#april tolkien challenge
April Tolkien Challenge; Day 13
Glamdring
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Glamdring, the Foe-Hammer, or the Beater, as it is known by orcs and goblins. The sword is famously known for being the one Gandalf carries with him throughout the events of The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings, yet it was Turgon - the King of Gondolin - who first wielded it.
The sword was known for being used in both Nírnaeth Arnoediad, the Battle of Unnumbered Tears; the fifth great battle fought against Morgoth, and the Fall of Gondolin. During Nírnaeth Arnoediad the blade got its name ‘The Beater’, after many orcs fled from the sword, as it was wielded with much strength and power. As Turgon died, Glamdring remained.
Three Trolls must have stolen it shortly after, as not much is known of the blade between the Fall of Gondolin and the encounter of the company of Thorin Oakenshield and the trolls in Eriador. In the year 2941 of the Third Age, Glamdring , along with Orcrist and Sting, was found between the troll hoard.
Elrond identified the blade to be that of Turgon, and gave it back to Gandalf, who proceeded to wield it for the rest of his time in Middle-Earth. The wizard slew the Goblin-king with the blade, who recognized the weapon, once more referring to it as 'The Beater;.
Later, during the events of The Lord Of The Rings, he fought against the Balrog who had found a home in the Mines of Moria. After his staff broke, Glamdring was the only weapon Gandalf had to defend himself.
As Gandalf came back as Gandalf the White, he kept Glamdring with him. He held it with him until he sailed to the Undying Lands with Frodo and Bilbo. It is not known whether he had taken it with him or not, but as weapons were not needed over the sea, it was likely he left in Middle-Earth.
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Sources:
-One Wiki To Rule Them All
-Tolkien Gateway
-The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
-The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, JRR Tolkien
April Tolkien Challenge; Day 12
Smaug
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Smaug was a great fire-drake that had taken over the infamous Dwarven Kingdom Erebor in the year 2770 of the Third Age. As he attacked the mountain, Dale was left in ruins as well. While Thraín and King Thror managed to escape through a secret passage, many dwarves met their doom that day. Smaug managed to keep the kingdom for his own until the year 2941 of the Third Age. The gold, jewels and treasure the dwarven mountain had to offer him, were enough to drive him content to house there for two centuries.
It wasn’t until Thorin Oakenshield and his company set out to reclaim Erebor, that the dragon was properly seen again. Bilbo Baggins, who was supposed to get the Arkenstone from the treasure hoard, as to show Thorin’s royal title, found the dragon amongst the golden piles:
“There he lay, a vast red-golden dragon, fast asleep; thrumming came from his jaws and nostrils, and wisps of smoke, but his fires were low in slumber. Beneath him, under all his limbs and his huge coiled tail, and about him on all sides stretching away across the unseen floors, lay countless piles of precious things, gold wrought and unwrought, gems and jewels, and silver red-stained in the ruddy light. Smaug lay, with wings folded like an immeasurable bat, turned partly on one side, so that the hobbit could see his underparts and his long pale belly crusted with gems and fragments of gold from his long lying on his costly bed.”
-The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
After noticing the missing golden cup the first day the dwarves re-entered the mountain, Smaug grew angry, recognizing Bilbo as a thief. As Bilbo tries to sweet-talk him, Smaug ultimately loses his temper, his rage for the dwarves growing. Out of revenge, he flew to Laketown, burning down the village and its inhabitants.
Bard the Bowman finally managed to slay Smaug when he arrived at Laketown. The scales of the dragon were impenitrable, yet a single scale was missing. Bard managed to hit it with the Black Arrow, shooting Smaug from the sky.
It was said that even after his death, the Lakemen - and other travellers - did not dare grab the gold or jewels from under Smaug’s scales and wings. Even as the dragon had long been slain, now buried beneath the lake, the mere mention of Smaug scared the people, and they would not dare steal from him.
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Sources:
-One Wiki To Rule Them All
-Tolkien Gateway
-The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
-Desolation of Smaug, Peter Jackson
-Battle of the Five Armies, Peter Jackson
April Tolkien Challenge; Day 11
Light of Eärendil
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With the light of Eärendil, we are mostly talking about the Phial of Galadriel, which was gifted to Frodo by lady Galadriel upon the arrival of the fellowship in Lothlorien.
