STORY OF THE ROHIRRIM.

Rohirrim claims to descent from the Kings of Rhovanion, south, east and west of Mirkwood, and to be kinsmen of the Kings of Gondor. There descent from the Kings of Rhovanion was true and kinship with Kings of Gondor was also true indeed. Even before the mingled with eachother they were of the same descendencies though it was far back in history and not generally known. This must be around 1437 because in 1437 escapes Eldacar King of Gondor to Rhovanion.
The Northmen living in Rhovanion not only seems to have been most nearly akin to the third of and the greatest of the peoples of Elf-friends, ruled by the House of Hador but indeed was akin of them. They were descendants of the same race of Men as those who in the first age passed into the west of Middle-Earth and became the allies of the Eldar in their wars with Morgoth. They were therefore afar off kinsmen of the Dunedain or Numenorians, and there were great friendship between them and the people of Gondor and they kept its Northern and Eastern frontiers from invasion
The Northmen lived at the plains South and East close to Mirkwood, The Northmen of Rhovanion had been a numerous and powerful confederation of people living in the wide plains between Mirkwood and river Celduin. The East Bight of Mirkwood was mainly made by the Northmen of Rhovanion and there felling of threes and the people had lived here from ancient times.
But when the Great Plague in the winter Third age 1635 spread from the East the waning of the Northmen of Rhovanion began they were not skilled in healing and medicine and due to the hard winter they were driven into shelter and they were thronged in small wooden houses. When the winter and plague had passed more than half of the population and their horses had perished.

The Northemen of Rhovanion were slow to recover but luckily the people further East had suffered great too and their strength were not tested for a long time until 1851 when the invasion of the Wainriders began. The Northmen took the brunt of the first assault and would have been routed if not Narmacil II had come to aid ( Battle of the Plains. 1856 ) he gathered what he could of the scattered Northmen but was defeated Some of the Northmen fleed to Dale, some took refugee in Gondor ( now ruled by Calimethar. ) and others were gathered by Marhwini and passed North between Mirkwood and Anduin and settled in the vales of Anduin between Gladden Fields and the Carrock were they were joined by many fugitives who came through the forest and this was the beginning of Eotheod. All their former lands were occupied by the Wainriders.

The Eotheod were well known to the people of Gondor as a people of good trust from whom they in the next 88 years from the battle of the plains in 1856 to 1944 received news of what happened in that region and in the East of Anduin and South of Mirkwood and there were friendship between them.
The Wainriders were diminished but yet they still occupied the Plains of Rhovanion. They licked their wounds and made secret alliance with the people of Khand already keeping Gondor busy at its Southern borders began to harass the Eotheod and Forthwini warned Gondor that the Wainriders were recovering from their fear and weakness and plotted on revenge. And i 1944 the scheme was made ( See Battle of the Camp.)

In the North, in the upper vales of Anduin and in the Mountains beyond, the threat from Angmar finally disappeared in 1975 but the shadow of Dol Guldur lengthening and the Eotheod who were beginning to grow again and loved best the plains, and delighted in horsemanship heard of that Frumgar the leader at that time moved into the upper vales where space and possibilities where better, killed what they found of refugives from Angmar and settlet there between Greylin and Langwell. Only small settlements were remaining in the vales of Anduin, they settlet and the new land they possessed they called Eotheod.

The friendship between the Eotheod and Gondor remained though Gondor were concerned when the Eotheod removed into the far North, they had been allies and the Eotheod had contributed much of their blood to the people of Gondor and kept the Northen and eastern borders free of evil.

In 2510 The Steward of Gondor, Cirion, in dire need asked for help from the Eotheod, scouts and spies reported that the lands South and Sout-East of Mirkwood which had been of great concern for the rulers of Gondor had again become a treat to Gondor as the descendants of the Wainriders were now strengthened by enemies drifting out from beyond the Sea of Rhun. This treat were called the Balchoth and were undoubtly akin to the Wainriders. ( See Battle of Celebrant. )

Eorl heard him and came to his aid with a large host of riders when all hope was lost, and then the fortune of the Battle of the field of Celebrant was reversed. In reward of his aid, Cirion gave Calenardhon to Eorl and his people in the same year and once more the Eotheod removed but this time to the South, they renamed the land to Rohirrim "Mark of the Riders", but in Gondor they called it Rohan.

Related Links.: Battles.: Battle of the Plains. Battle of the Camp. Battle of Celebrant.