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the 13th warrior
Rivendell
May 4 2015, 5:38pm
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Is Eowyn of the the better-educated characters in LOTR??
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Hello OneRingers, was looking through LOTR Extended Dvd's the over the weekend, and it occured to me that Eowyn is one of the better educated, history aware characters in the epic.
You'd expect Elrond, Gandalf, Saruman, Galadriel, to have deep, deep knowledge of Middle Earth history, and so would rulers like Denethor, Thranduil, Thorin, Dain, Balin, even if they did rule briefly or for a long time. Frodo and Bilbo certainly went in for history and were acknowledged a bit for their knowledge of elvish and recording the chronicles of the Ring, Middle Earth, the Shire.
But Tolkien seemed to envision the people of Rohan as a young, war like, bold people, singing songs as they rode into battle, not people as given over to history as Gondor with its scribes and deep dark chambers of ancient scrolls. Of course, Minas Tirith is truly a city where rulers and people have built grand structures for centuries while Edoras is a very rustic capitol of nomadic horse people of the Middle Earth steppes, great plains.
In the films it is clear that Eowyn has an awareness of Numenor, its fall, the remnant of its people in the north, the Dunadain, as she discovers how old Aragorn is--she even has visions of the final wave that struck Numenor. She hears Aragorn speak elvish and says he speaks as if he were one of them, suggesting she has met elves before and has some knowledge of their language. While others seem suspicious of elves, especially of Galadriel, "the sorceress of the wood", Eowyn seems more open minded about the Fair Folk.
As a princess of Rohan, her realm is the great crossroads of Middle Earth, the connector between Eriador of the West and the Wilderland of the East. It is adjacent to Gondor, with Saruman nearby, and the Lorien Elves to the north, and of course Mirkwood which has the woodmen--descendents of Rohan and Beorn, other North people going back to the early days Middle Earth, the Numenor remnant that sailed over, etc.
As royalty, Eowyn would have grounding in ruling, governing, horsemanship, strategy, tactics, and this would involve knowing the history of Rohan and how it relates to the other realms around it. Since you basically went through Rohan to go back and forth in Middle Earth, no doubt a Rohan princess might meet delegations of travelers, or perhaps be part of a diplomatic mission, being sent somewhere to meet,greet or hosting people in the halls of Edoras. How many times might Eowyn have seen Isengard, been curious about the ancient Saruman, the loremaster wizard, not yet Rohan's enemy?? Did she ever travel to Gondor itself??
Again, her knowledge of Middle Earth seems greater than other characters--in book Tolkien (yes, again) it was clear the hobbits picked up bits and pieces of knowledge along their travels, not so much in the movies. Eowyn who grew a lot over the course of Two Towers and Return of the King, and became a heroic warrior seems to know her place in history and those of the beings and realms around her.
The 13th Warrior, Left Field Caliphate, from the Ancient Scroll Rooms of Gondor.
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the 13th warrior
Rivendell
May 4 2015, 8:46pm
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All Clues are in the Extended's....
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Hello Bracegirdle.
The extended scenes, new ones in Two Towers, Return of King all point to this. It is established that Eowyn:
Knows and appreciates Aragorn's unique heritage as a Dunadain/Ranger of the North. When he reveals he is 87 she immediately gets it, that he is a descendent of Numenor blessed with long life (("It is said your race passed into legend")). This would require her to understand the whole numenor saga and aragorn's special place in it. And she experiences her dream vision of the big wave that flooded numenor when aragorn looks in on her sleeping in the great hall, intentional coincidence to make this connection between eowyn's growing love for aragorn and his strange, mysterious, exotic past heritage.
She would also be aware of elven history, culture, how numenor was given to mortals after war with morgoth, elves relationship to great powers of valar, etc.
Knows and understands some elvish language. hearing aragorn speak it, she is surprised that a northern ranger is so fluent a speaker. subtext, she is saying to him: given where you are from aragorn i think it's amazing you speak this difficult language. this would require her to know enough elvish to determine whether aragorn spoke well, mediocre, novice skills, etc.???
All this adds up to her being well educated and well versed in everything from middle earth history to elven language, but then being royalty in rohan, being possible ruler even one day, would require her parents, then theoden to see she had this knowledge.
The 13th Warrior, Left Field Caliphate, From the House of Elrond
(This post was edited by the 13th warrior on May 4 2015, 8:47pm)
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squire
Half-elven
May 4 2015, 10:08pm
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She is mostly voicing the needs of the screenwriters, I think.
