The West Marches of Rohan1
The West Marches of Rohan1
Running northward from the White Mountains, the western border of Rohan was marked by the course of the river Isen, and among the Rohirrim this border region of their realm was known as the West Marches. Its most strategic point was at the Fords of Isen, where the river broke briefly into two shallow branches, and over which the North-South Road ran through the Gap of Rohan.
The Rohirrim constructed forts to guard the Fords, forts that were tested in the year III 3019 when Saruman sent his forces against Rohan. Because Saruman controlled the sources of the Isen, he was able to send his soldiers down both of its banks, and a part of his force raided southwards through the West Marches themselves. The ensuing Battles of the Fords of Isen sorely tested Rohan's defences, seeing the King's heir Théodred slain in the First Battle, and the Fords themselves captured in the Second Battle. Rohan's loss of the Fords and the West Marches set events into motion that would lead to the Battle of the Hornburg the following day.
A little confusingly, the western borders of Rohan contain two distinct regions with almost identical names. The West Marches were the northern part of Rohan's western border, following the course of the Isen. The West-march, despite the closely similar name, lay lower on the course of the Isen, forming a tongue of land between that river and the Adorn to the south.
Notes
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The West Marches were that part of the western border of Rohan running along the course of Isen and abutting the Gap of Rohan. They do not appear to have had any formal boundary, and so we cannot be sure how far into Rohan they extended. We do know, however, that the fortress of the Hornburg formed part of the guard on the Gap, and so the West Marches would have effectively extended at least this far eastward along the White Mountains.
Note that, as mentioned above, the region marked 'West-march of Rohan' on this map is not directly related to the West Marches. Despite the similarity of the name, this was a distinct part of the realm that extended westward into the lands between the rivers Isen and Adorn.
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- Updated 27 November 2024
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