Glamdring | The One Wiki to Rule Them All | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit Glamdring was used in battle only twice in the First Age; Turgon wielded Glamdring in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad , and in the Fall of Gondolin . For over 6,000 years it went missing, surviving the War of Wrath , until Gandalf (and company) found it (along with Sting and Orcrist ) in the Troll's cave in The Hobbit and claimed it for himself. He continued to use Glamdring through the events of The Lord of the Rings , and it is now kept safe in the treasure vault at Minas Tirith . [1] It was called Beater by the Orcs along with "Biter" {Orcrist}. Glamdring was used by Gandalf to slay the Great Goblin and both Gandalf and Thorin Oakenshield used "Glamdring" and "Orcrist" to slay Goblins in the Goblin's caves. Appearance Edit The Rune inscription on Glamdring.

Glamdring, along with Orcrist its mate, are described in The Hobbit as having "...beautiful scabbards and jeweled hilts", and Glamdring was referred to by Elrond as "Foe-hammer that the King of Gondolin once wore". In Unfinished Tales , one of the footnotes to the story " Of Tuor and his Coming to Gondolin " mentions that the sword of Turgon was "...white and gold...in a ruel-bone (ivory) sheath,..." While Glamdring is not mentioned by name, it is reasonable to assume that the same sword is described. Glamdring is inscribed with runes in the Elven language. In the movies released by New Line Cinema and directed by Peter Jackson , the runes say "Turgon Aran Gondolin, Tortha gar a matha Glamdring, Vegil Glamdring gud daelo.

Dam an Glamhoth." which translates to "Turgon, King of Gondolin , wields, has, and holds the sword Glamdring, Foe of Morgoth 's realm, Hammer of the Orcs." This inscription, however, was not mentioned in any of J. R. R. Tolkien 's writings. All Tolkien says in The Hobbit is that the names of the swords were given in the runes, but nothing else is clearly stated. The invented inscription for the movie sword, however, does sound plausible, since Elrond was able to identify that the sword belonged to Turgon. One problem, though, is that the inscription is given in Sindarin , but in an essay written late in J. R. R. Tolkien 's life, he explicitly states that Turgon had re-established Quenya as the language of his household in Gondolin (see The Peoples of Middle-earth , pg. 348).

Curiously, it is mentioned in The Hobbit that Gandalf could not read the runes, but that Elrond could, suggesting they were inscribed not in normal Cirth but in some special mode which Gandalf did not know—or, as is more likely, it was at first an inconsistency on Tolkien's part, keeping in mind that The Hobbit had not originally been intended to be so closely woven into the Silmarillion legends. Although the inscription in the film version is Lord of the Rings-era Sindarin and Cirth , the Elvish languages had certainly changed since Turgon's time, so it may be that since Elrond was a survivor from the First Age , he would have been able to read the inscription, whereas Gandalf, who had lived in Aman until the middle Third Age , was not acquainted with it. This seems highly unlikely though, as Quenya originates as an Elvish language from the Undying lands of Aman and is the mode of speech for the Noldorin exiles in Beleriand; which Gandalf would have known in his life as the Maia Olorin. Gandalf the White with Glamdring during the Battle at the Black Gate .

Often it is forgotten that the Hobbit and the Lord of The Rings are 'historical accounts' written by the Hobbits, Bilbo, Frodo and Samwise. As a Linguist and by default an historian of modes, Tolkien would not have been ignorant of the historical devices put place within ancient texts, both mythic and historical, where the specific details of importance are not altered, in this case, the wording and appearance of Glamdring, but in fact, for poetic effect, the speaker may change. The poetic effect, or adding of depth in this case is that Turgon is Elrond's great grand father, which to accommodate the significance, requires Gandalf to appear buffoonish, or perhaps to be considered to withhold information which would be far too detailed and ruin the poetic depth later on. This may be a 'meta' literary device employed within the technical stance that Bilbo is recording his history of events. Of course this cannot be fully true, as stated above the work with the rest of Arda was not to be so intrinsically included, but it may help to see it in this light.

Like all High-Elven swords, Glamdring was like Orcrist and Sting in that "being the work of Elvish smiths in the Elder Days these swords shone with a cold light, if any Orcs were near at hand," [2] and so warned their bearers of nearby evil. Glamdring was "bright as blue flame for delight in the killing of the" Great Goblin , [3] but that could have referred to its brightness in that situation; everywhere else in Tolkien's writings, Glamdring's color when glowing is always described as white. Portrayal in adaptations Edit In Peter Jackson's films, Glamdring is one of Gandalf's primary weapons, the other being his staff. As mentioned above, it has runes engraved in the Cirth script. Weta Workshop designer RIchard Taylor stated that this was done with the intention that Elves put magic inscriptions on the blade to strengthen it. This idea is repeated with various other weapons, such as Anduril. In the Hobbit films, Gandalf is able to recognise it as a sword of Gondolin, but Elrond identifies it by name.

