EOWYN: Shieldmaiden of Rohan

I no joke get SO excited about Rachel's Annual Tolkien Party every year, and since I actually have my own blog this time around, I felt the urge to contribute at least one extra post. It's been a hot minute since I've watched or read any Tolkien, I must admit, but his stories run deep in my mind, so I shall write this nonetheless.

After giving it some thought, I decided to write an Eowyn appreciation post, because I probably admire her the most out of all the female LOTR characters. And I hope, by the end of this, you will admire her, too. (If you don't already!)

EOWYN.

Dear, darling, Eowyn. 

How I pity you, and admire you, and feel so proud of how far you've come.

You are one of my all-time favourite female characters; I swear I learn something from you every time I encounter your story.

First of all, you lose your cousin. Then, your brother is banished by your uncle, who you see on a daily basis being overpowered by the wickedness of Grima. You are stuck inside with a greasy-haired creep who stalks you and watches your every move. (Shivers.)

Later on, you meet Aragorn, who you understandably fall for. Yet, he does not return your love. At one point, you are told that he is dead, and hope begins to slip away. Going disguised, you join the army out to battle, kindly taking Merry along with you, because you feel his pain of not being able to help his friends or fight alongside them. In the face of the Witch-King, you still stand and wield a sword, eventually bringing him to his knees and conquering him. Unafraid of death, you fall onto the battlefield, unconscious from pain. 

Your uncle is now dead, your body now weak, and your hope quickly fading.

And then who do you meet?

Another, who has known pain and sorrow like you. Someone who has gentleness and strength from a painful past. Someone who is fighting alone as well. Faramir. 

He finds you in the Houses of Healing, and he never leaves your side. Your hope has nearly disappeared completely, and the life has almost gone out of you. But not quite. You are stronger than that.

Faramir reminds you of what you've known all along; that hope still remains. He sees you for who you  truly are - a shieldmaiden of Rohan, who is stronger and more courageous than many an honoured warrior. For though you faced intense darkness, never once did you give up. Never once did you back down. You fought with every breath inside of you for what you knew to be good and true and honourable. Even though others doubted you, you proved that stature and status does not make a hero - the courage to do what is right and the strength to carry it out does.

You remind me that even though I may feel small and useless, strength and courage can take many different forms. And whether or not I ever brandish a sword or win a battle, I can choose to fight for what is good and true and honourable. Even though I fall. Because, just as Faramir did for you, I know there is Someone out there who will pick me up, stand by my side, and remind me that there is always hope.

May we all have the courage and strength that Eowyn showed to stand and fight for truth and hope, and may we never forget the One who is fighting right beside us. 

Tolkien Blog Party Tag Answers!

For many years, I have participated quietly on the sidelines for Rachel's Tolkien Blog Party, but now that I finally have my own blog, I can actually join in properly! Suffice to say, I am Very Happy about this. ;)

Today I will be filling in the tag answers that Rachel has created for her 8th annual celebration of Tolkien's works. :D

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1. What Tolkien character do you think you're the most like?

Oddly enough, the first character that comes to mind is Bilbo Baggins. He's not out there to make history or prove his honour or discover treasure - he's going on an adventure, and he's making more friends while he does so. He enjoys comfort (*raises hand*), good food, and takes awhile to find his feet and try his courage. I do believe if I were ever given such an opportunity as Bilbo, I would resist it out of fear at first, then eventually give in, and by the end of it, wonder how I ever had lived my life in such a dull way beforehand.

2. What Tolkien character do you wish you were more like?

Eowyn. I love her strength and her courage, her convictions and her skills. I have a whole post coming on why I love Eowyn so much, so stay tuned for that. ;) (For the record, however, Aragorn comes in as a close second.)

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3. What would your dream home in Middle-earth be like?

Very much like a Hobbit Hole! Only, I would prefer one with plenty of windows, which seems a little ironic. But something cozy, homely, with nooks to read in, a large kitchen, and green meadows surrounding my house, where flowers grow easily - that would be perfectly lovely!

4. You get to make a movie of the story of Beren and Luthien!  Who do you cast as the leads?

Oh goodness, I've never thought of this before! Well, she might be too old for the part now, but Amelia Warner would play a convincing Luthien, in my opinion... Beren I'm a little more stumped on. Armie Hammar keeps coming to mind, but I feel like he might be a little too... modern?

