Bladorthin
- "... the spears that were made for the armies of the great King Bladorthin (long since dead), each had a thrice-forged head and their shafts were inlaid with cunning gold, but they were never delivered or paid for..."
- ― The Hobbit, Inside Information
Bladorthin was a king of the Third Age who flourished long before T.A. 2941. He had ordered thrice-forged spears of superior quality for his soldiers from the Dwarves of Erebor. The smiths forged them, but Bladorthin never received his weapons.
Questions about whether Bladorthin was a Man or an Elf, for instance, or precisely where his kingdom lay, must remain in the realm of speculation.
Death
It is possible that the descent of Smaug on the Lonely Mountain prevented the trade, in which case his death can be put after Third Age 2770.
On the other hand his death was perhaps premature and it was this that prevented the trade.
Etymology
John D. Rateliff has noted that Tolkien never explained the meaning of the name Bladorthin. However, Rateliff suggests that the name is "clearly Gnomish (or perhaps Noldorin)", speculating that the element blador "probably applies to wide open country" and that the element -thin likely has the meaning of "grey" (as in Thingol). This would give the translation "the Grey Country", "Grey Plains Fay", or "Grey Master of the Plains".[1]
Other Versions of the Legendarium
"Grey" here betrays a curious connection with Gandalf the Grey: in the early drafts of The Hobbit, Tolkien's name for Gandalf was Bladorthin. Despite this, in the published version the name survives in just the single sentence quoted from The Hobbit.[1]
External links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, John D. Rateliff (ed.), The History of The Hobbit: One-volume Edition, pp. 52-3, 62-3
