Drabble: Dutiful Daughter (Eowyn)

[tanaquiljall]

So, a fandom friend had a bad accident a few weeks back, and I offered to write a get-well drabble for her. It only took me three weeks....

She asked for Éowyn as "not a deserter". The drabble is based on MadGamgee's very interesting essay, which competed in the MEFAs, about how Éowyn has competing duties placed on her, including her duty as a member of the King's household to defend and avenge other members of the household on the battlefield.

Muse, of course, decided to make the task even harder by insisting I not only write 100 words but also attempt to produce Anglo-Saxon alliterative verse. *glares at muse and mutters: see, this is why I ignore you and go and write in fandoms with muses that make my life easy*



Dutiful Daughter

Loyalty and love hath she given her liege-lord
Counsel and comfort to brother and blood-kind.
No oaths offered nor owned, yet fealty is forged:
Her sword sings for the House of Eorl!

Duty in dark days demanded a dry-nurse
For frightened folk fleeing to haunted Hold.
This latest leave-taking is loss more mordant than monkshood.
Swift steeds striding through Sunlending to Mundburg
Would carry kin beyond ken and blade's beat.

Apart, in anguish, unhanded of honour,
Voided of vengeance ere death devours her?
Nay! At hearth-lord's hand in bloody battle
She will serve as shieldmaiden to the House of Eorl.

*checks flist nervously to make sure they haven't keeled over at the shock of seeing something Tolkienish from me*

Comments

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

I love this.I've just been watching a programme about Beowulf on TV and you capture the feel of Anglo Saxon poetry brilliantly.

[tanaquiljall]

*blush* Thank you! My muse insists on doing these mad things sometimes, and it's very nice to hear I've managed to do a decent job of pulling them off.

[dkpalaska.livejournal.com]

WOW.

Wow wow wow.

Excellently done, Tanaqui. I'm not very familiar with Anglo-Saxon verse, but it feels authentic. And then, within those constrictions PLUS the drabble, the awesome portrayal of Eowyn's reasoning and desire to serve as she has been trained to do. So well done! You have a tremendous command of language.

And I did not keel over in shock; rather joyously bounced about in my chair. :)

[rakshathedemon.livejournal.com]

Oh, lovely! Seems very fierce and Rohirric (Eorling actually) to me.

[tanaquiljall]

*blush* Thank you. This was very hard work to wrestle into shape, so I'm glad to hear it apparently worked very well.

And I did not keel over in shock; rather joyously bounced about in my chair. :)

Umm, well, don't get too excited.... *g*

[tanaquiljall]

Thanks for the nice words about the drabble, nd thanks for commenting!

[elena-tiriel.livejournal.com]

*Sigh* I just shake my head when you write A-S verse form in a drabble package. It's unbelievable how well you do it!

Your talent at writing is just awesome, do you know that? {{{hugs}}}

- Barbara

[tanaquiljall]

*blushes*

Awww, thanks. {{{hugs}}}

Of course, I have my star-gazing friend to inspire me to such Tolkienish heights....

[blslarner.livejournal.com]

How perfect, Tanaqui, for Eowyn!

[tanaquiljall]

Thanks - the muse simply insisted I write in verse for this one!