5. Have you ever marathoned the LOTR or Hobbit movies?

Yes! Last year I joined my two older sisters in watching all three extended Lord of the Rings films in cinema, back to back. I believe it was over 12 hours of film. (And no, I do not normally watch that much screen, haha.) To top it off, we did the entire thing in costume! I had a very stiff back by the end of it, but it was worth every second, and I felt like I had really joined the fellowship on their exhausting journey, and experienced it in a more in-depth way.

6. Do you have a favorite song or track from the movie soundtracks by Howard Shore?

Why, "Concerning Hobbits" of course! It's so peaceful, yet lively. I always let out a happy sigh whenever I hear it, and immediately picture green meadows and children chasing butterflies.

7. Which of Tolkien's characters would you like to be best friends with?

Faramir, please. :) <3

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8. Who of the people in your real life would you want in your company if you had to take the ring to Mordor?

Probably my older sisters, because they would be good at roughing it, and my older brother because he's a nurse haha, and then I would query all my friends to see who was the most fluent in Elvish. ;) But I would probably also be that person that would ask EVERYONE to join me because the more the merrier, right?! (Also, I would need all the help I could get, *cough*.)

9. Have you read any of Tolkien's non-Middle-earth works?

No, although I have listened to the "Farmer Giles of Ham" on tape, so does that count? (It was most amusing.)

10. Is there a book by Tolkien you haven't read yet, but want to?

Not in particular, although perhaps someday I would like to tackle "The Silmarillion". 

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Thanks for the fun questions, Rachel! I will be publishing a post on Eowyn later in the week, but in the meantime, go check out the epic giveaway going on!

Who's the Hero in LOTR?

I was at a house warming party once. (I know this seems completely off-topic. Just stay with me, okay?) I met a bunch of new people, and one of them was a young man. He was a writer (not full time - just as a major hobby) and so he told me a lot about his stories and I told him some things about mine. Then we got to talking about the inspiration we got for story writing. I said I got inspiration from reading really good books, like Lord of the Rings. Instantly, I realized I hit upon a gold mine there. We talked for ages about it. But the first thing he said was,

 "So, who is the hero in Lord of the Rings?"

I wavered, a bit confused. "Well... I... I'd never really thought about it properly before," I stammered.

He waited, patiently. For a long while, I awkwardly tried to think really hard, but nothing clear came to mind. 

"Well, it could be a number of people," I mumbled, "I guess Frodo is generally considered the main character." I looked at his eyes and knew I had to give up. So I asked him, "Who do you think is the main character?"

"Sam."

WHAM. That was a new idea. I'd always considered Sam as the loyal friend, the secondary character, always beside, supporting his Frodo. He was the sidekick - the "add-on" to the 'main characters'.

And it made me realize how much I underestimated those quiet, loyal characters that don't ask for fame or stand out in the spotlight, and yet they're some of the most vital to the story. In a way, it helps me see how important people who are like that in day-to-day life are.

Everyone knows that person who hardly says a word, but is always there to listen for you; who never searches to be the centre of attention, and yet everyone thinks well of them. That person who doesn't come to mind when you think of a hero, but who, when you consider it, rescues the story. 

So it really hit me hard, that Sam was one of these. He didn't seem like the main character - when you first meet him, you certainly don't think he'll play an incredibly vital part to the story. But, as the young man pointed out, Sam truly was the cause for the Ring ever being destroyed. He was the cause for Frodo ever making it to Mount Doom. Sam really was the hero.

(For the record, though, I don't agree with everything that young man said. (He tried to convince me that Peter Jackson should have added the part when Saruman tries to take over Hobbiton, but I stubbornly stood my ground. I think the story ended perfectly well without that part and I always felt it seemed a bit 'out of place'. His argument was that it showed the strong, courageous side to Hobbiton which probably would not have come out otherwise. Before that, Hobbits were just known for eating and gardening etc. However, I'm still not convinced. But that's a discussion for another time.))

What do you think?? Is Sam the hero of Lord of the Rings? 

