Fords of Isen

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In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, the Fords of Isen were fords in the river Isen, guarded by the Rohirrim. As the only crossing of the Isen into Rohan, they were of enormous strategic importance.

During the War of the Ring there were two battles at the Fords of Isen.[1] The first battle took place on February 25, 3019 of the Third Age. The second was on March 2, T.A. 3019. The battles were between Saruman's army and the Rohirrim of Rohan.

Internal history[edit]

First Battle of the Fords of Isen[edit]



Saruman's eastern force was much smaller but more dangerous. It contained mounted Dunlendings, Warg riders, Uruk-hai and half-orcs (or orc-men). The Rohirrim guard on the eastern side of the ford had been driven into retreat, and their attackers recrossed the ford to attack Théodred on both sides. Théodred and his men had dismounted on an islet to cover Grimbold's retreat. At the same time Grimbold's force was being attacked from the western side, and as Grimbold looked east, he saw Théodred's force being driven from the islet to a hill. Grimbold and a few men raced toward Théodred's position. By the time Grimbold reached him, Théodred had fallen, cut down by a great orc-man. Grimbold slew the orc-man and then found himself defending Théodred's body from orc-men. He himself would have been killed had it not been for Elfhelm.

Elfhelm had been leading four companies towards Helm's Deep, when it was reported to him that two Warg Riders had been spotted. He rode at full speed to the ford and, seeing the situation, ordered his men to charge. Before long his men held the western side of the ford. They then charged on the islet. From this surprise attack most of the Uruk-hai retreated toward Isengard. When they reached the islet they found Grimbold defending Théodred's body against two huge orc-men. Elfhelm rushed to his aid and felled one orc-man while Grimbold slew the other.

When they lifted Théodred's body, they found he was still alive. He lived long enough to say, "Let me lie here - to keep the ford until Éomer comes". The enemy attack ended by nightfall. The Rohirrim had held the ford but suffered heavy losses and were now leaderless.

Second Battle of the Fords of Isen[edit]

The command of the ford was given to Erkenbrand of the Westfold. However, until he arrived from Helm's Deep, Grimbold held the position. Elfhelm did not want to hold the Fords, as he argued that it provided little defence, but Grimbold was not willing to wholly abandon it, partially due to the tradition of Westfold. The two commanders later reached a compromise.






Saruman's commander had finished his first task of creating a supply route into Rohan and he now moved on to his more important task—the Hornburg.

However, Saruman had overestimated his success in the battle, as the Rohirrim had suffered significant losses but not as many as had been rumoured. The surviving Rohirrim from the Fords were later rallied by Gandalf, with Grimbold's men joining up with Erkenbrand to organize the counter-attack at the Hornburg. Elfhelm's riders were sent to Meduseld to guard against any possible raid by Saruman's wolf-riders, though in the end no sortie was attempted.


In the live-action film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the upper Hutt River in Kaitoke Regional Park, New Zealand, was used as a location for the Fords of Isen scenes.[2]

See also[edit]


  1. ^ Tolkien, J. R. R. (1980), Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, pp. 355–373, ISBN 0-395-29917-9
  2. ^ Darroch Donald (2003), New Zealand, p. 59, ISBN 978-1-903471-74-6

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