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Vidugavia — Adosinda

Children of Vidugavia:
Vidumavi Galadwen — Valacar, King of Gondor
Viduwulfila (ancestor of Marhari)

Descendant of Viduwulfila:
Marhari — Erelieva

Children of Marhari:
Marhwini — Samanilde

Children of Marhwini:
Forthwini — Cunihilda

Children of Forthwini:
Marhswinthi — Dawfled

Children of Marhswinthi:
Frumgar — Sunngifu

Children of Frumgar:
Fram (ancestor of Léod) — Adgith

Descendant of Fram:
Léod — Godliss

Children of Léod:
Éorl the Young — Lisswyn — Éomund of the Éothéod

Children of Éorl:
Brego — Meregith

Children of Brego:
Baldor
Aldor the Old — Swetelayu
Éofor (ancestor of Éomund)

Children of Aldor:
Wynfled
Rosefled
Léofled
Fréa — Burnhild

Children of Fréa:
Fréawine — Bledswith

Children of Fréawine:
Goldwine — Trewred
Grimwine (ancestor of Freca)

Descendant of Grimwine:
Freca — Runwise

Children of Freca:
Wulf

Children of Goldwine:
Déor — Estmund

Children of Déor:
Gram — Cwendar

Children of Gram:
Helm Hammerhand — Gledhild
Hild — Wulfstan

Children of Helm Hammerhand:
Saulwyn
Haleth
Háma

Children of Hild:
Ethelward Fréaláf Hildeson — Aldwyn

Children of Fréaláf:
Brytta Léofa — Mildgith

Children of Brytta Léofa:
Walda — Eafled

Children of Walda:
Folca — Darwise

Children of Folca:
Folcwine — Cynefled

Children of Folcwine:
Folcred
Fastred
Layrun
Fengel — Bledwyn

Children of Fengel:
Wilfled
Cwenswith
Thengel — Morwen Steelsheen of Lossarnach (offshoot of the Princes of Dol Amroth)

Children of Thengel:
Frithild
Théoden Ednew — Elfhild
Mereliss
Shadufled
Théodwyn — Éomund (descendant of Éofor)

Children of Théoden:
Théodred

Children of Théodwyn:
Éomer — Lothíriel (of the line of the Princes of Dol Amroth)
Éowyn — Faramir (of the line of the Stewards of Gondor)

Children of Éomer:
Elfwine

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Vidugavia was a leader of the Northmen who styled himself the King of Rhovanion. He ruled the lands between Mirkwood and the River Running, and renewed his people’s historic alliance with the kingdom of Gondor. He aided Prince Minalcar Rómendacil II in his campaign against the Easterlings and welcomed him and his young son Valacar into his court as ambassadors after the war.

Valacar grew to manhood among the Woodsmen, raised alongside Vidugavia’s children. Vidugavia’s queen, Adosinda, doted on the young man and encouraged his close friendship with her son Viduwulfila. In time Valacar grew to love Adosinda’s daughter Vidumavi, and they were wed in a union that solidified the alliance between Gondor and Rhovanion through marriage.

Vidumavi bore Valacar a son, Vinitharya, in Rhovanion. When it came time for Rómendacil to ascend to the throne of Gondor, Valacar took his family to Osgiliath, where his wife took the name Galadwen and his son became known as Eldacar. The people of Gondor appreciated Galadwen’s fairness and nobleness, but feared that she would pass her short lifespan to her son. This distrust of the blood of outsiders led to the Kin-strife when Eldacar was poised to become King, but Galadwen Vidumavi died before even her husband’s reign.

In Rhovanion, Viduwulfila eventually inherited his father’s rule, though in future generations his descendants would lose their power and influence in the Northlands. Nonetheless, Viduwulfila was counted as a forefather of the Rohirrim, as he was an ancestor of Marhari who would father Marhwini, the first Lord of the Éothéod.

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Marhari was a Lord of the Northmen of Rhovanion, a descendant of King Vidugavia, who had flourished 500 years earlier. During his rule, a confederacy of warriors from the East, called the Wainriders, assaulted Gondor and the North. King Narmacil II of Gondor rallied his soldiers and called upon the Northmen, his nation’s ancient allies, to fight against the chariot-mounted warriors. Marhari led his folk to battle against their foe, but the threat was greater than they knew: Narmacil was slain, and Marhari fell in his rearguard. The Battle of the Plains was lost, and much of Rhovanion was overrun and its people conquered.

Erelieva, the wife of Marhari, fought by his side and led the remnant of their warriors from the battlefield. She was grievously wounded in their retreat, surviving only long enough to ensure the safety of her people and pass leadership to her son Marhwini, who gathered a remnant of the Northmen and led them westward in search of freedom. The refugees wandered until they reached the untamed land between the River Anduin and the forest of Mirkwood, where Marhwini halted their journey. There he wed the warrior Samanilde, and they took the mantle of Lord and Lady of the Éothéod, the horse-people, for they loved and revered their mighty steeds.

The Éothéod lived a wary life in the Vales of Anduin, aware of the fragility of their peace. At last their respite ended when Lady Samanilde was captured by a chief of the Wainriders and slain in Marhwini’s rescue attempt. From this tragedy, Marhwini learned of the Wainriders’ plot to raid Calenardhon, and of his enslaved kin’s preparations for revolt. Swiftly, he sent a message to King Calimehtar of Gondor, warning him of the enemy’s plans and offering the aid of his people and their allies. Calimehtar swiftly planned an attack luring the Wainriders to the Dagolrad, where horsemen of Gondor and an éored of mounted Northmen lay waiting. The ambush was an overwhelming victory, freeing the Éothéod and their allies from the trials of war for forty-five years.

