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{{men infobox
{{rohirrim infobox
|image= http://tolkiengateway.net/w/images/8/88/John_Howe_-_Eowyn.jpg
| name=Éowyn
|name= Éowyn
| image=[[File:Līga Kļaviņa - White Lady of Rohan.jpg|250px]]
|othernames= White Lady of Rohan, Dernhelm, Lady of the Shield-arm  
| caption="White Lady of Rohan" by [[:Category:Images by Līga Kļaviņa|Līga Kļaviņa]]
|birth= 2995 Third Age
| pronun=
|death= Some time during the early fourth age.
| othernames=Dernhelm, White Lady of Rohan, Lady of the Shield-arm
|race=Men
| titles=
|gender= Female
| position=
|height= unknown
| location=[[Rohan]] and [[Ithilien]]
|hair= Blonde
| affiliation=
|eyes= Blue
| language=[[Rohirric]] and [[Westron]]
| birth={{TA|2995}}
| birthlocation=
| rule=
| death=Early [[Fourth Age]]
| deathlocation=
| age=
| notablefor=
| house=[[House of Eorl]]
| parentage=[[Éomund]] & [[Théodwyn]]
| siblings=[[Éomer]]
| spouse=[[Faramir]]
| children=[[Elboron]]
| gender=Female
| height=
| hair=Pale gold, long<ref name="Battle"/>
| eyes=Grey<ref name="Battle"/>
| clothing=
| weapons=Sword
| steed=
}}
}}
{{quote|Then, '''Éowyn of Rohan''', I say to you that you are beautiful. In the valleys of our hills there are flowers fair and bright, and maidens fairer still; but neither flower nor lady have I seen till now in Gondor so lovely, and so sorrowful. It may be that only a few days are left ere darkness falls upon our world, and when it comes I hope to face it steadily; but it would ease my heart, if while the Sun yet shines, I could see you still. For you and I have both passed under the wings of the Shadow, and the same hand drew us back.|[[Faramir]]<ref name="Steward">{{RK|VI5}}</ref>}}


'''Éowyn''' ([[Third Age]] 2995 – [[Fourth Age]] ?), the '''Lady of Rohan''', was also known as the [[Lady of the Shield-arm]], the [[White Lady of Rohan]]<sup>[[#Notes|1]]</sup>, and Lady of Ithilien. She was a member of the [[House of Eorl]] and the niece of King [[Théoden]] of [[Rohan]]. She was the daughter of Théoden's sister, [[Théodwyn]], and [[Éomund]]. Her brother was [[Éomer Éadig]].
''Do what you will; but I will hinder it, if I may.''


== History ==
'''- Éowyn - The Two Towers'''
Following the [[Battle of the Hornburg]], Éowyn was left to care for [[Meduseld]] while Théoden and Éomer led the remaining [[Rohirrim]] to save [[Minas Tirith in Gondor|Minas Tirith]]. King Théoden in fact named her ruler of [[Rohan]] in his and Éomer's absence when the Doorward [[Háma]] recommended that one of "The House of Eorl" should rule. (As Théoden first only thought of male members, and he and Éomer were the last males of the House, but Háma reminds them of Éowyn, who is "fearless" and that "all love her".) Frustrated by unrequited love for [[Aragorn II|Aragorn]] and longing for the glory of battle, she disguised herself as a man, and under the alias of '''Dernhelm''', traveled with the Riders of Rohan, carrying with her [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]], who was also ordered to remain.


During the battle of [[Pelennor Fields]] she fought by King Théoden, and when he was injured during combat with the [[Witch-king of Angmar]], she and Merry scrambled to help him. Confronting the Witch-king, who boasted that "no living man may hinder me," she removed her helmet, exposing her long blond hair and declaring,
'''Éowyn''' ({{TA|2995}} – [[Fourth Age]] ?), the '''Lady of Rohan''', was also known as the [[Lady of the Shield-arm]], the White Lady of Rohan<ref group="note">Éowyn was known as "Lady of Rohan" in Rohan, but as "White Lady of Rohan" in Ithilien (due to her pale complexion).</ref>, and Lady of Ithilien. She was a member of the [[House of Eorl]] and the niece of King [[Théoden]] of [[Rohan]]. She was the daughter of Théoden's sister, [[Théodwyn]], and [[Éomund]] of Eastfold. Her brother was [[Éomer|Éomer Éadig]]. Following the end of the [[War of the Ring]], she and Faramir were married and bore one son, [[Elboron]]. <ref name="Mark">{{App|Mark}}</ref>
 
