Summary
- Rohan is a significant kingdom in the Lord of the Rings series, where major events like the Battle of Helm's Deep take place.
- The land of Rohan is important both plot-wise and thematically, as an alliance with Rohan is crucial for the Fellowship to gather enough strength to face Sauron's armies.
- Rohan represents a fully human culture with no Elvish influence, showcasing human ingenuity and bravery in the face of a world filled with magical beings. The loyalty and friendship between Rohan and Gondor highlight the power of collective action against a common enemy.
The Lord of the Rings series takes place all over Middle-earth, with the characters often traveling from one end to the other. Middle-earth is large, and is made up of so many different regions, cities, and people groups that it can be hard to keep all of it straight, even for die-hard fans. All of these places also have a cultural history behind them, as Tolkien really built out the lore around his stories and added history and significance to all of it that wasn't even necessarily relevant to the main plot.
One of these places that is very significant to the plot of Lord of the Rings, however, is Rohan. Rohan is one of the kingdoms where a good chunk of the story takes place, including important major events like the Battle of Helm's Deep. There are also quite a few big characters that are introduced during the Rohan section of the story, such as Théoden and Eowyn. Rohan clearly has a lot of significance to the Lord of the Rings universe, but what exactly is it about this place that's so important?
Where Is Rohan In Middle-earth?
Rohan can be found in the southwest of Middle-earth, to the north of Gondor, situated between the Misty Mountains and the White Mountains. The entire area of Rohan extends from the River Isen in the west to the East Wall of Rohan and the River Anduin in the east. It is also bordered by Fangorn Forest to the north. The capital of Rohan is the hill fort town of Edoras that lay along the White Mountains. Other significant locations in Rohan include Aldburg (capital of the Eastfold), the camp of Dunharrow, and the Hornberg, which is the fortress at the center of Helm's Deep.
At the time of the Lord of the Rings story, Rohan was about one-third of the size of Gondor, their neighbor to the south. The landscape of Rohan is described as mostly grassland with a lot of pastures. This is fitting, as the people of Rohan were mainly herdsmen and farmers, and were well-known for their horses and cavalry (called the Rohirrim). Its real-life equivalent might be something like the North American Great Plains, in terms of look and climate.
Why Is Rohan So Important?
The land of Rohan is important to The Lord of the Rings for many reasons, both plot-wise and thematically. An alliance with Rohan is a vital one that the Fellowship needs to make in order to grow the forces that will face Sauron's armies. They specifically need Rohan to ally with Gondor in order to have enough strength to fight off the armies of evil. Rohan and Gondor had been allies for centuries before the time of the War of the Ring, but in the movie version of the story, the connection had started to fall apart. In the books, however, the reason for not coming to each other's aid was simply a lack of resources rather than an unwillingness.
Saruman also chose to invade Rohan, perhaps a bit unnecessarily. Gondor was supposed to be the main target for Sauron, but Saruman attempted to take Rohan as a way to gain more land for himself. Of course, this didn't work out so well for him as his army was defeated at Helm's Deep and the Ents destroyed Isengard. Characters that impact the rest of the plot going forward, like Eowyn and Théoden, are also part of the Rohan crowd, which makes the story's journey into that land completely necessary.
But the plot itself isn't the only reason that Rohan is important to The Lord of the Rings. The Horse-Lords of Rohan are meant to represent a fully human culture with no Elvish influence, unlike Gondor, which had come from Númenoreans. In this way, they almost represent the everyman, and are a sort of conduit for the reader. Their culture represents a less opulent and more peasant-like lifestyle that is almost closer to a Hobbit than the Men of Gondor are. Their heroism is inspiring, and is meant to show human ingenuity and bravery in the face of this land that is full of much more powerful magical beings.
The loyalty and friendship shown through Rohan and Gondor's alliance is also inspiring and is similar to the way in which Aragorn and Éomer support one another on the battlefield. It represents the power of the collective, and of working together to fight against a common enemy. This is contrasted with the way that Saruman in particular falls to Sauron's whims and betrays the side of good, as well as those he was once close with. This, along with his hubris, is what leads to his downfall, and shows that he can't do it on his own. It's such an inspiring moment when Gondor's beacons are lit and Rohan answers the call for help, because it shows that some causes are worth overcoming tension and strained relationships for.