Board Thread:General Mod Discussion/@comment-98.184.77.53-20150314150739/@comment-27723099-20150317220247

Recneps wrote: It also can be interpreted as not by human hands. Of course but Eowyn (and Tolkien) interpreted it as not by a male hand. But basically it was more a psychological thing. Everyone feared the Witch King, partially because of this prophecy, and the Witch King took this prophecy as another proof that he was immortal. He used this phrase against Eowyn ("No living man may hinder me!") but Eowyn showed that she was a woman and countered "But no living man am I!". Although it had no real value (and the whole prophecy had no real value), it drastically reduced the confidence of the Witch King.