The design of the blade is also different to the Elvish curved swords regularly seen, likely because the blade was made in the First Age, where sword design was different. While it does not glow in the films it is still powerful, especially in Gandalf's fight with the Balrog. It is strong enough to pierce the Balrog's flesh without damage, and can even be used by Gandalf to cast spells. Gandalf uses it to summon a bolt of lightning to the blade. The blade receives the lighting and stores it, allowing Gandalf to use it's power to kill the Balrog. Etymology Glamdring is a Sindarin word that meant 'Foe hammer'. The elvish blade also was dubbed "Beater" by the goblins of the Misty Mountains. [4] Reproductions Edit In addition to the licensed reproduction sword linked below, Del Tin Antiche of Italy made unlicensed interpretations of both Glamdring and Orcrist, which were sold through Museum Replicas, Ltd. back in the mid to late 1980s. These were very high quality steel and well constructed (if quite plain).

Another rather ornate version of Orcrist created by Greg Hildebrandt was issued by Franklin Mint in 1998. United Cutlery currently manufactures an officially licensed replica of the movie prop. (UC2942) [citation needed] Translations around the World Sting | The One Wiki to Rule Them All | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit Sting, as seen in the Peter Jackson films Sting was an ancient Elvish blade made by weapon-smiths in Gondolin. When Orcs or goblins were within an undetermined radius of it, the blade glowed blue, alerting the wielder and others who could see it to their presence. It had been lost during the Fall of Gondolin , the same battle in which Turgon fell and Glamdring was taken. It appeared as a curved blade with a silver loop or spiral design on it, later runes were added to it by Bilbo after his adventures. These runes seem to have been made by the Elves as they are in Sindarin . The blade was carried by Bilbo in The Hobbit after Bilbo found it in a Troll-hoard. Sting was found alongside Glamdring and Orcrist .

Though just a dagger by the standard of elves, it made a perfect short sword for a Hobbit , although it was still rather small, as Bilbo initially chose to wear it "inside his breeches" [2] and was still able to travel and even run without any apparent inconvenience. Just before his nephew embarked on his quest to Mordor from Rivendell, Bilbo gave Sting to Frodo . Sam then took the weapon from his (seemingly dead) master and used it to good effect against Shelob on the borders of Mordor. After the defeat of Sauron at the end of the Third Age , Frodo entrusted Sting to Sam and it became an heirloom of the Gamgee family. Gollum , who disliked anything made by the Elves , was afraid of Sting. This fear aided Bilbo when he confronted Gollum in a cave at the base of the Misty Mountains in The Hobbit . It also helped Frodo and Sam subdue Gollum in The Lord of the Rings . Orcs also had an instinctive fear of these weapons and hated any who carried them.

As is fitting for a blade of Gondolin, Sting could easily cut through the webs of the offspring of Ungoliant , including the evil Shelob and the spiders of Mirkwood. Bilbo had named the weapon Sting after he had "stung" one of them with it. In The Hobbit when Bilbo wears the One Ring, and defends himself against a spider, he names the blade "Sting". The narrator describes the spider's lack of acquaintance with creatures with such stings, and evidently this was also Bilbo's presumption in naming it as such. (Similarly in Peter Jackson's adaptation, the spider when attacked is heard saying "It stings, it stings" after being stabbed by Bilbo; this provides the viewer with a reason for the name "Sting" without the use of a narrator.) Sting was like Glamdring and Orcrist in that "being the work of Elvish smiths in the Elder Days these swords shone with a cold light, if any Orcs were near at hand." [3] But only Sting was definitively described as glowing blue, or glittering with blue flame at its edges.

[4] Portrayal in adaptations Glamdring Swords from The Lord of the Rings Home Lord of the Rings Swords for Sale Lord of the Rings Swords and Hobbit movie swords for sale are crafted by United Cutlery. These officially licensed movie swords are designed from the actual film props made by Weta Workshop of New Zealand. Choose from popular movie swords like the Sting Swords of Frodo and Bilbo Baggins, Anduril Swords of Aragorn, Daggers of Legolas Greenleaf and the famous Glamdring Sword of Gandalf the Wizard. Replicas from The Hobbit Swords collection include the Orcrist Sword of Thorin Oakenshield, Swords of Kili and Fili, as well as the massive Mace of Azog. The Fighting Knives and Bow of Turiel and King Thranduril Swords and Staffs are also for sale. These officially licensed film collectibles include displays and certificates of authenticity. Buy the entire Lord of the Rings and Hobbit Movie collectibles on sale now.

