When the battle of the Field of Celebrant subsided and the enemy driven out all wondered how Cirion would repay Eorl and the Eotheod for their help. To the surprise of all Cirion asked Eorl to watch over the land for three months until he returned. Eorl agreed. Upon reaching Minis Tirith Cirion sent his most trustworthy servants to the Whispering Wood to prepare an ancient path that led to a hill; he asked them to keep the main entrance from the Road shrouded and to keep the errand a secret. They were instructed to only clear a small path, fell no trees, and stop when they reached a stone staircase. Should anyone ask what was going on they were to say only that the Steward of Gondor was preparing a meeting place for the Lord of the Riders.
In three months time, now summer, Cirion, his son Hallas, the Lord of Dol Amroth, and two others rode forth to meet Eorl. Cirion told Eorl he was about to lead him to the "Hill of Awe". Upon reaching the path a guard was set and Cirion led his contingent along with Eorl and his small group up the hill. Up they went and as they did so a silence fell upon them. Upon reaching the summit they found it to be flattened, void of trees and green as in the new warm spring. There they rested awhile until Cirion arose and declared his intentions.
"'I will now declare what I have resolved, with authority of the Stewards of the Kings, to offer to Eorl son of Leod, Lord of the Eotheod, in recognition of the valour of his people and of the help beyond hope that he brought to Gondor in a time of dire need. To Eorl I will give in free gift all the great land of Calenardhon from Anduin to Isen. There, if he will, he shall be king, and his heirs after him, and his people shall dwell in freedom while the authority of the Stewards endures, until the Great King returns. No bond shall be laid upon them other than their own laws and will, save in this only: they shall live in perpetual friendship with Gondor and its enemies shall be their enemies while both realms endure. But the same bond shall be laid also on the people of Gondor" (p. 303, Unfinished Tales).
Eorl was silent. He was overwhelmed by both the generosity and wisdom of Cirion. For Cirion was seeking to protect what was left of his realm and at the same time sought to fulfill the needs of his friend. For the Eotheod were now a thriving people and were outgrowing their settlement in the far North so the wide land offered, freely, would more than suit their needs. It would also bring Gondor's ally much closer to them and protect areas Gondor could no longer watch over. Simply brilliant on the part of Cirion. Plus this land would keep the Eotheod far form the Shadow of Dol Guldur. Pretty cool stuff; but it gets better.
"Yet beyond wisdom and policy both Cirion and Eorl were moved at that time by the great friendship that bound their peoples together, and by the love that was between them as true men. On the part of Cirion the love was that of a wise father, old in the cares of the world, for a son in the strength and hope of his youth; while in Cirion Eorl saw the highest and noblest man of the world that he knew, and the wisest, on whom sat the majesty of the Kings of Men of long ago" (p. 303, Unfinished Tales). Awesome! Makes me think of the true men in my life and the love I have for them. Eorl finally spoke, accepting Cirion's offer wishing to seal it with an oath that would not be forgetten. Cirion agreed and led the group up the stone stair to a low mound on which grew alfirin, a white flower.
The Lord of Dol Amroth went forth and saw the mound had a stone engraved with markings; he turned to inquire of Cirion what this place was. Cirion asked him if he read the markings. "'I have,' said the Prince, 'and therefore I wonder for the letters are lambe, ando, lambe, but there is no tomb for Elendil, nor has any man since his day dared to use that name" (p. 304, Unfinished Tales). Cirion revealed that this was indeed the tomb of Elendil the Faithful, prepared by his son Isildur and he brought the company to this spot so all would realize the solemnity of the oaths they were about to make. After a time of silence Cirion asked Eorl if he was ready to make his oath and so he said:
"Hear now all peoples who bow not to the Shadow in the East, by the Gift of the Lord of the Mundberg we will come to dwell in the land that he names Calenardhon, and therefore I vow in my own name and on behalf of the Eotheod of the North that between us and the Great People of the West there shall be friendship for ever: their enemies shall be our enemies, their need shall be our need, and whatsoever evil threat or assault may come upon them we will aid them to the utmost end of our strength. This vow shall descend to my heirs, all such as may come after me in our new land, and let them keep it in faith unbroken, lest the Shadow fall upon them and they become accursed" (p. 304-305, Unfinished Tales).
Cirion then answerd affirming all that Eorl had said and adding to it (first in Quenya): "This oath shall stand in memory of the glory of the Land of the Star, and of the faith of Elendil the Faithful, in keeping of those who sit upon the thrones of the West and of the One who is above all thrones for ever" (p. 305, Unfinished Tales). What oathes indeed, sealed in the presence of Eru, the One. After the oath-taking they sat and defined the boundaries of the new kingdom with only Orthanc remaining a Gondorian possession in the land. It was decided which sections of the Road were to be maintained by which kingdom and the Hill of Awe, called Halifirien by the Eotheod, was now hallowed to both peoples and therefore cared for by both.
"In later times the day of the Oath-taking was reckoned as the first day of the new kingdom, when Eorl took the title King of the Mark of the Riders...The term Mark signified a borderland, especially one serving as a defence of the inner lands of a realm. The Sindarin names Rohan for the Mark and Rohirrim for the people were devised first by Hallas, son and successor of Cirion, but were often used not only in Gondor but by the Eotheod themselves" (p. 306-307, Unfinished Tales).
Eorl parted soon after to gather his people and it would be sometime before they would be settled in Rohan. He left about half his troops to protect the land but needed the other half to aid the rest of his people on the long journey. Cirion realized the sacrifice Eorl had made to come and now thought his gift was too small. For indeed Cirion was a humble man, generous, and noblest of all the Stewards of Gondor. He trusted that the Oath he made was not in vain and the two parted in hope and good cheer.
Middle-earth timeline: Third Age, 2510
Today's reading comes from: Unfinished Tales, page 301-308
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