But troubles returned during the rule of Marhwini’s son Forthwini, who discovered that the Wainriders plotted to revenge themselves upon Gondor at the same time as the Haradrim attacked. Forthwini warned King Ondoher of their approach and offered aid to their allies of old. When the time came, Forthwini was too aged to ride to war himself, especially as he grieved the recent death of his wife Cunihilda, so instead he sent his son Marhswinthi to strengthen Gondor’s troops. The battle soon turned ill with the deaths of Ondoher and his elder son Artamir, and Marhswinthi retreated into the Dead Marshes. He rescued a wounded soldier on his way, but the lad died in his arms, and upon searching his body Marhswinthi discovered he held no other than Faramir, the younger prince of Gondor; he was forced to bear this ill news to Minohtar, the dead King’s nephew, and as a result Minohtar faltered and was himself slain.

Yet Marhswinthi survived, returning to the Vales of Anduin to marry his sweetheart Dawfled, a wise woman who warned their son, Frumgar, that this home was too dangerous for the Éothéod to remain there forever. Frumgar came of age with that foreboding heavy in his heart and looked to his wife Sunngifu for hope. Yet shortly after she bore him a son, Fram, Sunngifu was slain in an orc raid, and amid his mourning Frumgar knew it was time to leave. The Kingdom of Angmar had recently been destroyed, freeing up land to the north, and so Frumgar led the Éothéod to the land between the rivers Greylin and Langwell in the hope that there they could find peace.

Alas, they faced a different kind of trouble at the feet of the Grey Mountains, where they were troubled by the dragon Scatha. Frumgar was killed by Scatha, and his son Fram swore revenge against the beast. First, however, he needed to ensure the safety and prosperity of his people, and he spent many years fortifying the first city of the Éothéod, named Framsburg in his honor. When at last he felt secure in Framsburg’s defenses, he and his wife Adgith set out to conquer the monster who killed Frumgar.

The battle of Scatha and Fram was long and terrible, but in the end Fram slew his foe with the aid of Adgith. Together they claimed the dragon’s hoard and returned to Framsburg in victory. But the dwarves of that region also laid claim to the treasure, as Scatha had pillaged it from their ancestral halls. Fram rebuked their demands, instead sending them the dragon’s teeth along with the message, “Jewels such as these you will not match in your treasuries, for they are hard to come by.” This rebuke angered the dwarves, and the Éothéod believe that Fram’s death ten years later on a hunting trip was orchestrated by Dagmar, the dwarvish leader at the time.

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Léod was a Lord of the Éothéod, a descendant of Fram, who had flourished 500 years earlier. He was a great horseman and a well-loved leader, protecting Framsburg from orcs and wolves and winning great renown among his people. His wife was Godliss, a gentle woman unlike the shieldmaidens Léod’s ancestors had wed, but she also was beloved by the Éothéod and raised their son Éorl in grace and nobility.

In the lands about Framsburg, many horses roamed wild and free. The men of the Éothéod would often capture and tame these beasts, and Léod was renowned for his ability to break proud and wild horses into obedient steeds. While his son was still a youth, Léod captured a white foal more fierce and resistant than any he had before seen, and when it was grown he attempted to mount the creature, confident in his skill.

Alas, this mighty horse was greater than even Léod knew, and he threw his rider, escaping to freedom. Léod hid the ground with great force, his head breaking open upon a rock, and died, leaving Éorl the Lord of the Éothéod. Godliss mourned her husband’s loss and soon wasted away in grief; Éorl, only sixteen years old, was left with a people who doubted his youth and abilities and feared that the loss of their beloved Lord Léod would spell the doom of the Éothéod.

But Éorl was a mighty young man, and he swore to avenge his father’s death. He hunted down the white stallion that had killed his father and recaptured it, determined to break it as Léod had endeavoured. The confrontation between Éorl and the horse was great indeed, but in the end Éorl won and bent his father’s killer to his will.

Éorl named his steed Felaróf and doomed the stallion to carry him for the rest of their lives. Humbled, Felaróf accepted this burden, and in time a great bond was forged between horse and rider. Felaróf could understand the speech of Men—or at least the words of Éorl—and lived a long and glorious life alongside his master. He gave rise to a race of remarkable horses, the mearas, and according to tradition his descendants could only be ridden by the Lord of the Mark, Éorl’s own progeny.

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Éorl the Young was but sixteen years old when he became the Lord of the Éothéod, and was still in his youth nine years later when his people’s ancient allies in Gondor sought their aid against their foes, the Balchoth of the east and fearsome Uruk-hai. Steward Círion sent many messengers to the North, but only one, Borondir Udalraph, survived the journey to Framsburg. Borondir bore the Red Arrow and the Seal of the Stewards, calling upon Éorl to renew the ancient friendship between their peoples, and after much deliberation Éorl agreed. He led the Éothéod into war upon the Field of Celebrant, turning the tide of the battle in the favor of Gondor and destroying the Balchoth and the orcs. They chased their remaining enemies across the plains of Calenardhon, ridding that land of evil.

After this great victory, Círion returned to Minas Tirith to recover, but asked Éorl to meet him again in three months upon the banks of the Mering Stream. Éorl led the Éothéod back into the North, and in Framsburg wed Lisswyn the bard, who immediately set about immortalizing her husband’s deeds in song. When the time came, Éorl returned to the South and was led by Círion to the hill of Amon Anwar where Elendil, the first King of the Dúnedain, was buried in secret. Círion offered the land of Calenardhon to the Éothéod in perpetual alliance with Gondor, and Éorl was honored to accept.

Upon Amon Anwar, Círion and Éorl swore an Oath, even in the name of Eru Ilúvatar himself, of lasting friendship between the two realms. This solemn vow was witnessed by Círion’s heir Hallas, Prince Zôrahad of Dol Amroth, two other Councilors of Gondor, and Éorl’s captain and dear friend Éomund. Should ever Gondor or the Éothéod need aid, they needed only to send the Red Arrow born first by Borondir to signify their plight, or else to light the warning beacons of Gondor across the White Mountains to summon support.

