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Eowyn is a perfect example of a well-written female protagonist, and Tolkien wrote her in the 1940s. Miranda Otto played her perfectly in the movies. Wanted to prove herself as a warrior to protect her and her nation's freedom overcame fear, and bravely fought Sauron's deadliest servant to protect and avenge her beloved uncle and king. A Joan of Arc type of heroine. Modern writers could learn much from Tolkien's example. She's one of my favorite characters in the series.
Because Eowyn wasn't a hero for being a woman or buckling a stereotype, Eowny is a hero because of deeds that go beyond any thoughts or consideration of sex, When fighting against the witch king, Eowyn had in her heart the defense of her people and her beloved king and father not her own person nor the standing of her "sex"
Honestly one of the more underrated story arcs. Faramir in the books is a 100x better character (still good in the movies tho) and deserved someone like eowyn. And vice versa.
@@Kevin-mx1vi saying elves maidens does not have fierceness is quite mistaken. In elves society, man and woman are not very different. They don't have traditional role separation like dwarf and men do....
"Then, Eowyn 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 Shadows, and the same hand drew us back." -- Faramir
Éowyn's healing doesn't just come at the hands of Aragorn. Its Faramir who heals her heart. I identify to this day with her, and even though I found no Faamir, I continue to walk away from the Shadow.
Miranda Otto did magnificence portraying Eowyn. Made the role her own. Riveting performace, djust about the strongest, well-ritten female charactar in the trilogy.
Eowyn needed Faramir to help her learn there is more to life than death in battle and glory. Who better than the man who does not love war and praises gardeners from the Shire? Gardeners nurture things and Eowyn decides to tend gardens at the end of LOTR. During her time with Faramir in the Houses of Healing, Faramir shows her that there is value to things outside of fighting. Eowyn provides Faramir with acceptance. She cares not that Faramir is not a king. They both were near death at the hands of the Black Breath and they both were healed by Aragorn. *Faramir and Eowyn are the best couple in Middle Earth.*
"I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend." said Faramir. In the end, I believe that Éowyn came to believe that way as well. What she and Merry did to bring down the Witch King was amazing but she was far more than a shield-maiden.
When Eomer sees his sister on the fields, it’s one of just a couple parts of the book I cry like a baby. And they nailed it in the movie. It’s not exactly how it goes down in the book I know. But the fact that they include it and his acting gets me every time too. Man honestly return of the king has a few parts that pull my heart strings in different ways. It’s just such a Hopeless journey. And they did it man!! “Praise them! With great praise! 😭😭😭😭 haha
I am almost a 60 year old gal, and consumed this classic many times. I was so impressed at such a strong female character, but Tolkien’s classic works have always included strong male and female hero’s. The man was inspirational to me for this reason,that and his amazing writing. Really loved the artwork in this video
I like the part where Eowyn...er...Dernhelm removes her helmet and suddenly all the Witchking's hubris melts away and in the last moments of his life, he is consumed by doubt. I guess it had never occurred to him that "not by the hand of man will he fall" didn't actually include the hands of women or hobbits! I also like that the most powerful and dangerous of all Sauron's servants was killed by two of the unlikeliest combatants in the history of Gondor, a woman and a hobbit, both of whom were ordered to stay behind. One thing that I actually liked better in the movie, one of the very few things I actually liked better in the movie, was that Merry knew it was Eowyn from the start. I just find it unlikely that she could have kept her identity secret from him for that long, especially given that they were riding on the same horse for the whole time. He would have almost certainly heard her voice at some point along the way.
Probably the only two things the movie plots did slightly better, imo, both involve Eowyn. That Merry knew it was her from the start and that Theoden died in her arms. He knew her heroism before he passsed, and I love that.
Eowyn, an actually strong female character (both in the sense that she was written well and that she has great strength of mind and spirit) who does not sacrifice her womanhood on the alter of glory and honor. I love how in the end she realizes that despite the enduring praise she did earn for the LEGENDARY deed of defeating the Witch-King (which saved Minas Tirith and turned the tide of the war in the heroes' favor), she doesn't need to be a powerful warrior or to earn glory and honor to be fulfilled as a person. Those things should not be what one pursues for their own sake, no matter what your starting circumstances are. When Eowyn faces the Witch-King, she is no longer thinking of earning glory for herself or bucking gender stereotypes like she was when she had that conversation with Aragorn. In that moment on the field of battle, she had no thought for herself and was instead motivated exclusively by an unbreakable love for her family and her people, making her ready and willing to sacrifice herself for them even in the face of what seemed to be an utterly hopeless defense against a seemingly unstoppable foe. THAT'S what makes her a true heroine, not the brash and self-centered bad-assery we get from a lot of modern so-called heroines. I don't want to put words under Tolkien's pen, but it seems to me that that was the whole purpose of Eowyn's character - to communicate the idea that honor and glory are empty pursuits in and of themselves, and that no matter who you are or where you came from, self-sacrifice for the sake of those you love is what is truly honorable. All of which to say, Eowyn is still one of the GOATs in fiction. Tolkien FTW!
it is true BUT wanting personal satisfaction and glory isn't bad either. Self sacrifice is all well and good in moderation like everything else. Eowyn balanced it perfectly
@@berilsevvalbekret772 I don't agree, did aragorn fight for personal satisfaction or glory? Did merry? Did pippin? Did frodo? Did sam? Then why should she?
