Théoden (AU)

Intro Théoden was the only son of Thengel, the heir of king Fengel of Rohan, and Morwen of Lossarnach, a descendant of a former prince of the fief of Belfalas.[1][3] His father left Rohan when he came to manhood and lived long in Gondor. Théoden had been born in Gondor and spent at least the first five years of his life there with his mother and father until his father was called back to Rohan after the death of Théoden's grandfather Fengel. Westron,[4] the "speech of Gondor", was used in his father's house in Rohan[1]:1069. Théoden spoke Westron as his native language[4] and he also spoke Rohanese and Sindarin.[5] It is not known if Sindarin and Rohanese were his native languages or his acquired languages. His mother Morwen was a "lady of Gondor of high Númenórean descent".[3] In Gondor all men of high lineage and all those who learned how to read and write used Sindarin, even as a daily language, and it is said that in some families Sindarin was the native language.[6] Théoden loved his sister Théodwyn dearly. After she and her husband both died he adopted her children Éomer and Éowyn as his own. He had a son, Théodred, whose mother Elfhild died in childbirth.[1] Théoden became king after the death of his father in T.A. 2980.[1] In T.A. 3014 Théoden's health began to fail. This was caused by the spells of Saruman the White.[1] This may have been due to natural causes as he was then sixty-six, though Rohirrim often lived past eighty, or it may have been induced or increased by subtle poisons administered by Gríma.[7] Gríma (or Wormtongue as most others in the Mark called him), was secretly in the employ of Saruman.