A member of Éomer's éored that overran the Orcs who had captured Merry and Pippin at the fringe of Fangorn Forest, and later encountered Aragorn and his companions on the wide fields of Rohan. Éothain, who was squire to Éomer, was not as trusting as his commander, scoffing at the idea that Hobbits even existed, and arguing against the gift of horses to the three companions.
Notes
1 |
That is, the éo of Éothain's name is pronounced somewhat like the vowel sound in the English word 'ear'.
|
2 |
Éothain's name is a combination of éo 'horse' and þegn 'warrior'. More specifically, a þegn was a freeman granted land in exchange for service as a soldier. At least, this is the original Anglo-Saxon meaning of the word þegn, and the one clearly intended as the meaning behind Éothain's name. Historically the word acquired various other meanings, including 'chieftain', and it is in this later sense that it appears as the title of the Thains of the Shire.
|
Indexes:
About this entry:
- Updated 20 August 2021
- This entry is complete
For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.
Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2003, 2021. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.
SHARE