1:00 is the literal appearance I imagine of Éowyn in the books. What a fantastic portrait of cold, repressed rage over her lot in life Tolkien wrote of the young woman. That exchange she had with Aragorn - wise though Aragorn is - genuinely shut him up. I wish Tolkien had written more female heroines & given them their own epics, because he would have absolutely set the standard. Then we might have templates for female characters in popular fiction with true depth, rather being randomly "quirky" or "badass" or whatever superficiality Hollywood writers can manage to squeeze out of their pea brains. Sigh. I wish Tolkien had lived longer. Excellent video, as always. 💕
Éowyn and Faramir - another excelent lovestory written by Tolkien. This story is on second position in my list of Tolkien's lovestories(first is Beren and Lúthien).
Eowyn is one of Tolkiens greatests heroes (heroine in this case). Out of sheer bravery, she disobeyed King Theoden since she just wanted to fight. I think she was very afraid, though, but for me real heroes are those who do brave actions while keeping their fears at bay. The image of her, crying, standing alone between the Witch King and his pray, and with all the odds against her, and still having the guts to threaten him…. A true Heroine!
Eowyns story is also a great one about healing from depression. Although its not described directly in her dialogues, if you can read between the lines it's becoming clear that she hates her life and living in a 'cage' and the shadow that is dwelling on her, she rather seeks a glorious death in battle aka suicide. Only when she fells in love with faramir he gives her a purpose to live and the shadow in her fades away. Truly an inspiring and tear-inducing story and character arc.
@@Xiroi87 i mean if you read the book its that way. Being sad and being strong and brave dont exclude each other. I mean especially the book Eowyn in comparison to movie one
@@Xiroi87 but that is what tolkien wrote, even after Aragorn saved her life from the wound by the witch-king she is deeply depressed, and i dont think its about being married in a conventional way but to find people that can help pulling you out of psychic diseases. I think many people can relate to that completely genderneutral and be pretty inspired by it. If she would be totally independent, then Tolkien never should make her fell in love with anyone. She was already in love with Aragorn but he said 'sorry i have a gf'. And with purpose i meant the will to live if that sounded too mundane
Incoming essay, I literally grabbed my copy of ROTK for this. Buckle up. Eowyn’s story isn’t about finding purpose in a husband, it’s about a girl that loses her parents and cousin (who was like a brother to her), and sees the approaching apocalypse and feels helpless to stop it- not because she can’t fight, but because she keeps getting told to stay behind and watch over the non combatants. She’s just as capable as anyone in Rohan’s army, yet isn’t allowed to ride with them to Gondor. Something often overlooked (which OP mentioned) is that by the time of that conversation with Aragorn, Eowyn doesn’t just want renown from victory, she wants the renown of DYING in “glorious” battle. She states several times that she wants to die. She knows there’s every chance that the battle for Gondor will be lost, and she wants to go to die there in battle. While there is a desire to be seen as equal and capable, it’s overshadowed by her despair and hopelessness. Her time in the house of healing and falling in love isn’t meant to be “she’s all fixed because a guy likes her!” The shadow passes because Sauron is DEAD. The doom she’s seen coming for years and fearing is no more. And now, her name will be cemented in history for killing the unkillable, but it’s not glorious to her- she’s fully experienced the horrors of battle, seen her beloved uncle die, been brought deep into darkness by the black breath and brought out again. She’s had time to think about all this and got to know Faramir by the time word of Sauron’s defeat comes. Faramir, also a well respected warrior who knows what it is like to not be taken seriously (by his father), has a mindset that would be very comforting to Eowyn as she’s rethinking her worldview: “I love not the sword for its sharpness etc, only that which they defend”. She’s come to understand this on her own. when it came down to it, what she cared about in battle wasn’t glory, it was defending who she loved. After long dread and sorrow, Eowyn chooses hope for the future. Faramir sees her for who she is and is in awe. He has respect for her and very openly adores her. Eowyn realizes that Faramir doesn’t pity her (like Aragorn did) and that was the one thing that kept her from allowing herself to love Faramir. And Eowyn lets go of her despair, her fears. The war and Sauron are gone, she can see a future for herself other than death, and chooses to make Faramir part of it. Her friendship with Faramir has been a source of comfort for her since she met him, and she realizes she wants a peaceful life with him. Tolkien would be very familiar with this feeling, after world war 1. Being disillusioned with stories of war as glorious, you can see that part of him in Eowyn. War is sometimes necessary, but it’s not something to yearn for. Eowyn and Faramir individually represent this concept. Sometimes it’s harder to choose peace and healing after trauma, and Eowyn is all the stronger for realizing that about herself. To quote Liv Tyler about Arwen: “You don’t need a sword in her hand to make her strong”. Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk Lol 😅
I know there's a lot more to her character than this, but the fact that she dared to go 1v1 with the witch king is seriously impressive. Especially after seeing how so many others fled in terror when he turned up. For me it's up there with Gandalf v Balrog and even Fingolfin v Morgoth in terms of sheer daring!
Especially impressive because the ring wraiths have an aura about them that literally radiates fear and despair, and the aura around the witch king would be the most potent of the nine. And she not only faces him, she laughs in his face, makes him doubt and fear as he realizes that he doesn’t have prophecy plot armor like he thought. Absolutely legendary
Also: 1975, after the battle off Fornost was finished, and the Witch-king had fled, it was Glorfindel who predicted that no mortal man would ever destroy the Witch-king.
I've no idea why she is my most beloved LOTR character; but she is, since my first reading when I was 14 (now 53). I was teary-eyed through most of your video. Great job, and thank you.
Eowyn is one of my favorite characters in Lord of the Rings. Her battle with the Witch-king is such a fantastic scene. She gets her moment of glory beyond the duties of hearth and home and the cage she has felt trapped in. I love when the Witch-king experiences doubt and suddenly realizes the prophecy may not mean what he thought it did. Side note: I named my cat Eowyn. She's an orange tabby who has a lot of the same fierce, fighting spirit as the character.
