"The Death of Théodred" by photographer Lillian Liu
First image:
This is our version of the fallen Prince Theodred on his funeral bier, the last of his house. He met his untimely death after holding the mustered forces of Isengard at bay so they could not cross the Fords of Isen into a weakened Rohan. The battle being a phyrric victory in many ways with too high of a cost, his father King Theoden was then left to bury his only son among the wild Simbelmynë flowers (and thus seeing the end of his line with his own eyes). I am absolutely enamoured with @fellandfair ‘s immaculate attention to detail with costuming, making visuals both believable and rooted in realistic inspiration. It is no small effort to put together a shoot ever- and the team included: @posewigs , who made the hair look incredible, @ian__campbell, who lay uncomfortably on a bier with lumpy shields under his back to model for us, @vkngjewelry ‘s beautiful jewelry to give us that extra bit of detail, and many others to be seen in future images.
Second image:
Theodred’s funeral in Tolkien’s universe only serves to highlight the oppressive sense of futility hovering above Rohan during the time of The Lord of the Rings. A land with a weakened king held captive as a puppet, plagued constantly with fearsome raids from the enemy, with the only crown prince and heir falling in a battle intended to wipe out their numbers and morale...the sun would have seemingly set on the people during such a time. And yet, Tolkien shows us that goodness prevails even in times of madness and senseless evil. Here, we have a mourning party depicted- with a mourner central in the scene preparing the body. I feel like she represents the common people of the land. What other characters do you see?
Third image:
Here, in our vision of his funeral, Eomer says a final farewell to Theodred before the burial. Simbelmyne here is also pictured growing from the grass, as it was a flower often found on the tombs of Rohirric kings. The flower itself refers to the legacy and memories of those who have passed. Growing up together, the late prince loved his cousin Eomer as a true brother...and although there isn’t too much about Theodred as a character written by the great Tolkien (as the character was already dead during the time of The Lord of the Rings), many inferences can be made about his life and relationships.
