The Encyclopedia of Arda - Elfhild (original) (raw)

ALPHABETICAL RACES PLACES MISCELLANEOUS REFERENCE INTERACTIVE SHARE User guide Latest entries FAQ and e-mail Disclaimer and bibliography Awards Old and rare words Lexicon of names Excyclopedia of Arda Movie-goer's Guides: • The Fellowship of the Ring • The Two Towers • The Return of the King The Hobbit Viewer's Companions: • An Unexpected Journey • The Desolation of Smaug • The Battle of the Five Armies Tolkien links Book news Latest Chronicle Calendar Old and rare words Lexicon of names Links Random
Dates Died III 2978 Race Men Division Northmen Culture Rohirrim Family Married into the House of Eorl Settlements Edoras Pronunciation e'lfhild Meaning Literally 'Elf battle'1 Indexes: Alphabetical: E Men About this entry: Updated 19 September 2018 This entry is complete Théoden’s queen Years of the Trees First Age I Second Age II Third Age III Fourth Age IV Théoden Elfhild Théodred Elfhild was the short-lived queen to King Théoden of Rohan. Very little is known of her origins or her early life, though there is some reason to think that she came originally from the Eastfold of the land.2 All we know for sure is Elfhild became Théoden's queen and bore him a son, Théodred, in the year III 2978. Elfhild died giving birth to her son, and Théoden never wed again, so by the time of the War of the Ring, Rohan had been without a queen for forty years. In that time, Elfhild's son Théodred grew to become Second Marshal, a strong and respected commander among the Rohirrim, but he was slain in the First Battle of the Fords of Isen during the War of the Ring. Notes 1 Old English hild literally means 'battle', but the word was adapted over time to become a female forename. It's not completely clear how this evolution happened, though the connection was perhaps originally because the Old Norse form Hildr was used as the name of one of the Valkyries. The implication is that Tolkien used Elfhild to translate a name with similar mythological connections in the traditions of the Rohirrim. 2 Elfhild's connection to the Eastfold appears in early drafts of the Appendices to The Lord of the Rings, but is absent from the published book. It is thus by no means canonical (and indeed its removal may even indicate that Tolkien rejected the idea). The form of Elfhild's name suggests a remote possibility that she might have come from the same family as Elfhelm, who was appointed as Marshal of the East-mark though, again, this potential connection is tenuous at best. See also... Théodred Indexes: Alphabetical: E Men About this entry: Updated 19 September 2018 This entry is complete For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page. Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2003, 2010, 2018. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ. Website services kindly sponsored by Discus from Axiom Software Ltd.Use DISC to investigate the dynamics of any working relationship, with Discus' Relationship Assessment.

The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien

ALPHABETICAL RACES PLACES MISCELLANEOUS REFERENCE INTERACTIVE

SHARE User guide Latest entries FAQ and e-mail Disclaimer and bibliography Awards Old and rare words Lexicon of names Excyclopedia of Arda Movie-goer's Guides: • The Fellowship of the Ring • The Two Towers • The Return of the King The Hobbit Viewer's Companions: • An Unexpected Journey • The Desolation of Smaug • The Battle of the Five Armies Tolkien links Book news Latest Chronicle Calendar Old and rare words Lexicon of names Links Random

Dates Died III 2978 Race Men Division Northmen Culture Rohirrim Family Married into the House of Eorl Settlements Edoras Pronunciation e'lfhild Meaning Literally 'Elf battle'1 Indexes: Alphabetical: E Men About this entry: Updated 19 September 2018 This entry is complete Théoden’s queen

Years of the Trees First Age I Second Age II Third Age III Fourth Age IV Théoden

Elfhild

Théodred Elfhild was the short-lived queen to King Théoden of Rohan. Very little is known of her origins or her early life, though there is some reason to think that she came originally from the Eastfold of the land.2 All we know for sure is Elfhild became Théoden's queen and bore him a son, Théodred, in the year III 2978. Elfhild died giving birth to her son, and Théoden never wed again, so by the time of the War of the Ring, Rohan had been without a queen for forty years. In that time, Elfhild's son Théodred grew to become Second Marshal, a strong and respected commander among the Rohirrim, but he was slain in the First Battle of the Fords of Isen during the War of the Ring. Notes 1 Old English hild literally means 'battle', but the word was adapted over time to become a female forename. It's not completely clear how this evolution happened, though the connection was perhaps originally because the Old Norse form Hildr was used as the name of one of the Valkyries. The implication is that Tolkien used Elfhild to translate a name with similar mythological connections in the traditions of the Rohirrim. 2 Elfhild's connection to the Eastfold appears in early drafts of the Appendices to The Lord of the Rings, but is absent from the published book. It is thus by no means canonical (and indeed its removal may even indicate that Tolkien rejected the idea). The form of Elfhild's name suggests a remote possibility that she might have come from the same family as Elfhelm, who was appointed as Marshal of the East-mark though, again, this potential connection is tenuous at best. See also... Théodred Indexes: Alphabetical: E Men About this entry: Updated 19 September 2018 This entry is complete For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page. Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2003, 2010, 2018. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ. Website services kindly sponsored by Discus from Axiom Software Ltd.Use DISC to investigate the dynamics of any working relationship, with Discus' Relationship Assessment.