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Morwen Steelsheen lived with her eldest daughter in Pinnath Gelin from the year 2982, and died there in 3008, aged 86.
Was she a shieldmaiden? Being raised in a noble Gondorian family until she was 21, and then having lived in Gondor until she was 31, I would say no, assuming that allowing women to become shieldmaiden is a fundamentally Rohirrim practice.
How did she get to be called “Steelsheen” by the Rohirrim? The canon speaks of “Grace and pride” from the South. I see her as a stern, fierce woman, with piercing grey eyes, dark hair, and few smiles. She did not need to yield any weapons to impose respect; the steel was in her gaze. The Rohirrim were particularly impressed by their queen, being used to more warmth and a more jovial demeanor.
Thengel loved her, but she married him mainly for his status and to fulfill the ambitions of her own father, who was a great lord in Lossarnach. But Thengel was good and wise, an attentive husband, and most deserving of his wife’s admiration. Over the years, she got sincerely attached to him. She was not a warm mother, but she was intelligent, and just and moderate in her methods of education. She transmitted her children a taste for history and poetry, impeccable court manners and a solid sense of honour.
At first, she was put off by the idea of moving her family to Rohan. It is indeed for her sake that Thengel was long reluctant to accept the crown that he inherited. But she had long studied the language and grew to appreciate the culture of the Mark and understand the people. She softened in her older years, was fond of her grandchildren, and completely spoiled her great-grandchildren.
Morwen and Thengel’s oldest daughter, Thengwyn, was born in 2946. Being fierce, intelligent, and proud, she was said to bear a striking likeness to her mother. She married a lord of Pinnath Gellin in Gondor in 2970, at 24. With him, she had two daughters and a son.
Her husband passed away in 2989, leaving their 15-year-old son Hirluin the Fair with the title of Prince of Pinnath Gellin. Hirluin died at 45 on the Pelennor fields at the same time as his uncle Théoden, although they did not meet on the vast battlefield. His 19-year-old son Hirgond then inherited the title. At 73, Thengwyn was an indispensable support to her grandson in his daunting new task.
One of her granddaughters having recently married Imrahil’s oldest son, Elphir, Thengwyn also had close ties to the house of Dol Amroth. With the help of her sister Théogytha in Edoras, she played a crucial role in bringing Éomer and Lothíriel together. She lived long into the Fourth Age, passing away at the ripe old age of 104.
The second daughter, Thémægen, was born in 2950. She had a stormy and troubled character, in which she resembled her grandfather Fengel. She had difficult relationships with everyone and refused to marry. She only found solace in the loneliness of the plains and in the company of horses. As a teen, she started running away for weeks at a time in the wilderness, until she chose to settle definitively in the North as a recluse. She was feared by the local herdsmen, and many stories were told about the feral horse-witch who was in fact a royal princess. It has to be believed that she found peace in such an existence.
Thémægen had no close contacts with any member of her family for decades but must have heard tidings of them in her remote abode, for she did send gorgeous black mares to both Éowyn and Lothíriel when they married. How she and her herd of black horses endured years of orc raids over their lands remains unexplained. Her harsh, isolated lifestyle however took a toll on her health in her later years, and she kept refusing help from her concerned neighbours. She died in the year 4 of the Fourth Age, at 75 years old.
Morwen’s third daughter, Théogytha, was born in 2957. Quite the opposite to her older sisters, she had a laughing, witty, easygoing character, not unlike her father. She was very close to her brother Théoden and to their young sister Théodwyn. At 21, she nursed Théodred in his early years after the death of Elfhild.
At that time, she was not yet married, because she was passionately and giddily in love with one of the King’s guards, and her parents would not hear of such a lowly match. They finally married in 2982, because Théoden wanted to make her happy and he saw a lot of potential in her suitor, as well as their long devotion to one another. But the simple guard proved himself, and through a long career supporting his brother-in-law the King, he climbed the ranks step by step, to become Marshal of the West after the crown passed to Éomer. Yes, Théogytha is Erkenbrand’s wife!
Together they led a relatively humble, normal life between Edoras and the Westfold, following his military appointments. They had three daughters. Théogytha was always cheerful and generous. Although she then lived in Grimslade and was busy with her own daughters, who were then under 10 years old, she participated in supporting her young nephews in the years following Théodwyn’s death.
From 3014, Gríma pushed her away with lies and manipulations to better ensnare Théoden and isolate Éowyn. During the war, she was 62 years old, and despite a cold relationship with the royal family, was very active and devoted in supporting the women of Edoras whilst most men were gone. After the war Éomer tried reconnecting with her and repairing many years of estrangement and misunderstanding. They came to an agreement of forgiveness and collaboration.
But Théogytha helped her sister Thengwyn plot the marriage of Éomer and Lothíriel. The young bride feared meeting her, after having dealt with the much sterner oldest sister in Dol Amroth, but she was pleasantly surprised to find in her the supportive maternal figure she needed as she got settled in her new home. Through the affection and friendship of Lothíriel, Théogytha became close to Éomer again, and was a great help when raising their children. She lived with them at court until she passed away peacefully in the year 30 of the Fourth age, at 94, surrounded by her daughters, grandchildren and grandnephews.