#Anduril

[abyssal-ilk]

i don't know the exact timeline for when ghilan'nain physically changed into what we see her as in datv, but im really attached to the idea that she didn't look like that before the veil was made. like she looked just like we saw her in solas' memory, untainted and with no extra limbs. her new form is the direct consequence of her fusing her body with anduril's blighted corpse after anduril's archdemon was slain and she died in the fade. she does not need to mourn anduril. anduril has become part of her greater whole. she would not be parted from her, even in death.

[mithrandirl]

Then an old wife, Ioreth, the eldest of the women who served in that house, looking on the fair face of Faramir, wept, for all the people loved him. And she said: ‘Alas! if he should die. Would that there were kings in Gondor, as there were once upon a time, they say! For it is said in old lore: The hands of the king are the hands of a healer. And so the rightful king could ever be known.’

[sillylotrpolls]

Today's poll inspired by this post by @taleasoldastime-andspace, who was watching knife-making competition show Forged in Fire and asked the obvious lotr-related question, and @fistfuloflightning.

In the book, Narsil is broken into two shards (or possibly, only two large shards were recovered). In the movie, Narsil is shown in about five or six pieces. You can headcanon however many shards you like for your answer.

From Tolkien Gateway:

Elendil carried Narsil in the Battle of Dagorlad where it shone with the light of the Sun and Moon, and then in the Siege of Barad-dûr; but Sauron killed him and the sword broke into two pieces under him as he fell, and its light was extinguished. Elendil's son Isildur took up the sword and used its shard to cut the One Ring from the hand of Sauron. Isildur took the shards home with him. Shortly before Isildur was killed in the second year of the Third Age in the Disaster of the Gladden Fields, the shards were rescued by Ohtar, esquire of Isildur. He took them to Rivendell, where Isildur's youngest son Valandil was fostered, but Elrond foretold that it wouldn't be reforged until the One Ring was found again and Sauron returned.

From The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Part 2: Chapter 3: The Ring Goes South:

The Sword of Elendil was forged anew by Elvish smiths, and on its blade was traced a device of seven stars set between the crescent Moon and the rayed Sun, and about them was written many runes; for Aragorn son of Arathorn was going to war upon the marches of Mordor. Very bright was that sword when it was made whole again; the light of the sun shone redly in it, and the light of the moon shone cold, and its edge was hard and keen. And Aragorn gave it a new name and called it Andúril, Flame of the West.

[byxkugxn]

[gnomescarfcomics]

Middle-earth shots of the week

[my-deer-legolas]

Legolas: How are we going to defeat all those orcs?

Aragorn: With friendship and this sword I found.

[superloves4]

Like, I'm sure Tolkien would make Narsil a sword that belongs to good guys and stuff, but the idea of Narsil being Maedhros sword (maybe even made by Fëanor himself) makes me so rabid.

Like, Elros taking the sword that caused so much pain, that belongs to someone he both loves and hates, and makes it into part of his own kingdom for the purpose of good.

That sword being then broken by Sauron and finally used to defeat him in its brokenness (something, something, the redemption in battle that Mae never gets, something, something, symbolism).

And its shard then reforged into Anduril.

Flame of the West.

[knightofthenewrepublic]

[art-of-firefly]

My Chara-design for Aragorn -

I won't draw all of Elros line, but since he was adopted by Elrond and married Arwen it looped back to being included in the House of Finwë family tree.

[oldschoolfrp]

Selections from my Russ Nicholson tag

[haaaaaaaaaaaave-you-met-ted]

Andúril by Ralph Damiani

[camille-lachenille]

What if Andúril/Narsil originally was Beren’s sword? I know the popular hc is that it belonged to Maedhros and was passed on to Elros.

But hear me out. What if Finrod gave a sword to Barahir, along the famous ring. It’s something harried, in the middle of war: Barahir lost his sword and Finrod gave him a spare one. It’s not important, bc it’s just a useful tool needed in the moment, and Finrod has plenty of fine weapons forged by Dwarves. Barahir leaves his sword to Beren.

Or maybe the sword is a wedding gift from Thingol to Beren, since he too, has plenty if swords and weapons forged by Dwarves and we know Telchar, who made Narsil, also worked with Thingol. It doesn’t really matter, in the end, where this sword comes from.

What matters is that Dior inherit of his father’s sword, and that sword is salvaged from the ruins of Doriath after the second Kinslaying and brought to Sirion or Balar for Dior’s heir to use in case of need but Elwing never touched it and it sat in some armoury, nearly forgotten, until Elrond and Elros find their way to Gil-Galad.

And then Elros takes this sword as his, because why let this fine blade gather dust when there is a war going on? He gives it a Quenya name, the language of his new kingdom, and has his coat of arms of seven stars etched along the runes. Nobody really remembers where Narsil comes from at this point, except that it’s old and probably from Doriath since the inscription on the blade is in cirth. And after several thousands of years, Narsil is reforged into Andúril and wielded by the heir of Beren to fight the enemy.

[mithrandirl]

The Sword of Elendil was forged anew by Elvish smiths, and on its blade was traced a device of seven stars set between the crescent Moon and the rayed Sun, and about them was written many runes; for Aragorn son of Arathorn was going to war upon the marches of Mordor.

[diesaur]

[gloryfore]

Thinking about going orangey auburn again for autumn 🍂