Éorl returned to the North bearing the joyous news of a new land and old allies. He led his people back to Calenardhon, where he founded the kingdom of Rohan. That name was coined by Hallas, son of Círion, who was close in friendship with Éorl. As the new King organized his nation, he was supported by Lisswyn his wife and Éomund his captain, both equally dear in his heart; indeed, it was rumored that Éomund was welcome in the bed of the King and Queen.

Éorl ruled from Aldburg, a green hill in the shadow of the White Mountains. Even as he aged, he retained his youthful vigor and his golden-yellow hair, and his bond with Felaróf his mighty steed only grew stronger. But the peace of Rohan could not last forever, and when the Easterlings attacked in vengeance for their defeat upon the Field of Celebrant, Éorl fell in battle attempting to repel them. He was buried in the first royal mound, and Felaróf, who perished alongside his master, was buried with him.

King Éorl was succeeded by his son Brego, who continued to defend the borders of Rohan against the invading Easterlings and the Dunlendings who had dwelt in Calenardhon before the Éothéod’s migration hither. His wife was Meregith, a warrior who fought by his side, and together they had three sons: Baldor, Aldor, and Éofor. After he and Meregith fought off their enemies, Brego began construction on the Golden Hall of Meduseld upon the hill of Edoras.

When Meduseld was completed, Brego hosted a great feast and invited all his people’s allies to attend. Among these were Steward Hallas and Prince Alêthir of Dol Amroth; Alêthir’s son Karsalimir was awed by Brego’s skill in riding upon the son of Felaróf and determined to attempt the feat himself. Karsalimir was denied, but in later years returned to Rohan and perished in an unlawful attempt to mount one of the mearas. This was not the only tragedy foreshadowed upon that night of celebration, for at this time Brego’s eldest son Baldor vowed to pass through the Dark Door and walk the Paths of the Dead.

This mountain pass had been discovered by Brego and Baldor some years earlier, and it was explained by Hallas that it was a relic of another ancient Oath like unto the one sworn by his and Brego’s fathers. King Isildur of Gondor had sworn with the King of the Mountains an Oath of alliance in the name of the One, but when he called upon the Men of the Mountains to fulfill it, they broke their word and refused to go to war against Sauron, whom they had worshipped in years past. Isildur cursed them and their king, proclaiming they would have no rest until the Oath was fulfilled, and as the years passed on the King and his people faded into restless wraiths haunting their former lands, luring unwary travelers into their clutches, never to return.

Baldor balked at the terrible repercussions of such an Oath, so like the one which he himself was bound to as a descendant of Éorl, and determined to traverse the Paths of the Dead to prove the legend false. When a year after Meduseld’s completion Baldor embarked alone upon his journey into darkness, he was lost in a temple of Sauron, starving to death after the ghosts broke his legs. Baldor’s skeleton would not be discovered for five centuries, until Aragorn and the Grey Company passed through the temple on their own adventures.

Upon the loss of his beloved son and heir, Brego withered away in his grief and perished less than a year later. His second son, Aldor, now took up his crown and became the third King of Rohan, while Éofor his youngest son was granted the lordship of Aldburg.

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Aldor was the son of Brego, and the third King of Rohan. He inherited the throne when his father died of grief after his brother Baldor vanished in the Paths of the Dead. Aldor reigned for seventy-five years, the longest of any ruler of Rohan, and though like his ancestor Éorl he was young when he was crowned, he became known as Aldor the Old for his long lifespan.

When he was still very young, before he became King, Aldor wed the weaver Swetelayu, who spun many tapestries memorializing the Lords of the Éothéod and the kings before her husband. She bore Aldor three daughters: Wynfled, who took up her mother’s craft; Rosefled, who tended the gardens of Meduseld; and Léofled, the favorite of her father. Shortly after Aldor took the throne, she gave him a final child, a son, Fréa.

Aldor spent the first years of his reign strengthening the borders of Rohan, driving out the Dunlendings east of the River Isen. He welcomed the last of the Éothéod migrating from the North, and saw the establishment of Harrowdale and other settlements in the valleys of the White Mountains. Before Fréa came of age, Aldor had made safe his kingdom, and ruled in peace and prosperity for decades after.

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Fréa was the son of Aldor the Old, and the fourth King of Rohan. He came to the throne already aged, for his father’s rule was long, and reigned for fourteen years of peace and prosperity. His wife was Burnhild, a shieldmaiden who in her youth had traveled south to Gondor hunting orcs. She bore him only one child, a son, Fréawine.

Fréawine likewise ruled in a time of plenty. His wife Bledswith was a keen politician, using her sweet nature to win the loyalty of any of Fréawine’s lords who stirred up rumbles of dissent. She passed this skill to Goldwine, the elder of her sons, but the younger, Grimwine, was less adept.

Grimwine did not envy his brother’s status as the King’s heir, glad of the freedom he had to embark on long hunts with only a few of his closest friends. Unlike the other Rohirrim, Grimwine earned the respect of the Dunlendings, who aided him in his journeys, and his descendants would eventually mingle with the folk of Dunland.

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Goldwine was the son of Fréawine, and the sixth King of Rohan. Like his father and grandfather before him, he ruled in a time of peace and plenty, and thus few of his deeds were remembered in the songs of the Rohirrim. His wife was Trewred, a brilliant woman who had spent some of her youth in Gondor, where she learned to read and write. Though these skills were not particularly useful as the Queen of Rohan, an unlettered people, she nonetheless provided solid counsel to her husband.