There were a Wizard, a Dwarf and three Elves present at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. And yet Tolkien chose to give the honor of destroying the mighty Witch-King of Angmar to a 25-6 year old girl from one of the "lesser" races of men, who was also going through suicidal depression. As somebody who has struggled with depression and anxiety in the past, this is something I personally love.
Absolutely! I feel that the depth of Eowyn’s depression/desire to die in battle is overlooked too often, and that her falling in love and choosing to be a healer instead of warrior is seen as “making her weak”. No! It takes strength and courage to choose hope and healing and happiness after trauma! It’s crucial to Eowyn’s story that she’s able to find peace! It’s something Tolkien himself likely experienced after serving in ww1. All but one of his best friends were dead, he saw the horror of war first hand. Afterwards, he likely had to choose to find hope, meaning, and love in the world. And having struggled with depression, I can say that doing that is feels impossible at times, but Tolkien’s message is that even if it seems impossible, we can and should still try to hope and keep fighting the darkness.
Eowyn, Crushing on her since 1980. Raised in tragedy and shadow, led her people in Dunharrow, as Dernhelm, She and Merry removed the right arm of Sauron.
Eowyn really is a strong woman, in all meanings of it. Standing up for what she believes, for those whom she loves no matter if it would kill her or not. Miranda Otto portrayed her well in the LotR movies.
This is one of the best ones you've done. Eowyn is magnificent, and I love that she married Faramir. What a great warrior, she, and a great career afterwards as a healer
there are two ways to read this. Eowyn gave up everything she worked so hard for , the recognition , fame , independence and bowed to the societal norms once again to be the arcitipical meek , subservient and 'caring' female. A healer and a support and that's all. Or she after seeing horrors of war and defeating the one of the greatest evils Middle earth has ever seen and almost dying in the process she just wanted to live a peaceful and good life with a person who thinks her as an equal and doesn't care about the societal norms whatsoever. She wants to heal not because of the 'females are only good for nurturing to sons for greater things' but because see realized healing is and always will be the most beautiful gift of all. I know which interpritation I like the most. What are your thoughts?
"Merry, who had resolved that Eowin should not die alone..." you mean to tell me that Meriadoc Brandybuck charged the Witch King of Angmar, not in a last ditch effort to live, but as a SUICIDE CHARGE!?
Fantastic video! Éowyn is such a wonderful character, and this was a beautiful retelling of that moment. Your Witch-king voice is incredible! It mixes the whispery tones of the films with the high, scratchy, thin tones of the animated version, and the deep guttural tone of Sauron. It sounds terrifying and deadly, but also in pain itself, as though speaking dark words for so long have burned his throat. A once great figure, decayed and hollowed. The terror comes not only from what this being can do to you, but what has been done to it. And the laugh on "Thou fool!" was just perfect. Outstanding work❤
My favorite LOTR Character (in terms of who I identify the most with) Eowyn is female character made perfection. Miranda was absolutely magnificent in the role.
Another fantastic video about an amazing character. Tolkien was a master at storytelling. The way he writes Eowyn should be the template, the blueprint, for modern Hollywood.
I don't always have good things to say about the Peter Jackson movies (although I appreciate them a hell of a lot more since Amazon took a wrecking ball to Tolkien), but the lament she sang in -Old English- Rohirric in the Extended Edition was wonderful.
I had a chicken named after Eowyn, she was a fighter and we had other birds some that acted like the Nazgul, she had an "I am No Man" moment. Funny: Eowyn says she fears a cage, and when I had my chickens, always locked them up, and our Eowyn kept saying, "Let me Out." She took after her Namesake. Eowyn is one of two (Pippin is the other) characters I am most like in Tolkien's works!!! I really connect to her, being a woman surrounded by Men, with Tomboy nature, and more.
I assume you also connect to the story of Arya Stark, another well-written account of a tomboy surrounded by men and determined to find her own way, no matter how difficult. The finest character arc in GoT!
Superb as always. I've always regretted the way the movies handled the "prophecy" of Eowyn's encounter with the Witch King. The books treat it as a true prophecy, that the Witch King will not die by the hand of a man, as if it is destined. The movie treats it like a rule, that the Witch King cannot be killed by a man. The simple changing of the words "will" or "will not" as opposed to "can" or "cannot" really changes up the meaning, and not in the best way. Just a minor annoyance in the grand scheme of things, but... still... Anyway, great piece!
That's not all that was changed, in the books it's *no living man*, in the movies is "I'm no man". And it's not a minor annoyance when the context is changed in its entirety.
Eowyn is such a great and complex character. Tolkien often gets criticized for how few female characters are in the lord of the rings. But Eowyn showed he knew how to write a compelling and complex female character that was strong and self willed. Too many stories write the roll of a strong female the exact same way you would write for a male character. That’s a mistake.
She's one of the best heroines in all of Middle Earth. Wouldn't it be interesting if we had a series about all the heroines in Tolkien's world!? Amazing video btw!
@@hecdavid11 да, ечли их не буд3т показывать туповатыми фемками(феминистками) , а нормальными, и классными женскими персонажами, будет хорошо. Но жтого точно не будут. От тредера сериала Амазон, мне блевать охото🤢
When i heard that the trilogy was being made to live action film, the scene versus the Witch King was the one i was expecting the most and i was not dissapointed. :)
I hate it when people think TOLkiEn wAS a SEXIst. Lady Galadriel the fair - wisest woman in the mortal world. Queen Varda of the Valar, raised Elves and Men. Queen Yavanna of the Valar, protected life on this planet. Lady Haleth of the First Age, kept a peaceful society (a great achievement when everyone else was butchering each other!) Eowyn of Rohan, a valorous woman who was not afraid to go to war and led her people to victory. And Melian the Maiar - a fallen angel and the most powerful woman in the First Age, also Queen of Doriath. So many powerful women in Tolkien's books it sickens me when people assume TOLkiEN waS a SEXisT.
