The Rise of Rohan (Second - Fourth Age) LOTR DOCUMENTARY

[@InvictaHistory]

We commissioned some awesome maps of Middle Earth which you can get here: invicta-history-shop.fourthwall.com/en-usd/collections/all (purchases help support the channel and make more episodes like this possible)

[@neutral_narr]

Will you guys do another video on Stormlight?

[@InvictaHistory]

@@neutral_narr I would certainly like to. We had previously begun some work on a "Growing Up Alethi" episode but production stalled out. Its worth resurrecting for 2025

[@ajax1025]

Hi! I'm a long time subscriber and I would love to buy a map of Gondor but it's only available framed and but I don't have enough money for the framed version. Is there a non framed version left?

[@BIGJATPSU]

Theoden, "The Horn of Helm Hammerhand will sound in the deep, one last time!" BRINGS CHILLS!

[@AndrewMcColl]

RIP, Bernard. A true king.

[@thelonelybolter8245]

So much of Rohan's mystique stands on the shoulders of Bernard Hill. What a performance - RIP.

[@Mr.LaughingDuck]

7:00 That was NOT the Tomb of Isildur, but the *Tomb of Elendil* After the Disaster of Gladden Fields, Isildur's body was long lost and never given a tomb (later writings say Saruman found his bones, and insultingly burnt them)

[@InvictaHistory]

You are certainly right, thanks for the correction

[@gumbyshrimp2606]

@@InvictaHistory do better

[@commonurlz]

@@InvictaHistory Also it was Eomer that called "Death" at Pelanor. It was given to Theodin in the movies.

[@archimediestheiii1956]

@@gumbyshrimp2606 CHILL. They made one minor mistake, and will do better in the future, they don't need you to tell them...

[@dominic2196]

@@gumbyshrimp2606 get a grip of yourself

[@TricksterPoi]

*FORTH EORLINGAS!* Also love that map too!

[@FloeticsPH]

Then you hear trumpets sounding the Charge. In the Movie the Theme of Rohan plays. That shit has NEVER FAILED to give me Goosebumps no matter how many times I've seen it.

[@KroiAlbanoiArbanon]

The opening is just chef's kiss.

[@moritamikamikara3879]

Where is the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? They have passed like rain on the mountains, like wind in the meadow. The days have gone down in the West, behind the hills... into Shadow. ...how did it come to this...

[@johnquach8821]

Glad to see more Lord of the Rings content! Thank you so much!

[@rtyrsson]

Nicely done! There are a couple of minor discrepancies, but nothing that takes away from the pure enjoyment of this episode. As for future episodes, I was highly disappointed that Peter Jackson did not show Prince Imrahil and the Knights of Dol Amroth that fought valiantly at Minas Tirith. Tolkien's notes and histories give a little more insight into them than what is just in the trilogy books, but perhaps it is enough for an episode? The Citadel Guard could be another nice episode.

[@marcbartuschka6372]

Well, it would be complicated to bring new factions in it, I guess, with their own distinct costumes. I am more angry about the character-assassination of Denethor....

[@InvictaHistory]

I'd love to do something on the Swan Knights or at least the other fiefs of Gondor. We actually already did an episode on the tower guard

[@ryanl2654]

Imagine a fictional world so immersive that a video like this can be made of it. Nice.

[@hamishsewell5990]

Love it! Really got me in the mood to see the new film! Saruman’s Uruk-hai or the Easterlings please!

[@skylarferris8905]

The Swan Knights of Dol Amroth would be cool to see a video on!

[@jeff4926]

Great maps on this one! Nice to see original art on the same geography

[@awesomehpt8938]

The necromancer is probably just some weirdo that uses a bit of magic. Definitely isn’t Sauron at all….probably.

[@GenJuhru]

_I sense... death within this place._

[@spamhonx56]

18:03 By Sigmar, what was that slip of the tongue?

[@focusofthefuture8689]

The warhammer finds a way in everything, don't it?

