Weapons

by Fuin Elda

[Note: Also see "arms and armour"]

Red ­ types of weapons
Blue ­ Specifically named weapons
Green ­ Properties of weapons
Brown ­ Deeds the weapon was used in

The Silmarillion ­ Harper Colins, London, 1999

Weapons made in Valinor:

...concerning weapons; and in that time the Noldor began the smithing of swords and axes and spears. Pg 71 p II

And Feanor made a secret forge...and there he tempered fell swords for himself and his sons. Pg 71 p II

Weapons in Arda

Weapons of the Noldor

The light of the drawing of the swords of the Noldor was like a fire in a field of reeds; Pg 227 p I

Weaons of Thingol/Doriath

...but Thingol's armouries were stored with axes and spears and swords... Pg 103 p II

Then Beleg Strongbow, chief of the march wardens of Thingol, brought great strength of the Sindar armed with axes. Pg 184 p I

'I ask for a sword of worth,' said Beleg, 'for the orcs come now too thick and close for a bow only, and such blade as I have is no match for their armor.'
            'Choose from all I have,' said Thingol, 'save only Aranruth, my own.' Pg 239 p VI & VII

(1)

...Mîm stepped up to Beleg , and drew forth the sword Anglachel that lay beneath the body of one that had fallen beside him; but Beleg stumbling up seized back the sword and trust it at the Dwarf. Pg 245 p IV

...Beleg took his bow and in the darkness shot the wolf-sentinels, Pg 247 p II

Beleg drew his sword Anglachel , and with it cut the fetters... Pg. 247 p II

...they [Túrin and Gwindor] lay Beleg in a shallow grave, and placed beside him Belthronding his great bow, that was made of Black yew-wood. Pg 248 p IV

But the dread sword Anglachel Gwindor took... Pg 248 p IV

Weapons of Fingon

...begged Fingon to shoot him with his bow; and Fingon strung an arrow, and bent his bow. Pg 124 p II

Then Fingon prince of Hithlum rode against him with archers...Glaurung could not endure their darts Pg 132 p III

Weapons of Turgon/Gondolin

Leave therefore in this house arms and a sword...And Ulmo declared to Turgon of what kind and stature should be the helm and the mail and sword... Pg 144 p II

...with bright mail and long swords and spears like a forest. Pg 225 p III

Weapons of Eöl (The Dark Elf)

Suddenly, swift as a serpent, he seized a javelin that he held beneath his cloak... Pg 159 p IV

Then Beleg chose Anglachel; and that was a sword of great worth, and it was so named because it was made of iron that fell from heaven as a blazing star; it would cleave earth-delved iron. Pg 239 p VIII (1)

...that smith was Eöl the dark elf,...He gave Anglachel to Thingol as fee, which he begrudged, for leave to dwell in Nan Elmoth, but its mate Anguirel he kept until it was stolen from him by Maeglin, his son. Pg 240 p I

The sword of Fingolfin

...and he drew his sword Ringil,that glittered like ice. Pg 179 p I

Yet with his last and desperate stroke Fingolfin hewed the foot [Morgoth's] with Ringil... Pg 179 p III

Elves of Narothrond

...the Elves of Nargothrond kept unceasing watch...Their arrows were sure and deadly, Pg 197 p IV

Weapons used by from Other Races

Then Luthien rising forbade the slaying of Curufin; but Beren despoiled him of his gear and weapons, and took his knife Angrist. That knife was made by Telchar of Nogrod and hung sheathless by his side; iron it would cleave as if it were green wood. Pg 208 p III

He drew forth the knife Angrist; and from the iron claws that held it he cut a Silmaril. Pg 213 p III

The knife Angrist snapped, and a shard of the blade flying smote the cheek of Morgoth. Pg 213 p IV

Elven weapons used by other Races

...he [Túrin] seized Anglachel, and slew Beleg Cúthalion thinking him a foe. Pg 247 p II

And Gwindor gave the sword Anglachel into his hands, and Túrin knew that it was heavy and strong and had great power; but its blade was black and dull and its edges blunt. Pg 249 p II

The sword Anglachel was forged anew for him [Túrin] by the cunning smiths of Nargothrond, and though ever black its edges shone with pale fire; he named it Gurthang, Iron of Death. Pg 250 p III

Then Túrin sprang about, and strode against him [Glaurung], and the edges of Gurthang shone with flame; Pg 255 p I

Then he [Túrin] drew Gurthang and will all the might of his arm, and his hate, he thrust it into the soft belly of the Worm, even up to the hilts. But when Glaurung felt his death-pang... Pg 265 p IV ­ Pg 266 p I

And from the blade [Gurthang] rang a cold voice in answer: ' Yeah, 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.' Pg 270 p III