The son of Trewred and Goldwine was Déor, a great hunter and lover of hounds. In his reign, the peace of Rohan established by his ancestor Aldor the Old came to an end when the Dunlendings took to raiding the herds and horses of the Rohirrim across the River Isen. Though his wife Estmund feared for his safety, Déor led an expedition north, finding and defeating a host of enemies, but discovered that his foes had taken the tower of Isengard and could not be dislodged. He called upon the Oath of Círion and Éorl, asking Steward Egalmoth for aid, but Gondor faced an attack of orcs and could not send a force to help. Instead, Déor established a strong force of riders in the north of the Westfold and hoped his son Gram would be able to win back the fortress that he could not.

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Gram was the son of Déor, and the eighth King of Rohan. Throughout his reign, the Rohirrim fought against the Dunlendings who had occupied the tower of Isengard in his father’s time and continued their raids on Rohan’s herds and horses. Like Déor, Gram was unable to drive his enemies out, but he held the defense of his lands and protected his people.

The wife of Gram was Cwendar, an herbalist who worked as a healer in Meduseld. She tended to the injuries of both her children, her son Helm and her daughter Hild, who were both mighty warriors in the service of their father the king.

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Freca was a Lord of Rohan with Dunlendish blood who claimed descent from King Fréawine’s younger son Grimwine. His lands lay on either side of the river Adorn, an area long disputed between the Rohirrim and the Dunlendings, but Freca appealed to both sides of the conflict and obtained much wealth and power from his ability to maintain this stronghold. As he grew more powerful, Freca paid little heed to King Helm in Edoras and ignored calls to attend his councils.

The wife of Freca was Runwise, a warrior with a Dunlendish mother and a Rohirric father. She was strong of will and mighty in battle, refusing the counsel of any and often disappearing alone to hunt orcs and Men alike. The love between Runwise and Freca grew cold after the birth of their son Wulf, and when the child was only ten years old, she vanished a final time, never to return.

Wulf grew to manhood with his father’s fierce devotion, becoming a proud and arrogant young lord. From time to time, Freca permitted him to attend the councils of King Helm in his stead, and there Wulf became enamoured of the king’s daughter, Saulwyn. But Saulwyn, though beautiful and long since come of age, would wed no suitor, and being denied Wulf turned in rage to his father for support.

Freca loved his son and would do all he could to win his happiness, and thus he led a great force of men to Edoras, threatening to rebel should Helm not concede for Saulwyn to marry Wulf. Yet Helm dismissed his demands, insulting him in front of all his lords and pushing the matter to the end of the council. When at last he agreed to discuss Wulf’s suit, Helm led Freca out of Meduseld alone, but before he could speak Helm struck him with his fist with such force that he was slain.

Helm declared that Wulf and all of Freca’s kin were enemies of the king, and all those who had come with him to Edoras fled across the borders of Rohan into Dunland. Wulf was distraught and furious at the death of his father, and spent four years building his power and allying himself with the enemies of Rohan. When he deemed his strength great enough, he invaded Rohan from the west, devastating Helm’s armies at the Fords of Isen and moving swiftly to conquer Edoras.

There Wulf blazed a path of blood all the way to the Golden Hall, where he slew Prince Haleth, the last defender of Meduseld, and claimed the Kingship of Rohan. Yet he still did not have all he desired, for the rest of Helm’s family had fled to Súthburg and were locked in a bitter siege. A smaller force of Rohirrim held Dunharrow, likewise besieged, led by Helm’s sister Hild and her son Ethelward.

Then came the Long Winter, burying Rohan in snow for five long and dreadful months. Unused to the trials of kingship, Wulf struggled to feed his people and to quell rumblings of discontent among his soldiers, attempting to distract them with near-constant assaults on Súthburg and Dunharrow. In one such sortie, Helm’s wife Gledhild was slain, and it was learned that his son Háma had disappeared in a snowstorm. Wulf took heart from the misery of his enemies and lusted further after Saulwyn, who alone of Helm’s family yet lived.

Yet Wulf was not the only one who grew fiercer in these desperate times. Helm’s counterattacks redoubled, and he blew his great war-horn every time he rode out to battle, breaking through the Dunlending ranks all in white, stalking men like a snow-troll and slaying them with his bare hands. He struck great fear into the hearts of Wulf’s army, and when his horn was heard in the night they would flee despite their orders. Even when Helm’s body was discovered frozen like stone in the cold, the Dunlendings would still hear the echo of his horn in the Deep, and they feared the rumor of his wraith stalking among the foes of Rohan, killing men with his rage.

At last the winter broke, and with it broke Wulf’s power. Hild and Ethelward led a small party into Edoras, avenging Helm and his kin by killing “King” Wulf and ousting the Dunlendings from Rohan.

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Helm was the son of Gram, and the ninth King of Rohan. He inherited the throne in the midst of a war with the Dunlendings, a struggle that continued throughout his reign. His wife was the shieldmaiden Gledhild, and together they had three children: a daughter, Saulwyn, and two sons, Haleth and Háma.

Saulwyn was a beautiful maiden, and many men sought her hand, though she thought little of them and spent her days in the making and singing of songs. Helm would not force her into marriage, and resentment against the king grew amidst her admirers. At last, when Saulwyn was in her thirties and remained happily unwed, one such man beseeched his father to secure the princess for him, and the father agreed.

This was Freca, a Lord of Rohan with Dunlendish blood who claimed also to be descended from King Fréawine’s younger son Grimwine. He had for years neglected his duties as a servant of King Helm, but now he rode to Edoras with a great force of men, threatening rebellion should the king not concede for Saulwyn to be wed to Wulf, his son. Freca’s demands enraged Helm, who insulted him and struck him with his fist. The blow was so mighty that Freca was killed, and afterward Helm was known as Hammerhand for his great strength.

