances on Éomer's sister.
He was set free when Théoden recovered from the influence of Saruman the White, and was with his king at the Battle of the Hornburg, where he and his éored drove the Orcs and Dunlendings of Saruman from the walls of the Hornburg and into the Huorn forest, where they were killed.
Afterwards he rode with Théoden, Aragorn, and Gandalf to Isengard, where they confronted a trapped Saruman.
[edit] The Battle of the Pelennor Fields
In the year 3019 Éomer rode with his king to the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, and fought bravely for Rohan and Gondor. Théoden was killed, and Éomer became his successor. He stayed long behind in Minas Tirith to help Aragorn rebuild his kingdom, before returning home to be crowned king himself.
[edit] The Fourth Age
Éomer renewed the Oath of Eorl for Aragorn after Aragorn had been crowned King Elessar of the Reunited Kingdom, and Éomer had been crowned King of Rohan, swearing everlasting friendship between Rohan and Gondor (and legalizing Cirion's grant of Calenardhon to the Éothéod.)
He became 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.
Éomer had met Princess Lothíriel, daughter of Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth during his stay in Gondor, and they were wed. She bore him a son Elfwine the Fair, who succeeded his father as the King of Rohan, after Éomer's death in the year Fourth Age 63.
[edit] Personality
He was tall, strong and possessed of great passion and also was considered a valiant and splendid warrior and a discerning and decent man. Eomer became a great, wise and skilled warrior and rider. In a note written well after the initial publication of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien gave Éomer's height as 6 feet 6 inches tall ("of like height with Aragorn").
[edit] Weapon
Éomer's sword was called Gúthwinë (Old English battle-friend).
[edit] Etymology
His name is likely derived from the Anglo-Saxon words "eoh" ("war-horse"), and possibly "mēre", ("grand, excellent, famous").
[edit] Portrayal in Adaptations
In Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings Éomer is pictured in the film and is crucial to the plot, but does not have any lines.
In Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings Éomer is portrayed by New Zealand actor Karl Urban.
In both Ralph Bakshi's animated film and the Peter Jackson's movie trilogy, Éomer is an outcast and renegade until he arrives at Helm's Deep, summoned by Gandalf. In this sense, his character has been combined with the character of Erkenbrand, who is the one that Gandalf returns to Helm's Deep with in the book.
In the Peter Jackson's films, Éomer is explicitly exiled by Gríma before meeting Aragorn (which the animated film only hints at). He is more prominent in the book than in these films, since they focus on Théoden and Éowyn more.
[edit] See Also
| Preceded by: Théoden | 18th King of RohanIII 3019 – IV 63
| Followed by: Elfwine |