Custom Laser Engraving Services - Etch Up To 60 Characters For Only $25 Personalize For Gifts, Holidays & Celebrations - Services Can Be Added At Checkout Official Glamdring Swords Glamdring Swords from The Hobbit Movies Home Lord of the Rings Swords for Sale Lord of the Rings Swords and Hobbit movie swords for sale are crafted by United Cutlery. These officially licensed movie swords are designed from the actual film props made by Weta Workshop of New Zealand. Choose from popular movie swords like the Sting Swords of Frodo and Bilbo Baggins, Anduril Swords of Aragorn, Daggers of Legolas Greenleaf and the famous Glamdring Sword of Gandalf the Wizard. Replicas from The Hobbit Swords collection include the Orcrist Sword of Thorin Oakenshield, Swords of Kili and Fili, as well as the massive Mace of Azog. The Fighting Knives and Bow of Turiel and King Thranduril Swords and Staffs are also for sale. These officially licensed film collectibles include displays and certificates of authenticity. Buy the entire Lord of the Rings and Hobbit Movie collectibles on sale now.

Custom Laser Engraving Services - Etch Up To 60 Characters For Only $25 Personalize For Gifts, Holidays & Celebrations - Services Can Be Added At Checkout Official Glamdring Swords Glamdring - Sword of Gandalf Glamdring - Sword of Gandalf $179.95 $159.95 The sword of wizard Gandalf, Glamdring is an officially licensed replica that comes with a certificate of authenticity and a wooden display plaque. Manufactured by United Cutlery. Description Click to enlarge My personal favorite sword from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Glamdring is one of two weapons to be in all six films, the other being Sting. Glamdring, like Sting, has what is called a leaf blade, where the blade forms a leaf shape by starting narrow, then widening, then narrowing again. I also like to think it resembles a women&#39s body, which of course also makes Glamdring the sexiest sword from Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit. The length on Glamdring is just about perfect, it is technically a hand-and-a half or "bastard" sword, able to be swung with either one hand or two.

As a one hander it has significantly more reach than true one handers like Herugrim, Eowyn&#39s Sword, or Boromir&#39s sword, but it gives you the option of bringing out two hands for added power. Gandalf mostly uses it one handed, as he holds his staff in his other hand. Functionally I feel that the leaf blade shape of Glamdring would theoretically provide it with excellent properties. The leaf shape is not for mere looks, the thicker widening at the meatier part of the blade aids in power when chopping with the blade, like the sweet spot on a baseball bat. Beyond that the distal taper, where the sword comes to a point, is so severe and sharp and significant that the sword also would be an excellent thrusting weapon, with that narrow point able to find a gap in any armor. This makes Glamdring a rare sword that would excell at both chopping and thrusting. From the manufacturer: Glamdring is an exquisite example of the height of Elven swordcraft, and a weapon befitting an Elven king.

Gandalf claimed Glamdring for his own and wielded the sword through the Quest for Erebor, using it against the Goblins of the Misty Mountains, and later on the quest to destroy the One Ring. The great sword remained at Gandalf’s side until the end of his days in Middle-earth. In the Third Age of Middle-earth, the old and powerful Wizard Gandalf and his Company of Dwarves came upon a troll lair in Rhûdaur. There they found two ancient Elven swords and a knife. The exact history of these blades is not certain, but when the Elf lord Elrond examined them in Rivendell he determined they were well-known and ancient blades used in the Goblin Wars to slay many Orcs in the First Age. The sword named Glamdring was forged by the high Elves of the West, in the hidden city of Gondolin. Glamdring survived, only to be found thousands of years later by Gandalf and his companions. This authentically detailed replica is a reproduction of the actual filming prop built by Weta Workshop of New Zealand and used in the motion picture, THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY.

Glamdring has been meticulously recreated the prop using only the finest grade materials and craftsmanship. Close attention to detail was a top priority. The Glamdring sword is 47 5/8”(120.9cm) overall, featuring a stainless steel blade, solid metal hilt parts, faux blue jewel inlays, and a genuine leather-wrapped grip. It is presented with a wood wall display and includes a certificate of authenticity. This officially licensed replica of Glamdring comes with a certificate of authenticity and a wooden display plaque. Manufactured by United Cutlery. Glamdring is in stock. Sword Inscriptions language of inscription on blade: Sindarin writing system: Tengwar (Mode of Beleriand) First image came from the Movie Calendar 2002 (message from Patrick a.k.a. Gorel). The Sting's Inscription on blade is written in Sindarin in tengwar letters (Mode of Beleriand). Patrick: This is my amateur transcription and translation of the Sindarin on the blade. Evidently "sharp point" is being used for 'sting'. It's interesting because it suggests the elves placed the writing on the blade while Bilbo was at Rivendell.

What a nice way to honor the old hobbit. Compare this photo with another one published by Patrick. According to Kit Rae, an Art Director of United Cutlery Corporation , the official 'poetic' translation of this inscription is: Sting is my name, I am the spiders bane. Turgon aran Gondolin tortha gar a matha i vegil Glamdring gï¿½d dae[dhe]lo[th], dam an Glamhoth Turgon King [of] Gondolin wields, has and holds [the] sword Glamdring, Foe [of] Morgoth's realm, hammer to [the] Din-horde' tortha v. '[he] wields'; cf. tortha- 'to wield, to control'. gar v. '[he] possesses'; cf. gar- 'to hold, to have'. matha v. '[he] handles'; cf. matha- 'to stroke, to feel, to handle'. vegil n. 'sword'; lenited form of megil. gï¿½d n.

