Rohan and Lorien

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I just don't see many credible reasons for one of the Rohirrim to be in that area at all. They were said to "regard the eaves of Fangorn and the frowning walls of Isengard with dread", and they had no permanent habitations there; the only likely motivation for their presence in the Wold would be a military one, perhaps a mounted patrol here and there leading up to the War. And if Éomer's reaction to Aragorn's words was indicative of the ideas the Rohirrim had of Lórien, any of the soldiers who found themselves near it would have done all they could to avoid it.

Inzil is, of course, correct. You must take the superstitious nature of the Rohirrim in context with the dark world of 3rd Age Middle-earth, where there was more than just 'sprites and bogies' overturning milk buckets. Orcs were harrying Rohan's borders and there were dragons lurking in the history of the Eotheod. The Rohirrim looked on Lorien with dread, and rightly so. There was indeed a supernatural and palpable otherworldy presence lurking in the Golden Wood.