Éowyn is my favorite character in the Tolkien legendarium, she goes against the men who want her to be just a housewife, and rides off in disguise to protect the ones she loves, becoming one of the greatest heroes of the War of the Ring! Modern feminism could learn a thing or two with her on how to be a "strong female character".
Thank you for your great content!!! I believe we need a video about Eomer, Bard the Bowman and Dain II Ironfoot in this great channel too!!! Actually I am sure you have something on the works...!! Thank youuuuu!!!
The portrayal of Eowyn in the film as a cringing, terrified damsel in distress is iniquitous. Why could not the repartee between her and the Witch King have been as it was in the book? I was and am bitterly disappointed that it was not.
Some people say that Eowyn understood she was just a woman and therefore shlouldn't fight and that was why wasn't there during the final confrontation.... How can these people not understand that she almost died not so long ago, was still wounded and weakened? If not for that I believe she would have been one of the leaders of the attack. You don't take your wounded soldiers to a battle, even when they are as excellent warriors as Eowyn.
11:45 Éowyn probably did precede Faramir in death, considering his Númenórean heritage enabled him to live to 120 years old. But Tolkien never wrote that Éowyn preceded Éomer in death. She is not mentioned in the passage describing Merry and Pippin's last visit to Éomer in Rohan before the king's death, but that is understandable because Éowyn had not lived in Rohan for decades at that point. That doesn't mean she had already passed away.
Eowyn is one of the best female character Tolkien ever created and Miranda Otto ma'am did a very great job, she gave this Character a deep and made her amazingly alive. Hats off to Miranda Otto ma'am and hats off to Late Tolkien Sir. May his soul rest in peace. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.
Great video, as always! If you're still doing your What If videos, I'd love to see one on What If Gollum Had Survived. As in, what would have happened if the Ring had been destroyed before Gollum had attacked Frodo and Sam? I know this question is somewhat answered when we see Bilbo age rapidly after the Ring's destroyed, but I've always wondered if Gollum would regain his sanity or if he was too far gone
I am hopeful that Miranda Otto is in the War of the Rohimrim Anime Film to be revealed as the narrator at the end telling her son the story. I like the audiotracks She was an excellent Eowyn. Fighting when needed and enjoying the freedom of not is what I think she learnt xxxxx
TUESDAY - we'll be LIVE with Billy Boyd (Pippin) and Dom Monaghan (Merry)! Make sure you're subscribed with notifications ON so you don't miss it: th-cam.com/video/qmphKZCSghs/w-d-xo.html
!
Aw man I actually have an event on that day.
Hey can we get more dwarves content!!!
I want to be your friend!!
Eowyn is a perfect example of a well-written female protagonist, and Tolkien wrote her in the 1940s. Miranda Otto played her perfectly in the movies. Wanted to prove herself as a warrior to protect her and her nation's freedom overcame fear, and bravely fought Sauron's deadliest servant to protect and avenge her beloved uncle and king. A Joan of Arc type of heroine. Modern writers could learn much from Tolkien's example. She's one of my favorite characters in the series.
👏👏👏👏
Her character is PERFECTION
I agree completely. She is what real feminism should look like. Not the whiny Mary Sues of today
Because Eowyn wasn't a hero for being a woman or buckling a stereotype, Eowny is a hero because of deeds that go beyond any thoughts or consideration of sex, When fighting against the witch king, Eowyn had in her heart the defense of her people and her beloved king and father not her own person nor the standing of her "sex"
@@johnisaacfelipe6357 Nailed it!
I'm glad Eowyn found Faramir. And both of them earned their own happy ending.
As long as she doesn't make him stew.....
@@adventuresofavalon2477 or else the brown wedding shall happen
Honestly one of the more underrated story arcs. Faramir in the books is a 100x better character (still good in the movies tho) and deserved someone like eowyn. And vice versa.
@@adventuresofavalon2477 That should’ve been Gimli warning Faramir and advise that he should cook
@@adventuresofavalon2477 She is a princess, I doubt he ever had to attempt that again.
There is a certain beauty in Eowyn that even the fairest elven maidens couldn't quite match.
Perhaps a fierceness that elves don't have ?
@@Kevin-mx1vi saying elves maidens does not have fierceness is quite mistaken. In elves society, man and woman are not very different. They don't have traditional role separation like dwarf and men do....
@@mr.gochin1018 Well that could just mean that elf men aren't fierce either.
"Then, Eowyn 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 Shadows, and the same hand drew us back." -- Faramir
I often hear this part (Lotr Return of the king, book 6 chap 5 - the steward & the king) in the audiobook! Faramir & Eowyn ❤️
Éowyn's healing doesn't just come at the hands of Aragorn. Its Faramir who heals her heart. I identify to this day with her, and even though I found no Faamir, I continue to walk away from the Shadow.
Miranda Otto did magnificence portraying Eowyn. Made the role her own. Riveting performace, djust about the strongest, well-ritten female charactar in the trilogy.
Eowyn needed Faramir to help her learn there is more to life than death in battle and glory. Who better than the man who does not love war and praises gardeners from the Shire? Gardeners nurture things and Eowyn decides to tend gardens at the end of LOTR. During her time with Faramir in the Houses of Healing, Faramir shows her that there is value to things outside of fighting. Eowyn provides Faramir with acceptance. She cares not that Faramir is not a king. They both were near death at the hands of the Black Breath and they both were healed by Aragorn. *Faramir and Eowyn are the best couple in Middle Earth.*
"I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend." said Faramir. In the end, I believe that Éowyn came to believe that way as well. What she and Merry did to bring down the Witch King was amazing but she was far more than a shield-maiden.
