View Single Post
Old 05-24-2006, 10:11 AM   #862
mark12_30
Stormdancer of Doom
 
mark12_30's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars
Posts: 4,349
mark12_30 has been trapped in the Barrow!
Send a message via AIM to mark12_30 Send a message via Yahoo to mark12_30
Their own personal reactions: of course they would; and Leafa would not be beholden to anyone but Ędegard; and Bella wouldn't be beholden to anyone but Nethwador and (to a point) Liornung.

But I think you are overlooking the concept of a woman's honor. Eowyn was riding in a man's disguise to seek death in battle-- to gain a man's honor without sacrificing her womanly honor. (Obviously, if she tried to seduce anyone, her cover would be blown.)

Let's think for a minute about the women who traveled in LOTR.

Arwen: Rivendell to Minas Tirith-- had her father with her.

Galadriel: Lorien to Minas Tirith, and then back again-- had her husband with her.

Eowyn: was disguised as a man. (As indeed Mellonin has been for much of the journey, for a similar reason.)

Without a relative or a spouse travelling with her, and perhaps a handmaiden to be a witness of her good behavior, a lady's reputation would rapidly deteriorate into that of camp follower. For that reason, a lady would shun the situation unless honor demanded otherwise (such as, my brother is MISSING, and we can't afford to hire a team of rangers to hunt him down.)

Al the menfolk with the possible exception of Nethwador, would know this.

I'm not saying that we have to have all three women cross the mountains (I did think it was a cool idea, but I'm willing to let it go.) What I am less willing to let go is that if they leave the city (and obviously they all will) on the quest, we've got to get around that question of "Why are these women on the road", cleanly and with their honor somehow intact. "Lost in the mountains" was one way.

Other suggestions?
__________________
...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.
mark12_30 is offline