Rohan – Eorl’s Oath
The ancestors of Rohan the Northmen of Rhovanion would migrate near the Vales of the Anduin River. They called themselves the Eotheods and under the rulership of the king Eorl, the Young, the Eoteheods helped Gondor from annihilation by aiding Gondor against the Easterling tribe the Balchoths at the Battle of the Celebrant Field.
The Ruling Steward of Gondor would grant the lands of Calenardhon to the Eotheods and king Eorl where Eorl would become establish Rohan and become the first king of Rohan.
Eorl would swear an oath with Gondor to defend each other at any costs that will be later be referred to the Oath of Eorl. The people of Rohan would call themselves the Eorlinga’s that mean the descendants of their first king Eorl, while others would call them the Rohirrim that means horse masters.
Rohan – Westfold and the Eastfold
The Westfold referred to the lands of western Rohan up to the south of the Fangorn Forest, Isengard and the White Mountains of the South to the west of Edoras.
The Eastfold referred to the land of Rohan from Edoras to the borders of Gondor. During the movie Lord of the Rings Two Towers, Saruman would invade the Westfold of Rohan with the Uruk Hai and the orcs of Isengard.
Theodred the prince of Rohan and the son of Theoden was severely wounded as he commanded the Rohan defenses of the Westfold and eventually died from his wounds. The Rohirrim and king Theoden would move through the Eastfold to advance to Minas Tirith.
Edoras – Captial of Rohan
The first capital of Rohan was a city called Aldburg, however the second king of Rohan Brego (Aragorn would use a horse named Brego in the movie) would clear out the Dunland wild men, orcs and the easterlings off from the lands of Rohan and made Edoras the capital of Rohan.
Edoras was called the Golden Capital after the Golden Hall of Meduseld the palace of Rohan. Edoras was located at a hill called the Harrowdale and it was surrounded by the White Mountains with fertile lands.
Helm’s Deep and the Hornburg Castle
Helm’s Deep was a fortress near the Glittering Caves of the White Mountains that was west of Edoras, the capital of Rohan. The Hornburg castle that was built by the men of Gondor before Rohan was built stood at Helm’s Deep.
Helm’s Deep was named after the ninth king of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand as Helm Hammerhand would lead the people of Rohan during the Long Winter to resist the Dunland lord Wulf.
Wulf was the son of a noble named Freca that claimed he was a royal descendant of Rohan and tried to forcefully marry Helm Hammerhand’s daughter.
Helm Hammerhand killed Freca with his bare hands and Wulf would assemble the wild men of Dunland to invade Rohan for vengeance of his father Freca.
Wulf would successfully take over Edoras but failed to capture the Hornburg Castle of Helm’s Deep. Helm Hammerhand’s nephew Frealaf would reclaim Edoras and Rohan killing Wulf and succeeding the royal throne of Rohan as the 10th king of Rohan.
The Uruk Hai army of Saruman would clash with Rohan, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas at the Battle of the Hornburg at Helm’s Deep.
Dunharrow and the Path of the Dead
Dunharrow was a fortification that was south of Edoras located at the White Mountains. Dunharrow was once inhabited with men before Rohan was established, however due to the rumors of ghosts and the city of the dead of the Dark Door of Dunharrow, the Rohirrim wouldn’t approach Dunharrow.
There were some who attempted to explore the Dark Door, however they went missing as they didn’t know that beyond the Dark Door were the ghosts of the Oathbreakers that were called the Army of the Dead in the movie series.
After Isildur founded Gondor together with Anarion, Isildur discovered the men of the White Mountain and the men of the White Mountain swore an oath to protect Gondor from Sauron.
However, the men of the White Mountain broke their oath to protect Gondor with Isildur and they were cursed to never rest in peace.
These ghosts of the men of the White Mountains were called the Oath breakers and occupied the Path of the Dead beyond the Dark Door of Dunharrow.
Aragorn would later recruit the Oathbreakers to serve him the heir of Isildur and the Oathbreakers would accept Aragorn’s offer to fulfill their oath to protect Gondor.
In the movie, the Oathbreakers were called the Army of the Dead and helped win the battle of the Pelennor Fields, however in the novel, the Oathbreakers help Aragorn clear out Pelargir and Southern Gondor.
Dunland – Land of the Dunlendings
Dunland was located at the west south end of the Misty Mountains and historically the people of Dunland the Dunlendings would oppose Numenor and Rohan.
The ancestors of the Dunlendings were forced to relocate to Dunland as Numenor would lumber the forests of Enedwaith. The Dunlendings would even grant passage to Sauron for this grudge against Numenor during the second age.
During the third age, Dunlendings were called the wild men and even though they didn’t clash with Gondor as Gondor seemed to not care much of the west as the enemies of the east were their concern. Thus, the Dunlendings would occupy many parts of the future Westfold regions.
However, after Gondor gave the lands of the Calenardhon to Rohan by the Oath of Eorl, the Dunlendings would constantly clash with the Rohirrim of Rohan including the invasion of Wulf, the son of freca.
Saruman would manipulate the Dunlendings that the people of Rohan despised as wild men to invade the Westfold of Rohan. Even some of the Dunlendings would participate in the Battle of the Hornburg as part of Saruman’s army.
Isengard and Orthanc
Isengard was also called Angrenost and it was located near the Gap of Rohan. The people of Gondor built the tower of Orthanc to watch over Isengard as Isengard was an important path to reach Arnor to Gondor the Gap of Rohan.
Elendil the High King of Gondor and Arnor even placed a Palantir at the tower of Orthanc that would later become Saruman’s possession.
After Rohan was founded, Saruman was granted access of the Tower of Orthanc and became the ruler of Isengard.
Saruman who secretly desired the One Ring also possessed the Palantir of Orthanc but Sauron would consume Saruman’s mind and corrupt him through the Palantir of Minas Morgul that Sauron obtained after he took over Minas Ithil naming it Minas Morgul.
The tower of Orthanc at Isengard and the tower of Barad-dur of Mordor would become the symbol of the Alliance of the Two Towers of Sauron and Saruman.
Saruman would breed his own orcs called the Uruk Hai that were far stronger than normal orcs and uruks and also capable of fighting normal under the sunlight at Isengard.
Fangorn Forest
Fangorn Forest was located at the southeast of the Misty Mountains just above Rohan. The eldest ent that was a treelike creature was Treebeard and he was also known by the name Fangorn.
Possibly the Fangorn Forest was named after Treebeard’s other name Fangorn. Fangorn forest was one of the last forests that the ents and the Hurons which were lesser beings of ents would live.
Ordinary men wouldn’t enter the Fangorn Forest as it was dangerous because of the Huorns and the ents, however Merry and Pippin would enter the Fangorn Forest during the chaos of Eomer and the Rohirrim’s slaughter of the Urukhai who kidnapped them.
Merry and Pippin would befriend Treebeard and eventually the Huorns and the ents would destroy Isengard to avenge the forest from the lumbering and harassment of Saruman’s orcs.
