Weapons and armour of Middle-earth are those of

J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...

Middle-earth Middle-earth is the fictional setting of much of the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy. The term is equivalent to the '' Miðgarðr'' of Norse mythology and ''Middangeard'' in Old English works, including ''Beowulf''. Middle-earth i ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and drama ...

writings, such as ''

The Hobbit ''The Hobbit, or There and Back Again'' is a children's fantasy novel by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published in 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the Carnegie Medal and awarded a prize from the ''N ...

'', ''

The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an Epic (genre), epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 c ...

'' and ''

The Silmarillion ''The Silmarillion'' () is a collection of myths and stories in varying styles by the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien. It was edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, assisted by the fantasy author Guy Gavri ...

''. Tolkien modelled his fictional warfare on the

Ancient Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cove ...

and

Early Medieval The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...

periods of history. His depiction of weapons and armour particularly reflect Northern European culture as seen in ''

Beowulf ''Beowulf'' (; ang, Bēowulf ) is an Old English Epic poetry, epic poem in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend consisting of 3,182 Alliterative verse, alliterative lines. It is one of the most important and List of translations of Beo ...

'' and the Norse sagas. Tolkien established this relationship in ''

The Fall of Gondolin J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Fall of Gondolin'' is one of the stories which formed the basis for a section in his posthumously-published work, '' The Silmarillion'', with a version later appearing in '' The Book of Lost Tales''. In the narrative, ...

'', the first story in '' his legendarium'' to be written. In this story, the

Elves An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes "lig ...

Gondolin In Tolkien's legendarium, Gondolin was a secret city of Elves in the First Age of Middle-earth. The story of the Fall of Gondolin tells of the founding of the city; of the arrival there of Tuor, a prince of Men; of the betrayal of the city t ...

use the

mail armour Chain mail (properly called mail or maille but usually called chain mail or chainmail) is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh. It was in common military use between the 3rd century BC and ...

sword A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed t ...

shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry or projectiles such as arrows, by means of ...

spear A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fasten ...

axe An axe ( sometimes ax in American English; see spelling differences) is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood, to harvest timber, as a weapon, and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol. The axe has ma ...

s and bows of Northern European warfare. In Tolkien's writings, these kinds of weapons and armour are used by his fictional races, including

, Dwarves,

Men A man is an adult male human. Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy (a male child or adolescent). Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chro ...

Hobbit Hobbits are a fictional race of people in the novels of J. R. R. Tolkien. About half average human height, Tolkien presented hobbits as a variety of humanity, or close relatives thereof. Occasionally known as halflings in Tolkien's writings, ...

s, and

Orcs An Orc (or Ork) is a fictional humanoid monster like a goblin. Orcs were brought into modern usage by the fantasy writings of J. R. R. Tolkien, especially ''The Lord of the Rings''. In Tolkien's works, Orcs are a brutish, aggressive, ugly, a ...

. As in his sources, Tolkien's weapons are often named, sometimes with

runic Runes are the letters in a set of related alphabets known as runic alphabets native to the Germanic peoples. Runes were used to write various Germanic languages (with some exceptions) before they adopted the Latin alphabet, and for specialised ...

inscriptions to show they are magical and have their own history and power.

Terminology

Tolkien devised several

constructed language A constructed language (sometimes called a conlang) is a language whose phonology, grammar, and vocabulary, instead of having developed naturally, are consciously devised for some purpose, which may include being devised for a work of fiction ...

s with terms for types of weapons. * Sword: Noldorin Sindarin: ''magl, magol'', North Sindarin ''magor'',, p. 234.

Quenya Quenya ()Tolkien wrote in his "Outline of Phonology" (in '' Parma Eldalamberon'' 19, p. 74) dedicated to the phonology of Quenya: is "a sound as in English ''new''". In Quenya is a combination of consonants, ibidem., p. 81. is a constructed l ...

: ''makil'', ''macil'', Noldorin Sindarin: ''crist''. * Dagger, knife: Noldorin Sindarin: ''sigil'',

: ''cirma, sicil'' * Axe: North Sindarin: ''hathol'', Quenya: ''pelekko'' (Hooker notes the similarity of the Greek πέλεκυς pélekys: double-headed axe),

Khuzdul Khuzdul is a fictional language created by J. R. R. Tolkien, one of the languages of Middle-earth, specifically the secret and private language of the Dwarves. External history Tolkien began developing Khuzdul before the publication in 193 ...

: ''bark'', pl. ''baruk'' * Spear:

: ''hatal'' also ''nehte'' * Bow: Noldorin Sindarin: ''peng'' also poetically ''cû'' ("arch"),

: ''quinga''. * Arrow: Quenya: ''pilin'', pl. ''pilindi'' The Etymologies under the root PÍLIM-. (Hooker notes the similarity of the Latin pīlum avelin, throwing spear with cognates in the Old High German fīl, meaning arrow Modern German feil Old English īl late Old Norse íla and the Dutch ijl Tolkien devised terms for specific types of weapons, such as ''lango'' (broad sword), ''eket'', ''ecet'' (short sword), and ''lhang'' (cutlass, sword).

Construction

In ''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy, "hero" weapons, used for "beauty" shots such as close-ups, were made from high-quality materials: sword blades from heat-treated

spring steel Spring steel is a name given to a wide range of steels used in the manufacture of different products, including swords, saw blades, springs and many more. These steels are generally low-alloy manganese, medium-carbon steel or high-carbon stee ...

; sword hilts from cast bronze or forged and ground steel. "Stunt" swords, used in combat scenes, were made with soft

aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in AmE, American and CanE, Canadian English) is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately o ...

blades and

urethane Urethane may refer to: * Ethyl carbamate, a chemical compound which is an ester of carbamic acid * Polyurethane, a polymer composed of a chain of organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links *Carbamate In organic chemistry, a carbamate is ...

grips. "Extras" swords were cast entirely from urethane, in one piece. Bows were made of urethane with an inner armature of spring steel. Legolas's arrows were all-digital, so the actor simply mimed shooting each arrow.