==History==
Following the death of her parents in {{TA|3002}}, Éowyn and Éomer were brought into Théoden's house and there raised. Éowyn grew to be tall and slender, with a grace and pride that came from her mother.<ref name="Mark"/>
 
Prior to the [[Battle of the Hornburg]], Éowyn was left to care for [[Meduseld]] when Théoden and Éomer led the remaining [[Rohirrim]] to the west. King Théoden in fact named her ruler of [[Rohan]] in his and Éomer's absence when the Doorward [[Háma]] recommended that one of "The House of Eorl" should rule. At first, Théoden only thought of male members, and he and Éomer were the last males of the House, but Háma reminded them of Éowyn, who "is fearless" and that "all love her".<ref>{{TT|III6}}</ref>
 
Éowyn revealed her temperament when [[Aragorn]] was about to ride into the mountains to attempt to take the [[Paths of the Dead]]. Unable to dissuade him, she offered to accompany him, declaring herself "weary of skulking in the hills, and wish to face peril and battle." The only thing she feared was a cage. However, Aragorn reminded her of her charge to govern the people until the king's return and left without her.<ref>{{RK|V2}}</ref>
 
Later, when the forces of Rohan were mustered to go to Gondor, Éowyn disguised herself as a man, and under the alias of '''[[Dernhelm]]''', travelled with the Riders of Rohan, carrying with her [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]], who was also ordered to remain behind.<ref>{{RK|V3}}</ref>
 
During the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]], she fought by King Théoden, and when he was injured during combat with the [[Witch-king|Witch-king of Angmar]], she and Merry scrambled to help him. Confronting the Witch-king, who boasted that "no living man may hinder me," she removed her helmet, exposing her long golden hair and declaring:


<blockquote>''"No living man am I! You look upon a woman."''</blockquote>
<blockquote>''"No living man am I! You look upon a woman."''</blockquote>
[[File:Matt Stewart - Dernhelm.jpg|thumb|left|[[:Category:Images by Matt Stewart|Matt Stewart]] - ''Dernhelm'']]
Lady Éowyn slew the Witch-king after Merry stabbed him behind the knee. Merry's stab made the Witch-king vulnerable while Éowyn's slash actually resulted in death. She was granted the title "Lady of the Shield-arm" after the Battle in recognition of her triumph over the Witch-king.<ref name="Battle">{{RK|V6}}</ref>
Lady Éowyn was severely injured in this fight, and because of the poisonous effect of the Nazgûl, she faced near-certain death; however, she was treated in time by Aragorn during his brief rest in [[Minas Tirith]]. Since she didn't yet recover completely, she couldn't join Aragorn's army on their way to [[Mordor]]. However, while recuperating in the [[Houses of Healing]], she met [[Faramir]], with whom she fell in love.
After the demise of [[Sauron]], the happily wed couple settled in [[Ithilien]], of which Faramir was made the ruling Prince. Éowyn was known as the Lady of Ithilien.<ref name="Steward"/><ref group=note>This seems to imply that Éowyn was not a Princess, whereas her husband was a Prince</ref> They married,<ref>{{RK|VI6}}</ref> and dwelt together in the hills of [[Emyn Arnen]] in [[Ithilien]].<ref name="Steward"/> They had at least one son (likely Elboron),<ref>{{PM|Elendil}}</ref> and their grandson was [[Barahir (grandson of Faramir)|Barahir]], who wrote ''[[The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen]]'' in the Fourth Age.<ref>{{FR|Records}}</ref>
==Etymology==
''Éowyn'' means "Horse-joy" in [[Old English]] (being a combination of her parents' names: [[Éomund]] and [[Théodwyn]]),<ref name="Intro">{{HM|IE}}, "The Giving of Names", p. 216</ref> the language [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] adapted to represent [[Rohirric]].<ref name="L144">{{L|144}}</ref>
Éo- sounds like "eh-ah" with the "ah" just barely pronounced, while ''y'' is the same sound as German ''ü'' or French ''u''.
==Other names==
The "White Lady of Rohan" title given by [[Faramir]] to Éowyn of [[Rohan]] when they were together looking out from the walls of [[Minas Tirith]] and saw the huge cloud that rose above [[Mordor]] at the fall of [[Sauron]]<ref name="Steward"/> on [[25 March]] {{TA|3019}}.<ref>{{App|Great}}</ref>


