Emyn Arnen: Eowyn and Faramir

Éowyn and Faramir: Love
The story of their love as seen in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien. Read the abridged version here.

PLEASE do NOT copy the text here without my permission! I spent a lot of my time typing up these passages and I would like proper credit. Copying and pasting IS stealing.

Éowyn of Rohan, the niece of King Théoden, rode in secret to the Pelennor Fields in the War of the Ring. Along with the hobbit Merry, Éowyn slew the Witch King of Angmar but was severely wounded in the process. She was taken to the Houses of Healing at the end of the battle.

Faramir of Gondor was badly during the retreat from Osgiliath to Minas Tirith. His father, Denethor, driven mad by the siege of Minas Tirith, the influence of the Palantír, and what he perceived to be the loss of both his sons, prepared to burn both himself and the near dead Faramir on a pyre. In the end the hobbit Pippin, Beregond of Gondor and Gandalf the wizard saved Faramir from his father's pyre, but could not stop Denethor from burning himself in the flames. Faramir was taken the Houses of Healing and lay near death.

Aragorn, the future King of Gondor, used his healing powers to bring both back from the brink of death as they lay in the houses of healing. Éowyn, because of the unrequited love she held for Aragorn, desired death in battle and had little will to live when he brought her back from under the black breath of the Nazgûl. Aragorn said

I have, maybe, the power to heal her body, and to recall her from the dark valley. But to what she will awake: hope, or forgetfulness, or despair, I do not know. And if to despair, the she will die, unless other healing comes which I cannot bring.

This other healing came in the form of Faramir, now the Steward of Gondor. When Éowyn went to the Warden of the Houses to request to leave the Houses and seek out the battle, the Warden brought her to Faramir, who had command of the city. It was then that Faramir and Éowyn first saw each other:

And coming, the Warden spoke his name, and he turned and saw the Lady Éowyn of Rohan; and he was moved with pity, for he saw that she was hurt, and his clear sight perceived her sorrow and unrest... He looked at her, and being a man whom pity deeply stirred, it seemed to him that her loveliness amid her grief would pierce his heart.

And she looked at him and saw the grave tenderness in his eyes, and yet knew, for she was bred among men of war, that here was one whom no Rider of the Mark would outmatch in battle.

Faramir heard Éowyn's requests but was unable to grant her leave. She, like he, had to wait and be patient for the coming of fate. When he said this to her

She did not answer, but as he looked at her it seemed to him that something in her softened, as though a bitter frost were yielding at the first faint presage of Spring. A tear sprang in her eye and fell down her cheek, like a glistening rain-drop.

Éowyn then lamented that her window did not look eastward, which was where Mordor, and all the hopes of the race of men, lied. Faramir promised to remedy this situation.

'And here you will find me, walking and waiting, and also looking east. It would ease my care, if you would speak to me, or walk at whiles with me.'

Then she raised her head and looked at him in the eyes again; and a colour came in her pale face. 'How should I ease your care, my lord?' she said. 'And I do not desire the speech of living men.'

'Would you have my plain answer?' he said.

'I would.'

'Then, Éowyn of Rohan, I say to you that you are beautiful. In the valleys of your hills there are flowers fair and bright, and maidens fairer still; but neither maiden nor lady have I seen till now in Gondor so lovely, and so sorrowful. It may be that only a few days are left ere darkness falls upon our world, and when it comes I hope to face it steadily; but it would ease my heart, if while the Sun yet shines, I could see you still. For you and I have both passed under the wings of the Shadow, and the same hand drew us back.'

'Alas, not me, lord!' she said. 'Shadow lies on my still. Look not to me for healing! I am a shieldmaiden and my hand is ungentle.'

Faramir was not discouraged by Éowyn's response and instead determined to find out all he could about her. He asked the Warden and the hobbit Merry to tell him about the lady, and he learned more about her sorrows and began to understand her grief. The next morning, and for the next several days, Faramir and Éowyn walked together in the gardens or sat together in the shade of a tree talking. They both grew in strength and on the fifth day they stood together on the walls of the city.