[@johntitor_ibm5100]

The nation calls!

[@Michael-kd1ho]

@@johntitor_ibm5100 Summon the Elector Counts!

[@alperozcan4384]

The piece for Sauron (as Annatar) falls to Isengard instead of Saruman at 19:03 :) other than that, great video. (If we don't hear "Heldenhemmer" and "Rogirrim") Ending the video with the "Mount and Blade Viking Conquest" theme was a nice touch :)

[@wylde_hunter]

Great video. High standards throughout. I would love to see a similar documentary on the Rangers of Ithilien.

[@Licht.von.Stein.]

Really nice video, so I hate to be that lore guy, but at around 6:50, it is the tomb of Elendil (Isildur's father for those who didn't know), not Isildur himself.

[@InvictaHistory]

Nice catch, thanks for pointing that out

[@Kaasga]

This is awesome - great job !

[@Tar-Elenion]

Last I checked, Tolkien does not use the term "Low Men", he uses High Men, Middle Men & Men of Darkness (and sometimes Wild Men): "‘For so we reckon Men in our lore, calling them the High, or Men of the West, which were Númenóreans; and the Middle Peoples, Men of the Twilight, such as are the Rohirrim and their kin that dwell still far in the North; and the Wild, the Men of Darkness." LotR, Window on the West The Steward Cirion pronounced Kirion, not Sirion. What is your citation for squadrons of 30 and companies of 100 men? Tolkien lays out organiztion in some detail in Battles of the Fords of Isen and in Cirion & Eorl (Unfinished Tales). Eored: "According to a note on the ordering of the Rohirrim, the éored ‘had no precisely fixed number, but in Rohan it was only applied to Riders, fully trained for war: men serving for a term, or in some cases permanently, in the King’s Host. Any considerable body of such men, riding as a unit in exercise or on service, was called an éored. But after the recovery of the Rohirrim and the reorganization of their forces in the days of King Folcwine, a hundred years before the War of the Ring, a “full éored ” in battle order was reckoned to contain not less than 120 men (including the Captain), and to be one hundredth part of the Full Muster of the Riders of the Mark, not including those of the King’s Household." UT, Cirion & Eorl, note 36 In Battles of the Fords of Isen, one eored of twelve is horsed archers. Considering that bowmen were few, this may be a general ratio of archers to melee.

[@RoyalTeaLegion]

Far better than before. Keep on

[@Heroesflorian]

A truly awesome video, thanks!

[@matmazan3355]

Great video, man!!

[@lorddervish212quinterosara6]

Great work, I think the Swan-Knights of Dol Amroth or the history of the "Dunledings" would be a good idea for another video. Btw, I think you skipped the failed slave uprising in Rhovanion against the Wainriders, the following counterattack of both the Eothed and Gondor against them and the eventual migration further north to the upper reaches of the Vale of Anduin, where Fram slayed "Scatha the Worm" and founded Framsburg. If I remember correctly, the "Horn of the Mark" was a treasure from said Dragon's hoard.

[@TheSaneHatter]

The Dunlendings are someone I, too, would like to hear more about, especially since there's so much incomplete or contradictory information about them. Were they really a once-civilized people who had fallen on harder times? Were they really from Minhiriath, in what was once Arnor? Were they friendly with the Woses (whom the Rohirrim hunted), as the statues at Dunharrow suggest? How legitimate was their grievance with the Rohirrim, who rousted them out of Calenardhon?