I love that her and Faramir end up together❤ She was also very mature about loving a man who loves another(Aragorn)
When Eomer sees his sister on the fields, it’s one of just a couple parts of the book I cry like a baby. And they nailed it in the movie. It’s not exactly how it goes down in the book I know. But the fact that they include it and his acting gets me every time too. Man honestly return of the king has a few parts that pull my heart strings in different ways. It’s just such a Hopeless journey. And they did it man!! “Praise them! With great praise! 😭😭😭😭 haha
Eowyn and Faramir were always my faves. Their getting together whilst they recuperated in the Houses of Healing was so sweet and touching.
I am almost a 60 year old gal, and consumed this classic many times. I was so impressed at such a strong female character, but Tolkien’s classic works have always included strong male and female hero’s. The man was inspirational to me for this reason,that and his amazing writing.
Really loved the artwork in this video
I like the part where Eowyn...er...Dernhelm removes her helmet and suddenly all the Witchking's hubris melts away and in the last moments of his life, he is consumed by doubt. I guess it had never occurred to him that "not by the hand of man will he fall" didn't actually include the hands of women or hobbits! I also like that the most powerful and dangerous of all Sauron's servants was killed by two of the unlikeliest combatants in the history of Gondor, a woman and a hobbit, both of whom were ordered to stay behind.
One thing that I actually liked better in the movie, one of the very few things I actually liked better in the movie, was that Merry knew it was Eowyn from the start. I just find it unlikely that she could have kept her identity secret from him for that long, especially given that they were riding on the same horse for the whole time. He would have almost certainly heard her voice at some point along the way.
The Rohirrim are not diverse enough.
Probably the only two things the movie plots did slightly better, imo, both involve Eowyn. That Merry knew it was her from the start and that Theoden died in her arms. He knew her heroism before he passsed, and I love that.
@@cxzact9204 Agreed!
Eowyn, an actually strong female character (both in the sense that she was written well and that she has great strength of mind and spirit) who does not sacrifice her womanhood on the alter of glory and honor. I love how in the end she realizes that despite the enduring praise she did earn for the LEGENDARY deed of defeating the Witch-King (which saved Minas Tirith and turned the tide of the war in the heroes' favor), she doesn't need to be a powerful warrior or to earn glory and honor to be fulfilled as a person. Those things should not be what one pursues for their own sake, no matter what your starting circumstances are. When Eowyn faces the Witch-King, she is no longer thinking of earning glory for herself or bucking gender stereotypes like she was when she had that conversation with Aragorn. In that moment on the field of battle, she had no thought for herself and was instead motivated exclusively by an unbreakable love for her family and her people, making her ready and willing to sacrifice herself for them even in the face of what seemed to be an utterly hopeless defense against a seemingly unstoppable foe. THAT'S what makes her a true heroine, not the brash and self-centered bad-assery we get from a lot of modern so-called heroines.
I don't want to put words under Tolkien's pen, but it seems to me that that was the whole purpose of Eowyn's character - to communicate the idea that honor and glory are empty pursuits in and of themselves, and that no matter who you are or where you came from, self-sacrifice for the sake of those you love is what is truly honorable.
All of which to say, Eowyn is still one of the GOATs in fiction. Tolkien FTW!
it is true BUT wanting personal satisfaction and glory isn't bad either. Self sacrifice is all well and good in moderation like everything else. Eowyn balanced it perfectly
A very well written statement, @J.Q. Brown. I definitely have to agree.
THANK YOU
Well said, much better than my comment.
@@berilsevvalbekret772 I don't agree, did aragorn fight for personal satisfaction or glory? Did merry? Did pippin? Did frodo? Did sam? Then why should she?
1:00 is the literal appearance I imagine of Éowyn in the books. What a fantastic portrait of cold, repressed rage over her lot in life Tolkien wrote of the young woman. That exchange she had with Aragorn - wise though Aragorn is - genuinely shut him up. I wish Tolkien had written more female heroines & given them their own epics, because he would have absolutely set the standard. Then we might have templates for female characters in popular fiction with true depth, rather being randomly "quirky" or "badass" or whatever superficiality Hollywood writers can manage to squeeze out of their pea brains. Sigh. I wish Tolkien had lived longer.
Excellent video, as always. 💕
More? He wrote a LOT of female characters!
More we say!
@@di3486 relevant ones who aren't Valar or Elf.
@@berilsevvalbekret772 Read the Silmarillion, there are several there.
@@di3486 I did. Most are elves.
Éowyn and Faramir - another excelent lovestory written by Tolkien. This story is on second position in my list of Tolkien's lovestories(first is Beren and Lúthien).
Eowyn is one of Tolkiens greatests heroes (heroine in this case). Out of sheer bravery, she disobeyed King Theoden since she just wanted to fight. I think she was very afraid, though, but for me real heroes are those who do brave actions while keeping their fears at bay. The image of her, crying, standing alone between the Witch King and his pray, and with all the odds against her, and still having the guts to threaten him…. A true Heroine!
Eowyns story is also a great one about healing from depression. Although its not described directly in her dialogues, if you can read between the lines it's becoming clear that she hates her life and living in a 'cage' and the shadow that is dwelling on her, she rather seeks a glorious death in battle aka suicide. Only when she fells in love with faramir he gives her a purpose to live and the shadow in her fades away. Truly an inspiring and tear-inducing story and character arc.
She has no purpose until she finds a husband? Seriously? That's insulting! She was a strong woman not a bored damsel.
@@Xiroi87 i mean if you read the book its that way. Being sad and being strong and brave dont exclude each other. I mean especially the book Eowyn in comparison to movie one
@@daweedpotrawa3042 you said she finds purpose when she falls in love, that's ridiculous and excludes being the strong woman her character represents.
