Eowyn and the Nazgul Challenge Submissions on The ArtOrder

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Alfirin

I though a bit about that. The only logical explanation (and it relys on that oh so risky "things we weren't told about" specualtion) would be if Eowyn already thought the WK was dead/disabled. ..

Full marks for trying to rationalise this one but I am not convinced the more logical explanation isn't that most artists prefer an aesthetic arrangement to following exactly what happens in the book which doesn't really leave much scope for Eowyn to turn her attention to the ( king who anyway is under Snowmane and the Fell beast ridden by the WK lands on Snowmane). Merry is alongside the Nazgul and Eowyn/Dernhelm is "A little to the left facing them". So when the fell beast takes off it is infront of her and she kills it with a swift stroke. It can't have been so high up and it would be a foolish assumption to assume that the WK was no longer a thread due to such a relatively short fall - no doubt the rest of the beast fell as like a stone as its head.

I know there are lots of things that must have happened or existed that we aren't told about but since Tolkien has the time to tell us how the light fell about her I think he would have time to tell us if she turned when she sprang back. The WK doesn't actually speak before he strikes - he cries as he strikes - and the king is the far side of him. Since earlier Eowyn raised her shield "agains't the horror of her enemy's eyes" either she would have risen it again or perhaps it was still up - as far as I am concerned this is all in the time frame of seconds. I don't see that the WK would have messed around with a slow kill like a cat with a mouse. Eowy protecte her head with her shield first time - That shatters, her arm breaks and she is forced to her knees and she must be facing forward to deliver the coup de grace.

It isn't impossible she turned and turned back and there is a certain amount of upper body movement with any sword strike but it just seems to be unlikely incomparison to a bit of artistic licence in subject placement. I am not too worried.. Tolkien based art almost always leaves me cold - the pictures in the words are always better for me....