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I never thought about it, but I do see what you're talking about. In the films Eowyn dispenses gouts of Middle-earth lore in the course of her pursuit of hunky Aragorn. She certainly doesn't do so in the book, and in fact comes off, more realistically for me, as somewhat reckless, immature, and more handy with a sword and a bedpan than a book or song of lore.
I imagine the screenwriters, needing to build a hint of shared romance between Aragorn and Eowyn where none exists in the book, made her more appealing to Aragorn by showing her as understanding him and his background. She actually takes over some of Faramir's role as the 'lesser' Man who appreciates Aragorn for what he is; the dream-vision of the wave that swamps Numenor is Faramir's, and properly so as he is of high Numenorean stock. Eowyn has no business having the dream in the film, but it's there partly to please Tolkien geeks (I think!) and partly to establish her cred as a possible match for Aragorn, as I said above.
You also make a good point about Rohan's geographic position at the crossroads of Middle-earth, but I think that overestimates the flow of commerce through the Gap of Rohan after the collapse of the North Kingdom. Rohan is out of the mainstream of the Anduin valley, and given its close association with Gondor to the south would have little need of intercourse with the nations in the Mirkwood regions to the north and east. Over all, the feeling of Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age is decay and decline, with little trade or interest in foreign lands.
As far as Eowyn's formal education as a royal princess goes, I think we have too little information to go on. She does claim to be a shieldmaiden and thus to have martial training, but that's never explained further: is it an anomaly or are all the noblewomen of the Mark similarly trained? As for lessons in ruling, governing, strategy and tactics, or opportunities for diplomacy and foreign travel, my gut tells me that women in Rohan were not seen as potential rulers in the way their brothers were, and would have had a ladies' education, more in the sciences of household governance and the courtly arts (weaving, music, etc.). But again, Tolkien just doesn't flesh his societies out to the extent that we might wish he had.
Great question and observations, though! Thanks!
squire online:
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Na Vedui
Rohan
May 5 2015, 7:19pm
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...there is some justification for her having the kind of knowledge she displayed in the film. I don't recollect her demonstrating such knowledge in the book (and there, the wave dream - which, fascinatingly, was actually Tolkien's in real life - belongs to Faramir). However, Eowyn's grandmother Morwen (wife of Thengel King of Rohan and mother of King Theoden and of Eowyn's mother Theodwyn) was of the ruling family of Lossarnach, which is in Gondor. So it is likely that a lot of Gondorian lore, including the history of the Dunedain and the drowning of the land of Numenor, would have been familiar to Eowyn's family. See Appendix A in "Lord of the Rings" (book) - the section on "Kings of the Mark".
Morwen sounds a formidable lady - it seems the Rohirrim called her "Steelsheen".
(This post was edited by Na Vedui on May 5 2015, 7:23pm)
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the 13th warrior
Rivendell
May 5 2015, 9:03pm
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That's One of Funnier Headlines I have Seen....
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Hello Squire, I enjoyed the amusing header, along the lines of moviegoer 1 saying to moviegoer 2: "Why did the character just do that?" Moviegoer 2: "Cause the movie and the plot say he has to..."
Wanted to address a few pts: it is true there was no actual romance in the books between Aragorn and Eowyn, however the great JRR did have a nice unrequited love story going on. I will leave details in books to you, but the Reader's Digest version is that Eowyn, attracted to Aragorn by his mysterious past, appearance, missions, and her need to break free from Rohan--her fear of "the cage"--does indeed fall for our ranger hero, who politely turns her down but with some sadness on his part.
There are book scenes where Eowyn begs his Aragorn-ness not to go to war, take paths of dead, or if he does, take her with him. All she gets is "Nay Lady" "I must depart Lady" -- so she becomes male warrior in disquise, dernhelm, fights in the war, gets injured in battle with witch king, and is healed by Aragorn. Eomer hints to Aragorn he knows what is going on, but feels Aragorn has acted a gentleman, without any bad intent towards his sister. Later Faramir courts her and says he's no king in waiting like Aragorn, who he knows she loved, but he will try and make her happy. and they get married, the end. Very Cliff's notes but the gist of it.
