Where Was Gondor When The Westfold Fell? Theoden's Question Explained & Answered

"The Two Towers" movie is full of epic moments, many of which occur around the Battle of Helm's Deep. While it occupies a single chapter in the book, it takes up a significant portion of the movie. (And why not when you have that set?) Just before the fighting kicks off, Aragorn and King Théoden engage in a spirited debate over whether the Rohirrim should call for aid.

When Aragorn says as much, Théoden walks up close, saying, "And who will come? Elves? Dwarves? We are not so lucky in our friends as you. The old alliances are dead." The Númenórean king in exile (Aragorn's ancestry is complicated) responds, "Gondor will answer," to which the distressed and cornered Rohirric monarch fires back, "Gondor. Where was Gondor when the Westfold fell? Where was Gondor when our enemies closed in around us? Where was Gon — No, my lord Aragorn. We are alone."

We all know where it goes from there. The Elves show up (even if that confusing moment doesn't happen in the books), Gandalf and Éomer come at the last second (again, not in the books), and they survive Saruman's onslaught (that does happen in the books). Ironically, though, out of all the drama, one line has survived in popular culture above all else: Théoden's bemoaning rhetorical question about the absence of Gondor in the Westfold. What does the reference mean? Let's investigate.

Let's start with a blow-by-blow analysis of the question itself, starting with Gondor and its relationship with Rohan. Several centuries before "The Lord of the Rings" story, Gondor owns the area of Rohan, including Helm's Deep and its primitive defensive structures. When they are invaded, the Rohirrim come riding out of the north (away near where Beorn lives when Bilbo and the Dwarves travel to the Lonely Mountain in "The Hobbit"). They arrive in the nick of time, defeat Gondor's foes, and are given the area to live in as a reward. A close alliance grows between the two peoples as a result, and they remain attached at the hip for the rest of the Third Age and into the Fourth. (Kings Aragorn and Éomer continue to fight alongside one another long after The War of the Ring.)

Gondor and Rohan are relatively close to one another. Their borders touch, with Gondor in the south and Rohan above it on the map. And the Westfold? This is a pleasant green stretch in the southwest of Rohan. The book "The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion" describes the area thusly, "Westfold is 'the slopes and fields between Thrihyrne and Edoras." Thrihyrne refers to the mountains surrounding Helm's fortress, which means the Westfold stretches from Helm's Deep along the mountain range in the south of Rohan to the Golden Hall and Rohirric capital at Edoras.

As for the fall of Westfold, this part's fairly easy to explain. When Saruman sends his armies out of Isengard in an all-out attack on Rohan, they sweep across a significant portion of the green horse country before they bottle up the king and his army at Helm's Deep. In the process of that scorches earth warfare, they pass through the Westfold, leaving utter ruin and devastation in their wake. The local forces are under the command of a hero named Erkenbrand of Westfold, and he and his men are initially scattered.

In "The Two Towers" book, Éomer is in Helm's Deep with Théoden and Erkenbrand, and his army is the one that shows up with Gandalf. It's worth noting that, in the book, Théoden accuses Saruman of leading Uruk-hai transgression in the area of the Westfold, saying, "What will you say of your torches in Westfold and the children that lie dead there?"

The question is, why does he say this to Saruman about his armies in the books but to Aragorn about Gondor's absence in the movies? Is it reasonable for Gondor to arrive in time to help the Westfold folk survive the sudden attack of Saruman's armies? Our thought is no. If you look at a Middle-earth map, it is three or four hundred miles from Minas Tirith to the Westfold. Even if they had asked for help, Rohan couldn't have expected help from Gondor so quickly. The only way we can see the frustrated king's line making sense would be in a broader context. If Théoden's point is that "in general, Gondor has abandoned us, which is why things like the destruction of the Westfold is happening," then he's spot on. The dilapidated support between the two people and the impending attack by Sauron make it impossible for Gondor to come to their aid, no matter what movie Aragorn says. However, if Théoden genuinely expects Gondor's help and feels Denethor's armies have abandoned him, well, let's just say it's stretching reality a bit.

The best part about the "Where was Gondor when the Westfold fell?" line is that it has become an indomitable meme that pops up across the internet landscape. About a decade after the movie was released, the meme began picking up steam in Middle-earth communities on sites like Reddit. By 2019, specific iterations of the meme were being made and recognized by a larger audience, including photoshopping Théoden's head onto other photos with the quote or a paraphrase of it in the subtitles.

Others used completely different photos or scenes from other movies, labeling people or items within them "Gondor" and "Westfold." One of the best uses of the meme was a copy of Théoden's face layered over the Carmen San Diego logo that read, "Where in the world was Gondor when the Westfold fell?

The proliferation of the quote is fun, if only because of the implausibility of the original line. In the context of Théoden's quandary (especially in the adapted movie where he has even fewer soldiers and allies), it makes sense that he would be bitter and frustrated about his lack of support. However, accusing distant allies of not showing up to help protect his nation when he, himself, couldn't even get there in time with his local forces is a stretch. At the end of the day, the awkward accusation left us with a line that has become embedded in popular culture and that launched a thousand memes across the internet. Peter Jackson, once again, we salute you.