Freca’s men fled Edoras as traitors and exiles, but four years later they returned in greater force, allied with the Dunlendings and led by Wulf. They invaded and overtook Edoras, slaying Helm’s elder son Haleth at the doors of Meduseld, the last of its defenders, and Wulf usurped the throne of Haleth’s father. At the same time, a separate force engaged Helm at the Crossings of Isen, but their forces were too great, and he withdrew into Súthburg, enduring a long siege.

Here Helm and those loyal to him held the fortress through the dreadful Long Winter of 2758-9. He blew his great war-horn every time he rode out to battle, breaking through the Dunlending ranks all in white, stalking men like a snow-troll and slaying them with his bare hands. Yet as the winter stretched on, the Rohirrim grew weaker and weaker from famine and siege. Against his father’s counsel, Helm’s younger son Háma led a party out into the snow to find food, but they were lost in a snowstorm and never returned; shortly thereafter, Queen Gledhild was slain in combat, leaving Helm all alone save for Saulwyn his daughter.

Helm grew gaunt from grief and famine, but still his horn sounded as he rode to war, filling his foes with fear. On one such nighttime sortie, Helm did not return, and when the sun gleamed on the morrow a white figure was seen standing still upon the Dike, alone, for none of the Dunlendings dared come near. There stood Helm, dead as stone, still standing and ready to fight: he had been slain by famine and cold, not by the hand of another.

Saulwyn alone of his immediate family survived him, but his sister-son Ethelward lived also, and with Saulwyn’s support gained the trust and favor of the Rohirrim, rising to power as their king. He would defeat the Dunlendings and overthrow Wulf, becoming King Fréaláf, establishing a second line of kings. Saulwyn his cousin was ever stalwart at his side, a faithful counselor to the end of her days.

When she was very old and near to death, Saulwyn returned to the great valley now known as Helm’s Deep seeking the wraith of her beloved father, rumored still to roam the walls of the keep that had been renamed the Hornburg. Her body was never recovered, but at the time of her disappearance Helm’s great horn was heard once more, and it is said that Saulwyn and her father yet wander through Rohan, defending their people and bringing comfort to them through song.

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Hild was the daughter of Gram and the younger sister of Helm. She was a mighty shieldmaiden, riding into battle alongside her brother against the enemies of Rohan; she was also a falconer, and hunted always with a bird of prey at her side. She wed the warrior Wulfstan and bore him a son, Ethelward, who grew into a soldier as great as his parents.

When Rohan was invaded by Dunlendings, Hild and her family fought along Crown Prince Haleth to defend Edoras from their enemies. As the battle turned ill, Haleth ordered his aunt and cousin to retreat with as many folk as they could gather. Though they were loath to abandon Meduseld, Hild and Ethelward obeyed his command, fleeing to Dunharrow. Wulfstan remained by the side of Haleth his prince, and both were slain when Wulf, leader of the Dunlendings, at last broke through into the Golden Hall and usurped the throne.

Hild and Ethelward endured the siege of Dunharrow through the Long Winter, entirely cut off from the other Rohirric refugees led by Helm in Súthburg. Wulf focused his siege upon the Deep, starving out Prince Háma and luring Helm out into the cold to his death, leaving Hild and Ethelward to plot for revenge.

Early in the spring, Hild and her son led a daring surprise raid against the Dunlendings in Edoras. Hild fell in the battle, wounding Wulf with her last blow and giving Ethelward the chance to slay the usurper. As the last remaining heir of the Kings of Rohan, Ethelward leaned upon the support of his cousin Saulwyn to earn the trust of the people, and was soon thereafter crowned King Fréaláf Hildeson, first of the second line of Kings.

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Ethelward was the son of Hild, the nephew to Helm Hammerhand, and the tenth King of Rohan, first of the second line. Alongside his mother, he led a surprise raid to retake Edoras from the usurper-king Wulf, and afterward claimed the kingship of Rohan with the support of his cousin Saulwyn, daughter and last remaining family member of Helm. As king, he took the name Fréaláf, “surviving lord,” and worked to free Rohan from its Dunlendish conquerors.

In this he at last had the aid of Gondor, who had been struggling against their own enemies during the Long Winter but were finally free to fulfill the Oath of Círion and Éorl. Fréaláf and his allies drove their enemies back across the rivers Isen and Adorn and laid siege to Isengard until the Dunlendings who had occupied were starved and capitulated, fleeing the fortress.

At Fréaláf’s coronation ceremony, the wizard Saruman suddenly appeared after a long period of absence, offering his support to Rohan, which Fréaláf accepted gladly. At the advice of Fréaláf, Steward Beren of Gondor lent Saruman the keys of Orthanc, giving him leave to dwell in Isengard if he would protect it from another conquest.

Fréaláf was succeeded by his son Brytta, who continued his legacy of sending aid to those in need. This generosity earned him the name Léofa, “beloved,” first coined by his mother Aldwyn, who survived her kingly husband, and later adopted by all the people of Rohan. In addition to rebuilding his kingdom, Brytta defended his borders against the Dunlendings and faced a new threat when orcs invaded the White Mountains after their defeat in the distant War of the Dwarves and Orcs. Brytta fought them off, and when he died it was believed that Rohan was at last free of all intruders.

The wife of Brytta Léofa was Mildgith, a shieldmaiden who fought alongside him to restore Rohan. Mildgith bore her husband a son, Walda, who served in his father’s army fighting off orcs in the White Mountains. When Walda inherited the throne of Rohan, he declared his lands free of enemies, but after only nine years of his reign he discovered this was not true when he was attacked by a last roving band of orcs in the mountains near Dunharrow. Walda and his men were killed, with only Queen Eafled his wife surviving to bear the grievous news back to Edoras.

