For years, I’ve tried to understand what it is about J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings that is so very inspiring.  Beyond the powerful basic story, Tolkien builds memorable masculine and feminine characters with tremendous strength. I recognized this when I saw the pattern used in that triumphant moment when Eowyn defeats the Ring Wraith leader, the Witch King of Angmar. What is it about Eowyn’s defeat of the Witch King and his Fell Beast that makes it so inspiring?

Similar scenes in movies, books and stories depict a strong female hero, yet most feel inauthentic, forced and are often cringeworthy.  Yet, the scene created by Tolkien and reproduced on the screen by Peter Jackson is one of the most powerful I’ve seen.   This moment in the book and on the screen felt earned and created meaningful impact in the legacy of the book and film.  It is the pattern of an eternal truth that Tolkien uses in each of the books of the Lord of the Rings and can be seen in each of the films.

To recognize this pattern, a clear understanding of the Feminine versus the Masculine is essential.  And, specifically, it is essential to understand how feminine strength can be manifest.   

Feminine strength is actually fascinating to most men. It has been something I am personally fascinated by, and it is what attracted me to my wife.

Feminine strength appears in multiple forms.  We will look at a few examples of this strength.  However, because volumes could be written about the manifestation of feminine strength, we will primarily look at one manifestation of this strength and how it relates to Tolkien’s character Eowyn.

The Beauty and Truth Found in Feminine Strength

Three questions to be addressed here are:

1. Why do we need feminine strength and not just a world of masculine women?
2. What happens when we ignore the reality of the true feminine strength?
3. Can the masculine and feminine strengths work together?

At the core of this post, I hope you see the true beauty and infinite nature of truth used by Tolkien in the character of Eowyn and in Peter Jackson’s Return of the King.  There is a hidden power and grandeur within the capacities of each feminine being.

What is Masculine Strength?

First, to understand the feminine, one must understand the masculine. What does masculine strength look like?  I’ve written about this before ( I’ve also written about it here). However I want to contrast the basics of the masculine strength to what the true eternal feminine strength looks like and provides.

Masculinity is the strength of the warrior fed and upheld by a basic instinctual need for honor.  It is seen in the soldier, the explorer and the hunter.  It is the man or boy who possesses the physical strength and courage to fight and conquer evil, not for himself, but for his kingdom his community or his family.  He is the one who willingly sacrifices himself in battle.  He does this instinctually because of his need to preserve, uphold and maintain his honor. Though it can be smothered, it is not a learned behavior. It is what drives “boys to be boys,” to test themselves against their peers and prove themselves to the opposite sex.

The masculine explores the dangers of the unknown to uncover secrets, wisdom and treasures, and to bring home vital resources and lay before the feet of the feminine.  He is the one who fights and brings order to the world around him such as the benevolent king.

It is essential to understand that the masculine provides love and protection even at the peril of his life to safeguard and preserve the feminine.  Of course, we could write volumes about the masculine nature and the honor related to providing and protecting, but this should paint a familiar picture of the stories contained in volumes of books and film. 

You can easily find the majority of stories, films and television shows that portray these masculine qualities.  The excitement of battle, the thrill of exploration and risk of life lends itself very easily to screen and story.   This portrayal appears much more clearly than does the true portrayal of feminine strength. And, that is the challenge. What, then, is feminine strength?

What is Feminine Strength?

Feminine strength is not as easy to point out or illustrate. True feminine strength is seen less frequently in film and story, because it is more opaque and more difficult to describe in word or on the screen.  It is made of some unseen, yet, powerfully unparalleled parts. It is difficult to portray, because the first of these parts is the embodiment of the capacity for Nurturing Transformation. 

Nurturing Transformation

Part of feminine strength is the ability to surround or encompass that which she loves.  She provides the environment for her loved ones to transform and fulfill their virtuous potentials.  This is the role of the mother and her nesting instinct.  One place it is seen is in the character of Martha Kent, the mother of Superman.  She embodies traditional values and provides the home and environment in a rural Kansas town that Clark Kent could learn “truth, justice and the American way.”  It is from this nurturing transformative power that Clark Kent can become Superman.