'foe'; < CE *ï¿½goto, *ï¿½GOT-, ï¿½GOTH-. daedheloth n. 'Morgoth's Realm' lit. 'great-fear'; cf. daer 'great', mut. dheloth is a lenited form of deloth 'abhorrence, loathing'. It is interesting that in the inscription this name is transcribed as daelo. It can be an intentional omission of parts of the unnamed name. dam n. 'hammer'. language of inscription on blade: Sindarin writing system: Tengwar (Mode of Beleriand) First detailed sight in the National Geographic video 'Beyond the Movie'. Fully revealed in the Official Movie Magazine #3 . According to Kit Rae, an Art Director of United Cutlery Corporation , the movie background for the name Hadhafang is this: It once belonged to the Elvish princess Idril, who wed a mortal man Tuor and bore Eï¿½rendil, the father of Elrond who in turn was father to Arwen.

According to Trueogre: "Originally, Arwen's role in the trilogy called for her to carry a sword for several scenes, so a special sword was made for her. Tolkien language scholar David Salo suggested that this weapon may be ancestral heirloom of Arwen's family, perhaps originally belonging to Idril, daughter of King Turgon of the lost kingdom of Gondolin. It would have come to Arwen through her father Elrond, who in turn would have inherited it from his father Eï¿½rendil, son of Idril, Arwen's great-grandmother. As The Lord of the Rings screenplay evolved, Arwen eventually came to wield the sword in only one scene. The moviemakers theorised that the blade would remain in Rivendell, along with other historic weapons such as Aiglos, in the grand chamber in Rivendell. They supposed Arwen would have grabbed it on her way out the door to meet Aragorn on his way to Rivendell with the Hobbits.

They also chose to give this sword to Elrond to use in the Second Age battle seen in the prologue of the film, so there is the linkage of seeing the weapon in the opening scenes carried by Elrond and then later in the first film, this time thousands if years kater, wielded by Arwen. There is further symmetry in that, like Arwen, Idril was an Elven princess who wed herself to a mortal man. Aen estar Hadhafang i chathol hen, thand arod dan i thang an i arwen. '[It] is called Throng-cleaver this broadsword-blade, [a] defence noble against the [enemy] throng for [a] noble-lady' [this last line was dropped from the inscription due to lack of space:] Idril i hel en aran Gond Dolen 'Idril, daughter of the king [of the] Hidden Rock [i.e. Gondolin] aen estar v. pres. 'is called' Hadhafang n. 'Throng-cleaver'; cf. LR 389.

Tolkien devised this Sindarin name for a sword but never used it in any of the tales; David Salo suggested employing it here. i chathol n. 'the sword-blade'; lenited form of hathol. hen pron. 'this'. Gil-galad ech vae vaegannen matha, Aith heleg nï¿½n i orch gostatha; Nin cï¿½niel na nguruthos Hon ess nï¿½n istatha: Aiglos 'Gil-galad wields a well-made spear, The Orc will fear my point of ice; When he sees me, in fear of death he will know my name: Aiglos' Gil-galad n. name of the high king of the Elves in the Second Age. ech n. 'spear'. vae adv. 'well'; lenited form of mae. vaegannen adj. 'well-made; well-shaped'; vae 'well', lenited form of mae + gannen 'shaped', lenited form of cannen, p.p. of *canta- 'to shape'. matha v. '[he] handles'; cf.

matha- 'to stroke, to feel, to handle'. aith n. 'spearpoint'. i orch n. 'the Orc'. gostatha v. 'will fear exceedingly'; cf. gosta- 'fear exceedingly'. nï¿½n pron. 'my'. nin pron. 'me'. cï¿½niel v. perf. 'having seen'; cf. *cen- 'see'. na nguruthos adv. 'in fear of death'. hon pron. 'he'. nï¿½n pron. 'my'. istatha v. 'will know'; cf. ista- 'know'. Aiglos n. 'Icicle; point of ice'. language of inscription on pommel: Quenya writing system: Tengwar The first information about Narsil's inscription in Quenya comes from Kit Rae, an Art Director of United Cutlery Corporation . Fully revealed in the Official Movie Magazine #2 . The sword of Elendil that was broken at the end of the Second Age. Inscription can be seen on the sword pommel.

In the thrid film The Return of the King, when Narsil is reforged as Andï¿½ril for Aragorn, an inscription is made on the length of the blade as well, but that translation will have to wait until the final film is released. Telchar carnï¿½ron Nï¿½varotesse 'Narsil [is] my name, [a] mighty sword; Telchar made me in Nogrod' Narsil n. 'Red [and] white [flame]' according to the Index in The Lord of the Rings; cf. Anar 'Sun' and Isil 'Moon'. essenya n. 'name-mine'; cf. esse 'name', and possessive ending -nya 'my'. macil n. 'sword'. meletya adj. 'mighty'. Telchar n. name of a dwarvish smith from Nogrod; uncertain origin - maybe from Sindarin? carnï¿½ron v. 'he made me'; from carne-ro-n 'made-he-me'. The pronominal form -ro 'he' is very problematic.

