Morwen Steelsheen

From Tolkien Gateway
The name Morwen refers to more than one character, item or concept. For a list of other meanings, see Morwen (disambiguation).
Morwen
Gondorian
Biographical Information
Other namesMorwen of Lossarnach
LocationLossarnach (Gondor)
Rohan
BirthT.A. 2922[1]
DeathUnknown (aged 41+)
Family
ParentageUnnamed father (descended from some previous Prince of Dol Amroth or one of his ancestors)[2]
SpouseThengel
ChildrenThéoden
Théodwyn
Three unnamed daughters
Physical Description
GenderFemale
HeightTall
Hair colorDark

Morwen Steelsheen was the queen to King Thengel of Rohan, and the mother of his renowned heir Théoden.[1]

History[edit | edit source]

Although Morwen dwelt in Lossarnach, she did not belong to the people of that land. In fact, her father was originally from Belfalas but had removed there for its flowering vales; he was a descendant of a former Prince of Dol Amroth and thus a kinsman of Prince Imrahil.[2]

In T.A. 2943, she was married to Thengel of Rohan in Gondor, though she was seventeen years younger than him. She bore him three children in Gondor, of whom Théoden, the second, was her only son. When his father Fengel died, Thengel inherited the Kingship of Rohan, and travelled with Morwen back to his own land. Morwen bore him two more daughters in Rohan; and the last, Théodwyn, was the fairest: she would become the mother of Éomer and Éowyn.[1]

Description[edit | edit source]

The epithet Steelsheen was given to her by the Rohirrim due to the grace and pride that she brought from Gondor.[1]

Being one of the Dúnedain of the South, and due to her high Númenórean heritage, her descendants were said to be considerably taller than most of the Rohirrim, especially Éomer, and some also inherited her dark hair.[2]

Morwen's granddaughter Éowyn was also slender and tall, and she too inherited the graceful and proud bearing of Gondor from her.[1]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

Morwen is the name of a famous member of the House of Bëor in the First Age. It translates from Sindarin as "Dark Maiden", from the root MOR- ("black, dark, darkness") + the female suffix -wen ("maiden").[3]

"Steelsheen" is presumably intended as a modernization of Old English stýle "steel" + scíene "beautiful."[source?]

Genealogy[edit | edit source]

Unknown Prince of Dol Amroth
 
Folcwine
2830 - 2903
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fengel
2870 - 2953
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MORWEN
b. 2922
 
Thengel
2905 - 2980
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Théoden
2948 - 3019
 
three daughters
unknown
 
Théodwyn
2963 - 3002
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Théodred
2978 - 3019
 
Éomer
2991 - Fo.A. 63
 
Éowyn
b. 2995

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The House of Eorl", "The Kings of the Mark", pp. 1069-70
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Disaster of the Gladden Fields", "Appendix: Númenórean Linear Measures", p. 286
  3. Paul Strack, "S. Morwen f.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon (accessed 8 August 2023)