This is also seen in Beauty and the Beast.  Bell’s nurturing power, the subtle strength she possesses with every interaction with the beast, is one that transforms him into a prince. Her strength surrounds him.  Her vision of who he is and who he can become sands down his roughened angry edges.  It is that invisible but instinctual power women hold that can encompass and nurture those they love into a virtuous transformation.

In the Lord of the Rings, this nurturing transformation is provided early in the journey as a protective and encompassing light given to the young male Frodo by the powerful feminine Galadriel. Galadriel provides the Phial of Galadriel to Frodo in Lothlórien. The movies don’t explicitly delve into the mechanics of this special light and why the spider, Shelob, is so averse to it. However, the transformative power provided by Galadriel is later understood.

To the casual observer, it might look like Shelob is simply light-sensitive due to having too many eyes or, at the very least, “Elven magic” is at play. Indeed, the power of the Phial of Galadriel is intentionally vague, described as a “light in the darkness” that hurts evil souls and aids the pure-hearted. However, the light inside is actually far more special than the movies let on. It is derived from two ancient trees, the Silmaril, found on an ancient star that later became the precursors to the sun and moon of Arda.

The implied meaning here is that Shelob, the powerful spider, dwells eternally in darkness, perhaps never seeing light until the two Hobbits, Sam and Frodo, waved a particularly powerful light in her face. The light of the Silmaril inside the star glass is known to repel evil, coming from a Heavenly star, the precursors to a sun and a moon.

Again, we see the symbolism that the powerful feminine holds a capacity to transform those they love. That capacity can encompass, nurture and transform through their eternal virtues. This power to nurture mankind and provide direction with eternal light is essentially the back story of Galadriel throughout all of Tolkien’s books. And, it leads us to our second feminine strength.

Path Correction or Guidance

The second piece of feminine strength is Guidance or Path Correction.  This can also be referred to as intercession – the act of interceding or petitioning in favor of another.  Traditionally, this is portrayed in stories as the Queen mother.  It can be seen in the Disney fairy tale of Brave, where the Queen mother uses her feminine strength to intercedes with the King to help her daughter.  In other examples, the queen will intercede on behalf of those needing help on their journey.

The feminine has a wisdom and perspective that frequently seen as a guide to others.  Her communication has the capacity to transform the world around her.  This is the role that Galadriel plays throughout all of Tolkien’s books. This is one of the great strengths to which I lean upon my wife.  Her feminine power of guidance and perspective is frequently the essential piece necessary to make decisions in our home.

What is amazing is that the feminine also has the tact and humility to move in and out of the spotlight as needed.  She helps redirect and focus the wisdom of the household. This is the profound, yet, often invisible feminine power that so few recognize or can portray in film.  However, Tolkien does this wonderfully well in his books with the character Galadriel, and it is also seen in the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings movie trilogy.

The strong female doesn’t publicly rebuke or overrule and take over for personal glory. However, her whispers and guidance are more powerful than you may think.  It is what made the line from Toula’s mother in My Big Fat Greek Wedding so iconic.

“Let me tell you something, Toula: The man is the head, but the woman is the neck, and she can turn the head any way she wants.”

What makes this so recognizable as an eternal truth is that this feminine power is also biblically implied in 1 Corinthians 11:3.

The Radical “YES”

The next piece of feminine power is the radical “YES.”  This radical “YES” is defined as a confidence and a strength in the role within a mission or a duty. 

Another way to describe it is this feminine strength embodies trust and confidence in the bigger picture.  The feminine strength can be “faith” itself.  Beyond simple belief, the feminine embodies the faith that becomes or leads to inherent action.  This faith is often the moving cause of action.  This faith moving to action sets the stage for more to come.

