Okay, who's in charge here?

[KayQy]

Such might be a quote from the Modern American Version of the Red Book, in one of the parts that Tolkien seems to have left out, namely one of the people of Rohan who did not go to fight at the Pelennor Fields of Gondor. The quote might continue thus: "What happened to Eowyn? Wasn't she supposed to lead us while the king and all his horses and men were away? We put our trust in the house of Eorl, and you expect us to do what (insert name here) says? What's wrong with this picture?"

I am not arguing the fact that Eowyn performed some necessary feats that paid for this with change to spare. But wasn't she kind of shirking her duties?

[Eowyn of Ithilien]

well she wasn't the only one left behind...and tho she was charged with the safekeeping of her people, the argument is what her highest duty was as it is claimed that she was "shirking her duties"
I believe that her highest duty was to herself

[onewhitetree]

If Eowyn hadn't gone to battle, her people would be a nice little pile of charred rubble. Besides, she didn't have a choice. It was her fate to kill the Witch-King, whether she knew it or not. Had she stayed, she would have been shirking a far, far greater duty, and the quest would most likely not have been accomplished.

[Elrian]

With out Eowyn at the battle of the Pelannor,the Lord of the Nazgul would not have met his end, and the battle would have went on a lot longer than it did, and the host from Gondor may have never made it to the gates of Mordor to ruse Sauron. smilies/tongue.gif

[KayQy]

*ducking and cringing* Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that she should have stayed home and knitted sweaters. I know her fate was to be there and kill the Nazgul Lord. Apparently I was too witty for my own good, and it got in the way of my real question: Who was left in charge? And how did they explain to the people why nobody saw her anywhere? Was the entire people of Rohan in on it except Theoden and Eomer? You know, those practical questions that have no place in proper romantic adventures, like where the bathroom is. Speaking of which--no, I won't go there. Let's concentrate on Rohan here.

[Eowyn of Ithilien]

lol it's ok...and in all the period pieces you don't really see much about the awful truth of the lice crawling alllll over and where they actually relieved themselves...GROSSNESS!
hmm good question tho

[KayQy]

I guess no one has any more idea than I do, or they just don't want to share it with the rest of us. So I guess I'll just have to take this logically...

So, what would I do if I were a shield-maiden of Rohan and needed to go off to battle, but was saddled with babysitting a kingdom? First, I would need a trustworthy accomplice, able to lead the people in my stead and keep my absence a secret at least until the army was too far away to send a message to. Then we have to find some way to explain my absence to the rest of the people of Rohan. I don't think that the Amidala switcheroo would work in this case, and Shakespeare might have liked to have his characters ensconce themselves in a convent when they wanted to do some secret travelling and/or crossdressing, but that would be too out of character for me even if they have an equivalent to a convent. Probably I would gather several more accomplices that could spread themselves out, and whenever someone said, "Hey, where's Eowyn?" they could say, "Oh, I think I saw her in such-and-such a place." By the time anyone who would feel it their duty to be a tattle-tale discovered the truth, I would be long gone, thanks to my other trusty accomplice Elfhelm and the need for speed and secrecy in the journey.

[the Lorien wanderer]

Doesn't Tolkien write something about how useless Eowyn felt at being left behind since the people were pretty much self-sufficient. I can't remember now, maybe I just imagined it. But my LoTR is lent out so I can't even check...

[Orald]

TWL! Long time no post.

[Morsul the Dark]

Well Eowyn probably appointed someone to be in charge someone she trusted the real question would why didn't they rat on her and tell theoden eowyn planned to go to battle?