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Meduseld, also known as the Golden Hall, was the great hall built in Edoras, the capital of Rohan.

History[]

After the Éothéod had settled in Rohan, the second King of Rohan, Brego son of Eorl, began building a great hall on top of the hill of Edoras. It was completed in the year TA 2569.[1] At the feast celebrating its completion, Baldor son of Brego made a rash vow to tread the Paths of the Dead, never to return.

Meduseld JanPospisil

Edoras, by Jan Pospisil

At the time of the War of the Ring, Meduseld was the home of King Théoden. Háma was its doorward up until March TA 3019, when he perished in the Battle of the Hornburg. Earlier in that month, Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli arrived at the Golden Hall, where Gandalf freed Théoden from the foul influence of Gríma Wormtongue.[2]

Description[]

Meduseld was a large hall with a straw roof, which made it appear as if it was made out of gold when seen from far off. Its walls were richly decorated with tapestries depicting the history and legends of the Rohirrim, and it served as a house for the king and his kin, a meeting space for the king and his advisers, a throne room and hall for feasts and celebrations.

Behind the scenes[]

The word Maeduselde, in the Anglo-Saxon language, means mead-hall. In many ways Meduseld is inspired by Anglo-Saxon poetry, particularly Beowulf, which contains the mead-hall Heorot. The description of "the light of it shines far across the land" is one of the lines from this poem.

The Golden Hall

Meduseld as seen in Peter Jackson's The Two Towers, with the White Mountains visible in the background

Portrayal in adaptations[]

Meduseld appears in both the second and third films of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001 - 2003), portrayed similarly to its description in J.R.R. Tolkien's writings. Its final appearance was based on sketches by John Howe and Alan Lee.[3]

Translations[]

Foreign Language Translated name
Danish Kong Théodens Sal (Meduseld)

References[]

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