Glamdring: Difference between revisions

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'''1981: ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|BBC Radio's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
'''1981: ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|BBC Radio's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
:Glamdring is not named, and the presence of a sword is mentioned only once: when Gandalf has to surrender it to [[Háma]]<ref>[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Michael Blakewell]], [[Brian Sibley]] (eds.) ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)]]'', "[[The King of the Golden Hall (episode)|The King of the Golden Hall]]"</ref>.
:Glamdring is not named, and the presence of a sword is mentioned only once: when Gandalf has to surrender it to [[Háma]]<ref>[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], [[Michael Bakewell]], [[Brian Sibley]] (eds.) ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)]]'', "[[The King of the Golden Hall (episode)|The King of the Golden Hall]]"</ref>.


'''2002: ''[[Vivendi's The Fellowship of the Ring (game)|Vivendi's The Fellowship of the Ring]]'':'''
'''2002: ''[[Vivendi's The Fellowship of the Ring (game)|Vivendi's The Fellowship of the Ring]]'':'''

Revision as of 21:06, 1 October 2008

Template:Featurednominations

Glamdring
John Howe - Glamdring.jpg
LocationGondolin, various
AppearanceSword with gemstones and runes
GalleryImages of Glamdring
"This, Gandalf, was Glamdring, Foe-hammer that the king of Gondolin once wore."
Elrond, A Short Rest

Glamdring was a sword, said to have belonged to Turgon, but best known as the sword of Gandalf during the War of the Ring. It was known in Westron as the Foe-hammer, and Orcs knew it as Beater.

History

Beater

Glamdring was originally borne by Turgon, the King of Gondolin[1]. He must have wielded it with strength during the Nírnaeth Arnoediad or the Fall of Gondolin, for the Orcs named it "Beater", and fled before it. Up until the late Third Age, orcs of the Misty Mountains knew of this legendary sword, so it must have done some damage[2].

The name most likely originated in the Nírnaeth Arnoediad, where it is said that Turgon "hewed his way to the side of his brother"[3]. No other tales mention the actions of the sword, and it is unknown what happened to it during the Fall of Gondolin. Turgon perished as the Tower of the King fell on top of him, but of the fate of Glamdring nothing is told [4].

Survival

The sword miraculously survived roughly 6500 years from the Fall of Gondolin in F.A. 510 to its eventual rediscovery in T.A. 2941. In that period, it traveled from Gondolin to a Troll's cave in the Trollshaws. Much mystery surrounds this feat, but most likely, Glamdring was plunderded from other plunderers, or carried off to the Misty Mountains soon after the Fall of Gondolin[1].

At Gandalf's side

In May T.A. 2941, Gandalf, Bilbo Baggins and a group of dwarves encountered three trolls in the Trollshaws - William, Bert and Tom. The Trolls captured Bilbo and the Dwarves, but Gandalf destroyed them by exposing them to sunlight. Glamdring, along with Orcrist and Sting, were found in a cave nearby[5]. Gandalf claimed the weapon as his own, amazed by its appearance and inscription. The inscription was set in a script of runes Gandalf did not know; he needed the knowledge of Elrond for that. Elrond translated the runes, and called it by its Mannish name: "Foe-hammer"[1].

Gandalf wielding Glamdring, by Donato Giancola.

Gandalf would use the sword well; its first victim was the Great Goblin. Other Orcs fled as they recognized the sword as "Beater". This means that either some Orcs were at the Fall of Gondolin, or that they had legends about two glowing swords - Beater and Biter[2]. Whether Gandalf used the sword again during the Quest for Erebor is uncertain, though it is likely that he wielded it in the Battle of Five Armies.

Gandalf bore Glamdring at his side when the Fellowship of the Ring left Rivendell in T.A. 3018[6]. He used the blade during the Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul, and a short time thereafter in the standoff with the Balrog[7]. After the collapse of the bridge, Gandalf and the Balrog fought on to the Endless Stair and Durin's Tower, but he does not tell whether he used Glamdring or his staff in the Battle of the Peak[8].

Gandalf's spirit perished there, but was sent back because his task was not yet complete. He had Glamdring with him when he met the Three Hunters; he gave it to Háma at Edoras, when asked to surrender it[9]. Gandalf would continue to bear it throughout the War of the Ring, but it is not mentioned again until Gandalf, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin arrive at the Prancing Pony in Bree. Gandalf and the Hobbits had seen so much war at the time that wearing a weapon did not seem odd[10].