It comes from the early version of Quenya (Tolkien's papers from 1930s). According to many linguists its later form is rather *-rye, *-re. Nï¿½varotesse n. Loc. 'in Nogrod'; the form Nï¿½varot (WJ 389) is a Quenya translation of the Sindarin place-name Nogrod 'Dwarrowvault' nï¿½nyï¿½ v. 'I am'; nï¿½-nye 'is-I'. Andï¿½ril n. 'West-flame'. i prep. 'which, that' nï¿½ v. 'was'; reconstructed preterite of Quenya nï¿½ 'is'. Narsil n. 'Red [and] white [flame]' according to the Index in The Lord of the Rings; cf. Anar 'Sun' and Isil 'Moon'. i article 'the' macil n. 'sword'. Elendilo n. 'of Elendil'. lercuvanten v.

'they will flee from me'; future tense of *lerca- 'flee' (reconstruction after Sindarin drega- 'flee', *DERĒK-): lerc-uva-nte-n 'flee-will-they-me'. mï¿½li n. 'thralls; slaves'. Mordï¿½rï¿½o n. 'of Mordor'. Isil n. 'Moon' NOTE! The Cirth inscription seems to be erroneous in two places. The word Anar is transcribed in Elvish runes as Dndr and Andï¿½ril as dndï¿½ril. It seems the sword-makers had in mind Germanic rune a, not the Elvish a. What is the history of Sting in Lord of the Rings? - Quora Quora Written Mar 6, 2016 The history of Sting begins millennia before The Lord of the Rings and most of it in fact belongs to the First and Second Ages of Middle-earth. However, about all we know of this vast period of thousands of years is that Sting was presumably, along with the more famous elven swords Glamdring and Orcrist, "...

made in Gondolin for the Goblin-wars." Somehow by the late Third Age a group of trolls dwelling in the Ettenmoors not far from Rivendell had come into possession of the elven blades. How? Elrond Peredhel speculated: "... one may guess that your trolls had plundered other plunderers, or come on the remnants of old robberies in some hold in the mountains." Regardless, in the year 2941 of the Third Age of Middle-earth the blade that would one day be known as Sting came into the possession of a new plunderer: Bilbo Baggins, Esquire. “There were lots of clothes, too, hanging on the walls—too small for trolls, I am afraid they belonged to victims—and among them were several swords of various makes, shapes, and sizes. Two caught their eyes particularly, because of their beautiful scabbards and jewelled hilts. Gandalf and Thorin each took one of these; and Bilbo took a knife in a leather sheath.

It would have made only a tiny pocket-knife for a troll, but it was as good as a short sword for the hobbit.” From this point forward we have the ability to construct a much richer and more detailed history of Sting. The first actual use Bilbo found for his sword, which he had mostly forgotten about up to that point, came in the goblin tunnels beneath the Misty Mountains; and really all he did with it was cheer himself up a bit: “... in slapping all his pockets and feeling all round himself for matches his hand came on the hilt of his little sword—the little dagger that he got from the trolls, and that he had quite forgotten; nor fortunately had the goblins noticed it, as he wore it inside his breeches. Now he drew it out. It shone pale and dim before his eyes. “So it is an elvish blade, too,” he thought; “and goblins are not very near, and yet not far enough.” At the very least, it kept Gollum from snatching and eating Bilbo which led to the Riddle Game.

In the entire novel of The Hobbit (unlike the awful Peter Jackson movie trilogy) it may be astonishing to realize that Bilbo used Sting exactly once, against the giant spiders of Mirkwood Forest. “Things were looking pretty bad again, when suddenly Bilbo reappeared, and charged into the astonished spiders unexpectedly from the side. “Go on! Go on!” he shouted. “I will do the stinging!” And he did. He darted backwards and forwards, slashing at spider-threads, hacking at their legs, and stabbing at their fat bodies if they came too near. The spiders swelled with rage, and spluttered and frothed, and hissed out horrible curses; but they had become mortally afraid of Sting ...”. After returning to Bag End, Bilbo hung Sting over the mantelpiece where it collected dust for decades. Presumably Bilbo took Sting with him on his trip to Erebor sometime after the year 2989, and he certainly brought it with him when he settled down at Rivendell in the year 3002.

And then in the year 3018 Bilbo gifted it to Frodo Baggins, which touched off the most interesting part of the history of Sting: “[Bilbo] took from the box a small sword in an old shabby leathern scabbard. Then he drew it, and its polished and well-tended blade glittered suddenly, cold and bright. ‘This is Sting,’ he said, and thrust it with little effort deep into a wooden beam. ‘Take it, if you like. I shan’t want it again, I expect.” Thank goodness Bilbo thought to arm his adopted heir with an elvish blade because it certainly came in handy during the short but vicious melee in the Chamber of Mazarbul deep inside the Mines of Moria when Frodo taught a cave-troll to fear him: “Suddenly, and to his own surprise, Frodo felt a hot wrath blaze up in his heart. ‘The Shire!’ he cried, and springing beside Boromir, he stooped, and stabbed with Sting at the hideous foot. There was a bellow, and the foot jerked back, nearly wrenching Sting from Frodo’s arm.

