Anglachel

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[[File::María Lombide Ezpeleta - Eöl's Swords.jpg|thumb|Eol's Swords by María Lombide Ezpeleta]]

Anglachel was the sword forged by Eöl the Dark Elf from a meteorite. Its mate was Anguirel. The blade glowed and could easily slice through iron. Eöl gave Anglachel to his lord, King Thingol of Doriath, as payment for letting him dwell in the Forest of Nan Elmoth. Thingol would not bear it, declaring that there was malice in the blade.

In F.A. 487 Beleg Strongbow took Anglachel from Thingol's armoury and went to rescue his friend Túrin Turambar. He tracked down the Orcs holding Túrin and in the dead of night slew them. But when he tried to cut Túrin's bonds, his friend thought the Orcs had returned to torture him, and during the struggle he slew Beleg with the blade. After the fight, Anglachel turned a dead black and would no longer glow.

Túrin later reforged the sword with the help of the smiths of Nargothrond. The blade remained black, however, and Túrin renamed it Gurthang. Anglachel was the sword that Túrin used to kill Glaurung.[1]

Etymology

Christopher Tolkien notes that Anglachel contains the Sindarin word ang ("iron") and probably the element lhach ("leaping flame").[2] This would give the meaning "Flaming Iron". The last element in Anglachel could be êl ("star").[3]

See also

References

  1. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Túrin Turambar"
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names", entries ang and lhach
  3. Compound Sindarin Names in Middle-earth at Tolkiendil.com (accessed 20 July 2011)
Weapons in Tolkien's legendarium
 Arrows:  Black Arrow · Dailir · Red Arrow
Axes:  Dramborleg · Durin's Axe
Bows:  Belthronding · Bow of Bregor · Bow of the Galadhrim
Knives:  Angrist · Barrow-blades · Morgul-knife · Sting
Maces:  Grond
Spears:  Aeglos
Swords:  Anglachel/Gurthang · Anguirel · Aranrúth · Dagmor · Glamdring · Glend · Gúthwinë · Herugrim · Narsil/Andúril ·  Orcrist · Ringil · Sword of Manwë