Just as MacDuff disconcerted Macbeth by revealing he was not "of woman born", Lady Éowyn found the loophole in the 1,000-year-old prophecy by [[Glorfindel of Rivendell|Glorfindel]], fulfilling that the Witch-king would not be slain by a man. However, the Witch-king actually recited the prophecy incorrectly: he said that "no living man may hinder me," though the prophecy actually said that "Not by the hand of Man ''will'' he fall." Glorfindel's prophesy, unlike his own version, implies that the Witch-king will eventually fall, and the Witch-king likely overestimated his own power and believed he would never be defeated.
==Genealogy==
{{familytree/start}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | THE |y| MOR | | | | | | | | |THE=[[Thengel]]<br/><small>''{{TA|2905|n}} - {{TA|2980|n}}''</small>|MOR=[[Morwen Steelsheen]]<br/><small>''b. {{TA|2922|n}}''</small>}}
{{familytree | | | | | |,|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|.| | | | | | | |}}
{{familytree | ELF |y| THE | | DAU | | THW |y| EOM | | |ELF=[[Elfhild]]<br/><small>''d. {{TA|2978|n}}''</small>|THE=[[Théoden]]<br/><small>''{{TA|2948|n}} - {{TA|3019|n}}''†</small>|DAU=''three daughters''<br/><small>''unknown''</small>|THW=[[Théodwyn]]<br/><small>''{{TA|2963|n}} - {{TA|3002|n}}''</small>|EOM=[[Éomund]]<br/><small>''d. {{TA|3002|n}}''†</small>}}
{{familytree | | | |!| | | | | | | |,|-|-|-|(| | | | | |}}
{{familytree | | | THE | | LOT |y| EOM | | EOW |y| FAR |THE=[[Théodred]]<br/><small>''{{TA|2978|n}} - {{TA|3019|n}}''†</small>|LOT=[[Lothíriel]]<br/><small>''b. {{TA|2999|n}}''</small>|EOM=[[Éomer]]<br/><small>''{{TA|2991|n}} - {{FoA|63}}''</small>|EOW='''ÉOWYN'''<br/><small>''b. {{TA|2995|n}}''</small>|FAR=[[Faramir]]<br/><small>''{{TA|2983|n}} - {{FoA|82}}''</small>}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | |!| | | |}}
{{familytree | | | | | | | | | ELF | | | | | | ELB | | |ELF=[[Elfwine]]<br/><small>''unknown''</small>|ELB=[[Elboron]]<br/><small>''unknown''</small>}}
{{familytree/end}}


Lady Éowyn slew the Witch-king after Merry stabbed him behind the knee. Strictly speaking, Merry is also "no man," being a [[Hobbit]]. However, the stab behind the knee likely wouldn't have been fatal, even if it did break the bonds that "bent his unseen sinews to his will." The consensus seems to be that Merry's stab made the Witch-King vulnerable while Eowyn's slash actually resulted in death. She was granted the title "Lady of the Shield-arm" after the Battle in recognition of her triumph over the Witch-king.
==Analysis==
Just as MacDuff disconcerted [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Tragedy_of_Macbeth Macbeth] by revealing he was not "of woman born", Lady Éowyn found the loophole in the 1,000-year-old prophecy by [[Glorfindel]], fulfilling that the Witch-king would not be slain by a man. However, the Witch-king actually recited the prophecy incorrectly: he said that "no living man may hinder me," though the prophecy actually said that "not by the hand of ''man'' will he fall."<ref name="Gondor">{{App|Gondor}}</ref> Glorfindel's prophesy, unlike his own version, implies that the Witch-king will not fall to a man. In Tolkien's writing, man and woman applies simply to the gender of any Middle-earth race. Only when he capitalised Man did it denote the race of Men. The Witch-king may not have realised that the prophecy meant only a male, thus, his moment of doubt and hesitation when he faced Éowyn.<ref name="Battle"/>


