The King of the Golden Hall

Theoden - Lord of the Mark

There’s nothing duller than a one note warrior.

In the fantasy genre, someone who goes unquestioningly into battle, even if it is to serve a greater purpose, is of no interest to me.

Despite all the nonsense written about J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings being a simplistic tale without nuance, all the main characters have doubts about the journey they have to go on, and the decisions they must take.

In these articles, I want to take a brief look at some of my favourite heroes from the books and movies, and why their choices make them all the more rounded and relatable.

Firstly, I want to discuss Theoden, son of Thengel, King of Rohan.

“They are proud and wilful, but they are true hearted, generous in thought and deed ; bold but not cruel ; wise but unlearned ; writing no books but signing man songs, after the manner of the children of men before the Dark Years.”

Rohan is a kingdom of Middle Earth that is situated in the planes between the Misty Mountains and the White Mountains. It’s people are known as the Rohorrim which means “the horse lords.” They call their land the Mark or Riddermark.

Tolkien, as a professor of Anglo Saxon, seemed to base the Rohirrim on these ancient peoples, being tall with fair skin and blonde hair. However, the Anglo Saxons were not known for their expertise with riding horses, and it seems the author also took inspiration from the Goths, a nomadic German tribe from the late Roman period from the late 300’s and through the 400’s A.D. who did use cavalry to great effect in many battles. Visigoth was the name to the western tribes and Ostrogoths to those in the east. One of the most famous kings of the Ostrogoths was Theodoric I who helped defeat Attila the Hun at the Battle of the Catalaunian Planes in 451 where he was killed. It is believed this is where Tolkien got inspiration for the Lord of Rohan.

We are first introduced to Theoden in The Two Towers, the second part of the Rings trilogy.

“…a man so bent with age that he seemed almost a dwarf ; but his white hair was long and thick and fell in great braids from beneath a thin golden circlet set upon his brow.”

In the movie, where he is portrayed by Bernard Hill, Gandalf suggests that he is under some spell from Saruman, but this is never directly implied in the books. However, Peter Jackson, the director, perfectly captures how he would look if this was the case.

Theoden had been King of Rohan for 40 years by the time of the events of The Lord of the Rings. He had fought in many battles, but was now old and weary of war. In both the film and the books we can see him being misled by his adviser, Grima Wormtongue who was secretly working for Saruman to let Orcs and other foul creatures run unchecked throughout his lands. Gandalf banishes the traitor and the king seems to be returned to hale and hearty health.

“Dark have been my dreams of late.”

As he fully comes to his senses, as we see in the movie, he finally realises what has become of his son, Theodred, who has fallen fighting the invading armies of Saruman.

It is at this point that I find the movie superior to the book, as Hill brilliantly portrays a parent despairing at the loss of his child.

“Alas that these evil days should be mine. The young perish and the old linger. That I should live to see the end of my house. No parent should have to bury their child.”

This speech is so affecting as you can see the king is initially considering the dynastic repercussions of losing his heir, but then he simply breaks down in heart breaking grief.

Hill told a very sad story about how on the press tour for the movie, when they were in Northern Ireland, a mother had come up to him and said this piece of dialogue had meant so much to her as she had lost her own daughter in the troubles, which is just horrific, but showed the power of the words and the actors performance, that even in the fantastical setting of LOTR, they carried such meaning.

What follows in the book is everyone basically getting ready for battle and heading for the fortress of Helm’s Deep with no questions asked but, in the movie, we see that Theoden, because of what he has just gone through, is again unsure of his next steps.

Gandalf and Aragorn are advising him that he must go to war to stop Saruman, but in this great scene where the wizard puts his hand on the arm of the throne it clearly reminds the king of being under Wormtongue’s thrall.

“I know what it is you want of me but I will not bring further death to my people.”

Here we have a king who, in his supposed frail dotage, has lost control of his country and sat idly by as his people have been slaughtered. However, he knows by marching to war he risks making the situation worse. In the movie, Helm’s Deep seems like a decision to lead the Orcs away from civilization, and make a heroic last stand.