Black drops dripped from the blade and smoked on the floor. Boromir hurled himself against the door and slammed it again. ‘One for the Shire!’ cried Aragorn. ‘The hobbit’s bite is deep! You have a good blade, Frodo son of Drogo!” It was many weeks later when Frodo finally drew String from its sheath, frightening Gollum away from the elvish boat in which Frodo lay. “Frodo was just yielding to the temptation to lie down again when a dark shape, hardly visible, floated close to one of the moored boats. A long whitish hand could be dimly seen as it shot out and grabbed the gunwale; two pale lamplike eyes shone coldly as they peered inside, and then they lifted and gazed up at Frodo on the eyot. They were not more than a yard or two away, and Frodo heard the soft hiss of intaken breath. He stood up, drawing Sting from its sheath, and faced the eyes. Immediately their light was shut off.

There was another hiss and a splash, and the dark log-shape shot away downstream into the night.” A short while later Frodo drew it for a different purpose: “Let us see what Sting may show,’ answered Aragorn. Frodo then drew the elf-blade from its sheath. To his dismay the edges gleamed dimly in the night. ‘Orcs!’ he said. ‘Not very near, and yet too near, it seems.” Sting would not be unsheathed again until Frodo's fateful meeting with Sméagol/Gollum, who was busy trying to murder Samwise Gamgee: “Things would have gone ill with Sam, if he had been alone. But Frodo sprang up, and drew Sting from its sheath. With his left hand he drew back Gollum’s head by his thin lank hair, stretching his long neck, and forcing his pale venomous eyes to stare up at the sky. ‘Let go! Gollum,’ he said. ‘This is Sting. You have seen it before once upon a time. Let go, or you’ll feel it this time! I’ll cut your throat.’ Gollum collapsed and went as loose as wet string.

Sam got up, fingering his shoulder. His eyes smouldered with anger ...”. The next time Frodo drew his blade was in Ithilien when unexpectedly encountering Faramir's rangers: “At once four men came striding through the fern from different directions. Since flight and hiding were no longer possible, Frodo and Sam sprang to their feet, putting back to back and whipping out their small swords.” Bilbo would have been a bit nostalgic and quite proud of his adopted son to see his next use of Sting ... against a giant spider not unlike the ones Bilbo once slew by the dozens in Mirkwood Forest: “Frodo’s heart flamed within him, and without thinking what he did, whether it was folly or despair or courage, he took the Phial in his left hand, and with his right hand drew his sword. Sting flashed out, and the sharp elven-blade sparkled in the silver light, but at its edges a blue fire flickered.

Then holding the star aloft and the bright sword advanced, Frodo, hobbit of the Shire, walked steadily down to meet the eyes.” Though Shelob fled at the sight of the Phial and Sting, the latter came in quite handy against the mesh of sticky webs she had woven: “... Frodo stepped up to the great grey net, and hewed it with a wide sweeping stroke, drawing the bitter edge swiftly across a ladder of close-strung cords, and at once springing away. The blue-gleaming blade shore through them like a scythe through grass, and they leaped and writhed and then hung loose. A great rent was made. Stroke after stroke he dealt, until at last all the web within his reach was shattered, and the upper portion blew and swayed like a loose veil in the incoming wind. The trap was broken.” After Shelob's sneak attack on Frodo, it was time for Sting to be wielded by another hand: “[Samwise] sprang forward with a yell, and seized his master’s sword in his left hand. Then he charged.

No onslaught more fierce was ever seen in the savage world of beasts, where some desperate small creature armed with little teeth, alone, will spring upon a tower of horn and hide that stands above its fallen mate." After slashing away one of her claws and poking out an eye, Samwise gashed the giant spider in the side before she "... heaved up the great bag of her belly high above Sam’s head. Poison frothed and bubbled from the wound. Now splaying her legs she drove her huge bulk down on him again. Too soon. For Sam still stood upon his feet, and dropping his own sword, with both hands he held the elven-blade point upwards, fending off that ghastly roof; and so Shelob, with the driving force of her own cruel will, with strength greater than any warrior’s hand, thrust herself upon a bitter spike. Deep, deep it pricked, as Sam was crushed slowly to the ground. No such anguish had Shelob ever known, or dreamed of knowing, in all her long world of wickedness. ” Later, seeing Frodo carried into a side gate of the Tower of Cirith Ungol, “Sam yelled and brandished Sting, but his little voice was drowned in the tumult.