Walda’s son Folca took the crown and swore to avenge his father. He was renowned as a great hunter, clearing all of Rohan from the scourge of the orcs. This campaign took thirteen years, and when it was over Folca soon grew eager to hunt again. He searched far and wide for a prey worthy of his attentions, discovering it in the form of the monstrous Boar of Everholt. Though his wife Darwise begged him to leave it be, Folca rode out chasing the thrill of another great hunt, but Darwise’s counsel proved true in the end: though he slew the boar in the end, the beast gored him with its tusks, leaving him with mortal wounds. Upon his death, Folca was succeeded by his son Folcwine.

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Folcwine was the son of Folca the Hunter, and the fourteenth King of Rohan. In his time, the Dunlendings once more overtook the lands between the rivers Adorn and Isen, but with the aid of Steward Túrin of Gondor he was able to drive them out and reclaim the area.

The wife of Folcwine was Cynefled, a gentle woman who bore him four children. The eldest of these were the twins Folcred and Fastred, followed by a daughter, Layrun, and another son, Fengel. Folcred and Fastred were mighty princes who planned to rule jointly as brothers when Folcwine died; they were supported in their vision by their sister Layrun, a sage and wise-woman who commanded much respect among their people. Fengel, the youngest, was more of an afterthought in his childhood, doted upon by his mother but never truly acknowledged by his elder siblings or his father.

When Steward Túrin called upon the Oath of Círion and Éorl, requesting the aid of Rohan to defeat the Haradrim armies invading Gondor, Folcinwe sent many riders to his aid in memory of the support Túrin had given to him against the Dunlendings. This force was led by Folcred and Fastred his heirs, who were tragically both slain in battle. They were laid to rest where they fell, at the Crossings of Poros, and their burial mound became known as the Haudh-in-Gwanûr, the Mound of the Twins.

Upon this tragedy, Folcwine grew and weary, neglecting to properly train his remaining son in the ways of kingship. Layrun, devastated by the loss of her brothers, retreated with a small group of followers into Fangorn Forest, where they became known as wood-witches, feared and respected by those who believed in their powers. Meanwhile, Fengel was raised solely by his mother Cynefled, who spoiled him irreparably.

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Fengel was the son of Folcwine, and the fifteenth King of Rohan. He was the third of his father’s sons, and became his heir after the death of his elder brothers Folcwine and Fastred in the Battle of the Crossings of Poros. Yet Fengel was never given the same kind of attention as his siblings: his mother doted upon him, but his father ignored him, and his sister Layrun treated him with outright disdain. As a result, Fengel grew up both spoiled and starved for attention, manifesting into an adult greed and love of gold.

As king, Fengel dallied about with many women, neglecting his wife Bledwyn, who bore her fate with her head raised high. Fengel was unloved by his people, but they respected Bledwyn, who took care of most of Rohan’s day-to-day business in her husband’s stead. Bledwyn also bore Folcwine three children, two daughters and a son. The elder daughter, Wilfled, took after her mother and aided her in managing Rohan’s state affairs; the younger, Cwenswith, left Edoras to become a shieldmaiden in her youth. Thengel, Bledwyn’s only son and Fengel’s heir, quarrelled often with his father, and left for Gondor as soon as he was old enough to enter into the service of Steward Turgon.

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Thengel was the son of Fengel, and the sixteenth King of Rohan. He quarreled often with his father, a greedy and incompetent king, and left Rohan in his youth to serve under Steward Turgon of Gondor. There he met and married Morwen Steelsheen of Lossarnach, a descendant of an offshoot branch of the Princes of Dol Amroth, a proud and noble woman whom he loved greatly.

Morwen bore him five children in all, four daughters and one son. The eldest was Frithild, a gentle woman whose heart remained always in her birthplace of Gondor. Then came Thengel’s heir Théoden, likewise born in Gondor, but raised a prince of Rohan with the understanding of his place in the line of succession.

Shortly before the birth of Thengel and Morwen’s third child, Mereliss, word came to Gondor of Fengel’s death. Reluctantly, Thengel returned to his land of origin and was crowned King of Rohan. Despite his yearning to return to Gondor, Thengel was a wise and firm king, much more respected by his people. During his reign, the wizard Saruman took full control of Isengard and began to fortify it, which troubled Thengel for a reason he could not name.

Then appeared the ranger Thorongil, a mysterious warrior who entered into the king’s service for a time. Thorongil rode at Thengel’s side against any enemies that dared cross into the borders of Rohan, earning the king’s trust and friendship before he heeded the summons of Steward Ecthelion II and went to Gondor.

Thorongil remained in Rohan long enough to see the birth of Shadufled, fourth of Thengel’s children, and with his foresight guided Thengel and Morwen in how best to raise the babe he Saw would chafe against the expectations of a Lady and wish sometimes to be a Lord instead. True to his predictions, Shadufled grew to express both masculine and feminine qualities, and remembering Thorongil’s advice, their parents were able to support them as they discovered themself.

The last of Thengel and Morwen’s children was Théodwyn, fairest of their daughters and kindest of heart. She and her siblings were raised with the customs of Gondor, the land of their mother’s origin and of their father’s heart. Sindarin was the daily tongue of Thengel’s house, along with Westron, and his children used Rohirric only to converse with their friends outside their home.

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Théoden was the son of Thengel, and the seventeenth King of Rohan. He had only one child, as his wife Elfhild had died giving birth to their son Théodred. Elfhild had long been Théoden’s companion when he went out hunting, and fighting, and her death left him in great sorrow; though he would marry again, he did not give in to grief, instead devoting his energy and love to raising Théodred. In this he was supported by his youngest sister Théodwyn, whom he held very dear. When Théodwyn and her husband died, Théoden once more remained firm amid his sorrow, taking her children as his own.

