"
There Théoden fell, Thengling mighty..."
from the Song of the
Mounds of MundburgThe Return of the King V 6
The Battle of the Pelennor Fields
Properly, a title or surname that could be used for any of the descendants or followers of Thengel, the sixteenth King of Rohan. It was equivalent in that sense to 'Eorlings' for all the Men of Rohan, or 'Helmingas' for the defenders of Helm's Deep. In the Song of the Mounds of Mundburg, though, it is used in a much more specific sense for Théoden, where it emphasises that the slain King was not merely a descendant of Thengel, but his son and direct heir.
Notes
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The Old English '-ling' was a broad nominal suffix, and so taken strictly literally a 'Thengling' could refer to anyone with a connection to Thengel. In the context of the Kings of Rohan, this word ending usually means 'descendant' or 'follower', but in this particular case it can be taken as specifically as 'son'. 'Thengling' in fact has a double meaning: because the name 'Thengel' meant 'King', then 'Thengling' could also be interpreted as the 'son of the King' or 'heir of the King'.
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- Updated 31 August 2018
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