This can be seen in the story of Sarah, Abraham’s wife in the Old Testament.  In Genesis 15, Abraham is told by the Lord that he would be the father of numerous seed, equal to the number of the stars he could count in the heavens (Gen 15:5).  

His wife Sarah, having been baren of children, embodying and having confidence and faith in this promise from God, gives her handmaid, Hagar, to Abraham to wife as a moving cause to the fulfilment of this promise.  Later, Sarah exerts faith in the promise of the three holy men that she would bare a son in her old age (Gen 19). She later bears a son name Isaac (Gen 21).  From her actions driven of faith, Abraham becomes the literal father of many nations, fulfilling biblical prophecy.

The Yin-Yang of the Feminine and Masculine

The feminine power is the power to receive, to embody and to transform.  It is the power and capacity to receive love itself.   The masculine provides love, protection and resources through physical strength.  The feminine receives love, protection and resources and then has the power to grow and transform them. The world itself grows and changes within the feminine. The feminine then returns that transformation to the masculine.

The masculine and the feminine are not the same.  Yet, they have the capacity to complement each other.  It is important to understand that these qualities are not independent or mutually exclusive of one another.

A complex feminine character may have a few or may have all of these characteristics.  The feminine is trusted with the rough clay of potential.  This is a courageous acceptance of vulnerability and is a distinct part of femininity.   With faith in her purpose, she molds and creates something more beautiful and more powerful then previously thought possible.

This duality and need to compliment each other is found in the Chinese symbol of Yin-Yang.

The Yin component of Yin-Yang signifies Earth energy that is grounded, dark, and receptive. According to tradition, it’s linked to the light of the moon, seas, and shade. Yin is connected with feminine energy. Women are linked to Yin because the menstrual cycle, like the moon’s, lasts 28 days on average.

In Chinese, the substance that causes menses is known as the Tian Gui or heavenly water, which indicates a girl’s passage to womanhood with the capability of childbirth. However, when supported by Yang, it can bring forth life. The Yin and Yang seasons are associated with winter and summer, respectively. The autumn is more Yin than the summer, yet it’s more Yang than the winter.

The Yang component of Yin-Yang symbolizes the sun and it’s light: it is bright, limitless, and occasionally reckless. It is connected with masculine energy. Action, expansion, heat & movement are associated with yang.

How Are “Strong” Women Portrayed Today?

There is an emphasis in today’s feministic society to create and portray strong women in stories and movies, yet their template is distorted.

Considering the need to portray strong women warriors, much of today’s portrayal of strength is draw from or mimics that of the masculine.  Examples of these masculine portrayals are Rae from Disney’s Star Wars, the new and ghastly distorted portrayal of Galadriel in the Rings of Power series, Captain Marvel in the current Marvel Comics, and Sarah Connor as portrayed in Terminator: Dark Fate just to name a few.

Generally, these are portrayals of “strong” women who can fight anyone, man or woman.  They are portrayed with little struggle and they rarely need help, especially from men.  These films, in their feministic attempt to portray “strong women,” miss the point of what truly makes the masculine and the feminine strong.  Unfortunately, this portrayal of these characters seem empty, unrealistic and is generally unexciting.   They didn’t create strong females; they just perversely made these women into men.  And, if one is to be honest, they are flat representations of men.  You can feel it in your gut when you watch these stories unfold.

Rejection of Feminine Truth

Not only is there an emphasis of masculine characteristics in these women, there is an active rejection of the qualities that make the feminine truly powerful.  The true feminine is actually repudiated.  Remember, the true feminine receives love and transforms it into something new.  Within this feminine ability to transform and create anew, there exists an element of a special communion with the divine.

It is this ability to transform and create that makes the feminine such a powerful spiritual being.  In Genesis, we are told that God saw that man was alone upon the earth and took a part of his rib, the strongest structure next to Adam’s heart, and perfected it into a “help meet.”   

