Thane, Reeve, and Aldor

The following titles are encountered in Rohan. They are based on Thegns, Reeves, and Ealdormen.

Thane

The term thegn (thane or thayn in Shakespearean English), from Old English þegn, ðegn, "servant, attendant, retainer", "one who serves",[1] is commonly used to describe either an aristocratic retainer of a king or nobleman in Anglo-Saxon England, or, as a class term, the majority of the aristocracy below the ranks of ealdormen and high-reeves. It is also the term for an early medieval Scandinavian class of retainers.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thegn

Note that this etomylogy of Thane is different than the Thane in Scotland.

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thane_(Scotland)

Reeve

Originally in Anglo-Saxon England the reeve was a senior official with local responsibilities under the Crown, e.g., as the chief magistrate of a town or district. Subsequently, after the Norman conquest, it was an office held by a man of lower rank, appointed as manager of a manor and overseer of the peasants. In this later role, historian H. R. Loyn observes, "he is the earliest English specialist in estate management."

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reeve_(England)

Aldor

An ealdorman (from Old English ealdorman, lit. "elder man"; plural: "ealdormen") was a high-ranking royal official and prior magistrate of an Anglo-Saxon shire or group of shires from about the ninth century to the time of King Cnut. The term "ealdorman" was rendered in Latin as dux in early West Saxon charters, and as præfectus (which is also the equivalent of gerefa, modern reeve, from which sheriff or shire reeve is derived). In the Life of King Alfred by the Welsh bishop Asser, the Latin equivalent is comes.[1] As the chief magistrate of a shire or group of shires (county) in Anglo-Saxon England, he commanded the army of the shire(s) and districts under his control on behalf of the king.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ealdorman

Originally posted by Fadhero in Reddit/r/lotro

In LOTRO and specifically in Rohan, Thanes rule their cities, Reeves rule their area, and Aldors rule the region. Thanes are subject to their Reeve, Reeves and Thanes are subject to the Aldors, and all are subject to the King. For example, Aldor Harding is Thane of Harwick, but is also Reeve of the Wold and Aldor of the Eastemnet. So not only does he rule Harwick, but he also is responsible for the rest of the Estemnet.

This hierarchy was created for LOTRO, and I don't recall any such discussion of these types of roles in the books. It appears that rule in Rohan is mostly local, so Thanes have a great deal of discretion for ruling their cities/towns, while Reeves and Aldors are responsible for dealing with issues that affect the larger area. All are subject to the King's laws, but it appears that the Rohirric kings weren't micromanaging and were mainly responsible for organizing the defense of the kingdom overall.

EDIT: It's not totally clear how this local rule worked with the military forces of Rohan, as the Marshals of the Riddermark appeared to report to the king.

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/lotro/comments/7kr3az/thane_reeve_aldor/

The Rohirrim

Rohirrim is Sindarin for People of the Horse-lords (sometimes translated simply as Horse-lords) and was mostly used by outsiders: the name they had for themselves was Eorlingas, after their king Eorl the Young who had first brought them to Rohan. Rohirrim is a collective noun and should be used with the definite article (i.e. the Rohirrim). It should not be used as an adjective. (The adjective is Rohirric, which also refers to their language. Tolkien also used Rohanese occasionally in his letters.)

The Eorlingas had a standing army, the Éored.

The Éored

An Éored was a division of the Rohirrim consisting of a considerable body of men, fully trained for war, who might serve for a specific term or sometimes as a permanent group. In the early history of Rohan the number could vary, but in the days of King Folcwine a "full Éored" was defined as 120 men (including its captain) and was one hundredth part of the Full Muster of the Riders of the Mark.

In times of war each Marshal of the Mark had as part of his "household" an Éored ready for battle that he could use at his own discretion. If the king were riding to war his Éored was called "the King's Company".

Marshal of the Mark

Marshal of the Mark was a title of high rank within the army of Rohan. The Marshals were considered lieutenants of the King, and commanded not only a fully equipped Éored, but were charged with one-third of all the Muster of Rohan. As such, there were usually three Marshals.

The first Marshal's charge was the King's lands. These included Folde and Harrowdale, and the muster also of Edoras, the capital. The second Marshal was usually charged with the West-Mark, including the Fords of Isen, a pivotal location in Rohan's defense during the War of the Ring. The Hornburg (Helm's Deep) was the base of the West-Mark's Marshal. The East-Mark often went to the third Marshal. His headquarters were at Aldburg, once the home of Eorl the Young, first King of the Mark. The second and third Marshals, however, were interchangeable, and were assigned based on need by the King.