You have great pt on Faramir from the books and yes in the books he has long discussion with frodo on the nature of the men of middle earth, highest born the numenoreans, lowest the wildmen, gondor, rohan all on some sort of scale from noble to savage. It is as if they grafted these concepts onto eowyn since pj wanted a better action and intrigue story between Faramir and Frodo in the movies, which plays out very differently from the books, though it comes to the same conclusion--Faramir releasing Frodo with his blessing. And in the films Eowyn and Aragorn do well in scenes with her having the hots for the ranger, but doing her best to restrain herself and he not egging her on, but trying to be a supportive comrade in war, though he seems aware of her feelings.
I enjoyed the jewel evenstar acting has an important prop, Aragorn and Eowyn both know what it means, and when she sees it, it is sort of her barometer as she ponders Aragorn's connection to the mysterious elf woman.
And as for what was expected of women at the time, Eowyn's whole big issue was that she was relegated to "house duties" "refugee support" caring for an until recently decrepit and collapsing uncle, king theoden, when she wanted to go to war and defend her realm. So no doubt women royalty may have been relegated to "backup the kingdom, take charge while the males are away" -- the nurturing role. Culture, sociology, physical reality of the realm and what it was like made me think, a princess would still get some basics in everything from how to rule to how to ride a horse even some sword skills, which the moviemakers and the great JRR both developed into her warrior transformation.
The 13th Warrior, Left Field Caliphate,
So what happens when King Aragorn Queen Arwen Prince Faramir Princess Eowyn go out on double date???
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the 13th warrior
Rivendell
May 5 2015, 9:28pm
Post #7 of 24
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From the scrolls of Gondor another clue?!
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Hello Na, you are steeped in Rohan and Gondorean history, those are great details on Rohan and Gondor ruling house connections. In book LOTR, Two Towers, Faramir tells Frodo, the rulers of Gondor and the pre-Rohan people battled, but then formed a truce, realizing they were related in the distant past. Also Gondor stewards encouraged unions between Gondoreans and the people of the sea coasts south of the White Mts. Also Faramir admits that the elves of Lorien, mysterious and ominous as they are to some mortals, were sometimes sought out by Gondoreans for secret purposes, and often the mortals never returned. Wonder what happened?? Went elf?? Applied for immigation to Lorien?? '
So it seems there was more elf-mortal contact than we may have realized, so it is possible for all the reasons given so far, that Eowyn would be in good position to be educated in the ways of elves, their history and Middle Earth history in general.
The 13th Warrior, Left Field Caliphate.
Overwhelmed by Middle Earth's Past
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Darkstone
Immortal
May 6 2015, 5:45pm
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Then Éowyn gave to Merry an ancient horn, small but cunningly wrought all of fair silver with a baldric of green; and wrights had engraven upon it swift horsemen riding in a line that wound about it from the tip to the mouth; and there were set runes of great virtue.
'This is an heirloom of our house,' said Éowyn. 'It was made by the Dwarves, and came from the hoard of Scatha the Worm. Eorl the Young brought it from the North. He that blows it at need shall set fear in the hearts of his enemies and joy in the hearts of his friends, and they shall hear him and come to him.'
-Many Partings
Though probably the best display of such is her performance as cup-bearer. One might dismiss the function as simply a glorified beer maid, but in the mead hall (Meduseld) it is a very vital diplomatic function of the lady of the court. She presents the first round, first to the king, then to each of the guests in an extremely delicate and complex order of rank, prestige, heritage, merit, etc. The smallest misstep could cause great insult, and result in feud, rebellion, or even foreign war. Yet obviously both in book and film Eowyn deftly answers the challenge, serving a Dunedain Chief cum High King pretender, an Elven prince, an extremely touchy Dwarf, two scions of the Shire, as well as the various lords and captains of the differing factions of Edoras, the Westfold, and the Eastfold with not even a whisper of hard feelings on anyone's part.
No wonder, as Háma says, "All love her." (The Muster of Rohan)
As cup-bearer, peace-weaver, memory-keeper, gift-giver, shield-maiden, hearth-guardian, healer, and all other aspects she is the very model of an Anglo-Saxon Wealhtheow.
******************************************
Living Will Addendum:
To Whom It May Concern:
If I'm ever on life support, please unplug me.
Then plug me back in.
(Hey, works for computers!)
(This post was edited by Darkstone on May 6 2015, 5:46pm)
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squire
Half-elven
May 7 2015, 7:46pm
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"Why'd he just do that?" "Cause the plot says he has to."
