The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Dates
Born III 2995. The date of Éowyn's death is nowhere recorded.
Race
Culture
Pronunciation
Approximately 'earw'in'1
Meaning
Old English, probably from éo 'horse' and wyn 'joy'
Other names
Titles

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About this entry:

  • Updated 28 July 2005
  • Updates planned: 10

Éowyn

Shieldmaiden of the Rohirrim

The granddaughter of King Thengel of Rohan, and sister to Éomer Éadig, who rode in disguise to the Battle of the Pelennor, and there had a part in the slaying of the Lord of the Nazgûl. She wedded Faramir, Prince of Ithilien.


Notes

1

The diphthong éo is effectively extinct in English, and pronunciation is doubly difficult since Tolkien's example, the name Theobald, is also rare. The vowel-sound of the word 'ear' comes close to the correct pronunciation.

Theobald, incidentally, is a real Old English name, of the kind that might have been used by the Rohirrim, though they would likely have rendered it Théodbold. It combines the elements théod 'people' and bald 'bold'.

2

We know that Éowyn had a grandson, Barahir, so we can be certain that she had at least one child. In volume XII of The History of Middle-earth, that child is named in the drafts of the Appendices to The Lord of the Rings as Elboron, the second Prince of Ithilien. However, 'Elboron' (or any other name for Éowyn's child) is absent from the final text of The Lord of the Rings, so his status is rather uncertain.

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 28 July 2005
  • Updates planned: 10

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