Q: Who Were the Enemies of Rohan whom Thengel and Théoden Fought?
ANSWER: Théoden was a great leader and much beloved by his people, who revered the mighty deeds of war their leaders accomplished. But if Théoden fought any actual battles those battles are not chronicled in The Lord of the Rings nor even in the incomplete texts of Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth. Readers often ask if anything is known about who Théoden’s youthful enemies were and when he fought them. All that is said in Unfinished Tales is:
In the days of Théoden there was no man appointed to the office of First Marshal. He came to the throne as a young man (at the age of thirty-two), vigorous and of martial spirit, and a great horseman. If war came, he would himself command the Muster of Edoras; but his kingdom was at peace for many years, and he rode with his knights and his Muster only on exercises and in displays; though the shadow of Mordor reawakened grew ever greater from his childhood to his old age.
One would think from this passage that Théoden never fought any battles at all. And yet, the “Line of Eorl” in The Lord of the Rings implies that Théoden may indeed have been involved in some conflicts:
16. Thengel. He took no wife until late, but in 2943 he wedded Morwen of Lossarnach in Gondor, though she was seventeen years the younger. She bore him three children in Gondor, of whom Théoden, the second, was his only son. When Fengel died the Rohirrim recalled him, and he returned unwillingly. But he proved a good and wise king; though the speech of Gondor was used in his house, and not all men thought that good. Morwen bore him two more daughters in Rohan; and the last, Théodwyn, was the fairest, though she came late (2963), the child of his age. Her brother loved her dearly.
It was soon after Thengel’s return that Saruman declared himself Lord of Isengard and began to give trouble to Rohan, encroaching on its borders and supporting its enemies.
Thengel became King of the Mark in Third Age year 2953, and he reigned until 2980. According to “The Tale of Years” Sauron actually “declared himself openly” in 2951, two years before Thengel assumed the throne. Saruman took Isengard for his own and began fortifying it in the year 2953 as well. And Turgon, Ruling Steward of Gondor, also died in that year; his son Ecthelion II succeeded him. Aragorn’s errantries lasted from 2957 to 2980, a period of about 23 years. A reasonable guess is that he left Gondor in 2980 and went to Lorien, traveling first toward Mordor and then passing up the Anduin.
Around the year 3000 Saruman became a traitor to the White Council. According to the following passage. Eomer’s father Éomund died in 3002:
In 2989 Théodwyn married Éomund of Eastfold, the chief Marshal of the Mark. Her son Éomer was born in 2991, and her daughter Éowyn in 2995. At that time Sauron had arisen again, and the shadow of Mordor reached out to Rohan. Orcs began to raid in the eastern regions and slay or steal horses. Others also came down from the Misty Mountains, many being great uruks in the service of Saruman, though it was long before that was suspected. Éomund’s chief charge lay in the east marches; and he was a great lover of horses and hater of Orcs. If news came of a raid he would often ride against them in hot anger, unwarily and with few men. Thus it came about that he was slain in 3002; for he pursued a small band to the borders of the Emyn Muil, and was there surprised by a strong force that lay in wait in the rocks.
Éomund must have been quite young when Aragorn met him. We don’t know, however, if Aragorn met Éomund during the period of 2957-2980 or later, but Aragorn says he has been in Rohan more than once when he meets Eomer for the first time:
‘I do not think your law was made for such a chance,’ said Aragorn. ‘Nor indeed am I a stranger; for I have been in this land before, more than once, and ridden with the host of the Rohirrim, though under other name and in other guise. You I have not seen before, for you are young, but I have spoken with Éomund your father, and with Théoden son of Thengel. Never in former days would any high lord of this land have constrained a man to abandon such a quest as mine. My duty at least is clear, to go on. Come now, son of Éomund, the choice must be made at last. Aid us, or at the worst let us go free. Or seek to carry out your law. If you do so there will be fewer to return to your war or to your king.’
So it may be best to assume that any enemies Théoden faced in battle may have been Orcs from Mordor and perhaps Easterlings who supported them. I don’t think Théoden would have fought Dunlendings in his day, for in The Lord of the Rings Gamling the Old suggests that the Dunlendings have only recently taken up arms against the Rohirrim again (at Saruman’s behest). At least one passage in Unfinished Tales suggests that Saruman began recruiting Dunlendings into his service on an individual basis almost as soon as he took up residence in Isengard, but he does not seem to have concluded an open alliance with them until after 3000. It would have behooved Saruman’s policies to restrain the Dunlendings until he needed an army. Rohan only learned of Saruman’s treachery after Gandalf escaped in 3018; from that time forward Théoden’s son Théodred set up defenses against attack from Isengard. Hence, we have to conclude that there was no open war between Rohan and Isengard from the time Saruman settled there in 2759 until 3018 or 3019. Any raids from Dunland itself would have been small skirmishes.
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