@@Xiroi87 but that is what tolkien wrote, even after Aragorn saved her life from the wound by the witch-king she is deeply depressed, and i dont think its about being married in a conventional way but to find people that can help pulling you out of psychic diseases. I think many people can relate to that completely genderneutral and be pretty inspired by it. If she would be totally independent, then Tolkien never should make her fell in love with anyone. She was already in love with Aragorn but he said 'sorry i have a gf'. And with purpose i meant the will to live if that sounded too mundane
Incoming essay, I literally grabbed my copy of ROTK for this. Buckle up.
Eowyn’s story isn’t about finding purpose in a husband, it’s about a girl that loses her parents and cousin (who was like a brother to her), and sees the approaching apocalypse and feels helpless to stop it- not because she can’t fight, but because she keeps getting told to stay behind and watch over the non combatants. She’s just as capable as anyone in Rohan’s army, yet isn’t allowed to ride with them to Gondor.
Something often overlooked (which OP mentioned) is that by the time of that conversation with Aragorn, Eowyn doesn’t just want renown from victory, she wants the renown of DYING in “glorious” battle. She states several times that she wants to die. She knows there’s every chance that the battle for Gondor will be lost, and she wants to go to die there in battle. While there is a desire to be seen as equal and capable, it’s overshadowed by her despair and hopelessness.
Her time in the house of healing and falling in love isn’t meant to be “she’s all fixed because a guy likes her!” The shadow passes because Sauron is DEAD. The doom she’s seen coming for years and fearing is no more. And now, her name will be cemented in history for killing the unkillable, but it’s not glorious to her- she’s fully experienced the horrors of battle, seen her beloved uncle die, been brought deep into darkness by the black breath and brought out again. She’s had time to think about all this and got to know Faramir by the time word of Sauron’s defeat comes. Faramir, also a well respected warrior who knows what it is like to not be taken seriously (by his father), has a mindset that would be very comforting to Eowyn as she’s rethinking her worldview: “I love not the sword for its sharpness etc, only that which they defend”. She’s come to understand this on her own. when it came down to it, what she cared about in battle wasn’t glory, it was defending who she loved.
After long dread and sorrow, Eowyn chooses hope for the future. Faramir sees her for who she is and is in awe. He has respect for her and very openly adores her. Eowyn realizes that Faramir doesn’t pity her (like Aragorn did) and that was the one thing that kept her from allowing herself to love Faramir. And Eowyn lets go of her despair, her fears. The war and Sauron are gone, she can see a future for herself other than death, and chooses to make Faramir part of it. Her friendship with Faramir has been a source of comfort for her since she met him, and she realizes she wants a peaceful life with him.
Tolkien would be very familiar with this feeling, after world war 1. Being disillusioned with stories of war as glorious, you can see that part of him in Eowyn. War is sometimes necessary, but it’s not something to yearn for. Eowyn and Faramir individually represent this concept. Sometimes it’s harder to choose peace and healing after trauma, and Eowyn is all the stronger for realizing that about herself. To quote Liv Tyler about Arwen: “You don’t need a sword in her hand to make her strong”.
Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk Lol 😅
I know there's a lot more to her character than this, but the fact that she dared to go 1v1 with the witch king is seriously impressive. Especially after seeing how so many others fled in terror when he turned up. For me it's up there with Gandalf v Balrog and even Fingolfin v Morgoth in terms of sheer daring!
Especially impressive because the ring wraiths have an aura about them that literally radiates fear and despair, and the aura around the witch king would be the most potent of the nine. And she not only faces him, she laughs in his face, makes him doubt and fear as he realizes that he doesn’t have prophecy plot armor like he thought. Absolutely legendary
Also: 1975, after the battle off Fornost was finished, and the Witch-king had fled, it was Glorfindel who predicted that no mortal man would ever destroy the Witch-king.
I've no idea why she is my most beloved LOTR character; but she is, since my first reading when I was 14 (now 53). I was teary-eyed through most of your video. Great job, and thank you.
Kills Sauron's 2nd in command and gets a happily ever after with her family in the new age, and she more then deserves it after losing her uncle
Another very entertaining study of a Tolkien character. The art featured was beautiful. Thank you for a great upload!
Eowyn is one of my favorite characters in Lord of the Rings. Her battle with the Witch-king is such a fantastic scene. She gets her moment of glory beyond the duties of hearth and home and the cage she has felt trapped in. I love when the Witch-king experiences doubt and suddenly realizes the prophecy may not mean what he thought it did.
Side note: I named my cat Eowyn. She's an orange tabby who has a lot of the same fierce, fighting spirit as the character.
There were a Wizard, a Dwarf and three Elves present at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. And yet Tolkien chose to give the honor of destroying the mighty Witch-King of Angmar to a 25-6 year old girl from one of the "lesser" races of men, who was also going through suicidal depression. As somebody who has struggled with depression and anxiety in the past, this is something I personally love.
Dont Forget about Merry! (My favorite hobbit)
Absolutely! I feel that the depth of Eowyn’s depression/desire to die in battle is overlooked too often, and that her falling in love and choosing to be a healer instead of warrior is seen as “making her weak”. No! It takes strength and courage to choose hope and healing and happiness after trauma! It’s crucial to Eowyn’s story that she’s able to find peace! It’s something Tolkien himself likely experienced after serving in ww1. All but one of his best friends were dead, he saw the horror of war first hand. Afterwards, he likely had to choose to find hope, meaning, and love in the world. And having struggled with depression, I can say that doing that is feels impossible at times, but Tolkien’s message is that even if it seems impossible, we can and should still try to hope and keep fighting the darkness.
Thank you, Matt! That was the most epic telling of Ëowyn I have seen yet. I forgot how beautiful the ending of her life story was.
