| Gondorian | |
| Morwen | |
|---|---|
| Biographical Information | |
| Other names | Morwen of Lossarnach |
| Location | Lossarnach (Gondor) Rohan |
| Birth | before T.A. 2926[1] |
| Death | Unknown (aged 41+)[2] |
| Family | |
| Parentage | Unnamed father (descended from some previous Prince of Dol Amroth or one of his ancestors)[3] |
| Spouse | Thengel |
| Children | Théoden Théodwyn Three unnamed daughters |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Female |
| Height | Tall |
| Hair colour | Dark |
| Gallery | Images of Morwen |
Morwen Steelsheen was the queen to King Thengel of Rohan and the mother of his renowned heir, Théoden.[4]
History
Although Morwen dwelt in Lossarnach, she did not belong to the people of that land. Her father was originally from Belfalas, having relocated to Lossarnach for its flowering vales. He was a descendant of a former Prince of Dol Amroth, making him and Morwen kinsfolk of Prince Imrahil.[3]
In T.A. 2943, Morwen married Thengel of Rohan in Gondor, though she was seventeen years the younger. While living in Gondor she bore three children, of whom Théoden, the second, was her only son. Following the death of his father, Fengel, Thengel inherited the Kingship of Rohan and returned to Rohan with Morwen. There, she bore him two more daughters.[4] The youngest, Théodwyn, was the fairest[4] and would become the mother of Éomer and Éowyn[5].
Description
The Rohirrim bestowed upon Morwen the epithet Steelsheen.[5]
As one of the Dúnedain of the South with high Númenórean lineage, Morwen passed on traits of stature[3] and bearing[5]. Her descendants - particularly Éomer - were said to be considerably taller than most of the Rohirrim, and some inherited her dark hair.[3] Her granddaughter Éowyn, was also slender and tall, and bore the same graceful and proud-bearing manner of Gondor.[5]
Etymology
The name Morwen has earlier origins in Tolkien's Legendarium, notably belonging to a prominent member of the House of Bëor in the First Age. In Sindarin it means "Dark Maiden", from the root MOR- ("black, dark, darkness") + the female suffix -wen ("maiden").[6]
Didier Salamon and David Giraudeau suggest that her epithet Steelsheen is a modernized form of an Old English name that consists of the elements stíle ("steel")[7] and scíne ("beautiful")[8][9]. Mark Fisher alternatively suggests that the epithet could refer to a glint like steel in her eyes, drawing a parallel to her First Age namesake, Morwen, who was given the epithet Elfsheen because of the light of her glance (and the beauty of her face).[10]
Genealogy
| Unknown Prince of Dol Amroth | Folcwine 2830 - 2903 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fengel 2870 - 2953 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| MORWEN b. 2922 | Thengel 2905 - 2980 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Théoden 2948 - 3019† | three daughters unknown | Théodwyn 2963 - 3002 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Théodred 2978 - 3019† | Éomer 2991 - Fo.A. 63 | Éowyn b. 2995 | |||||||||||||||||||||
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The House of Eorl", "The Kings of the Mark", Second Line, 2905-80 16. Thengel, "in 2943 he wedded Morwen of Lossarnach in Gondor, though she was seventeen years the younger", p. 1069
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The House of Eorl", "The Kings of the Mark", Second Line, 2905-80 16. Thengel, "Théodwyn, was the fairest, though she came late (2963), the child of his age", p. 1069
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Disaster of the Gladden Fields", "Appendix: Númenórean Linear Measures", p. 286
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The House of Eorl", "The Kings of the Mark", Second Line, 2905-80 16. Thengel, p. 1069
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The House of Eorl", "The Kings of the Mark", Third Line, p. 1070
- ↑ Paul Strack, "S. Morwen f.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon, accessed 8 August 2023
- ↑ "stíle", Bosworth-Toller Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, accessed 30 April 2025
- ↑ "scíne", Bosworth-Toller Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, accessed 30 April 2025
- ↑ Didier Salamon & David Giraudeau, Le Livre de la Marche, 2006, p. 152
- ↑ "Steelsheen", The Encyclopedia of Arda, accessed 30 April 2025