Becoming Eowyn Pt. 1

I am in love with The Lord of Rings. Both the book by J.R.R. Tolkien and the movies directed by Peter Jackson forever earned a place in my heart. If you haven't read the books or seen the movies, you need to. Yes, they're long, but they are well worth the time invested. In The Lord of the Rings, male characters dominate. This is not surprising, since the story is an other-wordly fantasy wrought with war and danger. There are very few female characters mentioned in the entire seies, and even fewer have dialogue. Three of these women stand out in the series as strong women who hold their own in a male-dominated world: Eowyn, Arwen, and Galadriel. These three women are very differenct characters, yet all have a special combination of femininty and strength that Tolkien wove into the fabric of his classic fantasy trilogy as a contrast to his (very manly) male characters. Exploring the characterisitcs of each of these women is not only fascinating (and fun!) it gives female readers everywhere hope, they too can be valiant women like Arwen, Eowyn, and Galadriel.



Eowyn is the niece of King Theoden, the ruler of Rohan during the Third Age of Middle Earth. Eowyn and her brother Eomer live with the king and eventually become heirs to the throne when their cousin, Theodred dies. Eowyn's presence in the court of Rohan is unique, and that does not go unnoticed by the king's advisor (and ally to the evil wizard Saruman) Grima Wormtongue. He stalks Eowyn day and night, but she never gives in to him. He whispers words to discourage her and offers her an escape from her circumstances with him. She stands strong , however, and waits for help to come with hope.

Eowyn's dealings with Wormtongue teach women today an important lesson: Don't run to a man when the world crashes in around you. Stand strong and, as Eowyn did, hope that things will get better. In Eowyn's story, help comes in the form of Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli rescuing her uncle from Saruman. Our help, however, comes from a much greater source than the fellowship. Our help comes from the Lord, who can fill our loneliness and help us recognize a Wormtongue when we see one. To become an Eowyn today, we must l stand strong, especially when we feel the most vulnerable. For in weakness, we are made strong.

Standing strong is only one facet of Eowyn's character, but she's so complex I've decided to make "Becoming Eowyn" my new blog series! Check back later in the week to read pt. 2, Eowyn's warrior mentality.