[@tar-mairo]

@@TheSaneHatter I can try and provide only some answers here. (Also, cool user name btw!) The Dunlendings are descendants of second wave Mannish migration over Anduin (the very first were the Woses i.e. Druedain) who tried escaping the influence of Morgoth in the First Age (at that time, working in the distant Far East of Middle-Earth trying to corrupt newly awakened Men). Most settled both south and north of the White Mountains, and were on relatively friendly terms with Druedain. However, some decided to push forward and entered Beleriand, becoming the Edain, friends of the Elves in their fight against Morgoth. Most of this population, the so called Second House or Haladin, died out in these wars along with their language, which was wholly unrelated to the one used by other two Houses. So when in the Second Age, Numenoreans started exploring and colonizing the coasts and rivers of Middle-Earth, they didn't recognize either these people or their language as kin, which in their eyes, approved of the mistreatment and discrimination. The remnants of these Middle Men in southern Eriador escaped both into the cape of Eryn Vorn and Dunland as to avoid more contact and clashes with Numenoreans. This rivalry endured for centuries and even millenia into the Third Age, so you can say both Gondorians and Dunlandings had proper historical grievances against each other. No wonder then that Gondorians chose the Eotheod who not only looked but spoke a language vaguely similar to their own ancestors, to give the lands of Calenardhon. One funny bit is that Dunlandish xenophobia was focused solely on Dunedain and their allies. At different points in history, Dunland was home to both Stoor Hobbits and many Dwarves of the Longbeard clan. Likewise, this xenophobia was the reason the Great Plague of 1636 TA almost didn't affect them. Sorry for the wall of text! Just happy to help!

[@captaincole4511]

Invicta is doing LOTR AND 40k content now?? Happy days!

[@ggfnutdznmzm4238]

A video on on the Mumakil would be really cool.

[@awesomehpt8938]

Rohan is basically Anglo-Saxon England with horses

[@ethans7588]

That's the Goth influence

[@MezeWorld-h6m]

I NEVER THOUGHT THAT ABOUT ROHAN…THEY ARE ANGLO-SAXON…|

[@goldenshark3182]

@@awesomehpt8938 I always took Gondor to be an allegory for Anglo-Saxon England and Rohan to be an allegory for the United States of America. The west was won with horses and cavalry. All mixed in with Western European history and influences and World War I.

[@dylanlandry4996]

@@awesomehpt8938 was actually based off the cimbrian tribe

[@Liquidsback]

With Ostrogoths

[@collintrytsman3353]

EXCELLENT LOOK FORWARD TO MORE!!

[@robbabcock_]

Wonderful work! ⚔🔥🏹

[@EAsp100]

Great video thanks. I like the design and animations and anytime you speak on the world arda

[@mikehunter9780]

Got a new PC and getting ready for some lord of the rings total war mod overhauls. Rohan is my favorite can't wait to play as them and this is a perfect prologue/hype video

[@jotchua33547]

It'd be awesome to see you guys cover some of the battles from R. Scott Bakker's Second Apocalypse series. They're some of the best battles in fantasy in my opinion, The Fifth Battle of Mengedda in particular would be incredible.

[@captainvalourous6668]

Knowing real life history I think aside from the Anglo-Saxons and Scandanavians I think the Rohirrim could've also been inspired by the Cumans, horse riding nomads who were also known for their blonde hair despite their origin in the East like the Riders of Rohan.

[@noahtylerpritchett2682]

Or Goths. Rather they biologically mixed with Scythians or not I do not know. But they certainly got influenced by their equestrian culture and material influence.

[@abasudoh7459]

I really need to get around to reading these books

[@nikoborz5854]

Very Cool Video ❤️❤️❤️👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 Please made a Video about the Dunlendings, also known as the Wildmen of Dunland 🙏🙏🙏

[@TassadarProtos]

Amazing! ❤❤❤❤

[@MsChrishanson]

Great vid. One correction - the “Death” chant was by Eomer after seeing Eowyn’s body, not from Thoeden like the move portrayed.

[@mr.s2005]

it was Eomer who gave the war cry "Death" and to Ride to Ruin, after finding both his uncle dead, and seeing his sister who he thought was dead.

