Forthwini

From Tolkien Gateway
Forthwini
Northman
Biographical Information
TitlesLord of the Éothéod
LocationRhovanion
Languagelanguage of the Éothéod
Family
ParentageMarhwini
Physical Description
GenderMale

Forthwini was the second Lord of the Éothéod while they lived in the Vales of Anduin. He was the son of Marhwini.[1]

History[edit | edit source]

During Forthwini's rule his spies learned that the Wainriders, a tribe of Easterlings who had invaded decades earlier, had recovered and were allying themselves with other forces in the East. He alerted King Ondoher of Gondor of the growing threat, and later the Éothéod joined the armies of Gondor in battle against the invaders. Though Ondoher and both his sons were slain, his successor Eärnil II eventually destroyed the Wainriders in T.A. 1944.[1][2][3] There is no record of Forthwini's fate.

Legacy[edit | edit source]

The leader of the Éothéod whose name stared with Marh, who rode to battle in the campaign against the Wainriders, may have been Forthwini's successor[4] and/or son, but this is not stated.[5] The next definitively known chieftain of the Éothéod is Frumgar, who was chieftain[6] in T.A. 1977.[7] The specific relationship between Forthwini and Frumgar is unknown.

Etymology[edit | edit source]

Christopher Tolkien suggests that the name Forthwini is Gothic in form and that the second element wini ("friend") is an archaic form of Old English wine seen in the Rohanese names of several Kings of Rohan ( Fréawine, Goldwine and Folcwine).[8]

David Salo and Arden R. Smith suggest that the name is early Old English in form.[9][10]

It is also possible that it is a hybrid Old English and Old High German (OHG) name. The first element is Old English (Anglo-Saxon [AS]) forth[11] and the second element is Old High German (OHG) wini ("friend"), which corresponds to Anglo-Saxon (AS) wine.[12]

David Salo suggests that it means "friend of the front" or "friend, who is at the front", so a companion-in-arms who is at the front line of the tribal army. Tom Shippey suggests that it is Old Mercian English and means "forefriend". Since forth correspons to faran ("go", "go away") it could mean "travel friend".[13]

Genealogy[edit | edit source]

Marhari
d. 1856
 
 
 
 
Marhwini
fl. 1856 - 1899
 
 
 
 
FORTHWINI
fl. 1944
 
 
 
 
Frumgar
fl. 1977
 
 
 
 
Fram
fl. c. T.A. 2000


References

  1. 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Cirion and Eorl and the Friendship of Gondor and Rohan", "(i) The Northmen and the Wainriders"
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion", entry for king Ondoher
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age", entry for the year 1944 of the Third Age
  4. Michael Martinez, "How Many Lords of Éothéod Were There?" dated 10 October 2013, middle-earth.xenite.org (accessed 20 February 2022)
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Cirion and Eorl and the Friendship of Gondor and Rohan", "(i) The Northmen and the Wainriders", eighteenth paragraph
  6. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The House of Eorl", p. 1064
  7. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age", entry for the year 1977
  8. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Cirion and Eorl and the Friendship of Gondor and Rohan", "Notes", Note 6
  9. David Salo, Re: Digest: Radagast etc., e-mail to the Tolkien Language List (19.22), 10 July 1996, http://tolklang.quettar.org/messages/Vol19/19.22; Re: Digest: More Radagast etc., e-mail to the Tolkien Language List (19.36), 16 July 1996, http://tolklang.quettar.org/messages/Vol19/19.36; and Re: Gothic/Old English and pseudo-Latinized forms of same, e-mail to the Tolkien Language List (19.46), 18 July 1996, http://tolklang.quettar.org/messages/Vol19/19.46
  10. Arden R. Smith, Tolkienian Gothic, in Wayne G. Hammond & Christina Scull, The Lord of the Rings 1954-2004: Scholarship in Honor of Richard E. Blackwelder, p. 269
  11. Friedrich Kluge, "Etymological Dictionary of the German language, entry fort, p. 95", archive.org (accessed 16 January 2023)
  12. Friedrich Kluge, "Etymological Dictionary of the German language, entry gewinnen, p. 118", archive.org (accessed 16 January 2023)
  13. Didier Salamon & David Giraudeau, Le Livre de la Marche, 2006, p. 159
Forthwini
Preceded by:
Marhwini
2nd Lord of the ÉothéodUnknown
Eventually Frumgar