She was known as the Lady of the Shield-arm. From the ashes of childhood tragedy,
she would grow to be a great woman of Rohan, and with the help of an unexpected brother in arms,
she would destroy Sauron’s greatest servant.
Today, on Nerd of the Rings, we cover the life and travels of Eowyn.
Éowyn is born in 2995 TA to her father Eomund and mother Theodwyn. Her brother Eomer is four
years older. When Eowyn is just seven years old, her father is killed in an orc ambush in the Emyn
Muil. Later that very year, Theodwyn would die of illness, leaving Eomer and Eowyn orphaned. They
are brought to the house of Theodwyn’s brother Theoden, who was already a widower himself,
raising his son Theodred. Theoden would raise Eomer and Eowyn as his own son and daughter. Eowyn
is described as tall and slender, with grace and pride that she inherits from her mother.
Over the years, Eowyn would see her uncle weakened by the words and poison of Grima Wormtongue,
and in February 3019, she would learn of her cousin’s death in one of the earliest
battles in the War of the Ring. However, Theoden would be healed by Gandalf the White
and would resolve to march out from Edoras with his Rohirrim to fight back against
Saruman. Knowing that he may well be riding to his death, and the death of Eomer his heir,
Theoden asks who shall be left in charge of his people, saying “in whom do my people trust?”
Hama, the doorward replies “In the house of Eorl.” Thus Eowyn, who is fearless and loved by all,
is left to rule the people of Rohan in the king’s stead. Eowyn knelt before him and received from
him a sword and a fair corslet. ‘Farewell sister-daughter!’ he said. ‘Dark is the hour,
yet maybe we shall return to the Golden Hall. But in Dunharrow the people may
long defend themselves, and if the battle go ill, thither will come all who escape.’
Eowyn leads the civilian population of Rohan to Dunharrow where they would take refuge should
Saruman’s forces prove the mightier. Later at Dunharrow, after the victory at Helm’s Deep,
Aragorn makes to leave for the Paths of the Dead. Eowyn attempts to convince Aragorn to
stay with the army, and when Aragorn says it is the path he must take, Eowyn offers to go with
him. Aragorn reminds her of her duty to rule her people in Theoden’s absence to which she responds:
‘Shall I always be left behind when the Riders depart, to mind the house while they win renown,
and find food and beds when they return?’ ‘A time may come soon,’ said he, ‘when none will return.
Then there will be need of valour without renown, for none shall remember the deeds that are done in
the last defence of your homes. Yet the deeds will not be less valiant because they are unpraised.’
And she answered: ‘All your words are but to say: you are a woman,
and your part is in the house. But when the men have died in battle and honour,
you have leave to be burned in the house, for the men will need it no more. But I am of the House of
Eorl and not a serving-woman. I can ride and wield blade, and I do not fear either pain or death.’
In the end, Eowyn would take on the guise of Dernhelm, a rider of Rohan
She carries with her Meriadoc Brandybuck, who was likewise ordered to stay behind - though,
Merry doesn’t realize her true identity at this time.
The Rohirrim ride to aid Gondor in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Dernhelm
stays near Theoden throughout the battle and bears witness to the Witch-king’s attack upon the king.
Theoden is mortally wounded, pinned beneath his horse Snowmane as the Nazgul descends upon him.
But Théoden was not utterly forsaken.
The knights of his house lay slain about him.... Yet one stood there still:
Dernhelm the young, faithful beyond fear; and he wept, for he had loved his lord as a father.
Right through the charge Merry had been borne unharmed behind him, until the Shadow came; and
then Windfola had thrown them in his terror.... Merry crawled on all fours like a dazed beast,
and such a horror was on him that he was blind and sick.... He dared not open his eyes or look up.
Then out of the blackness in his mind he thought that he heard Dernhelm speaking;
yet now the voice seemed strange, recalling some other voice that he had known.
A cold voice answered:
A sword rang as it was drawn.
Then Merry heard of all sounds in that hour the strangest.
It seemed that Dernhelm laughed....
Eowyn clove the neck of the fell beast, killing the Witch-king’s steed. The Nazgul rises from
the wreck and strikes Eowyn’s shield with his mace, breaking both shield and arm of his foe.