Théodred grew into a mighty prince, very close to his cousins Éomer and Éowyn. As the Second Marshal of the Riddermark, he defended Rohan’s borders from the increasing threats of Dunlendings and orcs, enemies stirred up by the wizard Saruman. Théoden fell into ill health, becoming weak in body and mind, but with his treacherous counselor Gríma always at his side there was little Théodred could do to aid his father. Instead he focused on preparations for war, establishing himself at Helm’s Deep.

Warned by his scouts of a mustering of troops at the Gate of Isengard, Théodred purposed to overthrow Saruman’s army before it was fully prepared. He passed over the River Isen and scattered the vanguard, but quickly discovered that he had been lured into an ambush when a greater force of foes rushed forth to assault his riders. Though he attempted to retreat, he was overrun by orcs with specific orders to kill him at all costs, and he was cut down. His allies Grimbold and Elfhelm rushed to his defence, avenging his fall and carrying his body away, but Théodred died in their arms, his last words rallying them to keep the Fords until Éomer came.

Théoden was in no state to mourn the death of his only son, his mind overwhelmed by the spell of Saruman and his body weakened by the poisons of the traitor Gríma. He did nothing when Gríma ordered Éomer imprisoned for disobeying orders, and remained helpless until the arrival of Gandalf the White, who cast out Saruman’s influence and healed him of his ailments. His strength renewed, Théoden took up his sword and restored Éomer as his heir.

Their king renewed, the people of Rohan gave him the name Ednew and rallied to him as he called them to battle. Théoden retreated into Helm’s Deep, where the Battle of the Hornburg was fought. There the Deeping Wall was breached for the first time, but with the aid of Aragorn and Gandalf’s sudden arrival with reinforcements led by Erkenbrand, the battle was won in the end.

He rode then with Gandalf to Isengard and saw Saruman deposed from the order of wizards. Shortly thereafter he accepted the halfling Meriadoc Brandybuck into his service as a squire, and rode to Dunharrow to muster an army. There he was met by Hirgon of Gondor, bearing the Red Arrow and a message begging for Rohan’s aid in the siege of Minas Tirith. Théoden and six thousand riders set out the next morning, fulfilling the Oath of Círion and Éorl. As they traveled they were warned of a host of approaching orcs, but avoided that conflict when Ghân-buri-Ghân, a leader of the Woses, offered to lead them down secret paths through Stonewain Valley.

The Riders of Rohan arrived without any warning, for Hirgon had been slain before delivering the message of coming reinforcements, and joined the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Théoden fell upon the enemies of Gondor with great vigor, challenging a chieftain of the Haradrim to battle, felling him and the bearer of his standard, which depicted a black serpent upon a scarlet field.

Before Théoden could rejoice in this victory or turn to face other foes, he was attacked by the Lord of the Nazgûl, riding upon a fell beast. His faithful steed, Snowmane, was frightened by the creature and attempted to flee, falling upon Théoden and mortally wounding him. Crushed beneath the weight of his horse, Théoden faced his doom—but swiftly he was avenged, watching in astonishment as his squire Meriadoc and his sister-daughter Éowyn, who had ridden to war in secret against his orders. Together they brought down the Nazgûl and his beast, and when Théoden succumbed to his wounds at last he claimed satisfaction, for he had felled the Black Serpent and seen the end of the Witch-king.

Thus ended the last King of the Second Line. Théoden’s body was removed to the Hallows of Minas Tirith, while Snowmane was buried where they fell. When the War of the Ring was won, Théoden’s sister-son Éomer took his body and returned it to Edoras, where he was buried with the other Kings of the Mark. The bard Gléowine composed a poem in Théoden’s honor, and Éomer was crowned King of Rohan, the first of the Third Line.

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Théodwyn was the youngest daughter of King Thengel of Rohan. She was close to her brother Théoden and aided him in raising his son Théodred after the death of his wife. Théodwyn was a gentle woman but a great rider of horses, and took one of the mearas as her steed. She married Éomund, First Marshal of the Mark and a descendant of Éofor of Aldburg. Their love was great, but it was cut short too soon when Éomund was slain in pursuit of a band of orc-raiders. Already weakened by grief, Théodwyn soon grew ill and died, leaving her children Éomer and Éowyn parentless.

Théoden King, her brother, took her children under his wing, where they were raised with their cousin Théodred. Éomer grew strong and tall, eventually becoming the Third Marshal of the Mark and inheriting his father’s command of the East-mark, defending Rohan from the orcs of Mordor. Éowyn grew in grace and pride, remaining in Edoras while her brother was granted a position in the king’s armies, though she was nearly as capable a warrior as he and chafed to be relegated to her uncle’s minder as Théoden was slowly overcome by the spell of Saruman.

Nonetheless, Éowyn was loyal to her king, remaining by his side and doing what she could to combat the ill counsels of Gríma Wormtongue, who had sold his services to the White Wizard. She was glad when Gandalf lifted the spell upon her uncle, but frustrated to be turned from battle once more when Théoden rode to Helm’s Deep. Instead she was given the responsibility of tending to Edoras in his absence.

Éowyn attempted to follow Aragorn into the Paths of the Dead, but was turned aside despite her pleading and her hopeless love for him. She was denied once more the chance for glory in battle when Théoden ordered her to remain behind upon his ride from Dunharrow to Minas Tirith, but this time she had taken enough. Éowyn disguised herself as a man, taking the alias Dernhelm, and rode with the Riders of Rohan to the Battle of the Pelennor Fields with the halfling Meriadoc Brandybuck, likewise barred from combat by the king but unwilling to accept such a dismissal.

