Théoden’s Journey – A King’s Duty to Sacrifice
Because it is for Aristocrats to sacrifice and serve, they who should sacrifice for us
This year’s Tolkien Reading Day’s theme is Service and Sacrifice, so naturally it only makes sense to focus on the service and sacrifice that one such as Théoden performed for all the Free People of Middle-Earth. King of the Rohirrim, he came from a long line of heroes and legends a line which was respected, admired and regarded with considerable awe.
The grandson of King Fengel, a greedy and malicious monarch who was spoiled and came to neglect his duties, it happened that he had disagreed fiercely with his son until Thengel son of Fengel was driven away, and left for Gondor.
It was therein the south of that great Kingdom that he met his wife Morwen, who was to give birth to a number of children, most notably Théoden and his sister, whom the boy was close to.
When Fengel died though, Thengel was recalled to Rohan to king over her, and the trouble was that he did so very reluctantly. He had a preference for Gondor rather than Rohan, so that he hardly put up a fight when Saruman claimed Isengard to the detriment of the Rohirrim.
What is more is that the Westron and Sindarin tongues were spoken in place of Rohanese, in the house of Thengel. Something that is a little bit of a disgrace, as it was Thengel’s duty to serve his people and to preserve their ways, so that in many ways he was a Gondorian rather than a Rohirrim, and shunned their ways. This can’t have made him very popular.
The shunning of one’s own culture, of one’s people and their traditions is something sad to do, and that shows the level of entitlement and arrogance that the ruling house of Rohan had fallen to.
What is more is that there was a man from Arnor who showed up under the name of Thorongil who was really a disguised Aragorn Elessar, to serve Thengel. The two became friends and were fairly close, until Aragorn left for Gondor where he was to outclass Denethor, and eventually inspire endless envy and jealousy in the future Steward’s heart.
Where his father had favoured more the Westron tongue, subtly shunning the tongue of the Rohirrim, when he was to pass away (at long last) in the year 2980 of the Third Age, Théoden assumed the crown.
The difference in their ruling styles could not have been more different. Though fluent in all three languages of his father, Théoden spoke both the Westron and Rohanese tongues with equanimity, shunning neither one nor the other. By this time a process wherein the two tongues would someday fuse (rather like the Anglo-Saxon tongue and Norman ‘Français’ eventually did into modern English), was likely underway.
But all this aside, we also know that Théoden assumed the crown and ruled for quite some time in peace, with the old King over the course of his lengthy rule fathering one son and adopting the son of his sister, Éomer, and his sister Eowyn. Both of whom are to later play an important role in Théoden’s life and story, as we shall soon see.
In the Lord of the Rings, we find Théoden weakened by possibly poison and by having a terrible advisor in Grima Wormtongue, a figure whom is considered a Saint by most of the world’s current day politicians. Though, nowhere near as incompetent or cruel as they, Wormtongue had been appointed to be a counsellor of Théoden, by Saruman who wished for him to work to undermine the Rohirrim from within.
As all know Gandalf came to the rescue, and was to help Théoden to his feet, and take him outside. It is after this point in the story that the King of Rohan devotes himself completely to the cause of defending Rohan and coming to the rescue of Gondor.
Contrary to the movies, there’s little in the way of dislike towards Gondor on his part, and the reason for his devotion to the battle against Saruman and Sauron respectively is that for him this is about duty. So that the idea of blaming Gondor, or otherwise refraining from lending his aid does not occur to him, as Théoden is the King archetype in his fullness by this time.
He knows that it is his duty to help protect his subjects, and lend aid to those he might call his friends and allies. For to be a King is to be the pinnacle of what makes a father, with a father’s duty being to provide for his children and to sacrifice for them.
And this is precisely what Théoden does for his people though it is not without some measure of uncertainty and doubt on his part.
We know from the text itself that Théoden has immense insecurities about his place as King. This makes him as said easy prey for Grima Wormtongue, and is also discernable in his last words where he laments that his forefathers outshined him. The truth is though that Théoden is more than worthy of them.
From the start after the death of his son, he makes an effort to make Merry feel at home, to treat him with warmth and even trying to ease Merry’s own insecurities, protecting him and also Eowyn as he goes out to meet his fate on the Pelennor Fields.
Once out there, it is telling that the Great King hesitates.
Or so it is implied, as he sits atop his horse, staring out across the fields. It must seem like suicide to charge down there, and to face off against the Witch-King’s forces as they besiege the city of Minas Tirith. The situation is uncertain, and for all they know the city might soon fall, and there might soon be reason enough to call off the whole campaign and for Rohan to see to her own affairs.
A situation not made better though the Rohirrim don’t know this, by Denethor’s collapse into madness and Gondor’s almost half-hearted defence of her principal city.
So that the situation is dire and the Rohirrim can’t be sure that they’ll make much of a difference, or that they might survive the day.
Add to this that Théoden wishes deep in his heart of hearts to be near his hearth, and that his last sight should be his adoptive daughter Eowyn. And yet, what does he do? He does his duty, he charges forward.
The reason for this is that he knows the social-contract. He must sacrifice for his people, as all leaders must. He is also a father to his people, this is what it means to be King, it is the ultimate fatherly position a human being can occupy so that he must sacrifice more than they, for not only them but their friends.
This is the reason that Théoden triumphs, and Denethor fails. Théoden understands that his role as pater patriae, is one gifted to him by his people that he holds his position by their good grace as much as by descent. He must therefore strive for their glory, for their sake and to protect them from harm.
Whereas Denethor it can be argued yes he fought for Gondor, but also strove primarily for his own vanity and narcissism, after all he was the one who made Aragorn’s prior successes in his youth about himself, rather than about serving Gondor. What is more is that he spends more time snipping at Gandalf or Faramir, and bemoaning his own loss and undermining or seeking to undermine Gandalf’s efforts than he does anything of any practical use to his people.
Simply put, for all the admiration he receives from fans and for all his skill in politics and warfare, Denethor is unable to put Gondor properly before himself. And the reason for this is that to Denethor Gondor is his property, this is why he cannot simply hand over the crown to Aragorn and accept his place as a servant. He has in this way broken the social-contract, the contract was that the High-Stewards were but placeholders until the rightful line of kingship returned and to also put forward the people’s interests before one’s own.
In contrast to this Théoden doesn’t care about such things, about vanity or about the feelings of others, so long as they are safe, that Rohan survives as does Gondor, and that he sacrifices if need be for his people and kinsmen.
In this way, we can see that of the two Théoden is the worthier role-model not simply for us as men, but also for rulers and statesmen, as he chooses others before himself, choose to give up what he wants for the needs of others.
Thus he chooses to charge the enemy line, summoning forth as he does that great Northern Courage that Tolkien loved ever so much, and that epitomises the great Nordic people of Northern Europe and that leads to Théoden defying the odds.
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So very pleased that Théoden has been given the honour he is due. So far, he has been pushed aside with attention shifted to the other warriors, but he certainly deserves this. Thank you 💙🙏💫