The Lord of the Rings: The Muster of Rohan (Part Five)

 

The Tale

The captain of the Guard opens the curtain they are sitting behind and announces that an errand-rider from Gondor has arrived and wants to see the king. Theoden says to let him in. When the tall man enters Merry almost cries out, because it seems to him Boromir has come again, tall and grey-eyed and proud. The messenger is clad in fine mail with a green cloak, and a helm with a small silver star.

In his hand he carries a single arrow, black-feathered and barbed in steel, the tip of the arrowhead painted red. He kneels and presents it to Theoden.

‘Hail, Lord of the Rohirrim, friend of Gondor! Hirgon am I, errand-rider of Denethor, who bring you this token of war. Gondor is in great need. Often the Rohirrim have aided us, but now the Lord Denethor asks for all your strength and all your speed, lest Gondor fall at last.’

Theoden accepts the Red Arrow and holds it like a dread token, long feared. His hands tremble. The summons has not been made in all his years. He asks what Denethor reckons his strength and speed may be?

Hirgon replies that is best known to himself; but that unless Theoden comes quickly, he may find Minas Tirith besieged and his troops unable to enter the city. Unless he has enough men to break such a siege, Denethor thinks his army would be better inside than out.

But the Rohirrim fight better on horseback and in the open, Theoden replies, and they are usually a scattered people and take time to gather an army. Did Denethor know more than he speaks in the message? For the Riders are already at war and are mustering for battle in the East. Gandalf the Grey, the Stormcrow, has been among them.

Hirgon does not know; only that their case is desperate. Denethor does not command him to come, only to remember long friendships of their people and old oaths spoken. Mordor has a vast army, and alliances with many kings in the East. If they are not stopped in Gondor, they will overflow into many lands, and even Rohan’s strongholds will be of no use.

Theoden says that such peril is not unguessed, but they would come, even if Rohan felt no danger to their own lands. But they have had losses in their fight with Saruman the traitor and must leave some troops on their north and east frontiers, to guard his own kingdom. He might have been able to send ten thousand spears, but now he will definitely bring six thousand, and he himself the King will ride with them.  But it is a long road, and men and horses must get to the end with strength enough to fight. It might be a week before the Sons of Eorl reach the walls of Minas Tirith.

Hirgon is dismayed. ‘A week! … you are like to find only ruined walls in seven days … Still, you may at least disturb the Orcs and Swarthy Men from their feasting in the Tower.’

‘At least we will do that,’ says Theoden grimly. But all are tired and will rest for the night. Tomorrow Hirgon will ride away gladder for the sight of the muster of Rohan, and faster for having rested. Meanwhile, ‘In the morning counsels are best, and night changes many thoughts.’

He rises and bids them all rest. He tells Merry he needs him no more tonight, but he’ll call him in the morning. Merry says he’ll be ready, even if Theoden bids him ride with him on the paths of the Dead.

‘Speak not words of omen! Said the king. ‘For there may be more roads than one that could bear that name. But I did not say that I would bid you ride with me on any road. Good night!’

 

Notes

Hirgon is a name of unknown meaning. The Lord of the Rings: A Reader’s Companion points out that a similar war-arrow is used as a token calling to battle in William Morris’s The House of the Wulfings, a work and author well known to Tolkien. Rohan has ridden to help Gondor several times; the first was when Eorl himself led his troops to the aid of Gondor at the Fields of Celebrant, and thus was granted by the Steward the land of Calenardhon, which became the kingdom of Rohan. It was then that Eorl swore the first of those ‘old oaths.’

The Swarthy Men are the Haradrim. Theoden’s comment that they will ‘at least’ disturb the Orcs at their feasting is part of the grim, understated humor so typical of the Anglo-Saxon idiom, where the grimmest of thoughts are put aside in the lightest of ways, ‘chuckling in the face of doom.’ It shows defiance of fear and not letting the spirit be cowed by thoughts. An example from history might be when the Persians said their flights of arrows would block out the sun and the Spartans replied that they would at least then fight in the shade.

Theoden cautions Merry against speaking ‘words of omen’; the Paths of the Dead could refer not only the track through the Haunted Mountain, but any road that would lead them to death, as this riding to war may well be.