Éothéod

The Éothéod were a group of Northmen who originally dwelt in Rhovanion, but were pushed west into the Vales of Anduin by the Easterling Wainriders. As the darkness of Dol Guldur grew, the Éothéod moved further north and came into conflict with the Angmarim who dwelled in the Wells of Langflood. Deciding to flee no further, the Éothéod ousted the Angmarim from that land, sending them fleeing north into Câr Bronach. Finding the spit of land between the Langwell and the Greylin to be inhabitable, they settled there for some years. They built Framsburg, named in honor of Fram, killer of the dragon Scatha.

Eorl the Young of the Éothéod answered the call for aid by Gondor in the Easterling Wars, and together with Cirion, Steward of Gondor, beat back the invading Easterlings. In thanks, Cirion granted Eorl's people the land of Calenardhon, which had been depopulated by war and plague.

Settling in that wide open land, the Éothéod then called themselves the Eorlingas - the followers of Eorl - but the Silvan Elves who were their neighbours to the north named them the Rohirrim - the Horse-lords, and thus their new land became known as Rohan.

Etymology

The Éothéod were originally known as the Ai-thúda, but that name went through several soundchanges when the Éothéod were in close contact with the holbylta and the Longbeards during the rule of lord Lóthar.