2 Tags for the Price of 1!

What-ho everyone! Today I am going to complete two tags that I was nominated for a shamefully long time ago... but that was before I had a blog. ;)

The first is the Fantastical and Felicitous Character Blog Tag:

the creator of this tag

Rules:
•Answer every question honestly. 
•Use as many gifs and images as possible.
•Incorporate at least one YouTube video with a favorite scene of a character.
•NO VAGUE ANSWERS ALLOWED. Explain why you chose that favorite character to fit that description. I love details, my friends.
•If you can’t choose just one, that’s okay – give us a few answers and geek out if that’s what it takes.
•Tag at least 3 people.
•Use fictional characters from any fictional story.
•If you get nominated and/or decide to participate in this tag, please put a link back to this post in your post and credit yours truly (Emily at The Altogether Unexpected) as the creator.
•Have fun and obsess over fictional characters!

(Okay,  for the record, this is an extremely intimidating long list of rules, so don't mind me while I go rebel and break at least half. :P) (Let's hope I can at least accomplish the first.)
Oh, and by the way, Natalie tagged me for this one - thanks, Natalie!! :) <3


Goody-two-shoes: A character who was just so morally good
Elsie Dinsmore or Fred Wright just seem like the obvious choices here, but I'm going to go with someone else. How about Esther Summerson from "Bleak House"? It's been a long while since I've either read the book or seen the miniseries, but I remember thinking that girl had a heck of a lot of virtues. And yet, I really did sympathize and relate with her. Poor, dear Esther.

Heartbreaker: A character who made you cry
Sam Gamgee, from "Lord of the Rings". 

Him and his inspiring talks and his loyalty and his innocence and his selflessness and his kind, gentle, manner - GUYS HE'S JUST SUCH A SWEETHEART, OKAY. And of COURSE he's going to make me sob when *spoilers* they are on Mt. Doom and he starts talking about the Shire but he has no expectation that they would ever return. *cries*

Parrot: A character who won’t stop talking
(I feel like there's one of these characters in every single Dickens book.) But one that comes to mind is Flora Finching from "Little Dorrit". My word can that girl talk! I remember reading the book, gaping at the pages of dialogue seemingly spoken by ONE person. I'd turn the page only to discover it continued for more than two pages! What! Arthur Clennam must be SUCH a man of patience, that's all I can say. 

Devilish: Your favorite villain
Why, what a wicked thing to say. :P My favourite villain? Hmm... I'm not sure if I have a favourite. Perhaps Chauvelin, from "The Scarlet Pimpernel" because I find him quite horrible, and yet marvelously fun to watch. (I'm thinking more of the movie than the book for this one - specifically the one where he's portrayed by Sir Ian Mckellen.) Especially fun when Percy always wins in the battle of wits against him (or fencing, for that matter). 

Love interest: A character who, if alive in reality, you would want to marry
Oh, this one I am quite sure I know. Gilbert Blythe. :D 

Any day, mate!

He had my heart ever since I watched the movie when I was knee-high to a grasshopper. I love his sass, his spunk, his honesty, his intelligence, his protectiveness of Anne, his playfulness... yeah, I'm quite sure if I ever met him in real life he'd sweep me off my feet - even if I took a little while to decide that I liked him, like Anne did. ;) 

Sidekick: A character who was always loyal no matter what
Oh, dang. I've already used Sam Gamgee. :P He's the ultimate one for this one. I think I'll pick the dear character Crutchie from "Newsies" (this tag applies to books AND movies, right??). He never left Jack's side, even when he was taken by the "enemy" and held prisoner and beaten, he never budged, not once. He really deserves the title of a loyal sidekick, in my opinion.

Complicated: A character you love and hate
In a way, Sherlock (from the BBC TV series, "Sherlock").

I mostly love him, for his intelligence, his brain, his wit, and his adorable little weak spots for Molly and for John and a few others. But I will admit there have been many times when I wanted to give him a good ol' punch in the face. He annoys me SO much at times; if only he could SEE how much pain and confusion he was causing. How selfish he was. So perhaps I wouldn't say I 'hate' him so much as I Strongly Dislike and am Mildly Infuriated By him occasionally. ;)

Oddity: A character who was strange, but you loved them that way
This one definitely goes to Captain Jack Sparrow!

