Baldor the Hapless

Continuing my blog that highlights interesting sights and hidden references to Tolkien's work off the beaten path in LotRO, this entry concerns the story of Baldor the Hapless whose corpse you will come across with a bit of exploring in the Paths of the Dead.

     Baldor was the first son of Brego, who became the second king of Rohan in TA 2540. Brego and his son Baldor were exploring the Valley of Harrowdale when they came across a dark door leading to the Paths of the Dead. An old man standing before it warned them about entering stating

"The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead, and the Dead keep it, until the time comes” (RoTK).

The old man collapsed and died at the door without providing additional answers to Baldor's questions. Over time, Baldor’s curiosity about the door grew. During the festivities at the inauguration of Meduseld, the great Golden Hall of Edoras built by his father, Baldor stood and raised his horn and brashly vowed that he would pass through the Dark Door and enter the Paths of the Dead.

     In TA 2570 he did so and Baldor was never seen alive again. When asked about the mystery, Tolkien explained the fate of Baldor stating that “enemies that had followed him silently came up and broke his legs and left him to die in the darkness, unable to find any way out (The Rivers and Beacon Hills of Gondor, 1969). Brego died, stricken with grief, and his second son, Aldor inherited the throne of Rohan.

     Aragorn and his Grey Company entered the Dark Door in TA 3019 and there found the remains of a body, clad in gilded royal armour. A sword lay by its side, notched and broken as if it had been used to try to escape, and the bones of what were the prince's fingers, lay as if they were still clawing at the cracks of the locked door.

     You can see the corpse of Baldor in the Paths of the Dead (though not lying at the doorway) located at 43.9S, 74.1W

by Gabriele^ on 2015-07-07 04:59:36