In Hebrew, biblical scholars tell us that the word “help meet” comes from the words “ezer” and “k’enegdo.” “Ezer” is found 21 times in the Hebrew bible and in eight of those it means “savior” and the other 13 times it means “strength.”  This can also be interpreted as “deliverer.”

“K’enegdo” is a more difficult word to interpret, but most scholars interpret it as “exactly corresponding to,” like the image you see when looking into a mirror.  It can be interpreted also as “opposite.” 

Eve was not designed to be exactly like Adam, she was designed to be a mirror opposite, possessing the other half of the qualities, responsibilities and attributes that he did not possess.   Much like men’s and women’s sexual organs are physically mirror opposites (one being external and one being internal), their relationship to the divine are also opposite, yet fitting together perfectly to create life.  The feminine is the masculine’s complete spiritual equal and compliment, endowed with a saving power that is opposite from his.

The feminine is a “savior” to the masculine in that she has power to give them life and assist to nurture the masculine toward the light.  The masculine is willing to honorably sacrifice his life in the protection and provision of needs of the feminine.  And, in turn, the feminine is willing to sacrifice her life in conceiving, creating, bearing physical bodies for children to begin the journey of life, and nurturing them into growth and development as adults.  This is an unconditional love and the true meaning of charity embodied in the feminine.

The modern day “strong women” portrayed on the screen are commonly loners who reject advice, guidance and even love.  Rather, they are portrayed to find their strength only within themselves.  This is an ego driven rejection of archetypal truth and a rejection of love itself.

The Irony of Rejecting the Feminine

This idea of trying to create the image of strong women using masculine attributes is actually harming women.  Because, it leaves little room for the feminine truth.  And, it harms the exponential growth potential of both men and women.

In 1988, Pope John Paul II in his “Mulieris Dignitatem” (The Dignity of Women) warned the world that, “In the name of liberation from male domination, women must not appropriate to themselves male characteristics contrary to their own feminine originality.  There is a well-founded fear that if they take this path, women will not reach fulfilment, but instead will deform and lose what constitutes their essential richness.  It is indeed and enormous richness.”

Additionally, in 1995, the Prophet Gordon B. Hinkley as part of his message to the women of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stated in The Family: A Proclamation to the World that, “All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.” 

He went on to declare that “By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation.”

Enmity – The Feminine Power to Antagonize and Put Down Evil

There is a traditional idea that women will crush the head of evil.  This is seen in the character of Galadriel and it is seen in the story of Eowyn discussed below. The origin of this idea comes from Genesis 3:15, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

Basically, the idea is that the offspring of the woman will crush the head of the serpent, or crush the head of evil.  This scripture describes the offspring of the woman bruising or crushing the head of evil, but the roll of the woman is not ambivalent in its importance.  The feminine is the catalyst of the suppression of evil.

This imagery continues in the biblical texts.  Adam, whose physical body was not created by a daughter of Eve, was saved and delivered by a woman. It was through a woman, Mary, that Jesus Christ came to conquer the bonds of death and sin and atoned for Adam’s transgressions.  Mary continues the role and mission of Eve. 

Without a woman to bear the body of Christ, mankind would have been lost and fallen forever and Adam’s work and purpose on the earth would have been meaningless. Mary was the gateway that made Christ’s work possible and her nurturing the catalyst for His success.  Even though Eve did not give physical life to Adam, she literally saved him from spiritual death by opening the way for the Savior and Redeemer to come into the world.  “Salvation,” in the form of Jesus Christ, literally came to the earth through a woman.

This brings us back to the story of Eowyn in the Lord of the Rings.  The feminine DOES NOT play a passive role in the battle of good versus evil.  Since most people will understand the references from the Lord of the Rings movies by Peter Jackson, I will use them as my reference points.  Regardless of the source, Eowyn delivers an incredibly compelling demonstration of female strength that is true to life.  This is not just a “girl power” moment.  This is a powerful demonstration of what active feminine strength really means.