[@marcbartuschka6372]

While I love the Rohirim (next to the dwarves) most of all the "good" factions of Tolkiens lore, I am not sure if you did not paint them a little bit to nicely here. I guess the story was a VERY different one from the Dunlendings perspective. To say the Rohirim defeated the encroaching Dunlandings may put things from the bottom to the top - for the Dunlandings the Rohirim were the one who were encroaching. I could imagine that the raids of the Rohirim were very destructive, inflicting great harm on Dunlanding civilians as it is often the case in that type of Warfare. That Wulf did rise up was not without good reasons since his father was murdered just about a insult to the king Helm (who insulted him first), and was after this murder driven from his home by the riders of the king who delcared him and his kin as enemies of Rohan. So Wulf had good reason to hate Rohan and strike back, and it is telling how easy he could muster a strong host among the tribes. That the Rohirim were quite racist against Dunlandings (and even against people of mixed heritage even if they had also blood from Rohirim nobility) we see also clearly in the Story of Helm Hammerhand. There was one force who could strike fear in the hearts of Rohirim - the wolf-riders, since they dared to strike directly into their formations and rip open the bellies of the horses. The "great peace" after Sauron was defeated was for decades no real peace at all, since brave Easterlings and Haradrim fought on for many years so that Eomer had to ride out to stay true to his oath to the new King Elessar until he did become an old men, so I guess many Rohirim did die in far away lands in the first 20-30 years after the War of the Ring, and I guess he and his men would be cursed by the relatives of the slain men in East and South for many years after that.

[@motivationaiz]

I just might agree 😮

[@patrickhall4787]

Just the intro... You have outdone yourself.

[@neutral_narr]

Please do another Stormlight video 🙏

[@abombiii3010]

Yes but what to talk about next though

[@tsuv5722]

Can you sell the artwork of Edoras as well? It looks so good.

[@saturnv2419]

Despite its many flaws, the Rohan charge remains a classic scene in movie history.

[@christianricardochavezgome8141]

Hi, team Invicta! I really love your channel, specially everything involving LOTR. A small question about the maps: how much would it cost to ship one of them to Guadalajara, México? Thank you!

[@מתןהרמן]

Amazing!

[@RoyalTeaLegion]

Yes, use the deep smooth voice

[@noahtylerpritchett2682]

When you have Anglo-Saxons but with Ostrogothic/Visigothic horse obsession. You have Rohan. Imagine a alternate timeline where Goths and Anglo-Saxons merged irl (Anglo-Goths lol)

[@soulabear9146]

...aren't they Ze Germans 😂

[@noahtylerpritchett2682]

@soulabear9146 yes the Goths and Proto-English (Anglo-Saxons) are German.

[@l.s.9095]

What is a "Ostrogothic/ Visigothic horse obsession"?

[@noahtylerpritchett2682]

@l.s.9095 the Goths adopted the Scythian equestrian culture

[@l.s.9095]

@@noahtylerpritchett2682 Not sure about that. I don't think they were living as Nomads for long. Certainly not after they founded their kingdoms, right?

[@akiramasashi9317]

19:12 That's a Sauron model in Isengard

[@ryanamsa]

21:26 damn. Even if it wasn’t aragorn who said the lines, it still chills

[@stinky4226]

awesome sauce

[@rickardberglund1564]

Very interesting video

[@RespawnM]

new vo is awesome

[@Donutgames00]

19:13 used a Sauron figure instead of Sauruman.

[@Shaabhekh]

Makes me wonder what would have happened after the battle of Minas Tirith had they not been notified of Frodo and Sam being so close to their goal of destroying the ring. If there was no immediate need to avert Saurons gaze from inside Mordor, what do we think would have happened? Everyone goes back home to recuperate? Hang around for a bit to prevent further attempts on Minas Tirith?

[@jermsmason2082]

at 19:00 "while the wizard Saruman" spelled as Sauron

[@KroiAlbanoiArbanon]

Please do the night's watch,kingsguard and the unsullied.

[@awesomehpt8938]

I see….time to get our violins out!

[@Whitemoon193]

13:20 macedonian cavalry in the background...?

[@RoboticDragon]

Going Friday for the new movie. Sent this to my brother so he could get some info and not be in the dark.

