Warning! Spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim ahead!
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrimis essentially a Rohan prequel, which meant a perfect opportunity to redefine Éowyn’s role within her kingdom. Set just under 200 years beforeThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,War of the Rohirrimcenters on the conflict between King Helm Hammerhand and the Dunlendings. However, the legendary Rohirrim leader isn’t the primary protagonist of the 2024 movie. Instead, Héra, Helm’s daughter, is at center stage—creating a unique chance forWar of the Rohirrimto cleverly retcon Éowyn’sLord of the Ringsstory.
Éowyn was the most heavily featured female character inTolkien’sThe Lord of the Rings. She was known to be beautiful and passionate, and after watching Rohan suffer under Saruman (and Sauron, by extension), Éowyn became determined to defend her home. She dressed as a man and rode into battle inThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the Kingand defeated the Witch-king of Angmar, satisfying the prophecy that “no man” could kill the wraith. Now,The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrimhas introduced a similar characterinHéra, who, like Éowyn, became a Shieldmaiden of Rohan.
Éowyn Is A Shieldmaiden Of Rohan In Lord Of The Rings
In Tolkien’sThe Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Éowyn tells Aragorn she is a Shieldmaiden of Rohan. She says this to inform the man thatshe is capable with a sword because she has been trained in combat since childhood. It’s for this reason thatÉowyn was so well equipped to face off against the Witch-king of Angmarand come out victorious (with the help of the Hobbit Merry, of course).
Miranda Otto, who played Éowyn in Peter Jackson’sLord of the Ringsmovies, returns to the role to narrate inWar of the Rohirrim.
Though Éowyn’s status as a Shieldmaiden is made clear in theLord of the Ringsbooks, there was never much time spent explaining what this really meant.Éowyn was trained to fight, but she wasn’t actually expected or permitted to—that’s why she had to dress as a man and sneak onto the battlefield. It’s implied that Shieldmaidens hold a symbolic position, butWar of the Rohirrimprovided more context for Rohan’s female fighters.
War Of The Rohirrim Retcons The History Of Rohan’s Shieldmaidens
The New Lord Of The Rings Movie Explains Where Rohan’s Shieldmaidens Come From
Éowyn’s role as a Shieldmaiden has become all the more intriguing now thatWar of the Rohirrimhas created a more detailed history for these women. Early in the film, it’s revealed that theShieldmaidens were Rohirrim women who bravely fought to defend their homes after the men were lost in battle. This was years before Héra was born, and most original Shieldmaidens had died out—with the exception being Olwyn. As Rohan’s population of men and boys was restored, there was no need to train further Shieldmaidens to protect the kingdom, sothe role was essentially forgotten.
The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim Review - More Franchises Should Take This Anime Film’s Example
If I am to return to the wider world of Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth, The War of the Rohirrim’s approach seems to me an ideal way to go about it.
Despite this, it becomes clear inWar of the Rohirrimthat Olwyn, who swore her service to Helm Hammerhand and his daughter, trained Héra in the way of the Shieldmaidens. So, when no one was left to fight Wulf and the Dunlending army, Héra stood before them with a sword and shield. If it weren’t for her, Rohan would have been lost, and Wulf would have claimed rule over the kingdom. The implication here is thatHéra brought back the legacy of the Shieldmaidens, which is why, nearly two centuries later, Éowyn carried the title. It’s an effective and poetic retcon of this Lady of Rohan’s story.
Tolkien Took Inspiration From Norse Mythology
Tolkien didn’t provide much explanation for what Éowyn’s role as a Shieldmaiden really meant, but the legendary author also didn’t invent this concept. Shieldmaidens, or Shield-maidens, are a feature of Scandinavian folklore. They are trained warriors, and various legends tell of individual women who rose up when they were needed. Additionally,Shieldmaidens are often associated with Norse Valkyries, female warrior beings who guide souls to Valhalla. Since Rohan and its people are based heavily on the Anglo-Saxons, this makes a great deal of sense for its characters.
2024’s new Lord of the Rings movie made a powerful choice placing Héra in the same league.
It’s fitting thatcharacters like Éowynwould be associated with powerful mythical beings like Valkyries. In the same way, 2024’s newLord of the Ringsmovie made a powerful choice placing Héra in the same league. It’s evident in both this and Tolkien’s central trilogy that Shieldmaidens are a woefully overlooked group. They aren’t expected to fight, and important figures like Héra are forgotten entirely. However, as Éowyn tells a fellow Shieldmaiden’s story inThe Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rhohirrim, it’s clear thatthe legacies of these brave women, from Olwyn to Héra and beyond, live on.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
Cast
Set before the events of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is an animated action-adventure fantasy film that follows a King of Rohan named Helm Hammerhand. When his home comes under siege by Dunlendings, Hammerhand prepares himself and his allies to fight back against them, with the war leading to the eventual establishment of Helm’s Deep.