Active Feminine Strength

As a review, a battle takes place on the Pelennor Fields.  Rohan has surprised the armies of Sauron to help Gondor.  Yet, despite their efforts, the battle begins to turn back to the favor of Sauron and Mordor, as the Ringwraith leader, the Witch King of Angmar, wreaks havoc on the armies of Rohan and Gondor, the good guys.  The battle seems lost as long as this evil Witch King reigns chaos from above.   The Witch King then mortally wounds King Théoden of Rohan, the leader of the masculine charge.

Hope hangs upon a delicate thread, when Eowyn enters the screen.  A hidden feminine strength sneaks into the story.  Told to stay away from the battle field, she entered the onslaught veiled to her true identity, trusting that her role in the drama would unfold.

Her moment arrives when she sees her father, King Théoden fall.  She begins to battle the Witch King, killing the dragon upon which he is mounted before it can devour her father.

Although she briefly holds her own, fighting the Witch King who was forced to dismount his now decapitated dragon, she is clearly out matched.  She is weaker and unable to defeat the enemy possessed of masculine skill and strength.  She wasn’t stronger or better with the sword.  She wasn’t more masculine than her adversary or the brave men fighting next to her.

The masculine evil, the Witch King, takes a moment to gloat on his strength, proclaiming the prophecy that “No man can kill me.”  Blinded by his arrogance, he is unable to see his vulnerability in what happens next.

Merry the Hobbit comes into view.  Merry is another being lacking in traditional masculine strength.  He stabs the Witch King in the leg, causing him to fall, and placing him off guard for the fatal blow that follows from our feminine hero.  This turn of events is NOT insignificant.  This turn of events is only possible because of the nurturing feminine action of Eowyn earlier in the story.

The Nurturing Feminine in Action

It is Eowyn’s nurturing and belief that makes this moment possible.  Merry is a childlike being, a Hobbit who wants to participate in the battle, but is denied because of his childlike size and strength.   Eowyn see’s his potential.  She knows that he will have an important role to play, and throughout the story, her faith becomes his strength as she nurtures his courage, skill and desire.  Without her nurturing, Merry would not have been in the battle.  Merry’s courage, borne of Eowyn’s encouragement and support, creates the opportunity for the crucial moment and the turning of the battle.

To cap off the power of this demonstration of true feminine strength, Eowyn’s declarative statement resonates through eternity.   Her declaration was not a “Girl Power” statement like “I am woman hear me roar” or “I am man” or “Smash the Patriarchy” or “I don’t need a man.” Instead, she simply and powerfully responds to the Witch King’s arrogant declaration of “No man can kill me!” with the simple truth, “I am NO man!”  Then she thrusts her sword into the dark void of the Witch Kings helmet, killing him.

It is interesting that he doesn’t fall forward or back.  Instead, his crown and skull are prophetically crushed inwardly upon itself, as he withers into dust.

Eowyn’s feminine strength turns the battle.  This creates the environment for the virtuous masculine forces to win.  Eowyn, thereby, fills her truly feminine role as the genesis for victory.

While the “Girl Power” movies have women screaming “I am man” or “I don’t need man,” the eternal feminine truth declares for all to hear, and Eowyn with it, “I am NO man.”

This is the pattern of truth.  This is why Lord of the Rings is so inspiring.  This is why it resonates with the masculine and the feminine alike.

Eowyn is asserting her “essential richness” and her “divine nature and responsibility.”  Even within the masculine environment of a physical battle, it is the differentiation of her nature and the richness of her femininity that is essential to victory.

The Corrupt King is Humiliated by Feminine Strength

The corrupt king cannot see what is veiled before him in his arrogance.  He cannot see Eowyn or Merry.   He is prepared for the masculine strength and battle, but is unprepared for the feminine fight.  As in life, this feminine strength is usually hidden from view and is often unveiled when it is least expected.  It waits for the opportune moment to strike.

