Éowyn
| House / Order | The Royal House of Eorl; later the House of the Princes of Ithilien (by marriage) |
|---|---|
| Race / Culture | Man (of Rohan) |
| Status | Survived |
| Origin | Edoras, Rohan; later Ithilien, Gondor |
| Born | T.A. 2995 |
| Died | Fourth Age (year unrecorded) |
| Weapon | Sword and shield (as Dernhelm) |
| Fate | Slew the Witch-king on the Pelennor; healed in body and heart, wed Faramir, became a healer |
| Portrayed by | Miranda Otto |
Éowyn was a noblewoman of Rohan, sister-daughter of King Théoden and sister of Éomer, called the White Lady of Rohan. Chafing against the confinement of her station, she rode in secret to war disguised as a man, and upon the Pelennor Fields accomplished one of the great deeds of the age: the slaying of the Witch-king of Angmar, the Lord of the Nazgûl, whom no living man could kill.
Her tale is one of valour born of despair, and of healing won beyond it. Hungry for renown and weary of a life spent waiting, she found release first in battle and then, more deeply, in love — wedding Faramir and turning from the sword to the arts of healing and life.
Origins
Éowyn was born in T.A. 2995, daughter of Éomund and Théodwyn, sister of Théoden. Orphaned young when her father was slain by orcs and her mother died of grief, she was raised with her brother Éomer in the house of her uncle Théoden at Edoras. She grew tall, fair, and cold as a morning of pale spring, schooled in the courage and pride of her people but bound by custom to the hall while the men rode to war.
Biography
The shieldmaiden in the shadow
As Gríma Wormtongue poisoned the king's mind, Éowyn was set to tend the failing Théoden, and was forced to endure Gríma's covetous attentions. She felt herself caged — "all my life," she said, "to wait upon a dwindling old man." When Aragorn came to Edoras she conceived a love for him, but it was a love bound up with her longing for glory and escape, and he, though gentle, could not return it.
Dernhelm and the Witch-king
- Main article: Battle of the Pelennor Fields
Commanded to stay behind and govern the people when the host rode to Gondor's aid, Éowyn could not bear it. Disguised as a young rider under the name Dernhelm, she rode secretly with the Rohirrim, carrying with her the hobbit Merry, who had likewise been left behind. On the Pelennor Fields, when Théoden fell beneath the Witch-king, Éowyn stood alone against the Lord of the Nazgûl. He boasted that no living man could hinder him, citing the ancient prophecy; she cast off her helm and answered, "But no living man am I! You look upon a woman." With Merry's stroke from behind to unman him, she drove her sword into the void where his face should be and destroyed him — fulfilling the prophecy of Glorfindel that not by the hand of man would he fall.
Healing in the Houses
The deed nearly cost Éowyn her life; she fell into the deadly shadow of the Black Breath and was borne to the Houses of Healing in Minas Tirith, where Aragorn called her back from death with athelas. There, recovering, she met Faramir, who was healing from his own wounds. In their long conversations on the walls she found her despair lifted and her hunger for death and glory transformed into love. She forsook her wish to be a warrior-queen: "I will be a shieldmaiden no longer... I will be a healer, and love all things that grow."
The Lady of Ithilien
After the war Éowyn wed Faramir, and they dwelt in Ithilien, of which he was made Prince, in Emyn Arnen. She turned from arms to the cultivation of life and healing, and her later years were given to the renewal of the land and the raising of their house.
Character
Éowyn is proud, valiant, and fiercely spirited, oppressed by a sense of being valued less than the men of her house and condemned to wait and watch while others won renown. Her despair drives her to seek death in battle as much as victory; her great deed is fuelled by that recklessness. Her true healing comes not on the field but afterward, when she learns — through grief, near-death, and Faramir's love — to value growth and life above glory. She is among Tolkien's most fully realised characters, and the one who most directly confronts the limits set upon women in her world.
Relationships
- Faramir — whom she met in the Houses of Healing and wed, finding peace and love.
- Théoden — her uncle, whom she tended and avenged.
- Éomer — her brother, who became King of Rohan.
- Merry — the hobbit she bore to battle, whose stroke aided her great deed.
- Aragorn — whom she first loved, a love bound to her longing for renown.
- Gríma Wormtongue — who coveted her and whom she despised.
Appearances
In Peter Jackson's film trilogy (2001–2003), Éowyn was portrayed by Miranda Otto. The films preserve her duel with the Witch-king closely; her courtship with Faramir in the Houses of Healing is largely cut from the theatrical edition and only hinted at in the extended cut.
Quotes
I am Éowyn, Éomund's daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.
Then I will look on you no more. But I will be a shieldmaiden no longer, nor vie with the great Riders, nor take joy only in the songs of slaying. I will be a healer, and love all things that grow and are not barren.