Baldor
| Baldor | |
|---|---|
| Rohir | |
 | |
| "Angular", depicting the discovery of Baldor, by Lída Holubová | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Other names | "the Hapless" |
| Location | Rohan |
| Language | Rohirric and Westron |
| Birth | Before T.A. 2544 |
| Death | T.A. 2570 Paths of the Dead |
| Family | |
| House | House of Eorl |
| Parentage | Brego |
| Siblings | Aldor and Eofor |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Male |
| Gallery | Images of Baldor |
Baldor the Hapless was the prideful son of Brego and grandson of Eorl the Young.
History
With his father, Baldor explored Rohan, and came to Harrowdale. They found the Paths of the Dead. Surprised by a riddle from an old man that forbade them passage, he became curious. At the inauguration of Meduseld in T.A. 2569, he vowed to pass the Dark Door. He did so a year later, and was never seen again alive.[1]
Early March T.A. 3019, Aragorn and the Grey Company found the golden-clad knight. His sword was broken and notched, and his legs ruptured.[2] Although in the final version there is no confirmation, all the early manuscripts state that the skeleton found in the Paths was Baldor’s.[3][4] In the original drafts, Aragorn recognises Baldor[5][6] and says:
Here lies Baldor, son of Brego.
—J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Ring, "Part Three: Minas Tirith", "XII. The Last Debate"
Then Tolkien himself explains in a note:
The Men of Darkness built temples, some of great size, usually surrounded by dark trees, often in caverns (natural or delved) in secret valleys of mountain-regions; such as the dreadful halls and passages under the Haunted Mountain beyond the Dark Door (Gate of the Dead) in Dunharrow. The special horror of the closed door before which the skeleton of Baldor was found was probably due to the fact that the door was the entrance to an evil temple hall to which Baldor had come, probably without opposition up to that point. But the door was shut in his face, and enemies that had followed him silently came up and broke his legs and left him to die in the darkness, unable to find any way out.
—Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion', The Last Debate
Genealogy==
| Eorl 2485 - 2545† | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Brego 2512 - 2570 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| BALDOR d. 2570† | Aldor 2544 - 2645 | Eofor unknown | |||||||||||||||||||||
| three daughters unknown | Fréa 2570 - 2659 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fréawine 2594 - 2680 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Éomund d. 3002† | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Portrayal in adaptations
1979: The Lord of the Rings (1979 radio series):
- The Grey Company encounters Baldor's corpse in the Paths of the Dead.
See also
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The House of Eorl"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Passing of the Grey Company"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Ring, "Part Three: Minas Tirith", "XII. The Last Debate"
- ↑ Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (eds), The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, “The Last Debate”
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, “The Making of Appendix A”
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Ring, "Part Three: Minas Tirith", "VI. The Siege of Gondor"
