The great horse of High King Fingolfin. We know almost nothing for sure about Rochallor, other than the fact that Fingolfin rode the horse across the desert of Anfauglith after the Dagor Bragollach to the Doors of Angband, where in final despair he challenged Morgoth to single combat. We have a little more information in The Grey Annals (in volume XI of The History of Middle-earth) where we're told that Rochallor remained beside Fingolfin until his final defeat. Afterwards the steed was attacked by Morgoth's wolves and fled from the battlefield into the land of Hithlum, and there died.
We do not know the origins of Rochallor, but we are told that after the Return of the Noldor centuries earlier, Maedhros had given Fingolfin horses out of Valinor, and that many of the later steeds of Fingolfin's people were bred from these. The High King would surely have ridden such a horse, and so it is reasonable to trace Rochallor's line back to sires out of the West, perhaps even those of Oromë himself. (This story indeed may hold the seed of the legend later told in Rohan, that the mearas had descended from the great horses of Oromë.)
Notes
1 |
We're not told explicitly where Rochallor (or his master Fingolfin) were at the time of the Dagor Bragollach, but we have no shortage of clues. We know, for instance, that Fingolfin's capital was at Barad Eithel, and that when he set out for Angband he passed immediately over Anfauglith (as he would from that stronghold). On balance it seems that Rochallor was almost certainly stabled at Barad Eithel, at least in the time immediately before Fingolfin's fateful northward ride.
|
2 |
The Roch- in Rochallor's name is certainly 'horse'. The rest of the name is a little more difficult to interpret, but the final element -lor is perhaps 'gold' (if so, presumably as a reference to the colour of the horse's coat). The intermediate -al- is obscure, though in context it may be connect with alag, 'rushing'.
|
Indexes:
About this entry:
- Updated 23 November 2014
- This entry is complete
For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.
Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 1999, 2001, 2013-2014. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.
SHARE
