Hengest and Horsa
| Hengest and Horsa | |
|---|---|
| Angles | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Position | Chieftains of the Anglo-Saxons |
| Location | Heligoland Tol Eressëa (Hengest in Kortirion & Horsa in Taruithorn): after the Faring Forth |
| Language | Old English |
| Birth | 5th century AD[1] Heligoland[1] |
| Notable for | Invasion of Tol Eressëa (i.e. England) |
| Family | |
| Parentage | Eriol & Cwén |
| Siblings | Heorrenda & possibly HendwineNB (half-brothers) |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Male |
Hengest and Horsa were the elder sons of Eriol, and one of the Mannish conquerors of Tol Eressëa following the Faring Forth, according to the early version of the legendarium in The Book of Lost Tales.[1]
History[edit | edit source]
Early history[edit | edit source]
Hengest and Horsa were born during the 5th century AD in Heligoland, an island off the coast of the Great Lands, to Eriol and his wife Cwén.
While Hengest and Horsa were still children, their mother died, and their father went to seek Tol Eressëa, the island of the Elves in the West.
After the brothers grew up, they sought vengeance on their uncle Beorn for the murder of their grandfather Eoh, and afterwards became great chieftains among their people.[1]
The Faring Forth[edit | edit source]
Following the Faring Forth, the disastrous attempt by the Elves of Tol Eressëa to save their kin in the Great Lands which resulted in their total defeat and eventual fading, evil Men invaded Tol Eressëa, which was now anchored near the coast of the Great Lands.[2][note 1][3]
However, some time after, Hengest and Horsa (alongside their half-brother Heorrenda) invaded Tol Eressëa as well, which would in later days become known as England.[2]
There, Hengest established his capital at what was once the city of Kortirion, which would later be known as Warwíc (in Old English), and eventually as Warwick; meanwhile Horsa established himself at what was once the town of Taruithorn, which would later be known as Oxenaford (in Old English), and eventually as Oxford.[4]
Unlike all other Men that invaded the island, however, the sons of Eriol (Hengest, Horsa, and Heorrenda) were friendly to the Elves, and it is through them that the English people retained the "true tradition of the fairies".[2]
Etymology[edit | edit source]
The names Hengest and Horsa are in Old English, with Hengest meaning "stallion",[5] and Horsa meaning "horse".[6]
Genealogy[edit | edit source]
* The name of Hendwine's mother is not Naimi but Nelmir in the text on which the basis of his inclusion is founded upon - neither is her relation to Lindo and Vairë elaborated on.[7]
Inspiration[edit | edit source]
The characters of Hengest and Horsa from The Book of Lost Tales were based on the legendary leaders of the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain in the 5th century AD.[1]
Notes
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "I. The Cottage of Lost Play": "Notes and Commentary", pp. 23-4
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "VI. The History of Eriol or Ælfwine and the End of the Tales", p. 293
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "VI. The History of Eriol or Ælfwine and the End of the Tales", outline 14, p. 294
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "VI. The History of Eriol or Ælfwine and the End of the Tales", outline 13, pp. 291-2
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Sí Qente Feanor and Other Elvish Writings", in Parma Eldalamberon XV (edited by Christopher Gilson, Arden R. Smith, Patrick H. Wynne, and Bill Welden), "Early Runic Documents", p. 91
- ↑ "Horsa", Behind the Name (accessed 18 April 2024)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Sí Qente Feanor and Other Elvish Writings", in Parma Eldalamberon XV (edited by Christopher Gilson, Arden R. Smith, Patrick H. Wynne, and Bill Welden), "Names and Required Alterations", Appendix, Text X, p. 17