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I agree that it's a bit desperate to answer a character question by invoking the writer of the fiction. It's going outside the bounds, in a way.
Now in adaptations I think the temptation is stronger to look to the writers to explain changes in character from the source material, assuming the original character seemed well written and consistent. If I remember, the writers of the New Line films open themselves up to this criticism in their DVD commentaries when they admit they changed one or another character's motivations, actions, etc. due to the demands of a "character arc", imposed on the writers by, apparently, screenwriting conventions. As you say yourself, "It is as if they grafted these concepts onto eowyn since pj wanted a better action and intrigue story between Faramir and Frodo in the movies".
Thanks for the backstory of how Eowyn's story plays out vis-a-vis Aragorn in the book!
squire online:
RR Discussions: The Valaquenta, A Shortcut to Mushrooms, and Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit
Lights! Action! Discuss on the Movie board!: 'A Journey in the Dark'. and 'Designing The Two Towers'.
Footeramas: The 3rd & 4th TORn Reading Room LotR Discussion and NOW the 1st BotR Discussion too! and "Tolkien would have LOVED it!"
squiretalk introduces the J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: A Reader's Diary
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Weed
The Shire
Jun 4 2015, 4:05am
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Eowyn is my Middle Earth. Clearly I'm just a sucker for equestrian-oriented chicks with some (if not the best in any literary chartacter's) derring-do. Clearly Faramir had taste (and an approbation for being the true hero of LotR).
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Beleg Strongbow Cuthalion
Bree
Jun 9 2015, 3:29pm
Post #11 of 24
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22 surely!!! I'm sure she was 22!!! mayby 23.
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~"Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” ― Gandalf the Grey~
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Beleg Strongbow Cuthalion
Bree
Jun 9 2015, 4:35pm
Post #12 of 24
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yes, she is. Just my idea. She APPEARS intelligent...=)
~"Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” ― Gandalf the Grey~
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Bracegirdle
Valinor
Jun 9 2015, 4:51pm
Post #13 of 24
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(We don’t know the month.)
We could say the War of the Ring began at Helm’s Deep Feb. 3 3019.
So Eowyn WAS 24 years old.
But if we fudge and push and say the WOR began at the end of Dec. 3018 (the Fellowship just left Rivendell), and Eowyn was born in Dec. 2995 -- THEN Eowyn would have been 23.
But, even so at our first introduction to Eowyn she WAS 24.
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Bracegirdle
Valinor
Jun 9 2015, 5:43pm
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Is Eowyn of the the better-educated characters in LOTR??
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The extended scenes, new ones in Two Towers, Return of King all point to this. It is established that Eowyn:
My post was based on the Books (see highlighted below). I have given my (minority?) opinion on the desecration of the books to films and generally prefer to remain as a “lurker” when they are discussed.
My post:
Eowyn was 24 years old during the WOR.
She did have great skill with horse (as all Eotheod) and sword but,
If she shows supreme historical (LOTR book) knowledge, languages, races, etc. quotes would be appreciated.
Thanks 13th...
Only Darkstone has given a singular (book) quote (below) that shows some historical knowledge (which would logically be known being an heirloom of the house of the Kings of Rohan).
Then Éowyn gave to Merry an ancient horn, small but cunningly wrought all of fair silver with a baldric of green; and wrights had engraven upon it swift horsemen riding in a line that wound about it from the tip to the mouth; and there were set runes of great virtue.
'This is an heirloom of our house,' said Éowyn. 'It was made by the Dwarves, and came from the hoard of Scatha the Worm. Eorl the Young brought it from the North. He that blows it at need shall set fear in the hearts of his enemies and joy in the hearts of his friends, and they shall hear him and come to him.'
-Many Partings If PJ has fleshed out Eowyn to the extent you quote well, more $ to him. Some are certainly possibilities, but I just don’t see it anymore that what he did to Arwen which was clearly erroneous – totally changing her persona.
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
Jun 9 2015, 6:05pm
Post #15 of 24
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Eowyn would have been born earlier in the films.
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Eowyn was born in T.A. 2995.
The film-lore is different from the books. The War of the Ring took place earlier (in 3001 to 3002 in my best estimation). Eowyn would have been born much earlier, possibly in 2978.
I'm not sure, though, where you get the date of February 3 for the Battle of the Hornsburg. Tolkien placed it definitively on March 3, two days after Aragorn's eighty-eighth birthday. And Eowyn might have still been twenty-three years old at the time; as you point out, we know what year she was born, but we don't know the date of her birth.