Lady Éowyn was severely injured in this fight, and because of the poisonous effect of the Nazgûl, she faced near-certain death; however, she was treated in time by Aragorn during his brief rest in [[Minas Tirith in Gondor|Minas Tirith]]. Since she didn't yet recover completely, she couldn't join Aragorn's army on their way to [[Mordor]]. However, while recuperating in the [[Houses of Healing]], she met [[Faramir son of Denethor II|Faramir]], with whom she fell in love. After the demise of [[Sauron]], the happily wed couple settled in [[Ithilien]], of which Faramir was made the ruling Prince. Éowyn was not known as the Princess of Ithilien, rather as the Lady of Ithilien. They had at least one son (likely [[Elboron]]), and their grandson was [[Barahir grandson of Faramir|Barahir]], who wrote ''The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen'' in the Fourth Age. The date of Éowyn's death is nowhere recorded.
==Portrayal in adaptations==
<center><gallery>
File:The Lord of the Rings (1978 film) - Éowyn.jpg|<center>[[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1978 film)]]</center>
File:The Return of the King (1980 film) - Éowyn.jpg|<center>[[The Return of the King (1980 film)|''The Return of the King'' (1980 film)]]</center>
File:The Lord of the Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy - Éowyn.jpg|<center>[[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (film series)]]</center>
File:LOTRO-Éowyn.jpg|<center>''[[The Lord of the Rings Online: Riders of Rohan]]''</center>
</gallery></center>


Éowyn's role in the stories challanges conventional stereotypes of the role of women. She succeeds where a man would have failed in slaying the [[Witch King]] and throughout the books even when recovering from the wounds bought in that conflict rebels against being left behind while the men go off to win glory in war. Her role more than any other female within the mythology challanges accusations of sexism commonly levelled at [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] and in many ways (intentially or not) displays attitudes ahead of his time in regards to social equality.  
'''1955-6: [[The Lord of the Rings (1955 radio series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1955 radio series)]]:'''
:[[Olive Gregg]] provides the voice of Éowyn.


== Etymology ==
'''1978: [[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1978 film)]]:'''
Éowyn means "Horse-lover" in Anglo-Saxon, the language Tolkien used to represent [[Rohirric]]. The name Éowyn comes from an old Welsh name, Øwyn. It has been slightly altered to sound like "A-O-win".
:Éowyn is briefly seen, but has no lines.


== Pronounciation ==
'''1979: ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1979 radio series)|The Mind's Eye's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
The first syllable of Lady Éowyn's name sounds like "eh-ah," with the "ah" just barely pronounced. As in Scandinavian, the ''y'' in the second syllable is the same sound as the German letter ''ü'' or the French ''u''. The actors in [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]] consistently pronounce her name as well as the names of [[Éomer]] and [[Théoden]] in a manner inconsistent with most reconstructions of Old English pronunciation.
:Éowyn is portrayed by [[Karen Hurley]].


== Portrayal in Adaptations ==
'''1980: [[The Return of the King (1980 film)|''The Return of the King'' (1980 film)]]:'''
[[Image:Eowyn from Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings.jpg|thumb|left|Éowyn as portrayed in [[Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings]]]]
:Éowyn is voiced by actress [[Nellie Bellflower]]. She appears unintroduced, but Merry fills Pippin (and so the spectator) in on the details. She is not terribly wounded, and appears healthy beside Faramir at the coronation.
[[Image:Eowyn from Rankin-Bass' The Return of the King.jpg|thumb|left|Éowyn as portrayed in [[Rankin/Bass' The Return of the King]]]]
[[Image:Eowyn in Peter Jackson's The Two Towers.jpg|thumb|left|[[Miranda Otto]] as Éowyn in [[Peter Jackson's The Two Towers]]]]
In [[Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings]] Éowyn is briefly seen, but has no major speaking parts.


In [[Rankin/Bass' The Return of the King]] Éowyn is voiced by [[Nellie Bellflower]].
'''1981: [[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (1981 radio series)]]:'''
:[[Elin Jenkins]] plays the part of Éowyn. She is introduced much earlier than in the book when Gandalf escapes from Isengard and borrows a horse from Theoden. Unlike some adaptations her recovery in the Houses of Healing, and the blossoming of her relationship with Faramir are included. She is last encountered in the penultimate episode gifting Merry the horn he would blow later during the scouring of the Shire.


In [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]], Éowyn is portrayed by [[Miranda Otto]]. Jackson's adaptation shows two different explanations for Éowyn's injuries after fighting the Witch-king. In the Theatrical Release, her wounds are less severe than in the novel; she is conscious but hurt, as opposed to unconscious. In the extended scenes of the Extended Edition, she '''''is''''' near death: her brother finds her and grieves, and later we see her being healed in the Houses of Healing, where she shares a tender moment with Faramir.
'''2002-3: [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' (film series)]]:'''
:Éowyn is portrayed by [[Miranda Otto]]. Jackson's adaptation shows two different explanations for Éowyn's injuries after fighting the Witch-king. In the Theatrical Release, her wounds are less severe than in the book; she is conscious but hurt, as opposed to unconscious. In the extended scenes of the Extended Edition, she is near death: her brother finds her and grieves, and later we see her being healed in the Houses of Healing, where she shares a tender moment with Faramir.