Once they get to the old fortress, the book and the movie merge once more to show, that even in the midst of battle, there are still serious doubts that he has taken the right course of action.

“How shall any tower withstand such numbers and such reckless hate?Had I known the strength of Isengard was grown so great, maybe I should not so rashly ridden forth to meet it, for all the arts of Gandalf. His counsel seems not now so good as it did under the morning sun.”

As great as this passage from the book is, I prefer the lines spoken in the movie, which actually belong to Aragorn in the text, but seem much more apt for Theoden, when he is wondering if Gandalf, who has left to find the Riders of Rohan, will return in time before the defenders of Helm’s Deep are all massacred.

“Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?

They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow.

The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow.

How did it come to this?”

Again, it’s wonderfully played by Hill, who shows someone accepting their doom and that all is seemingly without hope. It takes Aragorn to remind the king who he is and what he is fighting for. Yet, even here, as they prepare to ride out and face the enemy, Theoden thinks it’s for “death and glory” rather than victory.

“Fell deeds, awake. Now for wrath, now for ruin and a red dawn!”

In the end, Gandalf returns with the Riders of Rohan, the Orcs are vanquished and the Battle of the Hornburg is won, with or without elves and Ents!

At the start of Return of the King, a triumphant but melancholy Theoden returns to his throne in Edoras as he tells Eowyn :-

“It was not Theoden of Rohan that led our people to victory.”

Yet again, we see the movie diverge from the text here. In the book, as soon as the summons comes from Gondor advising they are under attack from Mordor, and asking for help, Theoden musters his forces and heads back into battle.

Whereas in the movie, he returns to being unsure and bitter for the men he has lost in war, when his nearest ally did nothing to help.

“Tell me, why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours? What do we owe Gondor?”

However, when the beacons of Gondor are lit calling for aid, he once again puts aside his fear and rides to their rescue.

“So we come to it in the end, the great battle of our time.”

In both the book and the film, it reads like Theoden knows he is riding to his death and, as he approaches the city of Minas Tirith, what he beholds is almost too much.

“The king sat upon Snowmane, motionless, gazing upon the agony of Minas Tirith, as if stricken suddenly by anguish, or by dread. He seemed to shrink down, cowed by age.”

Here is the image of the Theoden we first met in Edoras. An old man. Too weak to do anything. But then, he finally gathers his courage and calls his Rohirrim to arms.

“Arise, arise. Riders of Theoden!

Fell deeds awake, fire and slaughter!

Spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered

A sword day, a red day, ere the sun rises!”

It’s a great scene in the written word, but even more so on the screen. I can already hear the Howard Shore score kicking in as Hill, selling it for all he’s worth, rides down the line of warriors striking his sword off each of their spears before turning to ride into battle. Great stuff.

Theoden fights bravely. Rallying his men again and again when all the odds seem stacked against them. And, at the end, just as Gondor is saved, the king is fatally wounded whilst fighting The Nazgul.

Yet finally, as he takes his dying breath, the old man is at peace. His doubt vanquished and his soul becalmed.

“I go now to my fathers. And even in their mighty company I shall not now feel ashamed.”

It is a great last line from a brilliantly complex character and one of my favourites from a wonderful book that has so many of them.

I think a lot of Tolkien’s own thoughts are reflected in Theoden. Here was a man who had fought in The Great War and had seen many of his friends killed in battle. He had felt that loss, but knew, when it could not be avoided, sacrifices had to be made for the greater good. That’s what great warriors do.

Theoden, Lord of the Mark, was a man of courage, doubt, anger, sadness, uncertainty, loyalty and honour. In other words, a true warrior.

---

This is my first try at one of these so hope you enjoyed it. There are so many great characters in Lord of the Rings but I’ve always thought Theoden was really interesting both in the book and on film. Next up I might take a look at someone who could be called Theoden’s alter ego in many ways, Denethor II, Steward of Gondor, or even his son, Boromir, who both have plenty of their own issues to cover!

Anyway, thanks for reading. Until next time.