To discuss the Phial, the history of its contents are of high importance: As discussed in the Silmarilspost, the gems contained the light of the Two Trees, hence the name “Star” of Eärendil. The Silmaril known as the Star of Eärendil, is also the Silmaril that was once stolen by Beren, later held in the infamous Nauglamír. Elwing, who was the one to take the Silmaril with her as she cast herself into the sea, was also Eärendil’s wife. Having seen the despair of what happened by hand of the sons of Fëanor, Eärendil and his wife set out to find Valinor, or “The Undying Lands”.
Having ultimately found it, Eärendil promised to defeat the dark lord Morgoth, to which Manwë agreed on. He offered him and his wife a choice; both of them came from men and elven blood. They got the chance to decide whether to live the immortal life of elves, or the mortal life of men. After Elwing revealed she preferred the lengthy life of an elf, Eärendil followed her, and finally set out to fight Morgoth in the War of Wrath.
In the battle, he faces Ancalagon the Black in an aerial fight, accompanied by the Silmaril Elwing had saved:
“Now fair and marvelouswas that vessel made, and it was filled with a wavering flame, pure and bright; and Eärendil the Mariner sat at the helm, glistening with dust of elven-gems, and the Silmaril was bound upon his brow. Far he journeyed in that ship, even into the starless voids; but most often was he seen at morning or at evening, glimmering in sunrise or sunset, as he came back to Valinor from voyages beyond the confines of the world.”
-The Silmarillion, JRR Tolkien
Followed by:
“Now when first Vingilot was set to sail in the seas of heaven, it rose unlooked for, glittering and bright; and the people of Middle-earth beheld it from afar and wondered, and they took it for a sign, and called it Gil-Estel, the Star of High Hope.”
-The Silmarillion, JRR Tolkien
Becoming entranced by the light, the elves reflected the light in the fountain in Lothlorien, which is where the substance of Galadriel’s Phial comes from. Giving it to Frodo, she saved it would offer him light in dark places, and gratefully, the hobbit accepted the gift.
When struggling with containing the One Ring, Frodo touched the Phial of Galadriel in order to calm him down. The second use was shortly after, when being lured into Shelob’s lair by Gollum. Frodo used it to guide him through the halls and to keep Shelob at a distance. Samwise Gamgee took it from Frodo after he claimed he needed to cut down the webs in order to resume their path. When Shelob set out to kill Frodo, Sam forced the creature back, essentially saving Frodo from certain death.
After Frodo got taken to Cirith Ungol, Sam used the Phial twice to escape the eyes of Sauron. When the Eagles came to pick the pair up from Mount Doom, the Phial was still with them. It did not leave Middle-Earth until Frodo did, taking the ship to the Undying Lands with Bilbo, Gandalf, Elrond, Galadriel and Celeborn.
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Sources:
-One Wiki To Rule Them All, Phial of Galadriel
-One Wiki To Rule Them All, Star of Eärendil
-One Wiki To Rule Them All, Eärendil
-Tolkien Gateway
-The Silmarillion, JRR Tolkien
-Fellowship of the Ring, Peter Jackson
-The Two Towers, JRR Tolkien
-Return of the King, JRR Tolkien
April Tolkien Challenge; Day 10
Crown of Aragorn
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Also known as the crown of Gondor, or the Silver Crown, it was said to have come from a Númenorean helmet, one that the great kings in battle used to wear. When it got crushed in the Battle of Dagorlad, the helmet of Isildur became the next Crown of Gondor.
When Atanatar II The Glorious became king, he refashioned ht helmet into the crown we know to have been King Elessar’s, or Aragorn. The crown was once more lost as Eärnur lay it in the lap of King Eärnil II, his father, in the houses of the dead, and it remained there for 969 long years, awaiting the next king.
It was Gandalf who eventually handed Aragorn, or Elessar, his crown on May 1st of the year 3019 of the Third Age. It was tradition that the helmet be passed from father to son, but as Aragorn had no family left, he let Gandalf bring it to him, to crown him as king of Gondor, reclaiming his title as the last heir to the throne.
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Sources:
-One Wiki To Rule Them All, Crowning of King Elessar
-One Wiki To Rule Them All, Crown of Gondor
-Tolkien Gateway
-Return of the King, JRR Tolkien,
April Tolkien Challenge; Day 9
Pipeweed
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Longbottom Leaf, Old Toby, Southern Star, Southlinch…. all different kinds of pipeweed. It was a plant used for smoking, particularly for the hobbits in the Shire. The small beings are known to have a huge love for the leaves, and use it multiple times a day.