Types

Swords

Sword A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed t ...

s symbolized physical prowess in battle for Tolkien, following Northern European culture. Tolkien writes that

and Dwarves produced the best swords (and other war gear) and that Elvish swords glowed blue in the presence of

. Elves generally used straight swords while Orcs generally used curved swords. Both races have exceptions: Egalmoth of

used a curved sword and the

Uruk-hai An Orc (or Ork) is a fictional humanoid monster like a goblin. Orcs were brought into modern usage by the fantasy writings of J. R. R. Tolkien, especially ''The Lord of the Rings''. In Tolkien's works, Orcs are a brutish, aggressive, ugly, a ...

Isengard In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Isengard () is a large fortress in Nan Curunír, the Wizard's Vale, in the western part of Middle-earth. In the fantasy world, the name of the fortress is described as a translation of Angrenost, a word ...

used short, broad blades. Tolkien often mentions the use of shields together with one-handed swords.

Knives

Knives are mentioned in Tolkien's works, sometimes as backup weapons—such as the unnamed long knife of

Legolas Legolas (pronounced ) is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is a Sindar Elf of the Woodland Realm and one of the nine members of the Fellowship who set out to destroy the One Ring. He and the Dwarf Gimli ...

the archer. However, some individual knives are given more significance through naming (e.g.

Sting Sting may refer to: * Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger * Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself Fictional characters and entities * Sting (Middle-ear ...

, see below). Weapons that were only knives or short swords for adult

or Elves could function as formidable swords in the hands of

Hobbits Hobbits are a fictional race of people in the novels of J. R. R. Tolkien. About half average human height, Tolkien presented hobbits as a variety of humanity, or close relatives thereof. Occasionally known as halflings in Tolkien's writings, ...

, a diminutive people. In " The Scouring of the Shire",

Saruman Saruman, also called Saruman the White, is a fictional character of J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is leader of the Istari, wizards sent to Middle-earth in human form by the godlike Valar to challenge Sauron ...

attempts to stab Frodo with a knife, but is foiled by the mithril shirt worn under his jacket. Shortly afterwards Saruman's throat was fatally cut with a knife borne by Wormtongue. For ''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy, Legolas possessed twin fighting knives carried in sheaths near his quiver.

Special unnamed knives

There are some knives in Tolkien's fiction which do not have proper formal names, but nevertheless play important roles in the plot.

=Morgul-blades

= The Witch-king of Angmar, leader of the

Nazgûl The Nazgûl (from Black Speech , "ring", and , "wraith, spirit"), introduced as Black Riders and also called Ringwraiths, Dark Riders, the Nine Riders, or simply the Nine, are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. They were ...

, used a magical

dagger A dagger is a fighting knife with a very sharp point and usually two sharp edges, typically designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon.State v. Martin, 633 S.W.2d 80 (Mo. 1982): This is the dictionary or popular-use de ...

called a " Morgul-blade" to wound

Frodo Baggins Frodo Baggins is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, and one of the protagonists in '' The Lord of the Rings''. Frodo is a hobbit of the Shire who inherits the One Ring from his cousin Bilbo Baggins, described familiarl ...

Weathertop The geography of Middle-earth encompasses the physical, political, and moral geography of J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth, strictly a continent on the planet of Arda but widely taken to mean the physical world, and ''Eä'', all ...

. The dark magic of the knife gravely affects Frodo's well-being, threatening to turn him into a wraith, especially because its detachable point migrated in Frodo's body for more than two weeks before it could be extracted, thus causing great damage. Recurring ill effects from the wound contribute to Frodo's eventual departure to

Valinor Valinor (Quenya'': Land of the Valar'') or the Blessed Realms is a fictional location in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the home of the immortal Valar on the continent of Aman, far to the west of Middle-earth; he used the name Aman mainly to ...

.; According to the ''

J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia The ''J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: Scholarship and Critical Assessment'', edited by Michael D. C. Drout, was published by Routledge in 2006. A team of 127 Tolkien scholars on 720 pages cover topics of Tolkien's fiction, his academic works, hi ...

'', the weapon may owe something to the tradition of the "

elf-shot In English folklore, elf-arrows, elf-bolts and pixie arrows were names given to discovered arrowheads of flint, used in hunting and war by the Pre-Indo-Europeans of the British Isles and of Europe generally. The name derives from the folklore be ...

" found in Old English medical texts and charms, where it denotes illnesses of presumed supernatural origin.

=Barrow-blades

= Four magical daggers, which had been forged by the Men of Westernesse to fight the powers of Angmar, are recovered from a tomb guarded by the

Barrow-wight Barrow-wights are wraith-like creatures in J. R. R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth. In '' The Lord of the Rings'', the four hobbits are trapped by a barrow-wight, and are lucky to escape with their lives; but they gain ancient swords of West ...

Tom Bombadil Tom Bombadil is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He first appeared in print in a 1934 poem called " The Adventures of Tom Bombadil", which also included ''The Lord of the Rings'' characters Goldberry (Tom's wife), Old Man Willow ...

. He gives them to Frodo Baggins and his Hobbit companions, for whom the daggers are effectively swords. One of these "Barrow-blades" – that given to

Merry Brandybuck Meriadoc Brandybuck, usually called Merry, is a Hobbit, a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, featured throughout his most famous work, ''The Lord of the Rings''. Merry is described as one of the closest friends ...

– proves instrumental in bringing about the death of the Witch-king., "The

Battle of the Pelennor Fields In J. R. R. Tolkien's novel ''The Lord of the Rings'', the Battle of the Pelennor Fields () was the defence of the city of Minas Tirith by the forces of Gondor and the cavalry of its ally Rohan (Middle-earth), Rohan, against the forces of the Da ...

