You've seen the "where was Gondor when the Westfold fell?" memes online, but what does Théoden's iconic The Lord of the Rings line actually refer to, and why didn't Gondor lend Rohan a hand? One of the most prevalent Lord of the Rings memes is Rohan's King Théoden meme in The Two Towers angrily questioning Gondor's willingness to help in battle. As Théoden and Aragorn plot their ambitious defense of Helm's Deep, Aragorn advises the King to call for aid, assured that Gondor will come. In his bitterness, Théoden replies through gritted teeth, "where was Gondor when the Westfold fell?" Thanks to the power of the internet, the line became far more famous than intended, but many wonder what Théoden meant. What was the Westfold? How and when did it fall? And why didn't Gondor bother showing up?

The Westfold is the large section of western Rohan within which...