"At the end of the journey, all men think that their youth was Arcadia..." - Phantom F. Harlock
(This post was edited by Otaku-sempai on Jun 9 2015, 6:05pm)
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Bracegirdle
Valinor
Jun 9 2015, 10:07pm
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I'm not sure, though, where you get the date of February 3
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for the Battle of the Hornsburg.
Er, ah - Me neither?? 
Yes, it was (started) March 3. But what’s a month between friends? 
Gimme a "month" typo-type and I'll give you a "Hornsburg" 
The film-lore is different from the books. Oh yes.
And Eowyn might have still been twenty-three years old at the time; as you point out, Yes, depending on what/when the WOR would be considered officially started which would need be earlier than Mar. 3 and Eowyn, as I stated would have to have been born late in the year of 2995.
But as I also stated she would most likely be 24 at the time we first meet her. (BOOK)
So as Beleg S. says “22 surely!!! I'm sure she was 22!!! mayby 23”.
No she couldn’t have been 22; but just barely possibly 23; and most likely 24. (book)
Mayhap she is, mayhap she ain't.
–Mother Abigail
I know, I know, we’re on a movie board!
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
Jun 9 2015, 11:47pm
Post #17 of 24
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Mistake on the month forgiven; we all have brain-farts.
All we have on Eowyn's birthdate (book) is 2995. We know that the date (book) of the Battle of the Hornburg was March 3, 3019. Statistically, Eowyn was most likely still 23 years old (4 to 1 odds).
"At the end of the journey, all men think that their youth was Arcadia..." - Phantom F. Harlock
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Bracegirdle
Valinor
Jun 10 2015, 3:46am
Post #18 of 24
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about 50 years ago. 
I guess if she was born post-March 3 she would be 23.
Pre-March 3, 24.... 4 to 1 odds.
Thanks for setting this straight in my head Otaku. 
Even better than 4 to 1 odds if we consider the WOR began earlier. Hmm, good question. (BOOK)
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the 13th warrior
Rivendell
Jun 10 2015, 11:55am
Post #19 of 24
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Heheheh, great minds think alike....
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Hello Weed, glad you are a Eowyn appreciator, in book or movie, her great stand against the Witch King and fulfilling prophecy by killing him are some of the LOTR epic's greatest moments. The movie, yay Miranda Otto, makes her look more and more goddess like as it goes on. She's pretty but pale and a bit haunted looking in Rohan and at Helms Deep, and in the Rotk extended she totally glows with the best lighting, hair, makeup as she gets close to Faramir at Houses of Healing.
"Wish they all could beat Rohan princess girrlllllsssss." - The Middle Earth Beach Boys.
The 13th Warrior, Left Field Caliphate
"From the scroll rooms of Gondor..."
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the 13th warrior
Rivendell
Jun 10 2015, 12:03pm
Post #20 of 24
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Also a compassionate princess....
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Hello Beleg, I enjoyed the way Miranda Otto expressed deep concern that the war in Rohan, burning of the Westfold, is now affecting the refugee children. The two kids who show up almost dead, exhausted, at Edoras are housed and fed. For some reason, her sitting by them as they recovered and ate food really got to me, the proper concern of the great Lady of Rohan for her youngest subjects.
The 13th Warrior, Left Field Caliphate
"From the scroll rooms of Gondor...."
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the 13th warrior
Rivendell
Jun 10 2015, 12:32pm
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PJ gave flesh and blood to ideas in our heads....
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Hello Bracegirdle, Twas it really 14 years ago, nearly a score of years that the book into movie debate doth raged on the board when Fellowship came out???
When I read LOTR books as a lad, I had a conception of what each character looked like in my head. Tolkien's words put images in my brain. So when Frodo and others took the last ship, I am seeing the passengers, the boat sail off in my own personal conception, frame of reference.
PJ did the same and then did something I could not do, cast actors to put flesh and blood, literal faces, bodies, voices, personalities on those ideas. IMHO with Eowyn PJ took a fairly well realized character from books--Tolkien has her in a lot of the epic from Rohan to Aragorn's crowning--and gave her more depth, hence her curiosity and knowledge about Numenor, the Dunedain, Aragorn's heritage.