", p. 117: "No other blade, not though mightier hands had wielded it, would have dealt that foe a wound so bitter, cleaving the undead flesh, breaking the spell that knit his unseen sinews to his will." The daggers had varying fates in ''

''. When the Nazgûl attacked

Aragorn Aragorn is a fictional character and a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings''. Aragorn was a Ranger of the North, first introduced with the name Strider and later revealed to be the heir of Isildur, an ancient King of Arno ...

and the hobbits on Weathertop, Frodo slashed at one of them with his dagger but only damaged its cloak. He broke the blade when he fell from a horse, and left it behind in Rivendell, taking Bilbo's sword Sting instead.

Sam Gamgee Sam, SAM or variants may refer to: Places * Sam, Benin * Sam, Boulkiemdé, Burkina Faso * Sam, Bourzanga, Burkina Faso * Sam, Kongoussi, Burkina Faso * Sam, Iran * Sam, Teton County, Idaho, United States, a populated place People and fictiona ...

left his beside Frodo in

Cirith Ungol In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth, Mordor (pronounced ; from Sindarin ''Black Land'' and Quenya ''Land of Shadow'') is the realm and base of the evil Sauron. It lay to the east of Gondor and the great river Anduin, and to t ...

and later had it returned to him by

Gandalf Gandalf is a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is a Wizards (Middle-earth), wizard, one of the ''Istari'' order, and the leader of the Fellowship of the Ring (characters), Fellowship of t ...

Pippin Took Peregrin Took, commonly known simply as Pippin, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is closely tied with his friend and cousin, Merry Brandybuck, and the two are together during most of ...

made use of his dagger in the Battle of the Black Gate to slay a

Troll A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human be ...

-chief. Merry's blade is destroyed during his attack on the Witch-king.

Axes

Battle axe A battle axe (also battle-axe, battle ax, or battle-ax) is an axe specifically designed for combat. Battle axes were specialized versions of utility axes. Many were suitable for use in one hand, while others were larger and were deployed two-h ...

s are especially favoured by Dwarves in Tolkien's writings; they famously used the

battle cry A battle cry or war cry is a yell or chant taken up in battle, usually by members of the same combatant group. Battle cries are not necessarily articulate (e.g. "Eulaliaaaa!", "Alala"..), although they often aim to invoke patriotic or religious ...

: ''Axes of the Dwarves! The Dwarves are upon you!'' (

: ''Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!'')., "The Battle of Helm's Deep" For ''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy, Gimli the Dwarf was assigned various axes of different makes during the course of the films. The use of battle axes in other races tended to be more exceptional. The Sindarin Elves of Doriath favoured axes as weapons during the

First Age In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the history of Arda, also called the history of Middle-earth, began when the Ainu (Middle-earth), Ainur entered Arda (Middle-earth), Arda, following the creation events in the Ainulindalë and long ages of l ...

. Other notable axe-bearers were

Tuor Tuor Eladar and Idril Celebrindal are fictional characters from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. They are the parents of Eärendil the Mariner and grandparents of Elrond Half-elven: through their progeny, they became the ancesto ...

(the wielder of Dramborleg), the Men of the White Mountains who marched to the defence of

Minas Tirith Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age. The third volume of ''The Lord of the Rings'', ''The Return of the King'', is largely ...

in ''The Lord of the Rings'' movie (replacing the axe-wielding men of Lossarnach from the book) and a contingent of Easterlings among the besiegers of Minas Tirith.

Bows and arrows

Bows of different sizes and construction are featured in Tolkien's works. Elves of

Lothlórien In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Lothlórien or Lórien is the fairest realm of the Elves remaining in Middle-earth during the Third Age. It is ruled by Galadriel and Celeborn from their city of tree-houses at Caras Galadhon. The wood-e ...

, Men, and Uruk-hai used

longbow A longbow (known as warbow in its time, in contrast to a hunting bow) is a type of tall bow that makes a fairly long draw possible. A longbow is not significantly recurved. Its limbs are relatively narrow and are circular or D-shaped in cross ...

s, while Elves of

Mirkwood Mirkwood is a name used for a great dark fictional forest in novels by Sir Walter Scott and William Morris in the 19th century, and by J. R. R. Tolkien in the 20th century. The critic Tom Shippey explains that the name evoked the excitement of ...

and

Mordor In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth, Mordor (pronounced ; from Sindarin ''Black Land'' and Quenya ''Land of Shadow'') is the realm and base of the evil Sauron. It lay to the east of Gondor and the great river Anduin, and to t ...

used smaller ones. These bows are said to be made of wood, horn and even steel. The most famous bowman in Tolkien's stories of the First Age of Middle-earth is the Elf

Beleg ''The Silmarillion'' () is a collection of myths and stories in varying styles by the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien. It was edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, assisted by the fantasy author Guy Gavriel ...

; his bow was named Belthronding, and his arrow Dailir. Infamously Curufin, a lord of the

Noldor In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Noldor (also spelled Ñoldor, meaning ''those with knowledge'' in his constructed language Quenya) were a kindred of Elf (Middle-earth), Elves who migrated west to the blessed realm of Valinor from the conti ...

, attempts to shoot the Elf-princess Lúthien with the bow of his brother Celegorm. His first arrow is intercepted by Huan; Beren attempts to intercept the second shot, and is wounded. In ''The Lord of the Rings'', set in the late

Third Age In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the history of Arda, also called the history of Middle-earth, began when the Ainu (Middle-earth), Ainur entered Arda (Middle-earth), Arda, following the creation events in the Ainulindalë and long ages of l ...

, a bow is the main weapon of Legolas, the Elf-member of the Fellowship of the Ring. When the Fellowship meet

Galadriel Galadriel (IPA: �aˈladri.ɛl is a character created by J. R. R. Tolkien in his Middle-earth writings. She appears in '' The Lord of the Rings'', '' The Silmarillion'', and '' Unfinished Tales''. She was a royal Elf of bot ...