Tobold Hornblower introduced the recipe to the world in the year 2670 of the Third Age, or the years 1070 by Shire Reckoning. The plant originally grew in Númenor, and was brought to Middle-Earth by the Dúnedain during the Second Age. For them, the plant was known as Sweet Galenas. In Gondor, the weed was known as Westman’s-weed, and grew there as a wild plant. Both people enjoyed the plant for its sweet fragrance and flowers.
Gandalf, who was often seen in or near the Shire, took up smoking as well, and even learned how to blow smoke rings and shapes. Saruman had criticized him for it and disdained the art. Yet, after years, he started doing it as well. In The Two Towers, Merry and Pippin found barrels of Southfarthing in the provisions of Isengard, making it known that Saruman had practiced smoking too.
At the end of the Third Age, when the War of the Ring had ended, Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck had even written a book about the history and art of smoking Pipe-Weed.
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Sources:
-One Wiki To Rule Them All
-Tolkien Gateway
-The Two Towers, JRR Tolkien
April Tolkien Challenge; Day 8
Gurthang
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Anglachel was the earlier name of the blade, before it got reforged into Gurthang; the sword Túrin Turumbar would hold for the rest of his life. It was made by the dark elf Ëor, and remade by the smiths of Nargothrond. Beleg Cúthalion, chief warden of the elven king Thingol, held Anglachel before he was killed by Túrin, who was unaware the elf had been his friend. Gwindor, another friend, kept the sword with him until Túrin came back to his senses.
As the sword got reforged, Túrin named it Gurthang, which roughly translates to “Iron of Death”. After the naming of the blade, Túrin became known as Mormegil; the “Black Sword”.
The next big moment of the blade, was when Túrin used it to slay the dragon Glaurung. Upon discovering that his wife, Nienor Níniel, was also his sister, and that she had killed herself, the man fell into a state of panic and despair. In his pain, he used Gurthang to slay himself. With the death of his master, Gurthang shattered to the floor, the shards to be buried with Túrin and Nienor underneath the Stone of Hapless.
“Hail Gurthang! No lord or loyalty dost thou know, save the hand that wieldeth thee. From no blood wilt thou shrink. Wilt thou therefore take Túrin Turambar, wilt thou slay me swiftly?” Túrin had asked his blade, to which it responded with “Yea, I will drink thy blood gladly, that so I may forget the blood of Beleg my master, and the blood of Brandir slain unjustly. I will slay thee swiftly.”
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Sources:
-One Wiki To Rule Them All, Gurthang
-One Wiki To Rule Them All, Beleg Cúthalion
-The Encyclopedia of Arda, Gurthang
-Children of Húrin, JRR Tolkien
-The Silmarillion, JRR Tolkien
April Tolkien Challenge; Day 7
Key To Erebor
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The Key to Erebor, or the key to the Side-Door as it is known, was an essential object for the journey to Erebor made by the company of Thorin Oakenshield. The key, as was the map, were made by Thrór and Thráin, ancestors of Thorin Oakenshield himself. As the dragon Smaug attacked the halls of Erebor, the dwarves fled, Thrór taking the key with him.
Later, the key landed in the hands of Thráin, for safekeeping. As the orcs serving the necromancer (or Sauron, yet unknown at the time) captured the dwarven heir, Gandalf took the key from him, in the years 2850 of the Third Age. This was just before Thráin died in the dungeons of the necromancer.
Gandalf presented the key to the company of Thorin Oakenshield on April in the year 2941 of the Third Age in Bag-End, gifting the object back to Thorin, as was his right.
The key was later used to open the said Side-Door of Erebor, after Bilbo pointed out the last light that would reveal the keyhole had been the light of the moon. Thorin opened the door for his company, revealing the riches and beauty of Erebor to the dwarves.
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Sources:
-One Wiki To Rule Them All
-The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
-BOTFA, Peter Jackson
April Tolkien Challenge; Day 6
Andúril
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Andúril (or “Flame of the West”) is the sword that Aragorn II Elessar wielded in the infamous Lord of the Rings books. The blade was reforged from the shards of Narsil, which was the sword of King Erendil, used by his son Isildur to cut the One Ring off of Sauron’s hand.
Aragorn carried the blade with him the entire length on the journey to Mordor, after it was reforged by the elves of Rivendell when the Council of Lord Elrond had ended. Upon arriving in Lothlorién after Gandalf’s supposed death, Lady Galadriel gave the man a sheath for the blade, as a gift for the oncoming journey.
Later, in Rohan, Aragorn showed his sword to justify his words and show his heritage to Éomer. With the weapon, he reclaimed his heritage and rights to the throne of Gondor in Return of the King.
