Riders of Rohan Music: The Éored

A new video featuring a track from the upcoming Riders of Rohan expansion has been released today by Turbine.  This track, titled “The Éored”, was based on Tolkien’s Éoreds which were “a cavalry company of riders of the Rohirrim.”

From Chance Thomas:

“Tales of the American West sometimes included a reference to “waiting for the cavalry to come over the hill.” In Rohan, that cavalry would be the Eored.

Tolkien’s Eoreds were groups of battle ready horsemen — armored, armed and trained for war. They rode hard and fast into battle, and fought with ferocious intensity. Various references place their numbers at between 120 and 200 riders per group.

This music track was written to accompany each player’s own furious foray into full-tilt mounted combat. We’re talking about full gallop with weapons brandished. Timid souls need not apply!
The driving tempo and aggressive marcato strings kick the piece off with an intense immediacy. The choir joins in — at times menacing and rugged, other times epic and regal. There’s brass, percussion and woodwinds in the orchestra too, but their roles are generally supportive.

In the tongue of the Old English, the choir sings of battle glory (gewinn arë ), death (déaþ) and freedom (fréot), concluding with the Eored’s signature refrain:

We are bold (we sindon bald)! We are mighty (we sindon strang)!
Indeed!”