[@Medievaltroubador]

Rohan is an Anglo-Saxon culture with a military organized on Turko-Mongol lines. It makes no sense and yet I could not love it more!

[@inakipedrosa6534]

Male more vídeos about LOTR PLEASE!!!!

[@bine35]

How does that work with copyright on the maps? Do you have a license or because they're custom it doesn't apply? Just curious

[@jessewilliams9195]

awesome

[@JohnDoe-wv7ep]

Just FYI, there’s a typo on the Rohan map, “… Third Age *know* as the War of the Ring”

[@haha__hihi]

Thank you for exploring Tolkien universe :)

[@king-oc5pe]

Do black templars army size please 🙏

[@joaqu7002]

Theoden is literally Theodoric I of the Visigoths

[@FLYNNGFISHER]

This is so cool

[@lexington476]

Are the riders of Rohan light or heavy cavalry?

[@marcbartuschka6372]

I would say more medium and light. They had nearly none armoured horses as far as we know, but the riders had at least decent armor if they were from organized units like that of Eomer. I guess many people who were just called to arms in time of war were not armed that well and fought more a lightly armed riders. But real heavy cavalry may just be a few units like those directly under high ranking nobles. But that is only a guess, Tolkien did not get that much into details.

[@l.s.9095]

Rohan features most certainly all kinds of cavalry, but their main force should be viewed as heavy cavalry. The lack of horse armor is no problem since no other factions at this point in time uses horse armor. The Rohirrim furthermore use very fine horses and lances, which is typical heavy cavalry equipment.

[@lexington476]

@@l.s.9095 'very fine' meaning of high quality?

[@l.s.9095]

@lexington476 Yes, basicly the best in Middle Earth (although Elves may have even better horses). For example - if I remember correctly - Sauron demands them as tribute.

[@cal2127]

heavy like alexanders companion cavalry. not super heavy like cataphracts

[@rileydd08]

How did orcs multiply?

[@teamshaboobalu2887]

Is "The Rings of Power" show going to cover this?

[@platitudepete8]

Dwarven Goat Cavalry video when

[@Kain-h8e]

Make a video on sauron army

[@CAIR-Duragon]

I won't stand still without people knowing the people of Rohan were given the right to take the land and the homes of the Dunledings without their consent, aproved by the king of Gondor at the time. I ask for justice in the name of the rightful heirs of those lands! Forgotten since the Angmar wars by the last renmants of Arnor. (If you could make more videos about the ever interesting factions and peoples of Arda that were less popular in the movies, I would love it. :P )

[@taurinvandenbrand7574]

Eh.. they can live with it. We did it in real life too and look at how well its going over there!! Right...? R- right???

[@germanmandalorian3514]

Ma' Boys and Girls of the Horselords! Love it.

[@tar-mairo]

Amazing video, beautiful art, and another smooth narration by Guy Michaels! Okay, I can excuse some mispronunciation, but I just have this major complaint that is gnawing at me, constantly: why, oh why not include proper subtitles?? Not all of us are native English speakers (including me!) and some, I assume, have diminished hearing too. Yet this would be a great opportunity for learning not just about the topic, but language as well. This sole issue distracts so freaking much from the obviously hard effort and artistry done by everybody involved with the making of the video. I've seen single person channels with far smaller support and visibility do it properly and on a smaller sample, with longer videos!! I just don't understand - is adding subtitles a particularly demanding and difficult process? Can somebody smarter explain this to me? Have the Invicta team ever even addressed this? It's the only thing that bugs me with their videos.

[@Cucchulainnn]

I've always thought of Rohan as the Goths while they where in eastern europe.

[@YuleStanleyJuster]

Cool❤

[@brucewindsor5257]

Only in the movie does Gandalf lead a cavalry charge at Helms Deep. In the movie, Gandalf gathers scattered warriors from Rohan but the soldiers are led into the battle by the Rohan commander, Erkenbrand

[@leozao5]

I think the map is beautiful, but there are many mistakes, wrong borders, places missing or moved

[@awesomehpt8938]

Gandalf rides Shadofax who is a Mearas and he isn’t a king or prince of Rohan.