, she gives Legolas a new bow. He later uses it to shoot all the way across the great river

Anduin The geography of Middle-earth encompasses the physical, political, and moral geography of J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth, strictly a continent on the planet of Arda but widely taken to mean the physical world, and '' Eä'', ...

and bring down an airborne Nazgûl. ''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy assigns a bow to Aragorn and

crossbow A crossbow is a ranged weapon using an elastic launching device consisting of a bow-like assembly called a ''prod'', mounted horizontally on a main frame called a ''tiller'', which is hand-held in a similar fashion to the stock of a long fir ...

s to the Uruk-hai. However, in Tolkien's writings Aragorn is armed only with the sword

Andúril Weapons and armour of Middle-earth are those of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings, such as '' The Hobbit'', '' The Lord of the Rings'' and '' The Silmarillion''. Tolkien modelled his fictional warfare on the Ancient and Earl ...

(below), and crossbows are only mentioned in connection to hunting by Númenoreans in their lost homeland of Númenor. Sometimes individual

arrow An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers ...

s are given special mention in Tolkien's works. In ''

'', the ''

Black Arrow Black Arrow, officially capitalised BLACK ARROW, was a British satellite carrier rocket. Developed during the 1960s, it was used for four launches between 1969 and 1971, all launched from the Woomera Prohibited Area in Australia. Its final fl ...

'' was a royal heirloom used by Bard the Bowman to kill the dragon

Smaug Smaug () is a dragon and the main antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's 1937 novel ''The Hobbit'', his treasure and the mountain he lives in being the goal of the quest. Powerful and fearsome, he invaded the Dwarf kingdom of Erebor 150 years prior t ...

. In ''The Lord of the Rings'', the ''Red Arrow'' was a token used by

Gondor Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age. The third volume of ''The Lord of the Rings'', '' The Return of the King'', is large ...

to summon its allies in time of need., p. 72; , p. 364, 411 In the '' Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy, the Red Arrow is omitted and its role is conflated with the

Beacons of Gondor Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age. The third volume of '' The Lord of the Rings'', '' The Return of the King'', is la ...

s "shot well with the bow".

The Shire The Shire is a region of J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, described in ''The Lord of the Rings'' and other works. The Shire is an inland area settled exclusively by hobbits, the Shire-folk, largely sheltered from the goings-on in th ...

sent archers to the battles of the Fall of Arnor.

Armour

Body armour Body armor, also known as body armour, personal armor or armour, or a suit or coat of armor, is protective clothing designed to absorb or deflect physical attacks. Historically used to protect military personnel, today it is also used by vario ...

in Tolkien's fiction is mainly in the form of

mail The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letter (message), letters, and parcel (package), parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid ...

scale Scale or scales may refer to: Mathematics * Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points * Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original * Scale factor, a number ...

shirts, in keeping with

and

periods of history. In contrast, the ''Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy features later medieval

plate armour Plate armour is a historical type of personal body armour made from bronze, iron, or steel plates, culminating in the iconic suit of armour entirely encasing the wearer. Full plate steel armour developed in Europe during the Late Middle Ages, ...

suits. These kinds of plate armour are not found in Tolkien's writings, but plate does appear in the form of individual pieces such as vambraces (forearm guards) or

greave A greave (from the Old French ''greve'' "shin, shin armour") or jambeau is a piece of armour that protects the leg. Description The primary purpose of greaves is to protect the tibia from attack. The tibia, or shinbone, is very close to the ski ...

s (leg and shin guards). As with other items of war, Elves and Dwarves produced the best armour. The mail shirt forged by Dwarves from the fictional metal ''

mithril Mithril is a fictional metal found in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It appears in many derivative fantasy works by later authors. It is described as resembling silver, but being stronger and lighter than steel. Tolkien first wrote of ...

'' appears in ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings'', worn in turn by the protagonists Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. In Letter 211 of ''

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien ''The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien'' is a selection of J. R. R. Tolkien's letters published in 1981, edited by Tolkien's biographer Humphrey Carpenter assisted by Christopher Tolkien. The selection from a large mass of materials contains 354 lett ...

'', the author compared the war-gear of the Rohirrim to the Bayeux Tapestry, made during the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conq ...

of Anglo-Saxon England.

Helmets

Battle helmet A combat helmet or battle helmet is a type of helmet. It is a piece of personal armor designed specifically to protect the head during combat. Modern combat helmets are mainly designed to protect from shrapnel and fragments, offer some prot ...

s are commonly used by virtually all races in Tolkien's writings. The

Rohirrim Rohan is a fictional kingdom of Men in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy setting of Middle-earth. Known for its horsemen, the Rohirrim, Rohan provides its ally Gondor with cavalry. Its territory is mainly grassland. The Rohirrim call their land th ...

were partly modelled on the

Anglo-Saxons The Anglo-Saxons were a cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo-Saxons happened wit ...

, who wore elaborate helmets;

Éomer Éomer is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. He appears in ''The Lord of the Rings'' as a leader of the Riders of Rohan who serve as cavalry to the army of Gondor, fighting against Mordor. The name Éomer, meaning "Horse ...

's helmet had a long white horse-tail. The Crown of Gondor was a jewelled battle-helmet; Aragorn received it at his coronation. Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee use Orc-helmets as part of their disguise in Mordor. In the First Age, Dwarves made dragon-helms, which were said to protect against

Dragons A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

. The most famous of these was the Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin. The

Second Age In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the history of Arda, also called the history of Middle-earth, began when the Ainu (Middle-earth), Ainur entered Arda (Middle-earth), Arda, following the creation events in the Ainulindalë and long ages of l ...

was dominated by Númenor. The Númenórean helmet, the ''karma'', reached particularly elaborate forms. Those of the Uinendili, a guild of mariners, were "made of overlapping plates of metal, the 'fish-crest' of leather embossed and coloured"., inside rear dust-jacket Tolkien's coloured drawing of the ''karma'' of a Uinendili captain features on the cover of ''

Unfinished Tales ''Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth'' is a collection of stories and essays by J. R. R. Tolkien that were never completed during his lifetime, but were edited by his son Christopher Tolkien and published in 1980. Many of the tales ...

''.