Just as he raises his mace to kill, Merry, who had resolved that Eowyn should not die alone,
stabs the Witch-king in the back of the knee with his barrow-blade.
And with her last strength Eowyn drove her sword between crown and mantle,
as the great shoulders bowed before her. The sword broke sparkling into many shards.
The crown rolled away with a clang. Éowyn fell forward upon her fallen foe. But lo! the mantle
and hauberk were empty. Shapeless they lay now on the ground...;
and a cry went up into the shuddering air, and faded to a shrill wailing..., a voice bodiless
and thin that died, and was swallowed up, and was never heard again in that age of this world.
Unlike in the films, Theoden speaks his last words to Merry and Eomer,
and dies unaware that his niece lies just feet away. Some of his final thoughts are of Eowyn,
calling her “dearer than daughter.” Eomer discovers his sister on the battlefield,
leading him in his anguish to say his famous words, screaming repeatedly
screaming Death and calling his riders to “ride to ruin and the world’s ending.”
However, Eowyn was not dead. She would be borne away from the battlefield
and taken to the Houses of Healing in Minas Tirith.
Afterward, Eowyn would be given the title “Lady of the Shield-arm” in recognition of
her defeat of the dreaded Witch-king. Both Merry and Eowyn would fall under the Black
Breath - a terrible weapon of the Nazgul which could poison its victims and lead to death.
Fortunately, after the army of the Witch-king is defeated, Aragorn would make his way in secret
to the Houses of Healing. Using the athelas plant, he calls Eowyn, Merry, and Faramir back
from the darkness and heals them. All three would, due to their injuries, be left behind
in Minas Tirith as Aragorn leads the remaining soldiers of Rohan and Gondor to the Black Gate.
It is during this time, awaiting news of the battle that Eowyn meets Faramir and the two fall
in love. They receive news from one of the great eagles that Sauron had finally been defeated,
and the city begins preparations for the returning victorious army.
In conversation with Faramir, Eowyn declares that the shadow has departed and that she will
be a shieldmaiden no longer. No longer does she desire to be a queen or to seek renown in
battle. Instead she says she shall be a healer, and love all things that grow and are not barren.
Though we don’t know to what extent the shieldmaidens were a part of Rohan’s history.
Aside from Eowyn’s use of the term, there is only a single other reference to shieldmaidens,
which comes in The History of Middle-earth. In “War of the Ring”, Christopher Tolkien shares
an earlier version of a text saying the women of Rohan took part in fighting an invasion of
Easterlings roughly 400 years prior to Eowyn’s time. With Eowyn putting aside her sword
and shield, the tradition would apparently come to an end with its most famous member.
On May 8, Eowyn and many others make the return journey to Edoras,
where they place Theoden king in his final resting place. Eomer, now king of Rohan,
rejoices at the union of Faramir and Eowyn, saying the friendship of the Mark and of Gondor
is now bound with a new bond. Aragorn says that in Eowyn, Rohan has given Gondor the
fairest thing in its realm and that it heals his heart to see her in bliss.
Eowyn and Eomer give to Merry a horn of Rohan, and heirloom of their house,
crafted by the dwarves and taken from the hoard of the dragon Scatha.
Merry would later use this horn as they retake the Shire.
Eowyn and Faramir are married in 3020 and settle in the lands of Ithilien, of which Faramir is
made the ruling Prince by King Elessar. Eowyn, the Lady of Ithilien, lives with her beloved in
the hills of Emyn Arnen. Among the inhabitants of Ithilien are not only the Gondorian people,
but also a group of elves led by Legolas. In later days, Eowyn and Eomer would continue to
correspond with Merry, for when he becomes Master of Buckland in 11 FoA, they would send him gifts.
Eowyn and Faramir would have at least one child, a son named Elboron.
Elboron would eventually succeed his father as Prince of Ithilien and Steward of Gondor. We
also know that Eowyn and Faramir had at least one grandchild, a grandson named Barahir, who
would go on to write the Tale of Aragorn and Arwen found in the appendices of The Return of the King.
We don’t know for certain when Eowyn’s life would come to an end. We know that she would precede
both her husband and brother in death, meaning she would die sometime prior to the year 63 FoA.
Yet, we are left with the hope that Eowyn would have many many years of happiness
with her family in Ithilien, as he lives her life as a healer and Lady of the realm.
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