Maybe Eowyn's arc is completed in her words of love to Faramir: "I will be a shieldmaiden no longer, nor vie with the great Riders, nor take joy only in the songs of slaying. I will be a healer, and love all things that grow and are not barren." I don't take this line to be a renunciation of feminism, but a renewed vision of duty, in fertility. The problem with being a dry-nurse to Theoden wasn't (only?) domesticity, it was such a barren duty. In Rohan's culture, Eowyn saw the only hope for something beautiful to grow - the only places it *was* growing - were on the battlefield. But now with Faramir and in the Houses of Healing, having undergone her own healing, she has fresh strength to embrace duty once again.
In my read of Tolkien, fertility is a feminine strength, if not limited to the feminine. Aragorn's bravery on the battlefield is not contested with his healing hands - both bear fruit. Hobbits long to lay down the blade and take up the spade to make the Shire fertile and beautiful. The Valar don't have a "god of war" like Ares or Thor (the closest Tolkien gets is Tulkas the champion, but he pares with Nessa the Dancer - they're more about strength and grace of the body, than war), but several like Yavanna bring forth fruitful fertility. While women connect to fertility in ways deeper than men, in Tolkien's mythos all fertility is to be celebrated. Eowyn finds glory in her new vocation with Faramir.
My understanding of Tolkien is that he's quite traditional when it comes to gender, technology, and more. While Eowyn's angst with Arargorn may represent something of the feminist accusation, I also read Eowyn to be conflicted about a number of things there: the death of Eomer, her confused feelings and ultimate spurning by Aragorn, the precarious position of Rohan, etc. I see Tolkien writing women in glorious complexity; often sidelined in battle, yet delivers a killing stroke that no male could have given; tragic damsels (Children of Hurin) and gloriously powerful sources of wisdom (Galadriel); rarely the true source of evil (other than Shelob, evil is mostly masculine in Tolkien) and often the true source of beauty (Luthien, Arwen).
As a male complementarian who studied philosophy (even with masculine language!), there is a *lot* wrong with me! ;) Nevertheless, I take great comfort that Wisdom is always feminine in Scripture, and personified as Lady Wisdom in Proverbs 8. I will continue to *love* learning from my mothers & sisters, even as I learn from Eowyn, and this terrific substack.
Thought-provoking! Indeed, I found I had too many thoughts on this to fit into a reasonably-sized comment, so I have written a response to this post on my own Substack which you can read, if you wish, here: https://foldedpapers.substack.com/p/a-woman-according-to-oxford
Maybe Eowyn's arc is completed in her words of love to Faramir: "I will be a shieldmaiden no longer, nor vie with the great Riders, nor take joy only in the songs of slaying. I will be a healer, and love all things that grow and are not barren." I don't take this line to be a renunciation of feminism, but a renewed vision of duty, in fertility. The problem with being a dry-nurse to Theoden wasn't (only?) domesticity, it was such a barren duty. In Rohan's culture, Eowyn saw the only hope for something beautiful to grow - the only places it *was* growing - were on the battlefield. But now with Faramir and in the Houses of Healing, having undergone her own healing, she has fresh strength to embrace duty once again.
In my read of Tolkien, fertility is a feminine strength, if not limited to the feminine. Aragorn's bravery on the battlefield is not contested with his healing hands - both bear fruit. Hobbits long to lay down the blade and take up the spade to make the Shire fertile and beautiful. The Valar don't have a "god of war" like Ares or Thor (the closest Tolkien gets is Tulkas the champion, but he pares with Nessa the Dancer - they're more about strength and grace of the body, than war), but several like Yavanna bring forth fruitful fertility. While women connect to fertility in ways deeper than men, in Tolkien's mythos all fertility is to be celebrated. Eowyn finds glory in her new vocation with Faramir.
My understanding of Tolkien is that he's quite traditional when it comes to gender, technology, and more. While Eowyn's angst with Arargorn may represent something of the feminist accusation, I also read Eowyn to be conflicted about a number of things there: the death of Eomer, her confused feelings and ultimate spurning by Aragorn, the precarious position of Rohan, etc. I see Tolkien writing women in glorious complexity; often sidelined in battle, yet delivers a killing stroke that no male could have given; tragic damsels (Children of Hurin) and gloriously powerful sources of wisdom (Galadriel); rarely the true source of evil (other than Shelob, evil is mostly masculine in Tolkien) and often the true source of beauty (Luthien, Arwen).
As a male complementarian who studied philosophy (even with masculine language!), there is a *lot* wrong with me! ;) Nevertheless, I take great comfort that Wisdom is always feminine in Scripture, and personified as Lady Wisdom in Proverbs 8. I will continue to *love* learning from my mothers & sisters, even as I learn from Eowyn, and this terrific substack.
Thought-provoking! Indeed, I found I had too many thoughts on this to fit into a reasonably-sized comment, so I have written a response to this post on my own Substack which you can read, if you wish, here: https://foldedpapers.substack.com/p/a-woman-according-to-oxford