They were clad in warm raiment and heavy cloaks, and over all the Lady Éowyn wore a great blue mantle of the coulour of deep summer-night, and it was set with silver stars about the hem and throat. Faramir had sent for this robe and had wrapped it about her; and he thought that she looked fair and queenly indeed as she stood there at his side. The mantle was wrought for his mother, Finduilas of Dol Amroth, who died untimely, and was to him but a memory of loveliness in far days and of his first grief; and her robe seems to him raiment fitting for the beauty and sadness of Éowyn.

As they are stood on the walls, looking eastward and shivering with darkened hearts, Faramir said

'But think not ill of me, if I say to you: they have brought me both a joy and a pain that I never thought to know. Joy to see you; but pain, because now the fear and doubt of this evil time are grown dark indeed. Éowyn, I would not have this world end now, nor lose so soon what I have found.'

"Lose what you have found, lord?' she answered; but she looked at him gravely and her eyes were kind. 'I know not what in these days you have found that you could lose. But come, my friend, let us not speak of it! Let us not speak at all! I stand upon some dreadful brink, and it is utterly dark in the abyss before my feet, but whether there is any light behind me I cannot tell. For I cannot turn yet. I wait for some stroke of doom.'

Éowyn could not yet admit her feelings for Faramir, and the urgency of the moment drowned out all other thoughts. Suddenly it seemed that all wind and sound died that that time halted.

And as they stood so, their hands met and clasped, though they did not know it.

At that moment the darkness rose like a tower from Mordor and 'their hearts beat suddenly again.'

'It reminds me of Númenor,' said Faramir, and wonder to hear himself speak.

'Of Númenor?" said Éowyn.

'Yes,' said Faramir, 'of the land of Westernesse that foundered, and of the great dark wave climbing over the green lands and above the hills, and coming on, darkness unescapable. I often dream of it.'

'Then you think that the Darkness is coming?' said Éowyn. 'Darkness Unescapable?' And suddenly she drew close to him.

'No,' said Faramir, looking into her face. 'It was but a picture in my mind. I do not know what is happening. The reason of my waking mind tells me that great evil has befallen and we stand at the end of days. But my heart says nay; and all my limbs are light, and a hope and joy are come to me that no reason can deny. Éowyn, Éowyn, White Lady of Rohan, in this hour I do not believe that any darkness will endure!' And he stopped and kissed her brow.

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.

Then Éowyn and Faramir learned of the fall of Sauron and the victory before the Black Gates. Faramir assumed his duties as the Steward of the City, and Merry departed for Ithilien, but Éowyn lingered in the Houses of Healing...

And Éowyn did not go, though her brother sent word begging her to come to the field of Cormallen. And Faramir wondered at this, but he saw her seldom, being bust with many matters; and she dwelt still in the Houses of Healing and walked alone in the garden, and her face grew pale again, and it seemed that in the City she only was ailing and sorrowful. And the Warden of the Houses was troubled, and he spoke to Faramir.

Then Faramir came and sought her, and once more they stood on the walls together; and he said to her: 'Éowyn, why do you tarry here, and do not go to the rejoicing in Cormallen beyond Cair Andros, where your brother awaits you?'

And she said: 'Do you not know?'

But he answered: 'Two reasons there may be, but which is true, I do not know.'

And she said: 'I do not wish to play at riddles. Speak plainer!'

'Then if you will have it so, lady,' he said: 'you do not go, because only your brother called for you, and to look on the Lord Aragorn, Elendil's heir, in his triumph would now bring you no joy. Or because I do not go, and you desire still to be near me. And maybe for both these reasons, and you yourself cannot choose between them. Éowyn, do you not love me, or will you not?'

'I wished to be loved by another,' she answered. 'But I desire no man's pity.'

