Éowyn: A Noble Example of Love

Photo: Kirsten LaChance

The character of Éowyn, White Lady of Rohan, is one who is immensely popular today. Hailed as Tolkein’s ‘One Good Woman’, she appears to be the prototype of the warlike ‘strong independent female’ characters who infest modern fiction. At least, until she goes and lets the side down by marrying…

However this view of Éowyn is superficial and badly skewed. Far from a demonstration that women can become men, her character shows Tolkein’s response to the destructive pseudo-feminism of modern society. 

A Daughter of Kings by Sara M Tan of SarawenArt

Éowyn first appears in The Two Towers in the role of devoted carer and ‘Sister-Daughter’ to King Théoden of Rohan. Though it is plain that she fulfills this role dutifully and with kindness, she sees little worth in it. Not because a caring role is worthless in itself, but because her society regards it as such and gives no recognition to those that follow this path.

“And her part seemed to her more ignoble than that of the staff he leaned on” ~ Gandalf, of Eowyn

I consider this to be strikingly similar to the opinion of our own society which only accords women recognition if they pursue careers which were traditionally male dominated. An opinion which suggests that only male work and achievements have value and hence, that a woman only ‘proves herself’ if she becomes the same as a man. 

Those women who choose to give up their careers to pursue caring roles, such as rearing their families, commonly have their work dismissed and devalued.

Galadriel and Eowyn by Mary Huang of rhymeandreason

The second important aspect of her character is Éowyn as a warrior. Here we can see Tolkein drawing on the Norse mythological Valkyrie and Shield maidens, but also on his own Catholic heritage, resplendent with such figures as St. Joan of Arc, St. Genevieve and St. Pulcheria.

He was also very evidently inspired by what he saw of ordinary women serving in the World Wars as nurses, ambulance drivers and communications operators, writing in a 1963 letter: 

“Though not a ‘dry nurse’ in temper, she was also not really a soldier or ‘amazon’, but like many brave women was capable of great military gallantry at a crisis.”

Though Éowyn’s motivation for participating in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields is often portrayed as a blend of pride and suicide, it appears to me to be rather more complicated and operating on two levels.

Eowyn by Venlian

The more obvious of these levels is that the world of Middle Earth appears to be ending. Éowyn has had to watch and endure the slow destruction of all that she most loves: her homeland, family, and the once-noble reputation of her country Rohan.

As an ardent and idealistic soul it is extremely hard for her to watch this decay, as symbolised by her uncle King Théoden.

“She…had a spirit and courage at least the match of yours. Yet she was doomed to wait upon an old man, whom she loved as a father, and watch him falling into a mean dishonored dotage;”

Her determination to fight and have some part in great and historic deeds before all is destroyed is the natural response of a valiant heart frustrated by years of inaction.

Furthermore, though pride is  undoubtably part of her motivation it is more a personal pride - the wish to reaffirm her worth to herself - than a thirst for triumph and fame. 

Eowyn by Shiloh

With this in mind it is interesting to note the placement of her defeat of the Witch King. Rather than seeking out and challenging the wraith on the battlefield, as might be expected if she were suicidal or purely in search of glory, Éowyn confronts and slays him only in defence of her beloved uncle and King Théoden - the figure who represents the decline and revival of Rohan. Evidently it is her family and homeland that have the highest place in her heart.

This brings us to Éowyn’s second, or deeper motivation in going to war. She clearly has a very strong wish to suffer and die in battle alongside those she loves. This I would view as an odd mixture of pride - the desire not to be less in courage and endurance than those she loves - and a strange manifestation of love.

Éowyn is frequently described as ‘cold’. Being a reserved character she does not willingly show affection in word or gesture. Rather, such a character’s love finds outlet in entering and sharing the hardships of those dear to her.

In this way, even if she is unable to eliminate their sufferings she can at least share equally in them. To do any less than this would seem to be to love them less.

For Éowyn, waiting in safety at Dunharrow while Théoden, Eomer and Aragorn ride to suffering and death would make her feel a coward, even unloving, because she does not share in their hardships. She summarises this herself when begging Aragorn to let her ride to battle with him: 

“They go only because they would not be parted from thee - because they love thee.”

Furthermore, she empathises with Merry who has also been denied the chance to fight for what he loves. Her, apparently imprudent action in arming him and bringing him to the battle, as he so much desires, shows a glimpse of Eowyn’s hidden, peculiar, but very loving heart.

So often in modern adaptations and commentaries the depth and complexity of Éowyn’s motivations are reduced to simply the desire - common to virtually all YA fictional heroines - to prove herself as good as the men.

Theoden and Eowyn by Phantomphreaq

This is because our society has lost sight of the concepts of nobility of soul, patriotism, and the self-sacrificial nature of true love. For true love is to share fully in the loved one’s sufferings; to remove them if possible and if not, to bear the greater burden.

The third interesting aspect of Éowyn’s character, and the one which vexes many of her ‘feminist’ admirers, is her falling in love with, and marriage to Faramir.

It is sometimes suggested that in doing so she forfeits her newly won freedom. This idea, though common in our world, is a false one which actively discourages women from stable, loving marriages for fear of being constrained.

However, Tolkein gives the lie to the idea that humans can exist self-sufficiently. We, men and woman, are created to compliment each other, becoming more perfect by spending time in each other’s company and ‘knocking the corners off’ one another.  This can be seen towards the end of the book, where both Éowyn and Faramir only truly become their full selves having found one another.

Eowyn by Eilidh

Concerning Éowyn’s prior affection for Aragorn, Tolkein stated that she never ceased loving and admiring him. However, he made it very plain also that Faramir was by no means a ‘consolation prize’. He truly was her chosen and beloved husband, to whom her heart was entirely faithful.

Tolkein discussed this in a letter to a reader, declaring:

 “It is possible to love more than one person (of the opposite sex) at the same time, although in a different mode and intensity. I do not think that Eowyn’s feelings for Aragorn changed much.” 

This concept may be difficult to grasp today, when we have come to equate the word ‘love’ with the word ‘lust’. However Eowyn, like all Tolkein’s characters, is of a purer mind than this.

Eowyn, Shieldmaiden and Daughter of Kings, is not a conventional or modern character. 

Standing apart from the errors which many ‘feminists’ would foist on her, she is complex, timeless and fittingly, refuses to be conveniently caged.

Lucy Kennedy

May 2020