[@InvictaHistory]

I mean its pretty obvious why they might make an exception for such a rider

[@MrPlainsflyer]

Shadowfax denying the kings and princes of Rohan is also a way of indicating the decline of Rohan, to the point where the "king" is deemed unworthy.

[@williamsekely1476]

Gandalf is a virtuous Maiar, a higher being than any mortal or elven king.

[@youtoob4life]

Great video, but the writer seems to have mixed up book lore with movie lore. Still a great telling of events though.

[@silvermasktraveler1788]

11:53 that doesn't seem a lot.

[@CactusJack60]

Hera? 🎉🎉

[@g3heathen209]

It's Rohan! Sound Helm's horn, and ride forth! Fear no darkness!

[@romandacil3984]

Ist Battle of Fords of Isen was where Theodred died not in some Ambush on the plain. Book of Unfinished Tales gives a full description of the 2 Battles of the Fords Of Isen. I thought the video would go on into the 4th Age where according to the Appendixies Rohan and Gondor fight many battles in Rhun and Harad until Eomer grew old. But other than that well done.

[@kristoferho7288]

19:03 On the map. That was NOT Sauron. It is Saruman.

[@toddb2581]

I have been playing a middle earth dungeon and dragons campaign for 8 years. I rebuild the kingdom of Armor 49 years before the Hobbit starts. My character and army has killed 75,000 orcs. All of former Arnor, Mt Gram and Carn Dum is under Arnor control. Rohan is by far weakest Kingdoms in the alliance( the Hillman kingdom has won more battles that Rohan in the campaign so far). Rohan unit formation has massive weak points, they have been getting crushed by easterling formations and horsemen. My Arnor formation runs roman style heavy cavalry, infantry and horse archers have win battles with Easterlings and Vampires in Mirkwood. Both Easterlings and Vampires enemies but both hate my character more.

[@FLYNNGFISHER]

Commenting again for youtube

[@rangerstedfast]

Disappointed by War of the Roherrim, but then I found this video

[@KyIeMcCIeIIan]

It's pitiful how Helms Deep isn't protecting anything. Not the Gap of Rohan, not a main road, no significant relics or treasures are mentioned within the Hornburg either.

[@marcbartuschka6372]

It is a point of retreat, with enough room to house quite a number of people. Don't forget, the towns in the plains of Rohan have not very impressive fortifications.

[@tar-mairo]

Echoing what @marcbartuschka6372 says, Rohan has actually only two named cities, Edoras and Aldburg. Others must have existed but aren't named. And most Rohirrim lived in small villages or farms anyway. The Hornburg fortress was originally built by Gondorians and named Aglarond (meaning ''Glittering Caves'' which they found deeper within the valley). In the _Unfinished Tales_ it specifically says that it did guard the southern end of the Gap of Rohan.

[@DaClaptain]

kinda funny how hes talking about how everyone else was wrong about historical battles but for some odd reason him as a random youtuber has it right. But then turns around and screws up the history of a fantasy world. Where a simple google search could of fixed it. Dudes falling off.

[@kiritokaguya9180]

Moria and the dwarfs would be great

[@maxnetirtimon4121]

13:30 so they were basically Parthians.

[@bobbob4614]

You get a dislike because of ad in middle

[@riptide1ful]

I like the Dunlendings better.

[@tolik5929]

Wouldnt stand a chance against the Mongols .

[@Andre_vyent]

hehe whats upp with the chinese restaurant back ground music xD

[@richter6699]

Too bad the new movie is trash. But the Tolkien fandom is awesome for giving us these palette cleansers

[@arckmage5218]

Guy, I love your poshy narrative voice. But please, for the love of Eru Iluvatar, watch Peter Jacksons LOTR, and pronounce the names like they do.

[@Fuzzypotato2]

Now “let us” put more work into the script…