Oath of Eorl

The Oath of Eorl is the ancient bond of alliance between the two great kingdoms of Men in the West, Gondor and Rohan. It is the solemn promise by which the Rohirrim, the horse-lords of the Mark, pledged themselves to come to the aid of Gondor whenever that realm should be in peril. The oath is named for Eorl the Young, the first King of the Mark, who swore it in gratitude for the gift of the green land of Rohan, which was granted to his people by the Stewards of Gondor. In the lore of both kingdoms, this oath is not a mere formality but a sacred and binding obligation, one that defines the relationship between the two peoples and shapes the destiny of the War of the Ring.