Borondir was a soldier of Gondor descended from the Northmen of Rhovanion, and like his kin chose to forgo the use of stirrups, earning him the name Udalraph among his warrior companions. At a time when Gondor’s northern borders were threatened by the Balchoth hordes, Steward Círion sent six riders to seek the aid of his people’s the Éothéod who had once been Kings of Rhovanion and even wed their princess Vidumavi to Valacar, the twentieth King of Gondor. Of the messengers, only Borondir survived the journey, though he was waylaid by enemies the entire way from Minas Tirith to Framsburg.
He arrived half-dead from exhaustion and hunger, but still managed to give Círion’s message to Éorl, Lord of the Éothéod. He presented both the Seal of the Stewards and an orc-arrow stained with blood to impress the direness of the situation and urgently called upon Éorl to renew the ancient friendship between their peoples. After much deliberation, Éorl agreed, and Borondir guided the Éothéod southward to the Battle of the Field of Celebrant. The arrival of reinforcements turned the tide of the battle, but amidst the fighting Borondir was killed, much to the grief of both Gondor and the Éothéod.
Borondir was laid to rest in the Hallows of Minas Tirith beside the Kings and Stewards, and his name was long remembered in the song of Rochon Methestel, “Rider of Last Hope.” After his death, Círion granted the Éothéod the land of Calenardhon to become their Kingdom, and he and Éorl swore an Oath of everlasting friendship between their nations, to be called upon by delivery of a Red Arrow after the fashion of Borondir’s fateful symbol of war.
Five centuries later, Borondir’s heroic ride was echoed by Hirgon, an errand-rider of Steward Denethor II. Though his journey was not so far as his predecessor’s, Hirgon nonetheless narrowly escaped orc attacks on his flight, surviving to present the Red Arrow to Théoden King. He did not stay to lead the Rohirrim back to Gondor, instead riding for Minas Tirith the day after Théoden agreed to come to Gondor’s aid.
But before he could reach the White City, Hirgon was caught by Sauron’s forces and slain at the Rammas Echor, where Théoden’s riders found his body when they made their way south. Thus Denethor never received the message that the Rohirrim were coming to Gondor’s aid, and their sudden arrival at the Pelennor Fields was as miraculous as that of Éorl at the Celebrant.
