Eowyn - Blog Posts
working on a design for a tattoo I want to get sometime soon
Whenever I read LotR and reach the battle between Eowyn and the Witch-king, I get the impression that the reason why the prophecy loophole works isn’t that the Witch-king is unkillable except for some illogical weakness nobody had thought about yet for misogynistic reasons, but that the Witch-king himself derives so much of his power from the fear he instills in others and from his own belief that he is unkillable. Eowyn doesn’t fear him, because she doesn’t fear death. When she twists his words right back at him, she’s not trying to exploit a prophecy loophole, she’s just making a play on the double meaning of the word «man» with fairly standard battlefield bravado.
But, crucially, it gets the Witch-king wondering if there might be an actual loophole in the prophecy. He starts doubting his own invincibility. There’s no logical reason why a woman might be able to kill him if a man cannot, but prophecies are tricky things. What if …
And this is what undoes him, in the end. This last minute doubt. The Witch-king, deep down, believes that Eowyn can kill him, thus making it possible for her to do so.
Damn I just realized that since the Rohirrim didn’t read or write (wise but unlearned, writing no books but singing many songs) that means Eowyn couldn’t read or write and since she marries Nerdboy McGee who loves reading and writing more than anything you can your bottom dollar one of the first thing that happens in their courtship/marriage is Faramir and Eowyn wholesome tutoring sessions in the Minas Tirith library (!)
Eowyn (Miranda Otto) Green Gown.. The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002).. Costume by Ngila Dickson & Richard Taylor.
“And so they stood on the walls of the city of Gondor, and a great wind rose and blew, and their hair, raven and golden, streamed out mingling in the air.”
The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King. (2003) (Dir. Peter Jackson)
“And he took her in his arms and kissed her under the sunlit sky, and he cared not that they stood high upon the walls in the sight of many” J.R.R. Tolkien
journeys end in lovers meeting, every wise man’s son doth know
edit: credit
So this is entirely @tygermama's fault
HOKAY, SO. This the earth … I mean, no.
Let’s talk about Éowyn Éomundsdaughter for a bit, shall we?
Keep reading
And so they stood on the walls of the City of Gondor, and a great wind rose and blew, and their hair, raven and golden, streamed out mingling in the air. And the Shadow departed, and the Sun was unveiled, and light leaped forth.
Another Faramir/Eowyn scene from the booksss
im gonna redraw this one day but yknow,, that scene from the return of the king
((click bc tumblr quality suckss))
These are beautiful illustrations of three most important female characters in Lord of the Rings series: Galadriel, Lady of Lothlorien, Arwen Undomiel and Eowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan, all done by amazing mori raito.
Oh my god oh my god Faramir put Éowyn in (okay something closely resembling) the HOLY ROMAN EMPEROR’S CELESTIAL MANTLE.
*it’s not clear when you first look, but it’s showing stars in the celestial sphere. I swear.
McCluskey, Astronomies and Cultures of Early Medieval Europe
(X)
Shut up I’m having a fan moment. Clenching my fists. I love the stupid star mantle. This mantle is a celebrity to me.
book!Faramir vs movie!Faramir
So book!Faramir will look at movie!Faramir and do that whole "I'm you but stronger thing" but then add he's stronger than most people because the guy's exceptional and he knows it, and he will praise movie!Faramir's resilience in overcoming the Ring regardless and say he's proud of him and movie!Faramir will be gracious in regards to his faults and thankful for the recognition of his own strength and then they'll get talking about the impact of the parenting styles of book!Denethor and movie!Denethor on their own characters and get into a friendly debate as to the true meaning of self and freewill, because book!Faramir and movie!Faramir are both lovely, intelligent people and utter nerds and all conversations will end up being about Eowyn anyway.
Eomer and Eowyn only talk to each other once in the films
but they communicate so much.
When Eomer first returns with a wounded Theodred, an entire dialogue is shared between Eomer and Eowyn without a single word passing between them.
This mutual look of concern, they're both on the same page.
Eowyn then goes on to look at Theodred's wound. It's interesting that Eomer now looks curious above all things, he's waiting on Eowyn's judgement.
Eowyn looks at the wound and grimaces. It's bad. Theodred isn't going to survive this.
She looks to Eomer, who looks back at her in grim resignation.
They go to Theoden to inform him of the situation. As Eomer walks by Eowyn, he doesn't speak to her or interrupt her, but he puts his hand on her back as he passes. Even when the focus is on other things, he is giving her that gesture of support and fondness. That it is done without fanfare shows that this sort of affection is commonplace.