== See Also ==
==See also==
* [[:Category:Images of Éowyn|Images of Éowyn]]
* [[:Category:Images of Éowyn|Images of Éowyn]]


== Notes ==
==External links==
1. Éowyn was known as "Lady of Rohan" in Rohan, but as "White Lady of Rohan" in Ithilien (due to her pale complexion).
 
*"[http://www.norsemyth.org/2013/02/tolkiens-heathen-feminist-part-one.html Tolkien's Heathen Feminist]" by Karl E.H. Seigfried


{{references|n}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eowyn}}
[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]
[[Category:Feminine names]]
[[Category:Fourth Age characters]]
[[Category:Old English names]]
[[Category:Rohirrim]]
[[Category:Rohirrim]]
[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]
[[Category:Third Age characters]]
[[fa:ائووین]]
[[fr:encyclo/personnages/hommes/3a/hommes_du_nord/rohirrim/eowyn]]
[[fi:Rohanin valkea neito]]

Revision as of 11:37, 13 September 2017

Éowyn
Rohir
Līga Kļaviņa - White Lady of Rohan.jpg
"White Lady of Rohan" by Līga Kļaviņa
Biographical Information
Other namesDernhelm, White Lady of Rohan, Lady of the Shield-arm
LocationRohan and Ithilien
LanguageRohirric and Westron
BirthT.A. 2995
DeathEarly Fourth Age
Family
HouseHouse of Eorl
ParentageÉomund & Théodwyn
SiblingsÉomer
SpouseFaramir
ChildrenElboron
Physical Description
GenderFemale
Hair colorPale gold, long[1]
Eye colorGrey[1]
WeaponrySword
GalleryImages of Éowyn
"Then, Éowyn of Rohan, I say to you that you are beautiful. In the valleys of our hills there are flowers fair and bright, and maidens fairer still; but neither flower nor lady have I seen till now in Gondor so lovely, and so sorrowful. It may be that only a few days are left ere darkness falls upon our world, and when it comes I hope to face it steadily; but it would ease my heart, if while the Sun yet shines, I could see you still. For you and I have both passed under the wings of the Shadow, and the same hand drew us back."
Faramir[2]

Do what you will; but I will hinder it, if I may.

- Éowyn - The Two Towers

Éowyn (T.A. 2995Fourth Age ?), the Lady of Rohan, was also known as the Lady of the Shield-arm, the White Lady of Rohan[note 1], and Lady of Ithilien. She was a member of the House of Eorl and the niece of King Théoden of Rohan. She was the daughter of Théoden's sister, Théodwyn, and Éomund of Eastfold. Her brother was Éomer Éadig. Following the end of the War of the Ring, she and Faramir were married and bore one son, Elboron. [3]

History

Following the death of her parents in T.A. 3002, Éowyn and Éomer were brought into Théoden's house and there raised. Éowyn grew to be tall and slender, with a grace and pride that came from her mother.[3]

Prior to the Battle of the Hornburg, Éowyn was left to care for Meduseld when Théoden and Éomer led the remaining Rohirrim to the west. King Théoden in fact named her ruler of Rohan in his and Éomer's absence when the Doorward Háma recommended that one of "The House of Eorl" should rule. At first, Théoden only thought of male members, and he and Éomer were the last males of the House, but Háma reminded them of Éowyn, who "is fearless" and that "all love her".[4]

Éowyn revealed her temperament when Aragorn was about to ride into the mountains to attempt to take the Paths of the Dead. Unable to dissuade him, she offered to accompany him, declaring herself "weary of skulking in the hills, and wish to face peril and battle." The only thing she feared was a cage. However, Aragorn reminded her of her charge to govern the people until the king's return and left without her.[5]

Later, when the forces of Rohan were mustered to go to Gondor, Éowyn disguised herself as a man, and under the alias of Dernhelm, travelled with the Riders of Rohan, carrying with her Merry, who was also ordered to remain behind.[6]

During the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, she fought by King Théoden, and when he was injured during combat with the Witch-king of Angmar, she and Merry scrambled to help him. Confronting the Witch-king, who boasted that "no living man may hinder me," she removed her helmet, exposing her long golden hair and declaring:

"No living man am I! You look upon a woman."