Upon the battlefield, Dernhelm fought bravely to defend the King, and when he was felled by the Lord of the Nazgûl she stood between the Witch-king and her uncle. The Nazgûl boasted that “no living man may hinder me,” echoing the prophecy of Glorfindel a thousand years earlier, but Dernhelm was not deterred. She removed her helmet, letting her long golden hair fly free and declaring, “No living man am I! You look upon a woman.”

This revelation shocked her foe greatly, giving Meriadoc—a hobbit, not a Man—the opportunity to stab him from behind with a Barrow-blade, forged long ago by the Dúnedain of Arnor to fight the Witch-king and dispel the evil magic rendering him invincible. Then Éowyn slew the Nazgûl Lord, a feat which not even King Eärnur of old could accomplish, though her shield-arm was broken and she was bitterly wounded by the Nazgûl’s Black Breath.

As the Rohirrim marched away with the body of Théoden, Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth recognized that Éowyn still drew breath, and took her to the Houses of Healing. There she was healed from death by Aragorn, though she did not recover in time to join Éomer in the assault on the Black Gate of Mordor. While she recovered, anxiously waiting for news of that battle, she met Faramir, the last Steward of Gondor, and found love with him.

At last the War of the Ring came to a close, and Éowyn discovered that she had wearied of battle and yearned now to become a healer, loving all things that grow and are not barren. She accompanied her brother back to Rohan and saw the burial of Théoden and Éomer’s coronation, then left for Ithilien where she wed Faramir. Éowyn kept her friendship with Meriadoc for the rest of their lives, sending him great gifts when he became the Master of Buckland, and lived the rest of her days in happiness with Faramir and their children.

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Éomer was the son of Théodwyn, and the eighteenth King of Rohan. Upon the deaths of his parents, Éomer and his sister Éowyn were adopted by their uncle Théoden King and raised alongside their cousin Théodred. When he grew to manhood, Éomer became the Third Marshal of the Riddermark and inherited his father’s command of the East-mark, defending Rohan from the orcs of Mordor.

When Théoden’s strength declined due to the spell of Saruman and the treachery of Gríma Wormtongue, the wicked counselor manipulated Éomer into the king’s disfavor. Soon Théodred was slain in an ambush, leaving Éomer the only obstacle to Rohan’s domination by the White Wizard, but he held firm in his loyalty to his uncle the King and his defense of his people. Though Théoden forbade him to pursue a band of orcs from Emyn Muil, Éomer suspected Gríma’s faithlessness and disobeyed the order, riding out in the night to slaughter his foes.

Upon the next morn, he encountered Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, passing along news of their victory the night before. At this the Three Hunters despaired, for they had been tracking the orcs’ captives, two halflings who were their friends. Éomer warned that they were unlikely to find the halflings alive, but when it was clear his words would be unheeded he gave horses to the Three Hunters, asking them to prove his trust in them by returning the mounts to Edoras when their search was over.

Upon arriving in Meduseld, Éomer was imprisoned by Gríma for rebellion, but was soon released when Gandalf the White freed Théoden from the spell of Saruman. Glad to see the King renewed, Éomer rode with him to Helm’s Deep and fought in defense of the Keep in the Battle of the Hornburg. Here he fought side-by-side with the Three Hunters, earning their friendship and proving his trust well-founded. He was dismayed when Aragorn and his friends took the Paths of the Dead, but Aragorn promised they would meet again.

Éomer fought valiantly in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, and was summoned from the fray only when Théoden lay dying. His uncle hailed him King of the Mark before he passed, but soon Éomer saw his sister laying stil nearby and believed her to be dead. Full of a cold fury, Éomer refused the counsel of any and took his riders across the field, slaying all the enemies in their path, charging forth with a battle cry of, “Death! Ride, ride and ruin and the world’s ending!”

Fortune turned against him, and soon Éomer and his soldiers were surrounded, but they were rescued by Hirluin of the Green Hills and Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth, warriors of Gondor. Then a new foe approached: the Corsairs of Umbar sailing up the Anduin, and though Éomer despaired he rallied his warriors for one last fight—only to recognize the standard of Aragorn unfurling on the first ship!

Their enemies fled when they saw their ships were filled with foes, and Éomer reunited with Aragorn his friend upon the battlefield.
When the battle was won, Éomer discovered that Éowyn yet lived, though she lay gravely ill in the Houses of Healing. Aragorn managed to heal her, and she awoke at her brother’s call; Meriadoc Brandybuck her companion was spared also, and Éomer made him a Knight of the Riddermark in honor of his service to Éowyn and Théoden.

Éomer took part in the last debate of the Captains of the West, and rode with Aragorn to the Battle of the Morannon, where they withstood the forces of Sauron until the Ring was destroyed and the War was won. In the aftermath, Éomer attended the coronation of Aragorn as King Elessar of Gondor and renewed the Oath of Círion and Éorl, swearing everlasting friendship between Rohan and Gondor. He returned then to Rohan, burying Théoden’s body and taking up the mantle of King, first of the Third Line.

King Éomer was named Éadig, the Blessed, for during his reign Rohan recovered from the hurts of the War and became a rich and fruitful land once more. He was close in friendship with King Elessar in Minas Tirith, Meriadoc Brandybuck of the Shire (whom he named Holdwine for his loyalty), his law-brother Prince Faramir of Ithilien, and Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth. He wedded Imrahil’s daughter Lothíriel, making her the Queen of Rohan.

Lothíriel bore Éomer a son, Elfwine, who took after his mother’s line in appearance. Elfwine would inherit his father’s crown in a time of peace, becoming a mighty king beloved by his people, and even making a lasting peace with Rohan’s old enemies, the Dunlendings. Elfwine had within him the valor of the Rohirrim and the nobility of the Dúnedain, riding always upon one of the mearas, fulfilling the dreams of his ancestor Karsalimir of Dol Amroth who perished in the attempt to mount such a noble steed.