'That I know,' he said. 'You desired to have the love of the Lord Aragorn. Because he was high and puissant, and you wished to have renown and glory and to be lifted far above the mean things that crawl on the earth. And as a great captain may to young soldier he seemed to you admirable. For so he is, a lord among men, the greatest that now is. But when he gave you only understanding and pity, then you desired to have nothing, unless a brave death in battle. Look at me, Éowyn!'

And Éowyn looked at Faramir long and steadily; and Faramir said: 'Do not scorn pity that is the gift of a gentle heart, Éowyn! But I do not offer you my pity, For you are a lady high and valiant and have yourself won renown that shall not be forgotten; and you are a lady beautiful, I deem, beyond even the words of the Elven-tongue to tell. And I love you. Once I pitied your sorrow. But now, were you sorrowless, without fear or any lack, were you the blissful Queen of Gondor, still I would love you. Éowyn do you not love me?'

Then the heart of Éowyn changed, or else at last she understood it. And suddenly her winter passed, and the sun shone on her.

'I stand in Minas Anor, the Tower of the Sun,' she said; 'and behold! the Shadow has departed! 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.' And again she looked at Faramir. 'No longer do I desire to be a queen,' she said.

Then Faramir laughed merrily. 'That is well,' he said; 'for I am not a king. Yet I will wed with the White Lady of Rohan, if it be her will. And if she will, then let us cross the River and in happier days let us dwell in fair Ithilien and there make a garden. All things will grow with joy there, if the White Lady comes.'

'Then must I leave my own people, man of Gondor?' she said. 'And would you have your proud folk say of you: "There goes a lord who tamed a wild shieldmaiden of the North! Was there no woman of the race of Númenor to choose?"'

'I would,' said Faramir. And he took her in his arms and kissed her under the sunlit sky, and he cared not that they stood high upon the walls in the sight of many. And many indeed saw them and light that shone about them as they came down from the walls and went hand in hand to the Houses of Healing.

And to the Warden of the Houses Faramir said: 'Here is the Lady Éowyn of Rohan, and now she is healed.'

And the Warden said: 'Then I release her from my charge and bid her farewell, and may she suffer never hurt nor sickness again. I commend her to the care of the Steward of the City, until her brother returns.'

But Éowyn said: 'Yet now that I have leave to depart, I would remain. For this House has become to me of all dwellings the most blessed.' And she remain there until King Éomer came.

Faramir was given the Princedom of Ithilien and retained the title of Steward when Aragorn was crowned. Then Éomer and Éowyn departed for Rohan to bury King Théoden.

And Éowyn said to Faramir: 'Now I must go back to my own land and look on it once again, and help my brother in his labour; but when one whom I long loved as father is laid at last to rest, I will return.'

Aragorn and Arwen were married and when Éomer returned to bring the body of Théoden back to Edoras, Faramir accompaned the party. It is there that Éowyn and Faramir formally plighted their troth.

At last when the feast drew to an end Éomer arose and said: 'Now this is the funeral feast of Théoden the King; but I will speak ere we go of tidings of joy, for he would not grudge that I should do so, since he was ever a father to Éowyn my sister. Hear then all my guests, fair folk of many realms, such as have never before been gathered in this hall! Faramir, Steward of Gondor, and Prince of Ithilien, asks that Éowyn Lady of Rohan should be his wife, and she grants it full willing. Therefore they shall be trothplighted before you all.'

And Faramir and Éowyn stood forth and set hand in hand; and all there drank to them and were glad. 'Thus,' said Éomer, 'is the friendship of the Mark and of Gondor bound with a new bond, and the more do I rejoice.'

'No niggard are you, Éomer,' said Aragorn, 'to give thus to Gondor the fairest thing in your realm!'

Then Éowyn looked in the eyes of Aragorn, and she said: 'Wish me joy, my liege-lord and healer!'

And he answered: 'I have wished thee joy ever since first I saw thee. It heals my heart to see thee now in bliss.'

This is the end of the tale of Éowyn and Faramir in The Lord of the Rings. Further is said of them in the appendix and The History of Middle Earth. Please visit the Future section to read more about Éowyn and Faramir in the fourth age.

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