Named items

Tolkien emulated his Northern European mythological and literary sources in creating named weapons for Middle-earth. Named weapons in Medieval literature include Hrunting and Nægling in ''

'',

Tyrfing Tyrfing, Tirfing or Tyrving (the name is of uncertain origin, possibly connected to the Terwingi) was a magic sword in Norse mythology, which features in the Tyrfing Cycle, which includes a poem from the ''Poetic Edda'' called ''Hervararkvi ...

in the ''

Elder Edda The ''Poetic Edda'' is the modern name for an untitled collection of Old Norse anonymous narrative poems, which is distinct from the '' Prose Edda'' written by Snorri Sturluson. Several versions exist, all primarily of text from the Icelandic ...

'' and

Gram The gram (originally gramme; SI unit symbol g) is a unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI) equal to one one thousandth of a kilogram. Originally defined as of 1795 as "the absolute weight of a volume of pure water equal to ...

in the ''

Völsunga saga The ''Völsunga saga'' (often referred to in English as the ''Volsunga Saga'' or ''Saga of the Völsungs'') is a legendary saga, a late 13th-century poetic rendition in Old Norse of the origin and decline of the Völsung clan (including the st ...

''. The items illustrate the passage of time and the transfer of power or fate to their future bearers.

Named swords and knives

Anglachel

Anglachel (

Sindarin Sindarin is one of the fictional languages devised by J. R. R. Tolkien for use in his fantasy stories set in Arda, primarily in Middle-earth. Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the Elves. The word is a Quenya word. Called in ...

: ''Iron of the Flaming Star'') was a sword forged of

meteoritic iron Meteoric iron, sometimes meteoritic iron, is a native metal and early-universe protoplanetary-disk remnant found in meteorites and made from the elements iron and nickel, mainly in the form of the mineral phases kamacite and taenite. Meteoric iro ...

by Eöl the Dark

Elf An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes "ligh ...

, given to

Thingol Elu Thingol or Elwë Singollo is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in ''The Silmarillion'', ''The Lays of Beleriand'' and '' The Children of Húrin'' and in numerous stories in '' The History of Middle- ...

King of Doriath as a fee for leave to dwell in Nan Elmoth. It could cleave all earth-delved iron. Later wielded by

Strongbow and ultimately Túrin;; , p. 148, 419 Anglachel was reforged and renamed Gurthang (Sindarin: ''Iron of Death'', p. 443). Túrin used Gurthang to kill Glaurung, the Father of

, and later used the sword to take his own life in recompense for the accidental slaying of Beleg and the unjust slaying of Brandir. The stories endow the sword with a personality; Melian the

Maia Maia (; Ancient Greek: Μαῖα; also spelled Maie, ; la, Maia), in ancient Greek religion and mythology, is one of the Pleiades and the mother of Hermes, one of the major Greek gods, by Zeus, the king of Olympus. Family Maia is the daugh ...

perceived malice in it as it was given to Beleg Cúthalion, and the elf Gwindor observed that Anglachel (so named then) seemed to mourn the death of Beleg at the hand of his friend Túrin by Anglachel itself. Túrin asked the sword whether it would slay him swiftly if he cast himself on its point, and it responded at length (the only instance of Gurthang speaking with voice). The depiction of the sword was influenced by that of the sword of the Finnish character

Kullervo Kullervo () is an ill-fated character in the ''Kalevala'', the Finnish national epic compiled by Elias Lönnrot. Growing up in the aftermath of the massacre of his entire tribe, he comes to realise that the same people who had brought him up, ...

in the ''

Kalevala The ''Kalevala'' ( fi, Kalevala, ) is a 19th-century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Karelian and Finnish oral folklore and mythology, telling an epic story about the Creation of the Earth, describing the controversies an ...

''.

Angrist

Angrist (Sindarin: ''Iron-cleaver'') was a knife made by the great weaponsmith

Telchar In the fantasy of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Dwarves are a race inhabiting Middle-earth, the central continent of Arda in an imagined mythological past. They are based on the dwarfs of Germanic myths who were small humanoids that lived in mounta ...

of Nogrod, and borne by Curufin. Beren, who had taken it from Curufin, used it to cut a magical

Silmaril The Silmarils (Quenya in-universe ''pl''. ''Silmarilli'', ''radiance of pure light''Tolkien, J. R. R., "Addenda and Corrigenda to the Etymologies — Part Two" (edited by Carl F. Hostetter and Patrick H. Wynne), in ''Vinyar Tengwar'', 46, July 2 ...

jewel out of

Morgoth Morgoth Bauglir (; originally Melkor ) is a character, one of the godlike Valar, from Tolkien's legendarium. He is the main antagonist of ''The Silmarillion'', '' The Children of Húrin'', ''Beren and Lúthien'' and ''The Fall of Gondolin''. ...

's Iron Crown; as Beren attempted to remove another, the knife snapped. In the earliest version of Beren's story in ''

The Book of Lost Tales ''The Book of Lost Tales'' is a collection of early stories by the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien, published as the first two volumes of Christopher Tolkien's 12-volume series '' The History of Middle-earth'', in which he presents and analy ...

'', he uses an ordinary household knife; the element of Curufin's involvement in Beren's affairs came later., "The Tale of Tinúviel

Anguirel

Anguirel (Sindarin: ''Iron of Eternity'') is the sword forged by Eöl the Dark Elf, similar to Anglachel which was given to Thingol of Doriath in ''

''. It was the mate of Anglachel, was made of the same meteoritic iron, and had the same physical properties and capabilities as Anglachel, but there is no evidence of sentience in Anguirel. Anguirel was kept by Eöl until it was stolen by his son, Maeglin.

Aranrúth

Aranrúth (Sindarin: ''King's Ire'') is the sword wielded by King Thingol of Doriath in ''The Silmarillion''.; , p. 171 Later the sword of the Kings of Númenor.

Glamdring

Glamdring (Sindarin: Foe-hammer. "A Short Rest", p. 62) is a sword in ''The Hobbit'', ''The Lord of the Rings'' and ''Unfinished Tales'', p. 53; ; , p. 115; , p. 272; , p. 54 forged in the First Age by the High Elves of the hidden city of Gondolin. It belonged first to Turgon, the King of Gondolin. Thousands of years later, in ,

discovered it among the hoard of the three trolls in ''The Hobbit'', and he carried it throughout his journeys with Bilbo Baggins and the Fellowship of the Ring. It was the mate of

Orcrist The Weapons and armour of Middle-earth are all those mentioned J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings, such as ''The Hobbit'', ''The Lord of the Rings'' and ''The Silmarillion''. Tolkien modelled his fictional warfare on the Ancient a ...

