well this is my last contribution for legendarium ladies april and i thought it’d be nice to finish with a long time favourite of mine - éowyn <3

thank you so much for this event it’s been great u v u

In certain parts of the fandom, there's a real push back against the notion that Eowyn was left behind first and foremost because she was a woman. That Eowyn was denied the right to ride to battle, or was forced into a domestic role, because she was a woman. Or indeed, that her depression was directly caused by the choices other people made regarding her because she was a woman.

Fans will accept generally that countries like Rohan and Gondor were patriarchal (although they might avoid using the word "sexist"), and will acknowledge that gender roles were at play, but when presented with specific acts of sexism from characters they admire, like Theoden or Aragorn, they shy away from it, they try to find alternative explanations, they try to remove sexism from the narrative. Actually pin pointing moments of sexism from heroic characters is something they resist, even though they wouldn't necessarily deny that the characters exist in sexist cultures.

It seems that they are unwilling to fully acknowledge that sexist societies are sexist because of the choices and conduct of those living within the societies, that agents within those societies perpetuate sexism by making choices that reinforce it. They'd rather shrug the sexism off with a vague "it's just what it was like back then".

"It's just what it was like back then" comes up if you look critically at a character's sexist actions. We're told we can't "judge them through a modern lens", as though everyday sexism only causes harm in modern day, as though the book itself doesn't examine the role gender and gendered expectations have on women like Eowyn.

And of course, much of it comes down to wanting to defend Theoden or Aragorn or whatever character is coming under critique. They would rather look for alternative interpretations, focus entirely on the non-sexist reasoning for their decisions and pretend that gender never comes into it, point out the times characters treated Eowyn with something approaching respect or recognition (which should be enough to dispel accusations of sexism, even when it is nowhere equal to what a male peer would receive) or use the traditions of their culture to exculpate the characters of all responsibility for their actions.

The result of this is that Eowyn ends up being re-written as a misguided woman whose sense of oppression was all in her head, that she was misguided and selfish (tragically so, because we can accept she is Grima's victim, just no one else's), that she was "redeemed" at the end of the narrative by "embracing her feminine role", and that her conflict with gender and gendered expectations are for herself to resolve, with no alterations of concessions made by others.

This, even though Gandalf spells out to Eomer that sexism played a hugely significant part in Eowyn's ultimate despair, and that Eomer himself, after hearing Gandalf, accepted this and reconsidered their entire lives together.

eowyns mother falling into a deep depression after eomunds death and eowyn having to see her slowly rot away at only 7 years old -> eowyn caring for theoden while hes also essentially depressed (though granted for a wildly different reason) -> eowyn trying to get herself killed in battle

Aragorn heals Eowin

commissions are open

I feel like it should be more common knowledge that faramir has the Luthien Hair

literally the only other people with "raven" hair are feanor and luthien! he has the Luthien Hair!

A ride in Ithilien

by Linda Easterling

Lord of the Rings illustration ♥ Commissions info ♥ My gallery ♥ My twitter ♥ Support me on Patreon

“And so they stood on the walls of the City of Gondor, and a great wind rose and blew, and their hair, raven and golden, streamed out mingling in the air.” - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Return of the King  So long since the last time I draw them! 💍

Aragorn and Arwen's wedding

Arwen, to Aragorn: You're starting to talk just like our father.

Faramir and Eowyn nearby, having no idea: I'm sorry, OUR?

think I’ve posted bits of this before, and i will probably never finish it bc i scoped it too big, but ive been tooling around with this while wallowing in my writers block

trying new style and mehhh

eowyn

young eowyn & faramir

legolas and gimli, of course

nienor and mablung

undomiel and tindomiel

twt doodle account: @Ma_n2_al

🩵 do not repost, reupload, save or use my work elsewhere 🩵

Éowyn 🍂

Wanted to draw Eowyn and Faramir properly after all these years - I love these two <3

Tumblr has messed with the quality again so pls click for high res!!

Still, she did not blanch ⚔️

Seven more 💍✨ That's a Witch-king of Angmar as seen by Frodo on the Weathertop!

Also, I’ve decided I'll be selling the originals after I finish all the drawings (that means after Easter). But if there is any character you'd like to have in particular you can start reserving them now. By messaging me here or on [email protected] :^)

Saruman, Legolas, Gimli, Éowyn, Faramir, Gandalf, Galadriel, Witch-king and Elrond are taken!

The prices are from 50 to 80USD (shipping included). And same as last year with the dog drawings this year also all the earnings will be sent to charities. Thank you! 🌿

Rest of the characters are here and here and here!