The Middle Earth Popularity Cup

[skip spence]

Oh I find Eowyn quite touching, and she is a clever lass at that. Just reread her dialogue with Aragorn in "The Passing Of The Grey Company" and while Aragorn in a sense is right to tell her to stay behind she always finds good arguments in her favour. She doesn't let him tell her off and it's really heartfelt too. When she rode out to find death (now she wasn't actually seeking death actively, she just didn't fear it) she did it thinking that Aragorn, whom she loved, was lost in the Path Of The Dead. In this situation she'd rather fight at the side of her brother and father than wait for them to return which they probably won't, she knows that.

Elrond I'm sure is a fascinating character once you get to know him, having seen three Ages of the world and having been heavily involved in two military victories against Sauron that would've made the battles in LotR look like minor skirmishes. But we never get to know him, do we? He has no discernible personality.

++Eowyn

Edit: The Phantom makes a very good case for Master Elrond, admittedly. I nearly changed my mind there.

[Thinlómien]

Hey, isn't this funny? They both lose their parents, become great warriors and retire to be healers! I never thought of them that way. Ooh, quite interesting...

I don't know, I just cannot decide. I love Éowyn's sorrow, despair and courage, but Elrond is wise, and like Rune pointed out, his council is great, and he too has deep sorrow in his story. And phantom makes a good case for Elrond and skip a good one for Éowyn.

Hmph. Too difficult.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by the phantom

I don't recall that Vilya had anything to do with river control. The Elven rings were not designed to be used as weapons, but as instruments of preservation. They didn't grant super-powers.

It was preservation of Rivendell. I guess the river as border is actually pretty logical, even though usually it wasn't so violent in its manifestation.
Anyway, interesting. It never occured to me to think of it that way - since I remember, it was always the "Ring of Water" for me.

Originally Posted by the phantom

He had already done the whole battle thing in the second age. He retired and became a healer. And with the Elves, those who specialized in healing abstained from war, for it was believed that the taking of life hindered their healing skills.

That's most interesting, and indeed, Elrond was Gil-Galad's page! Now that would be cool just for itself...

Originally Posted by skip spence

When she rode out to find death (now she wasn't actually seeking death actively, she just didn't fear it) she did it thinking that Aragorn, whom she loved, was lost in the Path Of The Dead. In this situation she'd rather fight at the side of her brother and father than wait for them to return which they probably won't, she knows that.

Yes, that's the classic "despair and death" like Éomer's ride on Pelennor, when it really seems that there is nothing but the unstoppable darkness coming. Hey, that's fascinating in its own way. Hm. Great.

I can't make up my mind. And I find it funny as well I may really as well just observe...

[Thinlómien]

I decided that if I try to reason which one of them I like better, I won't get anywhere. So, instead, I decided to go with my gut-feeling of which one of them is my favourite. Therefore, I vote:

++Éowyn

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

I decided that if I try to reason which one of them I like better, I won't get anywhere. So, instead, I decided to go with my gut-feeling of which one of them is my favourite.

My problem is that I don't have even the gut feeling

[Lalwendë]

OK, I ought to vote for Eowyn or this contest is going to have no women in it!

However, I am going to vote

++Elrond

Because I was sitting thinking about how cool he is as an Elf who is actually not insular and welcomes all sorts of peoples through his house. He must have been seen as quite strange by your regular Elves, allowing Dwarves in, and even though he could be seen as some Hippy-Meister what with the singing in trees his folk do and his "Hey man, let's all be friends" kind of establishment, he's still less irritating and snooty than most Elves. So he deserves some dibs for that

[A Little Green]

++ Éowyn

I love her. Except that her end always makes me angry, but I consider it not her own fault but Mr. Tolkien's. Apparently a woman has to be shown her proper place in the end which sucks.

Originally Posted by Skip

Elrond I'm sure is a fascinating character once you get to know him, having seen three Ages of the world and having been heavily involved in two military victories against Sauron that would've made the battles in LotR look like minor skirmishes. But we never get to know him, do we? He has no discernible personality.

Exactly - I think that's just why he has never touched me nearly as most others. I know he's a fascinating person and all that, but just knowing it isn't enough - I want to see his personality myself before proceeding to call it fascinating. Elrond just doesn't provoke any feelings in me the way Éowyn does, however fine a man he must be.

[Groin Redbeard]

Now this is a toughy. Elrond is in the book for only three chapters and makes a lasting impression on the reader, mainly after reading the council. His wisdom, kindness, and charity seem to be already apparent without Tolkien saying as much, he's the only elf who I don't find fault with and wholly like.

Eowyn on the other hand contributes much more to the books. She gives us the internal struggle that she is feeling and this gives us much action. Though I do not like her views on women warriors, I think that her character makes up for her little flaws.

++Eowyn

I guess I could never bring myself to vote for an elf.