Ferthu Theoden Hal!
© Michael Martinez
One tale people seldom discuss is the story of Theoden. That is, people who have read The Lord of the Rings recognize Theoden as the heroic king of Rohan who with the aid of Gandalf recovers from the evil spell Saruman's spy and surrogate, Grima Wormtongue, has woven about him. Theoden seems bent with old age when the reader first sees him, and then Gandalf works a near-miraculous recovery on the king. Theoden rides forth to do battle with his enemies and the enemies of Gondor, and he dies in glory on the Pelennor Fields.
It may surprise people to learn that we know a great deal about Theoden's life and career, and that we can probably reasonably infer many things about him from the events and peoples who surrounded him.
Why did the Rohirrim so admire Theoden? Was it simply because he was their king? These were a brave and warlike people who valued courage, honesty, and faithfulness. They would not have been devoted to a king whom they considered weak just because his ancestors had accomplished great things.
We get a glimpse of how the Rohirrim measure men when Eomer meets Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. He is impressed by their courage and loyalty to one another, and also to their dedication to friends who have been lost to Orcs. Later on, when Gandalf refuses to relinquish his staff before entering Meduseld, Hama, Theoden's doorward, relents, saying, "Yet in doubt a man of worth will trust to his own wisdom. I believe you are friends and folk worthy of honor, who have no evil purpose."
The Rohirrim were proud, and perhaps sometimes haughty, but in their pride they recognized that they were no more than equals of other men. Although their kings came from the House of Eorl, it was not necessarily a matter of fine genealogical determination as descent in Gondor would be determined. When the eldest line of Eorl's family failed upon the death of Helm Hammerhand, his nephew Frealaf became king. But Frealaf was the son of Helm's sister Hild. At least one other male of descent still existed in that time: the descendants of Eofer, third son of Brego. So the Rohirrim clearly did not practice primogeniture.
Eofer probably lived from around 2550 to 2640 (his older brother Aldor the Old, second of Brego's sons, lived from 2544 to 2645). Eomund, the father of Eomer, was a descendant of Eofer. These men probably bore the title of Lord of Eastfold, much as Erkenbrand and his family bore the title of Lord of Westfold. If I had to guess, I would say that Erkenbrand's family may have been descended from the first Eomund, the "chief captain of the host of the Eotheod" who, with Eorl, Cirion, and the Lord of Dol Amroth, defined Rohan's boundaries.
The copyright of the article Ferthu Theoden Hal! in J.R.R. Tolkien is owned by Michael Martinez. Permission to republish Ferthu Theoden Hal! in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