They both stand before the throne, both of them united in their attempt to reach through to their uncle. They're a team, a unit.
Eomer throws down proof that Saruman, who Grima is trying to protray as a friend to Rohan, is sending his soldiers to terrorise their people.
Eowyn gives Grima a death glare, challenging him to refute her brother's accusations. She's on Eomer's side, Eomer's team.
Eomer sees Grima looking at Eowyn, and knows what he wants. It fills him with fury.
Eowyn sees her brother choking Grima against the wall. She looks on in cold silence, then walks away.
When Aragorn reveals that the beacons have been lit, Eowyn rushes into the throne room, drawing to a stop at Eomer's shoulder. They wait together for Theoden's judgement.
When it comes, and Theoden sends Eomer to muster the troops, Eomer bows, but even before he has fully straightened up, his eyes go to his sister.
Again, no words exchanged, simply a look of common understanding. They both know what the risks are, they both know what is at stake, for the world, for their country, for their family.
Before Eomer leaves, he touches Eowyn's arm, before walking away.
With Eomer gone, we see a steely determination come into Eowyn's eyes. Now there's something Eomer's missing, now Eomer's back is turn and there's something about sister that she's keeping from him. She's riding to battle.
The one time they speak to each other, they're in opposition. About Merry, about Eowyn, about war.
The words are harsh. Eomer is stern, Eowyn is defensive.
But Eomer puts his hand on Eowyn's shoulder. He doesn't say "I don't want you to get hurt, I don't want you in battle", but that hand on her shoulder, tells the audience that's exactly what he's saying.
Those small moments of physical affection culminate in one great moment, when stern, stoic Eomer discovers Eowyn on the battle field, and breaks down in tears, cradling her and rocking her like she's a child.
And his devotion to her ultimately shown in him sitting small and hunched, tucked in on himself, crouching down in armour for what seems to have been a lengthy space of time, as he sits by her side, waiting for her to be healed.
This is such an effective way of showing to an audience that two characters love each other, when there is a limited time window. The movie needed to crack on to cover the ground it needed to cover, and with so many important dynamics to reveal to the audience, the creators needed to be time effective. Eomer and Eowyn don't share much screen time, but the looks exchanged, the passing moments of intimacy, tells us clearly that these are two people greatly fond of each other, and have been fond of each other a long time.
The lack of spoken dialogue almost enhances it. Little is said between them because little needs to be said. They already know. The one time they do speak, it's when they're quarrelling, because that's the only moment when they need to use words. The rest of the time, a gesture, a look, is enough.
The Differences Between Hera and Eowyn
Just thinking about these two shieldmaidens, and the stark differences between them.
I think a big one is that Eowyn is a romantic, whereas Hera has no wish to marry.
Meanwhile Eowyn hungers for battle and glory, and Hera, although willing to fight, does not desire it.
Hera seems to have grown up in a time of peace, or at least her childhood seems to have been peaceful. Although she lost her mother, she was too young to remember her, she had a father, two brothers, a cousin and a motherly figure. She had constant love, affection and security. However, Helm seems to have been protective of her, so freedom was her greatest desire.
Eowyn's mother and father died at an age for her to be devastated at their loss. She then lost her uncle, her father figure, as he succumbed to Grima's enchantments, and her brother and cousin regularly left her behind. Her life was marked with violence and loss.
Meduseld was a cage, but the only people close to her leaving Meduseld were soldiers riding to battle. Freedom meant battle, because battle was what went on beyond the walls of Meduseld. Battle also meant a place in the histories, a chance to be remembered. Battle was where her brother and cousin went when they left her behind. Battle was the opposite of the dry nursing role she was ill suited for, yet had thrust upon her.
Eowyn yearned for battle. She yearned for love. To ride to battle, to be loved, to be remembered, would ease her grief over being left behind, abandoned by those around her. Her infatuation for Aragorn was wrapped up in her admiration a soldier has for a captain. Romantic desire and desire for battle were intertwined.
Both of them were royal shieldmaidens who chafed under the expectations of their sex, and showed great courage in times of crisis, but the similarities begin and end there. Hera, we see, was playful, young, naïve, clever but sheltered, until the events of the film forced her to grow up. Hers was a coming of age story.
Eowyn was cold, despairing, bitter and angry. The events of the movie and the books see her regain the capacity for hope that was taken from her.