‘Edoras those courts are called,’ said Gandalf, ‘and Meduseld is that golden hall. There dwells Theoden son of Thengel, King of the Mark of Rohan…’
-The Two Towers (Book 3), Chapter 6
Edoras is the largest city and capital of Rohan. Founded soon after the founding of Rohan itself, it is known for the Golden Hall of Meduseld, which sits atop the peak of the hill around which Edoras is situated.
History
In the Third Age, a group of Northmen known as the Éothéod lived in the upper Vales of Anduin, and were in alliance with Gondor. In T.A. 2509, Steward Cirion of Gondor asked Eorl the Young of the Éothéod for aid against Easterlings and Orcs. This aid was delivered, and the combined force of Gondor and the Éothéod saw off the attack at the Battle of the Field of Celebrant. As a reward for this loyal service, the Éothéod were granted the Gondorian fief of Calenardhon, which had long been in decline, and was mostly depopulated. Thus, the Kingdom of Rohan was founded, and many of the Éothéod relocated here. Though the capital was initially at Aldburg, a new capital at Edoras was built shortly after Rohan’s founding, either by Eorl himself, or his son Brego. The Golden Hall of Meduseld was definitely built by Brego, in the year T.A. 2569, in which the Kings of Rohan henceforth lived and held court. During Wulf’s invasion of Rohan in T.A. 2758, Edoras was captured for some months, until it was retaken by Fréaláf after the Long Winter the following year. Wulf was slain, and the invasion ended. In the late Third Age, spies of Saruman have begun to infiltrate the King’s court in his attempt to subdue Rohan.
Geography
Edoras is located on a hill in the Folde of Rohan. Topped by the Golden Hall of Meduseld, in which the King lives, it is packed with wooden buildings, usually longhouses, and surrounded by a wall of stone, in front of which is a dike. Edoras is situated at the head of Harrowdale, down which a road passes the hamlets of Upbourn and Underharrow to Dunharrow. The city itself is overlooked by the Starkhorn, and to its west, the Snowbourn flows eastwards towards the Entwash, which itself leads to the Anduin, and thence the Sea. Immediately north of the city gates is the Great Road, leading to Gondor in the east, and Enedwaith in the west. Besides the road is the Barrowfield, in which the graves of passed Kings are covered in Simbelmynë