Then they lifted up Túrin, and found Gurthang had broken asunder. Pg 270 p V

Túrin they laid in a high mound where he had fallen, and the shards of Gurthang were laid beside him, Pg 271 p I

...and the sword and helm, that Turgon had left by the command of Ulmo long before; and he [Tuor] arrayed himself in those arms and went to the shore. Pg 286 p I

Weapons after the Changing of the World

Against Aeglos the spear of Gil-galad none could stand; Pg 352 p IV

The Hobbit, Harper-Collins, London 1999

Ancient swords

- and among them were several swords of various makes shapes and sizes. Two [Orcrist and Glamdring] caught their eyes particularly, because of their beautiful scabbards and jeweled hilts. Gandalf and Thorin each took one of these, and Bilbo took a knife in a leather sheath. Pg 42 p I-II

That day he [Elrond] looked at the swords that they had brought from the trolls lair, and he said: "These are not troll-make. They are old swords, very old swords of the High Elves of the West, my kin. They were made in Gondolin for the Goblin-wars...This Thorin, the runes name Orcrist, the Goblin ­cleaver in the ancient tongue of Gondolin; it was a famous blade. This, Gandalf was Glamdring, Foehammer, that the king of Gondolin once wore. Pg 50 p III

He [a goblin] held out the sword which Thorin had worn, the sword which came from, the Trolls' lair...They knew the sword at once. It had killed hundreds of Goblins in its time...They had called it Orcrist, Goblin-cleaver but the goblins called it simply Biter. Pg 61 p VII ­ Pg 62 p I

Suddenly a sword [Glamdring] flashed in its own light. Pg 62 p V

He [Gandalf] took out his sword again, and again it flashed in the dark by itself. It burned with a rage that made it gleam if goblins were about; and now it was bright as blue flame for delight in killing the great lord of the cave. It made no trouble whatever of cutting through the goblin chains and setting all of the prisoners free as quickly as possible. This swords name was Glamdring the Foe-hammer, if you remember. The Goblins just call it Beater, and hate it worse than Biter if possible. Orcrist, too, had been saved. Pg 63 p III

They [goblins] came scurrying round the corner in full cry, and they found Goblin-cleaver, and Foe-hammer shining cold and bright right in their astonished eyes..."Biter and Beater!" They shrieked; Pg 64 p VI

...his [Bilbo's] hand came on the hilt of his little sword ­ the little dagger that he had got from the trolls...Now he drew it out. It shone pale and dim before his eyes.  "So this is an elvish blade too,"...It was rather splendid to be wearing a blade made in Gondolin for the goblin-wars of which so many songs had sung. Pg 67 p I-II

"A sword, a blade which came out of Gondolin." Pg 70 p III

-until he remembered his sword and drew it out...Bilbo came at it before it could disappear and stuck it [spider] with his sword right in the eyes. Pg 146 p I

"I will give you a name," He said to it, "and I shall call you Sting." Pg 146 p III

His little sword was something new in the way of thing for them [spiders]. How it darted to and fro! It shone with delight as it he stabbed them. Pg 152 p V

...and Bilbo danced about waving his Sting; Pg 153 p I

...their knives had been taken from them by the wood elves, and the great sword Orcrist too. Bilbo had his short sword hidden as usual, but he said nothing about that. Pg 182 p VIII ­ Pg 183 p I

Upon his tomb the Elvenking then laid Orcrist, the elven sword that had been taken from Thorin in captivity. It is said in songs that it gleamed ever in the dark... Pg 268 p IV

His [Bilbo] sword he hung over the mantle piece.  Pg 278 p III

Weapons of the Wood elves

Out leaped the Wood-elves with their bows and spears and called the dwarves to halt.  Pg 159 p I

The elves were first to charge...their spears and swords shone in the gloom with a gleam of chill flame, so deadly was the wrath of the hands that held them. Pg 260 p IV

...they set against it a shower of arrows, and each flickered as it fled as if with stinging fire. Pg 260 p IV

The Book of Lost Tales Part 1, HarperCollins, London, 2002

Original draft weapons (Not found in the Silmarillion)

Now the slender blade that Daurin wielded came from the forge of Aulë and was steeped in miruvor, or never had he done harm to that secret [?being], but now he cleaves one of her great legs, and his blade is stained with her black gore, a poison to all [?things] whose life is light. Pg 153 p II

...Melko ruthlessly stabs him. Then wresting the bright slender blade from his dying grasp he thrusts it deep into Silpion's trunk, and the poison of Gwerlum black upon it dried the very sap and essence of the tree. Pg 153 p II

...but these heeded them not and held ever on their course, and the Solosimpi threatened them with rocks and strung their elfin bows. Pg 165 p II