The blow may not defeat all of the evil, yet it is the turning of the tide.  The feminine surrounds, supports and grows the masculine effort. This is necessary for the masculine courage to develop.

This is exactly the nurturing that was required for the success of the young untested warriors who fought outnumbered in battle in the Book of Mormon record about 65 B.C.  In the words of their leader, the warrior-prophet Helaman, about his 2000 stripling warriors, “And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.” (Alma 56:47)

The Woman is First

Like in marriage, the masculine and the feminine work in harmony.  In a way, women are first, not in receiving chivalrous honorable action, but in the action of faith and courage.  When the masculine just cannot break through, as stubbornness and pride are frequent, mercy and justice flow through the feminine, the faithful, the first to say “yes” to the divine plan.

Mary’s radical “yes” to bear the Child of God is the start of the great battle against sin itself.  John Paull II, in the Mulieris Dignitatem, writes that “This event leads to the turning point of man’s history on earth, understood as salvation history . . . This event is realized in her and through her.”

Mary’s act of feminine courage is profound, she is playing her part in the bruising and crushing of the head of the serpent.

What Happens if we Remove the Feminine Strength?

If we remove the feminine strength, there is no nurturing wisdom, no strengthening growth, no transformation, and perhaps, we may lose our ability to turn the tide against evil.

In the great battle plans of the adversary, what better way to ensure victory, than to distort, pervert, change or alter feminine strength.  No wonder the evil of the world welcomes the distorted feminism of our age.

Masculine and Feminine Must Cooperate

What is even more essential is the cooperation of the feminine and the masculine.  Though they are obviously different, cooperation is essential for success.

One is NOT better than the other.  In mutual service of each other, they each bring their own strength.  When they cooperate, they bring something more robust, dynamic and powerful than individually by themselves.

The masculine and the feminine have a reciprocal exponential nature.  The masculine gives love and strength to the feminine; and the feminine nurtures, grows and directs that strength to then be returned, which then is used by the masculine to give more love and strength and sacrifice.   This is again received and radiated further by the feminine. 

This is the two-way, sincere gift of self.  The positive strength of the masculine and feminine create a positive feedback loop creating a non-linear growth of love, strength and goodness.   

Tolkien’s use of this cooperative pattern can be seen in Elven ring bearer’s daughter, Arwen. Arwen’s love for and sacrifice for the future King Aragorn inspires him to sacrifice his life for the safety of the Elves and for his people, the humans of Middle-earth.

When the strong women of today only find their strength from within, it is a blatant rejection of this divine process.  Love, strength and transformation MUST be given and received. There is only so much love and strength that you can find by yourself.

The solo route is finite.  The cooperative route is infinite.  If we remove the feminine, there is no possible return to the masculine.  The chain will be broken and the exponential potential of goodness itself becomes limited.

In order to have the strong masculine present, you must have the strong feminine to give to the masculine, and vice versa.  Women, you must love your men; and men you MUST return that love.

The strength we are given is meant to be given away.  Because, the beauty and goodness that is created from the giving and the receiving will surpass our wildest dreams.  Tolkien provides further example of this in the future vision of Eldarion, the son of Arwen and King Aragorn.

Our stories and movies should see the masculine in service of the feminine, and vice versa.  We shouldn’t see either in a silo for their own glorification, but in unity and support of each other.

Eowyn’s moment of victory in battle, Galadriel’s directing path correction and guidance, and Arwen’s faith, just as ours must be, are each rooted in truth – truth of the act of feminine strength and truth of the reciprocal relationship of the masculine and feminine.

Our society needs strong feminine women.  Strong feminine women will turn the tide of the evils of our generation.  If we are all masculine, we’ve shorted ourselves of our potential strength.

Do not forget the unique strength of the feminine.  Be not afraid to face the evil that cannot see you.  Revive your true feminine strength, for “you are no man.”