The Northmen and The Wainriders The Beginning of the ÉothÉod

Date: Third Age

Location: East Bight

The Northmen were akin to the Dunedain and were descendants of the Men who passed into the West of Middle Earth to aid the Eldar in the First Age. From their settlement near Mirkwood and the River Running, the Northmen served as a bulwark for Gondor, defending the country from invaders upon its Northern and Eastern borders and known as "great breeders of horses and riders renowned for their skill and endurance. During the winter of the year 1635, the Northmen were bombarded with the Great Plague which claimed the lives of half of its people and horses. Recovery was slow, and when the Wainriders began their assaults upon Gondor, the Northmen were greatly afflicted by their first movements. The scattered remnants of the Northmen took up arms with King Narmacil II of Gondor against the Wainriders. They were defeated at the Battle of the Plains, and King Narmacil himself was slain. Some of the remaining Northmen fled across the Celduin and merged with the people of Dale, others took refuge in Gondor, while Marhwini gathered to him some of the remaining Northmen and they settled in the Vales of the Anduin; this group of men became the Eotheod. Calimehtar, the son of King Narmacil II, succeeded his father and became ruler of Gondor; he wished to avenge the defeat of Gondor’s army at the Battle of the Plains. Being forewarned by Marhwini about a rebellion of the enslaved Northmen upon the Wainriders, Calimehtar hastened to march his army out of Ithilien, making sure that the enemy was aware of his presence. And so, when the Wainriders came, Calimehtar retreated, feigning only to draw them away from their homes. Meanwhile, the eored of Marhwini and a contingency of the Riders of Calimehtar assailed them in flank and rear, and thus pursued the fleeing Wainriders, who scattered back to their homes, which were now ablaze by the successful revolt of the enslaved Northmen. Marhwini, and his men, thus retired to their piece of land beside the Anduin and did not return to their former homes. During the years, of the Third Age, 1899 through 1944, Gondor enjoyed a respite from war with the Wainriders, and the Eotheod dwelt in peace for the time being.

Abbreviated by Ciardwen For the full essay, please go >here<

The Ride of Eorl and the Battle of the Field of Celebrant The Forming of an Allegiance

Date: Third Age

Location: Fields of Celebrant

In the year 2489, Cirion became Steward of Gondor; and he was well aware of the growing threat of the Balchoth in the North. In the year 2509, the Balchoth began their movement against Gondor, causing Cirion, in desperation, to call for aid from the Eotheod, Gondor’s friend of old. Cirion sent three pairs of scouts at one day intervals beginning on the tenth day of Sulime; of those six scouts, only one made it to Eorl. Borondir, after fifteen days of hastened riding, came upon the lands of the Eotheod, into the presence of Eorl, son of Leod. Without much time spent in consideration, Eorl ordered the mustering of the eohere. On the sixth day of Viresse, Eorl set out for Gondor with some seven thousand mounted men and some hundreds of mounted archers, with Borondir serving as a guide. The Eotheod swept over Rhovanion, and crossed the Anduin on rafts; about the same time, Orcs, being in great number, overran Calenardhon and Cirion. ”The Northern Army of Gondor was in peril. Defeated in the Wold and cut off from the south, it had been driven across the Limlight, and was then suddenly assailed by the Orc-host that pressed it towards the Anduin. All hope was lost when, unlooked for, the Riders came out of the North and broke upon the rear of the enemy. Then the fortunes of battle were reversed, and the enemy was driven with slaughter over Limlight. Eorl led his men in pursuit, and so great was the fear that went before the horsemen of the North that the invaders of the Wold were also thrown into panic and the Riders hunted them over the plains of Calenardhon."

Abbreviated by Ciardwen For the full essay, go >here<

The Oath of Eorl Valour Rewarded

Date: Third Age 2509

Location: Amon Anwar

After the great assistance given to Gondor by their allies in the North, the Eotheod, the people of Gondor began to wonder how Cirion would ever reward Eorl and his people for their great deeds. Rumours spoke of a great feast, but Cirion instead escorted Eorl, to the Mering stream where he told him to return three months later. Cirion then sent his most trusted servants in to the Firien Wood, where they were to re-open the ancient path to Amon Anwar. While felling no tree, they were to clear it so that only a few men on foot could travel the path, and were to go no further than the stone stair. At the appointed time for the meeting, Cirion set out to the Mering Stream with his son Hallas, the Lord of dol Amroth, and two others of his council; Eorl led three of his captains to the meeting. Now, Cirion spoke to Eorl, "Let us go now to the place that I have prepared." Thus Cirion, Eorl and their squires, together with those to bare witness mounted the first step of the second stair. Cirion then announced that he would offer the great land of Calenardhon in recognition of the valour of the Eotheod, under the condition that they live in perpetual friendship with Gondor; that its enemies shall be their enemies while both realms endure. Eorl rose after Cirion’s announcement, but remained quiet in admiration of the generous proposal of Cirion; the people of the Eotheod had grown large in number, and the greatness of Calenardhon would better be able to accommodate their numbers, so Eorl accepted the generous offer of the King. Then, the party ascended the stairs with Cirion leading Eorl and the attendants following behind. Among the party was the Lord of Dol Amroth, who recognized a tomb upon the level turf of the wide, oval place where they stopped their ascension. The tomb was that of Elendil, and thus Cirion announced “…This hill shall be a hallow, and let no man disturb its peace and silence, unless he be an heir of Elendil. I have brought you here, so that the oaths here taken may seem of deepest solemnity to ourselves and to our heirs upon either side." After asking Eorl if he was ready to take the Oath, Eorl responded that he was. He removed his blade from its sheath and placed it on the mound, keeping his hands on the hilt. Speaking in his native tongue of the Eotheod, he swore the Oath of Eorl: "Hear now all peoples who bow not to the Shadow in the East, by the gift of the Lord of the Mundburg we will come to dwell in the land that he names Calenardhon, and therefore I vow in my own name and on behalf of the Eotheod of the North that between us and the Great People of the West there shall be friendship for ever: their enemies shall be our enemies, their need shall be our need, and whatsoever evil, or threat, or assault may come upon them we will aid them to the utmost end of our strength. This vow shall descend to my heirs, all such as may come after me in our new land, and let them keep it in faith unbroken, lest the Shadow fall upon them and they become accursed." After speaking in Quenya, an answer to Eorl’s Oath, Cirion repeated his words in the Common Tongue, "This oath shall stand in memory of the glory of the Land of the Star, and of the faith of Elendil the Faithful, in the keeping of those who sit upon the thrones of the West and of the One who is above all thrones for ever." Thus they returned to their camp, to draw the boundaries of the new Kingdom. After the Eotheod sent north for their women and children, they settled in Calenardhon, which they came to call the Mark; they named themselves the Eorlingas, for they considered themselves the sons of Eorl. The people of Gondor called their new neighbours the Rohirrim, and their land of settlement, Rohan. After the taking of this Oath, Eorl was established as the first King of Rohan; and the Rohirrim maintained their perpetual friendship with Gondor—according to the Oath of Eorl.

Abbreviated by Ciardwen For the full essay, go >here<

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