Swords of the Lord of the Rings – Overview

The swords of the Lord of the Rings outlived the elves, hobbits, and humans who used them. During filming, an on-site foundry, modeled after a medieval workshop, created specially designed swords to do justice to their names and stories. For example, the swords of the elves were more elegant and “evolved”, while those wielded by the orcs were crude and thick.

Narsil and Glamdring were the largest swords made for movies, and the ones used in movies weigh around 5 pounds. each. They were “aged” when necessary, and in some cases damaged and then cleaned to give the impression of swords that had been well used but well cared for.

Aragorn, the rightful type of Gondor and Arnor, used the sword originally named Narsil, perhaps the most famous Lord of the Rings sword. When the second era of Middle-earth ended, Narsil’s sword was broken in the Battle of Sauron, but the elven smiths reformed it into a new sword, adding a seven-star design on the sword, a crescent moon, and runes. Aragon renamed it Anduril, which means “flame of the west.” It bore an inscription that meant: “I am Anduril, who was Narsil, the sword of Elendil. Let the slaves of Mordor flee from me.”

Glamdring was the ancient sword of Gandalf the Gray, who joins his friend Frodo on his journey through Middle-earth to destroy the Ring. Glamdring glowed in the presence of enemy Orcs, wielding his own sword of fire, and was created by ancient Elves. The Glamdring inscription said it was made for Turgon, King of Gondolin. Gandalf used Glamdring to kill the Balrog with lightning.

Frodo’s sword was actually a dagger, but since he was a Hobbit, it was proportionally similar to a sword. Frodo’s “sword” Sting came from his uncle and adoptive father Bilbo Baggins, who took Frodo under his wing and taught Frodo the Elvish language, among other things. When Gollum attacked the Hobbits, Frodo used Sting to subdue him. Then, as Bilbo had once done, he spared Gollum, tying him instead to a vow to help the Hobbits.

Merry, or Meiadoc Brandybuck, Frodo’s cousin and friend, had a sword that was also a long dagger that was made in the Kingdom of Arnor. It was made by Dunedain of Arnor to fight the Nazgul. Merry used it to hit the Black Captain and break his protective charms, fulfilling the prophecy when Eowyn toppled the Black Captain’s crown that he would be killed by a Hobbit and a woman instead of “men’s hands.”

Pippin, or Peregrin Took, another cousin and friend of Frodo, used a sword held by a dead Uruk to cut his own bonds. However, with the exception of a small pocket knife, Pippin was unarmed until the confrontation with the riots. The Hobbits used the Dunedain daggers from the wight’s treasure as swords, and Pippin kept his throughout the War of the Ring (except for a short period when it was carried by Aragorn). After Pippin killed the chief of the trolls at the Battle of Black Gate, the sword was dubbed “the doom of the trolls”.

Sauron’s most powerful servant, the Witch-king of Angmar, had a RingWraith sword that was two-handed and had been forged by gunsmiths in Mordor under the evil command of Sauron. The RingWraith swords were wielded by RingWraiths, the evil and relentless shadow servants of Sauron. The RingWraiths were once kings of men who had been corrupted by the Ring of Sauron.

In The Lord of the rings installments, there are several magic swords, which almost function as characters in their own right. They are generally endowed with powers for good. Both Glamdring and Frodo’s sword, Sting, glowed blue when in the presence of Orcs. And Aragorn’s Anduril was a formidable weapon against Mordor, as well as being a symbol of his legitimate right to rule. Replicas of these and other weapons have enjoyed great popularity among Lord of the Rings fans, role-playing game players and collectors.

Especially considering that a fourth movie, The Hobbit, is due out next year, its popularity shows no signs of abating. Not only will there be an increase in sales of these swords from the original trilogy, but fans should also be excited to see new weapons from The Hobbit.