Eowyn vs. Aragorn

[Sauron the White]

from Quempel

Aragorn is not alone in his fighting skill. There are several Elf Lords that could best him in a heart beat. He learned his fighting skills from Elrond and sons...do you not think any of the three could best him if they wanted to?

Good point and I cannot argue with it. I was limiting my praise of Aragorns warrior prowess to the world of Men. I was not including other races of the Free Peoples in awarding Argorn the Middle-earth Heavyweight Championship .

By pure physical strength he could have bested Eowyn. But he also realized she would keep fighting. And any good warrior knows that someone who is willing to die for their beliefs is the worst enemy to come up against, because they will continue to fight until they are dead.

How do you know that Aragorn realized this claim of yours concerning Eowyn? Maybe she would have such resolve but I hardly see Aragorn as a quitter either. So where is the advantage there? In comic books and (to borrow a phrase from davem) "thud and blunder" novels they do fight until every last limb has been hacked off. However, I hardly see that as even the reality of the world of LOTR.

How long do you think it would have taken Aragorn to knock the sword from the arm of Eowyn if he applied all his skills and strength? I think it would have happened rather quickly despite all of her so called determination and beliefs.

[Quempel]

Originally Posted by Sauron the White

How long do you think it would have taken Aragorn to knock the sword from the arm of Eowyn if he applied all his skills and strength? I think it would have happened rather quickly despite all of her so called determination and beliefs.

Well he was 80.

And even if he had taken the sword she would have kept fighting. This is something that happens all the time. Example both the Viet Nam and Iraq war. When people or person is willing to step up and fight for their way of life, family and beliefs they do not stop. It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the fight in the dog and all that.

Why do I think he realized this, because of her saying It needs but one foe to breed a war, not two, Master Warden, and those who have not swords can still die upon them.

Plus Aragorn also said this to Eowyn 'Yet the deeds will not be less valiant because they are unpraised' He was talking about her and to her about her valor and willingness to fight.

They both understood that even though Aragorn was the stronger more trained warrior, that Eowyn had an unstopable spirit. And we must remember, if we are talking about the movie here, Aragorn was not nearly as invested in Gondor as Eowyn was in Rohan at the point of this scene. He was still a reluctant king, where as she was completely invested in Rohan, so much so that Theoden said It shall be so. Let the heralds announce to the folk that the Lady Éowyn will lead them!

[Folwren]

However, all this speculation is useless, because nothing would have ever resulted in a fight that required Eowyn to continue fighting after she had been disarmed. Why do you suppose they would have even had a friendly sparring match? That wasn't either of their purposes.

[Quempel]

I would suppose it was to show that she was not afraid to die and for him to find if the spirit of Rohan was strong enough to help him.

Why would Aragorn fight Eowyn in the first place. He needed the Rohirrim to help save Gondor. I am pretty sure had he killed Eowyn, his standing in Rohan would have diminished greatly and the Rohirrim wouldn't have rode to his aide..

[William Cloud Hicklin]

And if you want to argue real world non-military people changing the world, the two biggest influences in the world were not warriors of any sort. Those two people being Jesus and Muhammad. . . Neither were warriors.

Muhammed not a warrior???? Better re-read your Haditha. Muhammed was a brigand and caravan raider long before his 'revelation', and spent most of his subsequent life killing and conquering people...all in the name of Allah, of course.

[Groin Redbeard]

Uhhh.... I think we're getting off the topic here, we were talking about Aragorn and Eowyn.

[Sauron the White]

Everything comes down to how you see it ---- what is your slant on things .... your perspective. I see the Eowyn/Aragorn scene as this: Eowyn is being serious while Aragorn is being a bit playful and indulging her. Not for one minute, and not until this very thread, did I ever entertain the idea that Eowyn was auditioning or trying to better Argorn. I probably have seen that film at least 25 times including theater and home DVD and never saw it as anything but a cute and poignant moment between the two.

However, in the LotR world, I don't think that a woman should be allowed to 'kick butt', as it's sometimes put - particularly Aragorn's.

I have seen this film at least 25 times and truthfully never ever ever saw Jackson as suggesting that Eowyn was trying to kick the behind of Aragorn. But again, its all in perspective and everyone is entitled to their own.

[Quempel]

But if it wasn't something more, Aragorn could have simply just walked by nodded and went about his business. He did not have to stop and 'play' with Eowyn if she was nothing more than a silly girl playing with a sword. They were testing each other, plain and simple, not as enemies but to see each others stregnths.

If I were Aragorn I would want my better angles to follow me into battle. Maybe he knew Eowyn was the 'no man' that would best the Wiki and needed to know if she had it in her. Maybe Eowyn needed to know that the people of Rohan, if they fell, would have a place in Gondor. This is how these things are tested. Neither wanted the first warrior to crack going to war with them. They wanted someone who would stand up and fight, not run away in fear.

So even if Aragorn could best Eowyn he knew that he had her and the Rohirrim as allies. And vice-versa.