The Courage of Éowyn

“‘But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn I am, Éomund’s daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.’” - The Lord of the Rings

Éowyn’s words to the Nazgûl king are a powerful call to courage. In the moment when all others quailed before him, she stood bravely. Her words can be seen as an anthem for holding fast to courage and rejecting fear. This is a defining moment for her character and something I have carried into my own life. 

“You stand between me and my lord and kin” — a call to defeat the things that stand between yourself and your values.

“Begone, if you be not deathless!” can be read as a rejection of death as one roots their courage in the hope of eternity. 

“For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him,” is a call to reckless courage and abandonment to love. 

Ultimately, Éowyn was guided by her courage through darkness, headfirst into the shining sun.

And even more than that, her courage emboldened those around her.

As the Witch-king drew himself back to kill Éowyn, Merry took the risk to stab him in the leg. In turn, this gave Eowyn the opportunity to pierce her sword into his helm, ending him. 

Two people who were not even supposed to be on the battlefield turned the tides in favor of victory. Éowyn’s courage kindled Merry’s heart, and together they did something that no one else could have. 

I’m grateful for the courage of Éowyn and so many others in Tolkien’s Legendarium. They inspire me to nurture my own hope, strength, and courage — I hope they do for you, too.