Here, out of interest, is an authentic bit of 10th century parental grief, which I thought was quite appropriate to Theoden:
But strength to cope
I could not muster,
so me seemed,
with my son's slayer:
soon will it be seen by all
how helpless
the hoary warrior.
(excerpt from the long poem Sonatorrek, or Loss of Sons, by the Viking poet Egill Skallagrimsson)
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Out went the candle, and we were left darkling
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