With Arwen he took her small threads from books and stitched together a strong moving character and I judge Liv Tyler strictly by her movie performance that I enjoyed. We see the woman Aragorn would devote his life to, fight the greatest Darkness to save, and her great sacrifice at his death later on.
The 13th Warrior, Left Field Caliphate
"From the scroll rooms of Gondor...."
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Bracegirdle
Valinor
Jun 10 2015, 2:14pm
Post #22 of 24
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Much of what you quote (from the movies)
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about Eowyn could have happened.
But Arwen is a different ball game! I’ll simply quote from what I wrote back in the beginning of March when I led the discussion on The Flight to the Ford:
It may not be the first, but up to now the foremost “WOW!” factor has become my burden: There have been many defenses as to why PJ discarded Glorfindel. I personally accept none of them. There have been many justifications as to why he portrayed Arwen as more of a warrior-princess, tracker, hunter, rather than the elegant noble Elven Princess that Tolkien wished her to be - Undómiel the Evenstar of her people. To have her be able to stealthily creep up, in the wilds of the Trollshaws, and put sword to the neck of Aragorn “the greatest traveler and huntsman in this age of the world” is an insult to this reader and an affront to the very persona of Arwen, and in no way justifies the abandonment of Glorfindel – IMHO
I don’t like arguing about the many book to movie discrepancies, and generally stay away (being sorely outnumbered it seems).
Do I like the movies? Yes, after a couple viewings, I can accept them for what they are – beautiful eye-candy loosely based on the writings of Tolkien.
As I said I realize this is a movie board, but the discussion wanders to-and-fro giving me an in.
p.s. I read the books too many times pre-films to be able to accept PJ’s (movie) imagination above my own (book) imagination.
It’s said a picture is worth a thousand words. Again, I’ve used this quote before but it never gets old.
Film me these WORDS:
Primeroles and anemones were awake in the filbert-brakes; and asphodel and many lily-flowers nodded their half-opened heads in the grass: deep green grass bedside the pools, where falling streams halted in cool hollows on their journey down to Anduin. (TT, IV, 4)
Cheers
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the 13th warrior
Rivendell
Jun 15 2015, 8:54am
Post #23 of 24
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Your "eye candy" comment is priceless....
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Hello Brace, totally respecting your staunch defense of the books and their integrity. And the Tolkien related eye candy remark about the movies that you make is a great turn of phrase.
We can conduct the book diplomacy of Eomer and Gimli in ROTK when they divided over the merits of the beauty of Galadriel and Arwen, appreciated both and did not call for axe or sword.
I will treasure both the book and film conceptions of the lady of the Evenstar, how she cleaved to the Dunadain, gave hope and heirs for the new age of Men in Middle Earth.
The 13th Warrior, Left Field Caliphate
"From the scroll rooms of Gondor....."
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Bracegirdle
Valinor
Jun 15 2015, 1:33pm
Post #24 of 24
(4479 views)
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Very gracious.
The exchange between Gimli and Eomer is a favorite (oh, how many ‘favorites’ can one have?) and bears repeating for those not as familiar as we are.
From (the book): RotK, Many Partings
’Gimli Gloin’s son, have you your axe ready?’
‘Nay, lord,’ said Gimli, ‘but I can speedily fetch it, if there be need.’
‘You shall judge,’ said Eomer. ‘For there are certain rash words concerning the Lady of the Golden Wood that lie still between us. And now I have seen her with my eyes.’
‘Well, lord,’ said Gimli, ‘and what say you now?’
‘Alas!’ said Eomer. ‘I will not say that she is the fairest lady that lives.’
‘Then I must go for my axe,’ said Gimli.
‘But first I will plead this excuse,’ said Eomer. ‘Had I seen her in other company, I would have said all that you could wish. But now I will put Queen Arwen Evenstar first, and I am ready to do battle on my own part with any who deny me. Shall I call for my sword?’
Then Gimli bowed low. ‘Nay, you are excused for my part, lord,’ he said. ‘You have chosen the Evening; but my love is given to the Morning. And my heart forebodes that soon it will pass away forever.’ What a wonderful (almost tongue-in-cheekish) banter between these two.
I must confess that it’s been a while since I watched the films and I don’t recall whether this (or a similar) exchange took place therein. But my mind’s-eye can picture the feigned serious faces of Gimli and Eomer during this banter. (I also can see no necessity to change a single word book-to-film. But that’s me.)
Cheers
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OK, my math brain left me
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