Matt Stewart - Dernhelm

Lady Éowyn slew the Witch-king after Merry stabbed him behind the knee. Merry's stab made the Witch-king vulnerable while Éowyn's slash actually resulted in death. She was granted the title "Lady of the Shield-arm" after the Battle in recognition of her triumph over the Witch-king.[1]

Lady Éowyn was severely injured in this fight, and because of the poisonous effect of the Nazgûl, she faced near-certain death; however, she was treated in time by Aragorn during his brief rest in Minas Tirith. Since she didn't yet recover completely, she couldn't join Aragorn's army on their way to Mordor. However, while recuperating in the Houses of Healing, she met Faramir, with whom she fell in love.

After the demise of Sauron, the happily wed couple settled in Ithilien, of which Faramir was made the ruling Prince. Éowyn was known as the Lady of Ithilien.[2][note 2] They married,[7] and dwelt together in the hills of Emyn Arnen in Ithilien.[2] They had at least one son (likely Elboron),[8] and their grandson was Barahir, who wrote The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen in the Fourth Age.[9]

Etymology

Éowyn means "Horse-joy" in Old English (being a combination of her parents' names: Éomund and Théodwyn),[10] the language Tolkien adapted to represent Rohirric.[11]

Éo- sounds like "eh-ah" with the "ah" just barely pronounced, while y is the same sound as German ü or French u.

Other names

The "White Lady of Rohan" title given by Faramir to Éowyn of Rohan when they were together looking out from the walls of Minas Tirith and saw the huge cloud that rose above Mordor at the fall of Sauron[2] on 25 March T.A. 3019.[12]

Genealogy

 
 
 
 
 
 
Thengel
2905 - 2980
 
Morwen Steelsheen
b. 2922
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Elfhild
d. 2978
 
Théoden
2948 - 3019
 
three daughters
unknown
 
Théodwyn
2963 - 3002
 
Éomund
d. 3002
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Théodred
2978 - 3019
 
Lothíriel
b. 2999
 
Éomer
2991 - Fo.A. 63
 
ÉOWYN
b. 2995
 
Faramir
2983 - Fo.A. 82
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Elfwine
unknown
 
 
 
 
 
Elboron
unknown
 
 


Analysis

Just as MacDuff disconcerted Macbeth by revealing he was not "of woman born", Lady Éowyn found the loophole in the 1,000-year-old prophecy by Glorfindel, fulfilling that the Witch-king would not be slain by a man. However, the Witch-king actually recited the prophecy incorrectly: he said that "no living man may hinder me," though the prophecy actually said that "not by the hand of man will he fall."[13] Glorfindel's prophesy, unlike his own version, implies that the Witch-king will not fall to a man. In Tolkien's writing, man and woman applies simply to the gender of any Middle-earth race. Only when he capitalised Man did it denote the race of Men. The Witch-king may not have realised that the prophecy meant only a male, thus, his moment of doubt and hesitation when he faced Éowyn.[1]

Portrayal in adaptations

1955-6: The Lord of the Rings (1955 radio series):

Olive Gregg provides the voice of Éowyn.

1978: The Lord of the Rings (1978 film):

Éowyn is briefly seen, but has no lines.

1979: The Mind's Eye's The Lord of the Rings:

Éowyn is portrayed by Karen Hurley.

1980: The Return of the King (1980 film):

Éowyn is voiced by actress Nellie Bellflower. She appears unintroduced, but Merry fills Pippin (and so the spectator) in on the details. She is not terribly wounded, and appears healthy beside Faramir at the coronation.

1981: The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series):

Elin Jenkins plays the part of Éowyn. She is introduced much earlier than in the book when Gandalf escapes from Isengard and borrows a horse from Theoden. Unlike some adaptations her recovery in the Houses of Healing, and the blossoming of her relationship with Faramir are included. She is last encountered in the penultimate episode gifting Merry the horn he would blow later during the scouring of the Shire.

2002-3: The Lord of the Rings (film series):

Éowyn is portrayed by Miranda Otto. Jackson's adaptation shows two different explanations for Éowyn's injuries after fighting the Witch-king. In the Theatrical Release, her wounds are less severe than in the book; she is conscious but hurt, as opposed to unconscious. In the extended scenes of the Extended Edition, she is near death: her brother finds her and grieves, and later we see her being healed in the Houses of Healing, where she shares a tender moment with Faramir.

See also

External links

Notes

  1. Éowyn was known as "Lady of Rohan" in Rohan, but as "White Lady of Rohan" in Ithilien (due to her pale complexion).
  2. This seems to imply that Éowyn was not a Princess, whereas her husband was a Prince

References

fa:ائووین