No one heeded him.” However, the next day Sam found good use for the blade when he awoke and launched a head-on attack against the Tower of Cirith Ungol: “... an orc came clattering down. Leaping out of a dark opening at the right, it ran towards him. It was no more than six paces from him when, lifting its head, it saw him; and Sam could hear its gasping breath and see the glare in its bloodshot eyes. It stopped short aghast. For what it saw was not a small frightened hobbit trying to hold a steady sword: it saw a great silent shape, cloaked in a grey shadow, looming against the wavering light behind; in one hand it held a sword, the very light of which was a bitter pain, the other was clutched at its breast, but held concealed some nameless menace of power and doom.” It wasn't to be the first orc in the Tower of Cirith Ungol to flee from Sting. Moments later Sam “... sprang out to meet Shagrat with a shout.

He was no longer holding the Ring, but it was there, a hidden power, a cowing menace to the slaves of Mordor; and in his hand was Sting, and its light smote the eyes of the orc like the glitter of cruel stars in the terrible elf-countries, the dream of which was a cold fear to all his kind. And Shagrat could not both fight and keep hold of his treasure. He stopped, growling, baring his fangs. Then once more, orc-fashion, he leapt aside, and as Sam sprang at him, using the heavy bundle as both shield and weapon, he thrust it hard into his enemy’s face. Sam staggered, and before he could recover, Shagrat darted past and down the stairs.” In the chamber where Frodo was being held captive and whipped by an orc, Sam accomplished something reminiscent of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader: “With a cry Sam leapt across the floor, Sting in hand. The orc wheeled round, but before it could make a move Sam slashed its whip-hand from its arm. Howling with pain and fear but desperate the orc charged head-down at him.

Sam’s next blow went wide, and thrown off his balance he fell backwards, clutching at the orc as it stumbled over him. Before he could scramble up he heard a cry and a thud. The orc in its wild haste had tripped on the ladder-head and fallen through the open trap-door.” That was the last time Sting was wielded in anger. Frodo did not strike a blow during the Scouring of the Shire and Sting returned to Bag End where Sam inherited it along with all of Frodo's other possessions when he left for the Grey Havens: “Sam, when things are in danger: some one has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them. But you are my heir: all that I had and might have had I leave to you.” It is doubtful that Samwise or any of his numerous descendants ever found cause to use the elvish blade again. Written Mar 6, 2016 What a wonderful question! As others have noted with great accuracy, we know only that Sting, along with the two great swords Orcrist and Glamdring, were forged in the First Age in the Secret City of Gondolin.

These three blades somehow made it from Beleriand, which sank beneath the waves following the War of Wrath, to appear several thousand years later in the north central portion of Eriador not far from the elven stronghold of Rivendell, in a foul troll-hole filled with ages of plunder. We can only speculate on the history of these blades prior to their discovery in the troll lair... so let's leave our front door and go on an adventure! :) The blades were not present at the sacking of Gondolin itself because if dropped by a slain owner, they would have been painful and poisonous to orcs and evil servants of Morgoth alike, and probably left in the ruins. Such plundering would have been an ignoble use for these brilliant weapons. Also, they were found thousands of years later in their scabbards and with their jewels not pried out, and virtually on another continent. I don't think anything taken by orcs would have fared so well. An early account by Tolkien in the Lost Tales tells of a small group that escapes the fall of Gondolin, led by Tuor, a man and elf-friend living among the elves.

The swords could have been borne out of Gondolin by Tuor's column, but the party was guarded by Glorfindel and guided by Legolas, both of whom were at Rivendell when the Fellowship was there, and if anyone in the Tuor party had borne the swords, these great elves would have recognised them. Taken together, it looks as though while the three blades were created in Gondolin, they left the city perhaps many years before at the sides of their owners. Leaving the swords aside for a moment, let's follow Sting's odyssey. Sting is a leaf-shaped blade very like in style to the knives of the Edain found in the Barrow Downs by the four hobbits after their rescue by Tom Bombadil. The Edain settled in Beleriand in close friendship and alliance with the elves, and would probably have been armed by them as well. Sting could have been elven kit made for men. After the War of Wrath and the wreck of Beleriand, the Edain were granted the island of Numenor as a gift and blessing in return for their service and sacrifices. Sting would thus have been carried to Numenor.

Eventually, some of the Numenoreans returned to Middle-Earth, while most were lost when that island was destroyed. Sting was likely borne by one of the Dunedain who settled in the north of Eriador and founded the kingdom of Arnor. Although many Numenoreans came to Middle-Earth in the Second and Third Ages, the last to leave Numenor was the family and retainers of Elendil, intensely faithful to the elves and therefore spared from the disaster. His nine ships were split by storm, leading to the founding of Arnor in the north by Elendil himself, and Gondor in the south by the remainder. It would suit Sting's northern destiny to have arrived with Elendil and been passed through hands of one of the most noble families of Arnor. By the way, the Barrow-blades borne by the four hobbits were not of elven make, but manufactured by men. I would speculate they were copied from Sting and similar elvish knives and thus share the characteristic leaf-shaped blade. When, in the long history of the goblin-wars, would Sting have passed into the hands of trolls?