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Sources:
-One Wiki To Rule Them All, Andúril
-One Wiki To Rule Them All, Narsil
-Tolkien Gateway, Andúril
-The Two Towers, JRR Tolkien
-Return of the King, JRR Tolkien
April Tolkien Challenge; Day 5
The Palantiri
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The Dúnedain (the men of Númenor) divided the stones amongst the lands of Middle-Earth. The known locations were: “Annúminas, Amon Sûl, and Elostirion in Arnor, and Osgiliath, Orthanc, Minas Ithil, and Minas Anor in Gondor.” There was one stone left in the Tower of Avallónë, which was the place of the Master-Stone. The Tower of Avallónë overlooked the island of Tol Eressëa, and it was said that the first thing you would see from the seas, was the tower reaching the air.
The Dúnedain (the men of Númenor) divided the stones amongst the lands of Middle-Earth. The known locations were: “Annúminas, Amon Sûl, and Elostirion in Arnor, and Osgiliath, Orthanc, Minas Ithil, and Minas Anor in Gondor.” There was one stone left in the Tower of Avallónë, which was the place of the Master-Stone. The Tower of Avallónë overlooked the island of Tol Eressëa, and it was said that the first thing you would see from the seas, was the tower reaching the air.
Only four stones have been confirmed to be lost. Two of which died with Arvedui, the fifteenth and last king of the Arthedain. The stones lost where those of Annúminas and Amon Sûl. The stone in Osgiliath was lost in the Kin-strife, where many men became enraged when a child of both Númenorean blood and Middle Men blood was born. The fourth and final one got detroyed in the War of the Ring, when the tower of Barad Dûr collapsed in the land of Mordor.
The stone of Elostirion vame with Frodo to the Undying Lands, while the two stones in Minas Arnor and Orthanc remained on Middle-Earth.
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Sources:
-One Wiki To Rule Them All, Palantíri
-One Wiki To Rule Them All, Arvedui
-One Wiki To Rule Them All, Kin-Strife
-Tolkien Gateway, Palantíri
-Tolkien Gateway, Tower of Avallónë
-The Two Towers, JRR Tolkien
Was this drawing lazy work? Yes. Will I apologize for it? Absolutely not.
April Tolkien Challenge; Day 4
The Silmarils
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The Silmarils were created by the elf Fëanor, in the age of the two trees, where their presence would light the lands of Valinor. The crystals contained the light of the two said trees: Telperion the Silver, and Laurelin the Gold. Having seen the beauty of the Silmarils, the Vala Varda, the Queen of Arda, blessed the crystals so that no evil hands would ever touch the shining gems. Before Melkor began his uprising and extreme rebellion, Fëanor often wore his own work on his brows, showing off the Silmarils, but after time, he grew suspicious of the people around him.
When Melkor destroyed the trees of light with Ungoliant, the Silmarils were the only source of light, but Fëanor refused to share their glow with anyone else, terrified someone might steal it. But Melkor found the Silmarils, and stole them from Finwë, Fëanor’s father, who died protecting the stones. The dark lord then fled to the Northern lands, which became known as Middle-Earth. After he placed the Silmarils upon his crown, he gained the name Morgoth by Fëanor.
“Be he foe or friend, be he foul or clean, Brood of Morgoth or bright Vala, Elda or Maia or Aftercomer, Neither law, nor love, nor league of swords, Dread nor danger, not Doom itself shall defend him from Fëanáro, and Fëanáro’s kin. Whoso hideth or hoardeth, or in hand taketh, Finding keepeth or afar casteth a Silmaril. This swear we all… Death we will deal him ere Day’s ending, Woe unto world’s end! Our word hear thou, Eru Allfather! To the everlasting Darkness doom us if our deed faileth… On the holy mountain hear in witness and our vow remember,
Manwë and Varda!”
This was the vow spoken by the sons of Fëanor. The elf became enraged at Melkor and the Valar for wanting his work for their own gain. He and his son swore war upon anyone who would keep the Silmarils from them. He and his sons left for Middle-Earth in the pursuit of Melkor, but lost after five wars.
One of the Silmarils was taken from Morgoth’s crown by Beren. Where it ended up, can be found here.
The other two stones remained in Morgoth’s hands. They were taken from him upon the end of the War of Wrath, where Morgoth himself would gain imprisonment in the Timeless Void. However, soon afterwards, the Silmarils were stolen by Fëanor’s two sons Maedhros and Maglor. The jewels burned their hands, in refusal of their rights of possession, as they had burned Morgoth’s hands many years before. In his pain and agony, Maedhros forced himself into a fiery put, taking a Silmarils with him. Maglor had taken his and cast it into the sea. And with that, the supposed end of the three gems had come.
