| Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth |
|---|
| Part One: The First Age |
| Part Two: The Second Age |
| Part Three: The Third Age |
| Part Four |
Cirion and Eorl and the Friendship of Gondor and Rohan is a chapter in the book Unfinished Tales, written by J.R.R. Tolkien and published posthumously by his son, Christopher Tolkien. The chapter explores the evolution of the nation of Rohan and its friendship with Gondor. We see the Oath of Eorl over the Tomb of Elendil, and an explanation of the Tradition of Isildur.
Synopsis
The Northmen and the Wainriders
There was great friendship between the people of Gondor and the Northmen of Rhovanion, who kept the northern and eastern frontiers of Gondor from invasion. In the winter of T.A. 1635, the Great Plague appeared in Rhovanion before spreading to Gondor. The Northmen suffered greater losses, as they were less skilled in the art of healing than those in Gondor. By the time the plague passed, it had killed over half of the folk of Rhovanion and their horses.
When the Wainriders began their invasions of Gondor, the Northmen suffered the first assaults. To combat this threat, King Narmacil II took a great army into the plains south of Mirkwood, recruiting the scattered remnants of the Northmen. They were defeated in the Battle of the Plains where Narmacil and Marhari were killed, and the army of Narmacil retreated into Ithilien. Some of the Northmen fled to Gondor and Dale, while others were gathered by Marhwini son of Marhari and settled in the Vales of Anduin, becoming the Éothéod. The majority of the Northmen, however, were enslaved by the Wainriders.
In T.A. 1899, King Calimehtar, son of Narmacil II, wanting to avenge his father, drew out the Wainriders with his army, battling them upon the Dagorlad. At the height of the battle, Marhwini led a great éored upon the flank and rear of the Wainriders, who broke and fled to their homes. The horsemen of Marhwini harried them upon their rout until the Wainriders came to their homes, which were burning by a revolt of the enslaved Northmen prepared by Marhwini. In the end Marhwini and Calimehtar retired to their own lands.
In T.A. 1944, the eastern Wainriders and the peoples of Khand, influenced by Sauron, allied to move against Gondor. King Ondoher, son of Calimehtar prepared his army in Dagorlad for the Wainriders to attack from the north, so when they came from the east, with a much larger force than expected, the ranks of Gondor were overwhelmed and pushed back, and Ondoher and his son, Artamir slain. Ondoher’s other son, Faramir, was killed along with a party of the Éothéod. Minohtar, Captain of the Right Wing rallied the remaining men and withdrew them to the head of the North Road of Ithilien, where they were joined by the Éothéod. They were overwhelmed by the Wainriders, and Minohtar killed. The Wainriders, believing Gondor to be overthrown, feasted and reveled in their victory. This was when Eärnil II, Captain of the Southern Army, stormed their camp and defeated the Wainriders in a battle known as the Battle of the Camp. Eärnil, being of royal blood, became King of Gondor.
The Ride of Eorl
In the days of Eärnil II, the Éothéod moved into lands north of Mirkwood, between the Misty Mountains and the Forest River, to escape the shadow of Dol Guldur. In 2489, Cirion became Steward of Gondor, and soon found that new enemies were coming out of the east. In the winter of 2509, the Balchoth, allied with Orcs, prepared a movement against Gondor along the southern eaves of Mirkwood. Cirion sent six messengers to Eorl, Lord of the Éothéod to seek help. Cirion then led as great a force as he could, and led it north to Calenardhon.
Only one of the six messengers, Borondir Udalraph, made it to the Éothéod, as the land between had grown dangerous. When Eorl heard this message, he took the largest host of armed riders and archers he could muster, and with Borondir’s guidance, brought them to where the army of Gondor was fighting the Balchoth. This was the Battle of the Field of Celebrant, and the men of Gondor were losing. With the arrival of Eorl, the tides of fate reversed, and the Balchoth were driven out.
Cirion and Eorl
The story is preceded by a note[note 1] on the Halifirien, also known as Amon Anwar. Halifirien meant ‘holy mountain’ in the language of the Rohirrim. The Halifirien was the highest and westernmost of the beacons of Gondor. The only human inhabitants of the Firien Wood, which surrounded the base of the mountain, were the Beacon-wardens.
Three months after the Battle of the Field of Celebrant was won, Cirion held a meeting with Eorl on Amon Anwar. There, Cirion gifted the land of Calenardhon to Eorl. With this gift, Cirion led Eorl to the secret Tomb of Elendil, over which they swore the Oath of Eorl. This oath entailed that both nations were now allied in everlasting friendship, and would come to the other’s aid in times of need. Afterwards, Cirion and Eorl defined the bounds of the new realm of Eorl, which in later times was known as Rohan. Eorl then departed to lead his people to their new home.
The Tradition of Isildur
Isildur buried his father, Elendil, on Amon Anwar, which was the center of Gondor at that time. Isildur proclaimed that no man would be permitted to visit the tomb, save the King and anyone he brought with him. Isildur had his nephew (the next King of Gondor), Meneldil start a tradition where the King would bring his heir to the tomb, and reveal to him the secrets of the realm. Rómendacil II had the ‘Tradition of Isildur’ written down in a scroll so it would not be lost by sudden death, and would be delivered by the Steward to the new King before his crowning.
When the line of Kings ended, the Stewards continued the tradition, though visited less and less, so that the path to the tomb became overgrown. After the Oath of Eorl was sworn, and Eorl had departed to his people, Cirion removed the tomb of Elendil, and brought the casket to the Hallows of Minas Tirith. He judged the ‘Tradition of Isildur’ now void, for the hill was no longer in the center of the kingdom, and Gondor was much changed since the days of Isildur.
Notes
- ↑ This note is an excerpt from a text titled The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor. The rest of the essay was published later in Vinyar Tengwar 42 (2001), pp. 5-31; and in The Nature of Middle-earth, pp. 376-397; both edited by Carl F. Hostetter.