This is pure conjecture, but the blade would surely have dwelt for centuries in the Arnorian capital of Annuminas until its decline, after which Sting would have gone with the nobility to Fornost, capital of the petty successor kingdom of Arthedain. After the rise of the Witch-King of Angmar, the northern Dunedin were hounded mercilessly for hundreds of years. Arthedain was eventually broken, the Tower of Amon-Sul captured, and Fornost sacked. Everywhere the Dunedain were harried and worn down, and probably during this time, the last Dunedain to wield Sting fell, and his treasured Elven blade was claimed by ransacking trolls. This was not so very long before the events of LOTR and the blade would have had to pass through only one set of evil hands. Now, just since we are on the subject, let's return to the swords. It's possible the two swords could also have come to Arnor with Numenoreans, but being masterpieces, I think it's more likely they were elvish possessions right up to the trolls taking possession.

Their styles are so distinct one expects they were originally designed for specific owners, one who preferred a slashing sword (Orcrist) and a taller elf who preferred the cut-and-thrust style and a sword that would maximise the benefits of his long reach (Glamdring.) Elves living in the north of Middle-Earth brings us to the easternmost remnant of sunken Beleriand, the Land of Lindon, whose folk were also engaged in the northern goblin-wars. In its thousands of years of existence, Lindon took in elven refugees from many places, including, notably, the elven land of Eregion, through which the Fellowship passed on its way to the gates of Moria. Eregion was a small outlying realm of the Noldor deep in Eriador, but after Sauron destroyed it, some of its folk made their way to Lindon. Since our swords were so thoroughly lost even to the knowledge of Elrond, I speculate they traveled from Gondolin to Eregion, and later to Lindon, probably changing ownership once or several times each since they were not associated with any particular great warrior.

For symmetry, let's allow they may have passed from father to son, or to other kin, three times: in the wars in Beleriand; in the fall or retreat from Eregion; and at Dagorlad or Barad-Dur, when Sauron lost the One Ring. Thus the blades would have gained their reputations, but remained obscure as to ownership. The swords were almost certainly lost by the elves during the war against the Witch-King. The sword-bearers would have fallen sometime during the chaotic 500 years of the northern "goblin-wars," when Lindon intervened periodically in the defense of men. As with Sting, the fact that they were found with scabbards and gems all intact suggests the owners fell in ambush or defeat, and the robbers or trolls were able to scavenge at leisure. Although Lindon's ancient lord, Cirdan, might have known the final sword-bearers, he was not present at the Council of Rivendell to name them. Pardon my long answer, as they say in Dol Amroth, I didn't have time to write a shorter.

I look forward to further discussion of the subject with you over a mug the next time we meet in Bree! Sting, Glamdring, The Witch-King’s sword | Hobbit Movie News and Rumors | TheOneRing.net™ Sting, Glamdring, The Witch-King’s sword September 6, 2001 at 10:18 pm by Tehanu - We may have already mentioned Arms of Valor, a company that makes weapons exactly copying the LOTR film props. Ringer Dan reminded us that it’s getting closer to the date that these become available, and you can pre-order them now. [ More ] Share this: Site Design by RocketFarmer.net | Binary hosting provided by Nexcess.net | Aniron font © Peter Klassen | Background by Ted Nasmith This site is maintained and updated by fans of The Lord of the Rings and the name and mark ONE RING is used under license from The Saul Zaentz Company, which hold the title thereto. We in no way claim rights in the artwork displayed herein.

Copyrights and trademarks for the books, films, articles, merchandise and other promotional materials are held by their respective owners and our limited use of these materials is done by permission or is allowed under the fair use clause of the Copyright Act . Background art provided by Ted Nasmith - his complete works can be found at his official website TedNasmith.com . Design and original photography however are copyright © 1999-2013 TheOneRing.net. Send to Email Address Lord of the Rings Swords Lord of the Rings Swords Lord of the Rings Swords, licensed replicas from the movies The Fellowship of the Ring, The Twin Towers, Return of the King, including swords such as Sting, Glamdring, Witchking, Narsil, Strider, Ringwraiths, Arwen, Fighting Knives of Legolas, Herugrim, Battle Axe of Gimli, Walking Axe of Gimli. We sell these at the lowest prices anywhere, even check for yourself! An ancient Ring thought lost for centuries has been found, and through a strange twist in fate has been given to a small Hobbit named Frodo.

When Gandalf discovers the Ring is in fact the One Ring of the Dark Lord Sauron, Frodo must make an epic quest to the Cracks of Doom in order to destroy it! However he does not go alone. He is joined by Gandalf, Legolas the elf, Gimli the Dwarf, Aragorn, Boromir and his three Hobbit friends Merry, Pippin and Samwise. Through mountains, snow, darkness, forests, rivers and plains, facing evil and danger at every corner the Fellowship of the Ring must go. Their quest to destroy the One Ring is the only hope for the end of the Dark Lords reign!

Question: In 'The Lord of the Rings' what are Sting and Glamdring?
Answer: Swords