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many partings 1279
‘Théoden King, Théoden King! Farewell! As a father you
were to me, for a little while. Farewell!’
When the burial was over and the weeping of women was
stilled, and Théoden was left at last alone in his barrow, then
folk gathered to the Golden Hall for the great feast and put
away sorrow; for Théoden had lived to full years and ended
in honour no less than the greatest of his sires. And when the
time came that in the custom of the Mark they should drink
to the memory of the kings, Éowyn Lady of Rohan came
forth, golden as the sun and white as snow, and she bore a
filled cup to Éomer.
Then a minstrel and loremaster stood up and named all
the names of the Lords of the Mark in their order: Eorl the
Young; and Brego builder of the Hall; and Aldor brother of
Baldor the hapless; and Fréa, and Fréawine, and Goldwine,
and Déor, and Gram; and Helm who lay hid in Helm’s Deep
when the Mark was overrun; and so ended the nine mounds
of the west-side, for in that time the line was broken, and
after came the mounds of the east-side: Fréaláf, Helm’s sisterson,
and Léofa, and Walda, and Folca, and Folcwine, and
Fengel, and Thengel, and Théoden the latest. And when
Théoden was named Éomer drained the cup. Then Éowyn
bade those that served to fill the cups, and all there assembled
rose and drank to the new king, crying: ‘Hail, Éomer, King
of the Mark!’
At the last when the feast drew to an end Éomer arose and
said: ‘Now this is the funeral feast of Théoden the King; but
I will speak ere we go of tidings of joy, for he would not
grudge that I should do so, since he was ever a father to
Éowyn my sister. Hear then all my guests, fair folk of many
realms, such as have never before been gathered in this hall!
Faramir, Steward of Gondor, and Prince of Ithilien, asks that
Éowyn Lady of Rohan should be his wife, and she grants
it full willing. Therefore they shall be trothplighted before
you all.’
And Faramir and Éowyn stood forth and set hand in hand;