Is nobody gonna talk about how amazingly NOTR mimicked the Witch-King? 😭
I fear no man. But that thing
(Witch King points at Eowyn)
She scares me.
Nice video!
Pretty much....
Eowyn, Crushing on her since 1980. Raised in tragedy and shadow, led her people in Dunharrow, as Dernhelm, She and Merry removed the right arm of Sauron.
Eowyn really is a strong woman, in all meanings of it. Standing up for what she believes, for those whom she loves no matter if it would kill her or not.
Miranda Otto portrayed her well in the LotR movies.
This is one of the best ones you've done. Eowyn is magnificent, and I love that she married Faramir. What a great warrior, she, and a great career afterwards as a healer
there are two ways to read this. Eowyn gave up everything she worked so hard for , the recognition , fame , independence and bowed to the societal norms once again to be the arcitipical meek , subservient and 'caring' female. A healer and a support and that's all.
Or she after seeing horrors of war and defeating the one of the greatest evils Middle earth has ever seen and almost dying in the process she just wanted to live a peaceful and good life with a person who thinks her as an equal and doesn't care about the societal norms whatsoever. She wants to heal not because of the 'females are only good for nurturing to sons for greater things' but because see realized healing is and always will be the most beautiful gift of all. I know which interpritation I like the most. What are your thoughts?
The latter for sure my friend.
She wanted to help Faramir rebuild Ithilien because she loved him. He was prince of Ithilien
She has one of the best character arcs, and my three daughters are well versed in her journey.
Aww she is one of my favorite character!
"Merry, who had resolved that Eowin should not die alone..." you mean to tell me that Meriadoc Brandybuck charged the Witch King of Angmar, not in a last ditch effort to live, but as a SUICIDE CHARGE!?
Fantastic video! Éowyn is such a wonderful character, and this was a beautiful retelling of that moment.
Your Witch-king voice is incredible! It mixes the whispery tones of the films with the high, scratchy, thin tones of the animated version, and the deep guttural tone of Sauron. It sounds terrifying and deadly, but also in pain itself, as though speaking dark words for so long have burned his throat. A once great figure, decayed and hollowed. The terror comes not only from what this being can do to you, but what has been done to it. And the laugh on "Thou fool!" was just perfect.
Outstanding work❤
The Houses of Healing is my favorite chapter in the trilogy.
Imagine trying to attack Ithilien after Saurons defeat and have to deal with Fairmiar, Eowyn and Legolas all defending it
wicked vid Matt Eowyn is one of the most underrated characters and thus one of my favourites loved the vid mate can't what for the next one
Always loved this character,and I'm happy that she has found her own happiness...)
If I am not wrong Wormtongue was lot older than Eowyn and was very creepy. The time before Theoden was aroused must have been horrifying for Eowyn
My favorite LOTR Character (in terms of who I identify the most with) Eowyn is female character made perfection. Miranda was absolutely magnificent in the role.
Might be one of the culturally most important and long lasting characters Tolkien created, deserving of her own video!
Wow, the “I am no man” bit sounds absolutely epic in the book!
Love your redition of the witch king when facing the shield maiden!
She truly is the Shield-Maiden of Rohan......... Eowyn my love
The Love between Eowyn and Faramir is so Pure.
Another fantastic video about an amazing character. Tolkien was a master at storytelling. The way he writes Eowyn should be the template, the blueprint, for modern Hollywood.
I don't always have good things to say about the Peter Jackson movies (although I appreciate them a hell of a lot more since Amazon took a wrecking ball to Tolkien), but the lament she sang in -Old English- Rohirric in the Extended Edition was wonderful.
That John Howe sketch is just too awesome.
I just love you guys. You, men of the west, etc. I watch this video and get chills. LoTR is timeless and your channel honors Tolkien
I had a chicken named after Eowyn, she was a fighter and we had other birds some that acted like the Nazgul, she had an "I am No Man" moment. Funny: Eowyn says she fears a cage, and when I had my chickens, always locked them up, and our Eowyn kept saying, "Let me Out." She took after her Namesake.
Eowyn is one of two (Pippin is the other) characters I am most like in Tolkien's works!!! I really connect to her, being a woman surrounded by Men, with Tomboy nature, and more.
I assume you also connect to the story of Arya Stark, another well-written account of a tomboy surrounded by men and determined to find her own way, no matter how difficult. The finest character arc in GoT!
Amazing voicing for the Witch-King! So creepy. Sounds like Voldemort, too!
Superb as always. I've always regretted the way the movies handled the "prophecy" of Eowyn's encounter with the Witch King. The books treat it as a true prophecy, that the Witch King will not die by the hand of a man, as if it is destined. The movie treats it like a rule, that the Witch King cannot be killed by a man. The simple changing of the words "will" or "will not" as opposed to "can" or "cannot" really changes up the meaning, and not in the best way. Just a minor annoyance in the grand scheme of things, but... still... Anyway, great piece!
Great point.🌟
That's not all that was changed, in the books it's *no living man*, in the movies is "I'm no man". And it's not a minor annoyance when the context is changed in its entirety.
Eowyn is such a great and complex character. Tolkien often gets criticized for how few female characters are in the lord of the rings. But Eowyn showed he knew how to write a compelling and complex female character that was strong and self willed. Too many stories write the roll of a strong female the exact same way you would write for a male character. That’s a mistake.
She is so Amazing! Great Video Nerd of the Rings! As Always!
My favorite Tolkien character since childhood. Thank you for the video! :)
She's one of the best heroines in all of Middle Earth. Wouldn't it be interesting if we had a series about all the heroines in Tolkien's world!? Amazing video btw!