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Sources:
-One Wiki To Rule Them All
-The Silmarillion
-Beren And Luthien
April Tolkien Challenge; Day 3
Sting
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Sting was a mere dagger forged by the elves of Gondolin ages ago. It was a blade that could glow blue when orcs or goblins would approach. Suiting for a Gondolin knife, it could cut through the webs of Ungoliant and her spawn easily. Though a mere dagger for men and elves, it was the perfect length for a hobbit to use the blade as a sword.
The dagger came into possession of three trolls that were dwelling in Eriador, having coming down from the Ettenmoors. In the year 2941 of the Third Age, Thorin Oakenshield and his company encountered the beings, and took share of their hoard, with them the blade, Glamdring and Orcrist. The blade got its name after Bilbo Baggins used it to stab a spider in Mirkwood, who claimed the metal ‘stung’.
After the journey to Erebor, Bilbo kept Sting in his possession. As he left for Rivendell later (T.A 3001), he took the blade with him. When Frodo Baggins, his nephew, later arrived in Rivendell to bring the One Ring to Lord Elrond, the pair reunited. As it came clear Frodo would be joining the quest to Mordor, Bilbo gave him Sting, for protection.
Samwise Gamgee took over Sting for a short moment in Return of the King, when him and Frodo were lured into Shelob’s liar. He used the sword to cut down the webs of her nest and to later save Frodo from a certain spider death.
Gollum, a creature who had traveled with Frodo and Samwise, harbored a deep distaste for anything made by elves, with that including Frodo’s sword. He had seen it before in the Misty Mountains, when the company of Thorin Oakenshield met the goblins of Goblintown. Bilbo had pulled the dagger on Gollum for his own safety, hence the recognition of the blade.
As Sauron was finally vanquished at the end of the Third Age, Frodo left for the Undying Lands. It is unknown whether he had taken Sting with him, or left it to Sam, along with the book he and Bilbo wrote.
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Sources:
-The Hobbit
-Fellowship of the Ring
-Return of the King
-One Wike to Rule Them All
-Tolkien Gateway
April Tolkien Challenge; Day 1
Nauglamír
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The Nauglamír was a necklace, created around the year 50 of the First Age. The gems on the necklace were those of Valinor, that Finrod brought with him during his journey to Middle-Earth. During the Fall of Nargothrond, it fell into the hands - or rather claws - of Glaurung; the first dragon that had ever been created. The Nauglamír dwelt under the dragon’s treasure and was hidden until the year 499 of the First Age, when the petty-dwarves attacked and claimed the necklace for themselves. It wasn’t until Hurín had encountered them, that the jewelry fell into the hands of a man.
Hurin brought the treasure before king Thingol; an elven king in the land of Doriath, and threw the necklace before him bitterly, for he blamed the king for the loss of his son. King Thingol, in the possession of the silmaril Beren had given him, called the dwarves of Belegost to him to refashion the jewelry. The dwarves forged the necklace anew, and drew the silmaril in its center. But many dwarves grew enraged at the idea of a silmaril, worked into dwarvish forging, was now in the hands of an elven king. And thus, many dwarves ran into the kingdom of Doriath, seizing the Nauglamír after few battles, and taking it with them. Having almost reached their homes, the elves and Edain attacked, with them Beren and his son Dior. They successfully reclaimed the necklace, and brought it home with them. Out of his love for his wife, Beren gave the necklace to Luthien, who proceeded to carry it with her until the end of her days. (Or the last of her days in her first life.)
Dior later inherited the Nauglamír, yet lost it once more upon encountering the sons of Faënor in Doriath, who sought to reclaim the silmarils. His daughter Elwing, carried the Nauglamír with her as she ran from the elves. Yet, the sons of Faënor did not halt their search for the silmarils. During the Third Kinslaying, they attacked the Elven Havens of Sirion. However; Elwing cast herself into the sea with it rather than surrender the gem to Maedhros and Maglor, the sons. The Nauglamír was lost in the deep waters, but the silmaril and Elwing survived because of the Vala Ulmo.
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Sources;
-Tolkien Gateway
-One Wiki To Rule Them All
-Middle-Earth Encyclopedia
- The Silmarillion
For the record; Yes, I am aware that the Nauglamír was indeed gold, but I am a silver person and you are not a Tolkien cop, so deal with it.