, and like Orcrist would glow blue whenever orcs were nearby. Glamdring was nicknamed "Beater" by the goblins of the

Misty Mountains The geography of Middle-earth encompasses the physical, political, and moral geography of J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth, strictly a continent on the planet of Arda but widely taken to mean the physical world, and '' Eä'', ...

Gurthang

''See Anglachel''

Gúthwinë

Gúthwinë ( Old English: ''gúð-wine'' ''Battle Friend''''Tolkien Dictionary''
/ref>) is the sword wielded by Éomer, third marshal of the

Riddermark Rohan is a fictional kingdom of Men in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy setting of Middle-earth. Known for its horsemen, the Rohirrim, Rohan provides its ally Gondor with cavalry. Its territory is mainly grassland. The Rohirrim call their land t ...

in ''The Lord of the Rings''., p. 139 The name is found in ''Beowulf'', where the hero uses the word as an epithet for the sword Hrunting, lent to him by Hrothgar's thane Unferth for the fight with Grendel's mother.

Hadhafang

Hadhafang is the sword invented for Peter Jackson's ''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy, where it was wielded by

Arwen Arwen Undómiel is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in the novel ''The Lord of the Rings''. Arwen is one of the half-elven who lived during the Third Age; her father was Elrond half-elven, lord ...

, although she is never actually seen using it in combat, as the blade's design was for main use on horseback, and footage of Arwen at

Helm's Deep The Battle of Helm's Deep, also called the Battle of the Hornburg, is a fictional battle in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'' that saw the total destruction of the forces of the Wizard Saruman by the army of Rohan, assisted by a fores ...

was ultimately cut. The name is derived from Tolkien's etymological word list written in the 1930s; here Tolkien provides the word ''hadhathang'' (dissimilated: ''havathang, hadhafang''), which he translates as "throng-cleaver", though he never used this name in his writings. Hadhafang is wielded by Arwen's father

Elrond Elrond Half-elven is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. Both of his parents, Eärendil and Elwing, were half-elven, having both Men and Elves as ancestors. He is the bearer of the elven-ring Vilya, the Ring ...

in ''The Hobbit'' film trilogy.

Herugrim

Herugrim (Old English: ''Fierce Sword'') is the sword that belonged to

Théoden Théoden is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel, ''The Lord of the Rings''. The King of Rohan (Middle-earth), Rohan and Lord of the Mark or of the Riddermark, names used by the Rohirrim for their land, he appears as a suppor ...

., p. 123

Narsil / Andúril

Narsil (

: roughly, ''Red and White Flame'', p. 438; Further information in ) is a sword in ''The Lord of the Rings'' and ''The Silmarillion'',; , p. 272, 275; ; ; ; influenced by the legendary Arthurian sword

Excalibur Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in t ...

and by

Sigurd Sigurd ( non, Sigurðr ) or Siegfried (Middle High German: ''Sîvrit'') is a legendary hero of Germanic heroic legend, who killed a dragon and was later murdered. It is possible he was inspired by one or more figures from the Frankish Merovi ...

's sword Gram, as described in the

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...

''Völsunga saga''. The sword was forged during the First Age by the Dwarf Telchar, book 3, ch. 6, "The King of the Golden Hall" of Nogrod, a famous weaponsmith and artificer who also made the knife Angrist (which cut a Silmaril from the crown of Morgoth) and the

Helm of Hador The Weapons and armour of Middle-earth are all those mentioned J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings, such as '' The Hobbit'', ''The Lord of the Rings'' and ''The Silmarillion''. Tolkien modelled his fictional warfare on the Ancien ...

(later used by

Túrin Turambar Túrin Turambar (pronounced ) is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. "''Turambar and the Foalókë''", begun in 1917, is the first appearance of Túrin in the legendarium. Túrin was a Man of the First Age of Middle-ear ...

). By the end of the Second Age Narsil was borne by

Elendil Elendil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He is mentioned in ''The Lord of the Rings'', ''The Silmarillion'' and '' Unfinished Tales''. He was the father of Isildur and Anárion, last lord of Andúnië on the island ...

; during the

Last Alliance of Elves and Men In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the history of Arda, also called the history of Middle-earth, began when the Ainur entered Arda, following the creation events in the Ainulindalë and long ages of labour throughout Eä, the fictional uni ...

it was broken in two pieces in the war of against

Sauron Sauron (pronounced ) is the title character and the primary antagonist, through the forging of the One Ring, of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'', where he rules the land of Mordor and has the ambition of ruling the whole of Middl ...

Isildur Isildur is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, the elder son of Elendil, descended from Elros, the founder of the island Kingdom of Númenor. He fled with his father when the island was drowned, becoming in his turn King ...

used the hilt-shard to cut the

One Ring The One Ring, also called the Ruling Ring and Isildur's Bane, is a central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'' (1954–55). It first appeared in the earlier story ''The Hobbit'' (1937) as a magic ring that grants the w ...

from Sauron's hand. The two shards, acquiring the additional name the Sword that was Broken, remained an heirloom of Isildur's heirs throughout the Third Age, and were thus inherited by Aragorn. Elvish smiths re-forged the sword for Aragorn before the Fellowship of the Ring began their quest and he renamed it Andúril (Quenya: ''Flame of the West'')., p. 437 The reforged Andúril is described as very bright, shining red and white with the light of the sun and moon., book 3, ch. 7, "Helm's Deep" ''The Silmarillion'' further states that the original Narsil already shone in such a manner, but its light was extinguished after it was broken. However, for the ''Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy, the filmmakers opted not to make Narsil and Andúril glow, keeping that property only for

