Notice! Spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim ahead!
Éowyn states that there is no record of Héra's history in The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim–So how does she know this? One of the significant surprises of this animation Lord of the Rings The film is that instead of focusing on Helm Hammerhand, the daughter of King Rohan, Héra took center stage. In Tolkien's works, Helm's daughter is an unnamed character and is certainly not considered a heroic figure. War of the Rohirrim expands this woman's story, making her a forgotten hero, the one responsible for saving her kingdom from the Dunlendings.
Despite everything Héra did for Rohan, Éowyn explains at the beginning of the film that there is no record of this heroic princess in the texts or songs of the kingdom. This explains why Tolkien's works, which are addressed as “manuscripts found“which the author should have found and translated (rather than devised himself), did not even mention the name of Helm Hammerhand's daughter. Although this provided War of the Rohirrim With some room to take creative liberties, it's unclear how Éowyn came to know Héra's story. However, the end of this Lord of the Rings film may provide a clue.
The end of the Rohirrim war reveals that Gandalf met with Héra
Héra went out to meet Gandalf the Gray
At the end of The Lord of the Rings: War of the RohirrimHéra leaves Rohan to meet a wizard named Gandalf. Of course, this is the same Gandalf from The Lord of the Ringsand he has been interested in Héra ever since she saw Orcs of Mordor searching for rings in Helm's Deep. Clearly, the wizard is interested in any news related to Sauron's search for his One Ring, but he would certainly be interested in more than just Héra's confrontation with the Orcs. Gandalf liked to know everything that happened in Middle-earth, so he would probably have asked Héra to describe its full history.
Gandalf probably told the story of Éowyn Héra
This connection kept Héra's story alive (even if Rohan forgot it)
The fact that Gandalf and Héra met in War of the Rohirrim explains why this Princess Rohan's story survived to be told – even if it wasn't known by many. Éowyn is very similar to her distant relative and after her victory over the Witch-King of Angmar at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Gandalf may have thought that this Rohirrim Shieldmaiden would be interested in the story of Héra. A few centuries later, Gandalf may well have been the only one to remember the importance of Helm Hammerhand's daughter. Before retiring to Valinor, he might have seen fit to pass it on.
It's fun to imagine the wizard taking the time to continue Héra's legacy, knowing that a heroic warrior like Éowyn would be the perfect person to hear and pass on the story.
Éowyn's similarities to Héra made her the perfect narrator for The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim. The idea that she heard this story first from Gandalf the White makes it even more impactful. It's fun to imagine the wizard taking the time to continue Héra's legacy, knowing that a heroic warrior like Éowyn would be the perfect person to hear and pass on the story. Although Héra's role in the story of Helm Hammerhand is a creative liberty taken by The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrimthe film found the perfect way to make it perfectly cohesive with Tolkien's works.