43. B3:C2 - The Riders of Rohan [LoTR Read Along]

The Nicks are running across Rohan! Or at least the three hunters are. Join us as we attempt to catch up with our enemies in order to rescue our friends, but keep a wary eye out for clues, and for horsemen.

 

Maps

Map of Middle-earth 

LoTRproject.com interactive map - Caution: spoilers for new readers!

Notes for this episode

 

• Now we see Aragorn “The greatest traveller and huntsman of this age of the world” (B1C2 - first mention)

 

• Orcs of different factions
• • White Hand - Orthanc, Saruman’s Uruk Hai - Orc Men
  • Northern - Misty Mountains? Gundabad? Moria
  • From the East - Mordor Orcs
• Aragorn longing for Gondor
• • We see the King waiting for his time
• Eagle! Traveling away back to the North
• First sight of the orcs they’re chasing - 12 leagues or more
• • 1 league = 3 miles
• Spring has come to Rohan
• Hobbit evidence - the brooch
• • (Pippin is smaller - pin)
• Debate to rest or not - Gimli and Legolas stick Aragorn with the choice
• • “An ill chooser”, we see the angst of having had bad chance before
  • We are a side-quest (paraphrase)
  • Choose sleep
• Legolas, standing - do Elves sleep?
• • Rest their minds, sleep with eyes open, blending dreams with wakefulness
• Day 1 - ran all night
• Day 2 - ran all day - debated rest, and slept
• Day 3
• Aragorn hears hoofs - riding northward - “What is happening in this land?”
• Huzzah for lembas
• Observations from the narrator seem to be from Aragorn’s POV he is noting the differences and strangeness along the way
• • Eastemnet - used to be a  place where the Rohirrim helpt their herds but now it is empty (Darkness and danger is growing)
  • Eomer admits to removing all the people and animals for safety - Saruman has claimed the land, and there is war between Isengard and Rohan
• Twice 12 leagues (72 miles) ON FOOT in two days and a night!
• “There is some will that lends speed to our foes and sets an unseen barrier before us.”
• • “The will is not behind (Sauron/Mordor) but before us.”
  • “Saruman”
• Day 4 (after another rest)
• Red Dawn
• The orcs rested - thrice 12 hours between the 2 groups
• End of day 4 - moving slowly
• Day 5
• Fangorn North-west - 10 leagues
• Riders! - 105 - yellow hair - their leader is very tall - 5 leagues away - 3 empty saddles
• Wait for them to approach
• The Rohirrim
• • Proud and willful
  • True-hearted
  • Generous in thought and deed
  • Bold but now cruel
  • Wise but unlearned
  • Writing no books but singing many songs
  • Long friends of Gondor
  • Kin to the Bardings of Dale and the Beornings
  • The horse people
  • Sons or Eorl
  • (Are the men of Dale from the East? Is Rohan the most successful (largest “Easterling” civilization?)
• Eomer (leader) - has a Gondorian accent when speaking the common tongue
• Eomer’s suspicions anger Gimli (Legolas)
• “No evil to Rohan, nor to its folk, neither man or horse.” (are the horses considered folk?)
• Riddermark - “Rider Land”?
• Aragorn draws his sword and names himself.
• • Eomer immediately accepts his claim refers to him as “Lord”
  • “What is the meaning of the dark words?” (The dream that sent Boromir to Rivendell)
  • Eomer knows Boromir, Rohan lent him a horse, which returned riderless
• Halflings! - “Do we walk in legends?”
• Gandalf - known - has lost favor with the king
• Saruman was a friend, now there is trouble
• Shadowfax - the most precious of the king's steeds, Chief of the Mearas (the sire of their race was the great horse of Eorl) (What is this story?)
• 7 nights ago (two days before Boromir died) Shadowfax returned - wild
• Boromir’s death - “great harm is this death to Minas Tirith”
• Wingfoot I name you - 45 leagues on foot in 4 days (135 miles)
• Orcs, slain and burned
• Eomer decides what to do with the travelers - Lends them horses - gets a promise of their coming to the King
• Hasufel and Arod
• Gimli on a horse is as Sam in a boat
• The place of the great burning
• “There are some things it is better to begin than to refuse, even though the end may be dark.”
• Gimli starts a fire - have a care, cut no living wood - the tree is happy for the warmth, the forest is brooding - dangerous
• And old bend man, white cloak, wide-brimmed hat
• The horses are gone!

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Special thanks to our friend Harry Murrell for the use of his music. Listen to more and subscribe to his channel here.