Yep, definitely strange

I believe this fellow is the definition of strange, but I still find myself rooting for him in all the movies. And honestly, it wouldn't be Pirates of the Caribbean without strange, funny Jack! Granted, his weirdness is not for everyone. ;)

Queen/King: A female/male character who you admire and aspire to emulate
I'm actually going to say Meg March for this one, so give me some room to explain. ;) 

This girl has been one of my favourite fictional characters since I was about 10. And the funny thing is, she's not the kind of unique character who is often impressed on one's memory. But she stuck with me. I think it's because I saw myself in her - I saw my flaws in her flaws, my struggles in her struggles, and my joys in her joys. And after recently seeing the new Little Women movie (^^), I was reminded of something. This dear girl pushed past her fears of poverty and insignificance, and decided to own her life for what it was. She married the man she loved and stared a life of hardship and toil in the face, because she knew she was strong enough to live it. She didn't settle for the easy path. She didn't settle for the path other people might have chosen for her. But she settled for what she knew was the right path for her, and she lived her life with joy and purpose. And friends, I admire that, and I aspire to do just that. I don't want to gaze at someone else's life like she gazed at Sally Moffat's and think, If only I had that, I would be happy. I want to own my life for what it is, and embrace what God has given me, and be happy in it.

Savior: A character who oddly reminds you of Christ
The one character I think of is Johannes, from "I am David". 

His sacrifice he made for David was one that echoed the sacrifice Jesus made for us, and I am always left with wonder and awe at such a story. It's such a powerful choice. And friends, when I see this in the film, it Gets Me Every Time. In addition to that, the way he gives David gentle, careful instructions for his journey is in parallel to Jesus giving US instructions, too. 
He may not be a main character, but he definitely reminds me of Jesus, in a way.
(Also, for the record, I believe the sacrifice he makes that I'm referring to is only in the movie, not the book.) 


And we made it, guys! I would tag people, but I believe I'm so late to the party that everyone I would tag has already done it, so... ;)

Onto the next! The 7 Questions Book Tag! Yet again, Natalie tagged me for this one. :)

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Preference: male or female main character?
Yeah, have to admit - I'm always way more drawn to a female character because #relatability. :P

Do you prefer colorful, attention grabbing book covers or simple, understated ones?
Ooohh, good question! I like both, but I'd probably say I generally prefer simple, understated ones. 

A character you'd like to have as your boss at work?
Can I kind of cheat and say Jean Valjean - or Monsieur Madeleine - because he seems like the ideal boss? ;) He was always kind and caring, and went out of his way to help all the people he employed. 

Books-a-Million or Barnes & Noble?
I don't think we have Books-a-Million here - that is, I've never seen one - so I'm going to have to say Barnes & Nobles, although I've never bought a book from there, haha. :P I normally buy online or at a second hand shop, and most often at our massive second hand bookfest that is run twice a year and is the largest bookfest in the southern hemisphere. (#myhappyplace)

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Would you rather be gifted random "surprise" books from a friend, or a bookstore giftcard?
Oh, great question! I'd actually say a "surprise" book from a friend, because then I get a new recommendation, of sorts. ;) And it means that they specifically went and picked out a title they thought I'd like, which would be extra sweet of them. (And no, my love language is not gifts, but I do Appreciate Them.)

What age range of characters do you generally like to read about? (For instance, would you rather read a book about a 17 year old or a 87 year old?)
Ooohh, depends if we're talking fiction or non-fiction! (Is that weird? :P) For fiction, I'd say I prefer someone around my own age or older - anywhere from 15 to 25, is probably where I would tend to choose from. I always get a special satisfaction when a hero/heroine shares my age. ;) But for non-fiction, I think I might prefer books written by much older people - nearing the 87 mark, yes. ;) They have so much rich life advice, experience and wisdom, and I love learning about people who can share that!

What would you tell someone who defiantly proclaims: "I don't like reading! Why should I?"
(Just to keep us in context, my mouth would be hanging open a little and my eyes bulging somewhat, as I say):
"Why?! Because... because... there are some things in life that cannot be described except in words, and there are some forms of magic that can only take shape within a book."


Thanks, Natalie! Your questions were super fun!! I hope it's not very rude of me to not tag anyone - it's rather late at night, and if I sit here, pondering over 7 new questions I believe I might accidentally fall asleep. So to anyone who would like to use either of these tags - you are more than welcome to!