. (Gandalf's sword

Glamdring Weapons and armour of Middle-earth are those of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings, such as '' The Hobbit'', ''The Lord of the Rings'' and ''The Silmarillion''. Tolkien modelled his fictional warfare on the Ancient and Early Me ...

also did not glow in the presence of orcs. Peter Jackson notes, in his DVD commentary on ''The Fellowship of the Ring'', that this was an oversight, not a deliberate change from the books.) Narsil andúril final (without text)

Tolkien writes that when Narsil was reforged, the blade had "a device of seven stars set between the crescent Moon and the rayed Sun, and about them was written many runes". The filmmakers had Anduril made with runes engraved on the blade of the sword that read as "''Anar Nányë Andúril i né Narsil i macil Elendilo. Lercuvanten i móli Mordórëo. Isil''" (Quenya. 'Sun. I am Andúril who once was Narsil, sword of Elendil. The slaves of Mordor shall flee from me. Moon.'), and another inscription on the hilt ''Narsil essenya, macil meletya; Telchar carnéron Návarotesse'' (Quenya: "Narsil is my name, a mighty sword; Telchar made me in Nogrod"). Christopher Tolkien suggested that Narsil was introduced during the writing of ''The Lord of the Rings'' rather spontaneously: "It is possible that the Sword that was Broken actually emerged from the verse ' All that is gold does not glitter': on this view, in the earliest form of the verse ... the words ''a king may yet be without crown, A blade that was broken be brandished'' were no more than a further exemplification of the general moral hat not everything is what it appears to be", p. 137 Following this, references to the sword were introduced during major recastings of "At the Sign of the Prancing Pony" and "The

Council of Elrond "The Council of Elrond" is the second chapter of Book 2 of J. R. R. Tolkien's bestselling fantasy work, ''The Lord of the Rings'', which was published in 1954–1955. It is the longest chapter in that book at some 15,000 words, and critical for ...

" chapters., pp. 77-80, 120. Originally the sword was only called "the Sword of Elendil" or "the Broken Sword"; later the name ''Branding'' (from Old English ''brand'', "sword") was devised for the Sword Reforged., p. 290

Orcrist

Orcrist (Sindarin: Goblin-cleaver), a sword in ''The Hobbit''., ch. 3, "A Short Rest"; ch. 18, "The Return Journey" was originally forged in Gondolin and was nicknamed "Biter" by the goblins of the Misty Mountains. After finding it in a troll-hoard,

Thorin Oakenshield Thorin Oakenshield (Thorin II) is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's 1937 novel ''The Hobbit''. Thorin is the leader of List of The Hobbit characters#Thorin's company, the Company of Dwarf (Middle-earth), Dwarves who aim to reclaim the ...

carries the sword through the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood before being taken prisoner by the

; it was laid on his tomb after his death in the Battle of Five Armies. It is the mate of

Ringil

Ringil (Sindarin: ''Cold-Star / Cold-Spark'') is a sword wielded by Fingolfin in ''The Silmarillion'' and ''The Lays of Beleriand''. It bit with chilling cold, and glittered like ice with a pale light. This was the sword with which Fingolfin wounded Morgoth seven times, causing the first dark lord to limp forever afterward., "The Lay of Leithian", Canto XII In Tolkien's early writings, Ringil was the name of one of the two pillars supporting the Two Lamps of primeval Middle-earth. (Part I) pp. 69–70

Sting

Sting is a large Elvish dagger in ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. It functioned well as a sword for the hobbits Bilbo and Frodo Baggins., ch. 2, "Roast Mutton"; ; , p. 221, , p. 173, 204 Bilbo named the weapon after using it to fend off the giant spiders in Mirkwood forest, then later passed it on to Frodo to use in his quest to destroy the One Ring. Sting glows blue when orcs are nearby, as in

Moria Moria may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Moria (Middle-earth), fictional location in the works of J. R. R. Tolkien * '' Moria: The Dwarven City'', a 1984 fantasy role-playing game supplement * ''Moria'' (1978 video game), a dungeon-crawler g ...

. In Europe, bilbo blades were exceptionally fine swords, named after the city of

Bilbao ) , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = 275 px , map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao , pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe , pushpin_map_caption ...

which made them. It is possible that Tolkien connected Bilbo's name and his acquisition of this weapon. In

Peter Jackson Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the director, writer and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy ( ...

's ''The Lord of the Rings'' and ''The Hobbit'' film adaptations, Sting is depicted as leaf-shaped, with gentle curving edges. Engraved on the

blade A blade is the portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with an edge that is designed to puncture, chop, slice or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they are to be used on. Historica ...

and cross-guard are letters in Sindarin that read phonetically, ''Maegnas aen estar nin dagnir in yngyl im''. Translated into English, they read, "''Maegnas'' is my name, I am the spider's bane." According to the Appendix of ''The Silmarillion'', the element ''maeg'' in Sindarin means "sharp" or "piercing". The film version of Sting is long (24 while in

scabbard A scabbard is a sheath for holding a sword, knife, or other large blade. As well, rifles may be stored in a scabbard by horse riders. Military cavalry and cowboys had scabbards for their saddle ring carbine rifles and lever-action rifles on ...

) and wide at the hilt. Its scabbard is made of brown leather and reinforced with metal. In Tolkien's ''The Hobbit'', Sting does not bear an inscription.

Named bows and arrows

Belthronding

Belthronding (Sindarin/Ilkorin: ''Intractable Bow'') is the bow wielded by Beleg Cúthalion (Strongbow) in ''The Silmarillion'' and ''

The Lays of Beleriand ''The Lays of Beleriand'', published in 1985, is the third volume of Christopher Tolkien's 12-volume book series, '' The History of Middle-earth'', in which he analyzes the unpublished manuscripts of his father J. R. R. Tolkien. Book Insc ...

''.; , p. 26, 117, 127

Black Arrow

The Black Arrow was used in Esgaroth by Bard the Bowman; he mentions that it has been used many times, always successfully, and always recovered. An heirloom from many generations of Bard's family, that he believed had been made in the forges of the King under the Mountain; Bard recites its history, urges it to "go now and speed well", and shoots Smaug. The arrow was lost with the Dragon's corpse in the Long Lake., ch. 14 "Fire and Water"

Dailir

Dailir is the arrow favoured by Beleg, the great bowman of the First Age of Middle-earth. Beleg was always able to retrieve this arrow for reuse.