Fate

On September 29, T.A. 3021[11], Gandalf left Middle-earth and sailed into the West[12]. It is very likely that he took Glamdring with him. In a letter to a Miss Northey, J.R.R. Tolkien tells of Shadowfax' fate. He went with Gandalf across the sea, but the chronicler (Sam) was too overcome with grief to notice[13]. In this light, it is inconceivable that Gandalf for some reason left Glamdring behind.

Appearance

Glamdring and Orcrist are described in The Hobbit as having "beautiful scabbards and jeweled hilts"[5]. They would glow blue in the presence of Orcs. The sword of Turgon (whether or not this is Glamdring remains open to debate) is described as "a white and gold sword in a ruel-bone (ivory) sheath"[14].

Rune inscription

When he took the sword, Gandalf said he could not read the runes. Elrond did, however. This could be considered strange, because in The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf is portrayed as a person of at least equal wisdom and knowledge to Elrond.

A fitting explanation of this problem would be the "Gondolinic Runes", devised by Tolkien in either 1924 or 1930. This set of Runes was first published in 1992[15]. In this script, an inscription "GLAMDRING" would read "MZ(unknown)ŪNRI(unknown)M" in Angerthas Moria. The actual inscription remains unclear, however.

Etymology

The word Glamdring is comprised of two elements. The first element is glam, literally meaning "noisy", but poetically used as "Orc". The second element is dring, said to mean "hammer"[16]. Its Common Speech name was Foe-hammer[1].

Portrayal in adaptations

1977: Rankin/Bass' The Hobbit:

Gandalf acquires Glamdring in the trolls' cave. Elrond recognizes the sword at first glance; perhaps he simply deduces the fact that it was Glamdring because he had identified its mate Orcrist just before. After leaving Rivendell, Gandalf does not use Glamdring again.

1978: Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings:

Glamdring is portrayed as an ordinary longsword, with no inscription visible. It is featured as the centerpiece of most posters, although it does not feature so prominently in the movie. It is not named in the film.

1980: Rankin/Bass' The Return of the King:

Gandalf does not use a sword, only his staff.

1981: BBC Radio's The Lord of the Rings:

Glamdring is not named, and the presence of a sword is mentioned only once: when Gandalf has to surrender it to Háma[17].

2002: Vivendi's The Fellowship of the Ring:

Glamdring is a longsword. It glows with pale light when enemies are near, and can be used to enhance spells.

2001-3; Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings:

Glamdring is a longsword that does not glow blue in the presence of Orcs. The sword is, according to most replicas, 47 inches (approximately 120 centimeters) long[18].
The rune inscription is engraved in the cross-guard, and adds power to the sword. With this extra power Gandalf was able to defeat Durin's Bane[19]. The actual inscription reads as thus:
"Turgon aran Gondolin tortha gar a matha i vegil Glamdring gûd daedheloth, dam an Glamhoth".
This is Sindarin, and translates to "Turgon, king of Gondolin, wields, has, and holds the sword Glamdring, Foe of Morgoth's realm, Hammer of the Orcs"[19].

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, A Short Rest
  2. 2.0 2.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, Over Hill and Under Hill
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad
  4. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin
  5. 5.0 5.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, Roast Mutton
  6. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Ring Goes South
  7. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Bridge of Khazad-dûm
  8. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, The White Rider
  9. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, The King of the Golden Hall
  10. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Homeward Bound
  11. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Chief Days from the Fall of Barad-dûr to the End of the Third Age"
  12. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, The Grey Havens
  13. J.R.R. Tolkien, Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 268 (dated January 19, 1965)
  14. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, Of Tuor and his Coming to Gondolin, note 31
  15. First published in Mythlore 69, pages 20-25 (edited by Paul Nolan Hyde), analysed in issue 70, pages 23-24 (by Carl F. Hostetter). See also J.R.R. Tolkien, "Gondolinic Runes", in Parma Eldalamberon 15 (edited by Christopher Gilson), page 111-113. A reproduction of the runes by Lisa Star: "Runes of Gondolin"
  16. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, The Etymologies, roots GLAM- and DRING-
  17. J.R.R. Tolkien, Michael Bakewell, Brian Sibley (eds.) The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series), "The King of the Golden Hall"
  18. The Noble Collection Glamdring, Weaponmasters.com
  19. 19.0 19.1 Chris Smith, The Lord of the Rings: Weapons and Warfare, page 68-69
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