As long as they're treated as actual heroines and not just female power propaganda material, that'd be really amazing
@@hecdavid11 agreed. That’s what’s happening to Galadriel
@@hecdavid11 да, ечли их не буд3т показывать туповатыми фемками(феминистками) , а нормальными, и классными женскими персонажами, будет хорошо. Но жтого точно не будут. От тредера сериала Амазон, мне блевать охото🤢
Another amazing video! Just rewatched all of the Morgoth videos, so amazing and high quality! Well done!
You changed how I look on tolkin now.
One of the best tolkin youtubers
You did amazing as the Witch King! It actually scared me lol
It’s just head canon, but I’m convinced one of Aragorn and Arwen’s daughters married Elboron (or perhaps a brother) and became mother to Barahir.
This is one of the best videos in this series.
1:48 These 2 artist's renderings are excellent!
Woo I love your rohan videos. Just eomer left now. Any chance of a history of rohan video aswell
When i heard that the trilogy was being made to live action film, the scene versus the Witch King was the one i was expecting the most and i was not dissapointed. :)
My favorite character from LotR! Thanks for this great summary of her life
Dude your voice acting is insane, so realistic
I hate it when people think TOLkiEn wAS a SEXIst.
Lady Galadriel the fair - wisest woman in the mortal world. Queen Varda of the Valar, raised Elves and Men. Queen Yavanna of the Valar, protected life on this planet. Lady Haleth of the First Age, kept a peaceful society (a great achievement when everyone else was butchering each other!) Eowyn of Rohan, a valorous woman who was not afraid to go to war and led her people to victory. And Melian the Maiar - a fallen angel and the most powerful woman in the First Age, also Queen of Doriath.
So many powerful women in Tolkien's books it sickens me when people assume TOLkiEN waS a SEXisT.
Imagine Galadriel meeting Eowyn and Galadriel saying you remind me of myself when I was in young age.
OMG Thank you so much I've been waiting for this for soooooo long. Thx! Your Nazgûl impression is very cool.
That was a wonderful video. Always loved the character of Eowyn. Excellent sir! Bravo!!!
DUDE. I just love your channel....
Are you going to cover how Tolkien was a linguist and how that influenced the languages and names of the races and people of Middle Earth?
Éowyn is my favorite character in the Tolkien legendarium, she goes against the men who want her to be just a housewife, and rides off in disguise to protect the ones she loves, becoming one of the greatest heroes of the War of the Ring!
Modern feminism could learn a thing or two with her on how to be a "strong female character".
And then she realizes that being a housewife was actually pretty sweet😏
Really wonderful descriptive prose. Thank you.
Brilliant video as always, I really wish you could do an audiobook narration of the books, your character work is the best
They wrote her a little too lovesick in the movies, imo, but still my favourite character in Tolkien's universe by far.
Amazing video! One of my favorite characters in the trilogy
My favourite secondary character and the centre of my favourite scene in lotr...the death of the Witch King.
Eowyn is feminism done right.
You are so talented.
Thank you for making these videos ☺️
The blood of Men of the West endures even in Rohan.
One of my favorite characters!
Thank you for your great content!!! I believe we need a video about Eomer, Bard the Bowman and Dain II Ironfoot in this great channel too!!! Actually I am sure you have something on the works...!! Thank youuuuu!!!
Great video 👌
CS Lewis: "No matter what Susan and Lucy can't fight, for battles are ugly when women fight"
Tolkien: Battles are *always* ugly. Trust me.
The portrayal of Eowyn in the film as a cringing, terrified damsel in distress is iniquitous. Why could not the repartee between her and the Witch King have been as it was in the book? I was and am bitterly disappointed that it was not.
I was teary watching this. I love Éowyn so much 🥹🥹
Some people say that Eowyn understood she was just a woman and therefore shlouldn't fight and that was why wasn't there during the final confrontation.... How can these people not understand that she almost died not so long ago, was still wounded and weakened? If not for that I believe she would have been one of the leaders of the attack. You don't take your wounded soldiers to a battle, even when they are as excellent warriors as Eowyn.
11:45 Éowyn probably did precede Faramir in death, considering his Númenórean heritage enabled him to live to 120 years old. But Tolkien never wrote that Éowyn preceded Éomer in death. She is not mentioned in the passage describing Merry and Pippin's last visit to Éomer in Rohan before the king's death, but that is understandable because Éowyn had not lived in Rohan for decades at that point. That doesn't mean she had already passed away.
Ahhhh, now this is an awesome female character that actually wielded a blade.
Eowyn > every single quote on quote “strong female character” in the last few years.
One of the best LOTR video lore I've seen so far !
Great breakdown of a great story of a great character! Great job Matt!
Eowyn: Kills Witch King’s fell beast.
Witch King: Breaks his controller.
Eowyn is one of the best female character Tolkien ever created and Miranda Otto ma'am did a very great job, she gave this Character a deep and made her amazingly alive. Hats off to Miranda Otto ma'am and hats off to Late Tolkien Sir. May his soul rest in peace.
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.
Great video, as always! If you're still doing your What If videos, I'd love to see one on What If Gollum Had Survived. As in, what would have happened if the Ring had been destroyed before Gollum had attacked Frodo and Sam? I know this question is somewhat answered when we see Bilbo age rapidly after the Ring's destroyed, but I've always wondered if Gollum would regain his sanity or if he was too far gone
I am hopeful that Miranda Otto is in the War of the Rohimrim Anime Film to be revealed as the narrator at the end telling her son the story.
I like the audiotracks
She was an excellent Eowyn. Fighting when needed and enjoying the freedom of not is what I think she learnt xxxxx
Is it just me, or does Tolkien take some inspiration from Shakespeare's play MacBeth with the Witch King being the former and Eowyn being MacDuff.