Red Arrow

The Red Arrow is a black-feathered arrow barbed with steel; its tip was painted red., book 5, ch. 3 "The Muster of Rohan" It was a token used by Gondor to summon Rohan in time of dire need. In ''

The Return of the King ''The Return of the King'' is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'', following '' The Fellowship of the Ring'' and ''The Two Towers''. It was published in 1955. The story begins in the kingdom of Gondor, w ...

'', the Red Arrow was presented to Théoden by Hirgon with the message: "...the Lord

Denethor Denethor II, son of Ecthelion II, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novel ''The Lord of the Rings''. He was the 26th ruling Steward of Gondor, committing suicide in the besieged city of Minas Tirith during the Battle of the Pelennor ...

asks for all your strength and all your speed, lest Gondor should fall at last." Théoden pledged his assistance, but Hirgon was killed during the ride back to Minas Tirith, leading Denethor to believe that no help was forthcoming from Rohan. The Red Arrow has a historical antecedent in the Old English poem ''

Elene ''Elene'' is a poem in Old English, that is sometimes known as ''Saint Helena Finds the True Cross''. It was translated from a Latin text and is the longest of Cynewulf's four signed poems. It is the last of six poems appearing in the Vercelli m ...

'' in which

Constantine the Great Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterran ...

summoned an army of mounted

Visigoths The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is ...

to his aid against the

Huns The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was par ...

by sending an arrow as a "token of war".

Other named weapons and armour

Aeglos

Aeglos (Sindarin: ''Snow Point'', i.e. icicle; also spelled Aiglos) is the spear wielded by

Gil-galad Gil-galad is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, the last High King of the Noldor, one of the main Sundering of the Elves, divisions of Elves. He is mentioned in ''The Lord of the Rings'', where the hobbit Samwi ...

;; ; , p. 148, 417 ''Aiglos'' is also the name of a type of plant in Middle-earth which most notably grew on Amon Rûdh. ''Aeglos'' is also the name of a

Tolkienist Tolkien fandom is an international, informal community of fans of the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, especially of the Middle-earth legendarium which includes ''The Hobbit'', ''The Lord of the Rings'', and ''The Silmarillion''. The concept of Tolkie ...

semiannual almanac published by the Polish Silesian Science-Fiction Club, parent organisation of the Polish Tolkien Society.

Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin

The Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin, also called the Helm of Hador, is the fabulous helmet of the lords of the House of Hador, including

Húrin Húrin is a fictional character in the Middle-earth legendarium of J. R. R. Tolkien. He is introduced in '' The Silmarillion'' as a hero of Men during the First Age, said to be the greatest warrior of both the Edain and all the other Men in ...

and Túrin. The helm was made of heavy steel, decorated with gold and

runes Runes are the letters in a set of related alphabets known as runic alphabets native to the Germanic peoples. Runes were used to write various Germanic languages (with some exceptions) before they adopted the Latin alphabet, and for specialised ...

; a gold likeness of Glaurung the Dragon was set upon its crest. It was made for the Dwarf-king

Azaghâl In the fantasy of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Dwarves are a race inhabiting Middle-earth, the central continent of Arda in an imagined mythological past. They are based on the dwarfs of Germanic myths who were small humanoids that lived in mountain ...

, the great Dwarf-craftsman of Nogrod., part 1 "

The Lay of the Children of Húrin The Lay of the Children of Húrin is a long epic poem by J. R. R. Tolkien which takes place in his fictional fantasy-world, Middle-earth. It tells of the life and ill fate of Túrin Turambar, the son of Húrin. It is written in alliterative vers ...

", second version ch. 2, p. 115, line 678 Azaghâl ruled the neighbouring city of Belegost; he gave it to

Maedhros Maedhros () is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, first introduced as a major character in '' The Silmarillion'' and later mentioned in '' Unfinished Tales'' and '' The Children of Húrin''. Maedhros was a mighty Noldorin ...

, who gave it to Fingon. Fingon then gave it to Hador, along with the lordship of Dor-lómin., part 1 ch. II p. 75

Dramborleg

Dramborleg (Sindarin: ''Thudder-Sharp'', p. 172; (vol. 2), "The Fall of Gondolin") is the axe belonging to Tuor, son of Huor in ''The Book of Lost Tales'' and ''Unfinished Tales''.

Durin's Axe

Durin In the fantasy of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Dwarves are a race inhabiting Middle-earth, the central continent of Arda in an imagined mythological past. They are based on the dwarfs of Germanic myths who were small humanoids that lived in mounta ...

's Axe was part of the regalia and weaponry of the Dwarf-kings of Khazad-dûm. Some years before the War of the Ring, Balin attempted to recolonize Khazad-dûm (by then called Moria), and the early records of the colony mention Durin's Axe, indicating it was sought for or even found.

Grond

Grond (Sindarin: ''Club'') is the

mace Mace may refer to: Spices * Mace (spice), a spice derived from the aril of nutmeg * '' Achillea ageratum'', known as English mace, a flowering plant once used as a herb Weapons * Mace (bludgeon), a weapon with a heavy head on a solid shaft used ...

of Morgoth used against Fingolfin in ''The Silmarillion'' as well as a battering ram in ''The Lord of the Rings'',, p. 112 used to assault the Great Gate of Minas Tirith. Grond the battering ram was in-universe named after Morgoth's mace: "Grond they named it, in memory of the Hammer of the Underworld of old.", book 5, ch. 4 "The Siege of Gondor". In the Rankin-Bass adaptation of ''

'', the ram Grond is called "the arm of the devil" and "the hammer of the underworld".

References

Primary

:: ''This list identifies each item's location in Tolkien's writings.''

Secondary

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Middle-earth Weapons And Armour * * *

Weapons A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, s ...

Middle-earth weapons