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Dates
Probably forged in the later years of the First Age;1 broken II 34412
Origins
Forged by Telchar of Nogrod
Other names
Narsil; after its breaking it was known as the Blade that was Broken, the Sword that was Broken, or the Shards of Narsil; after its reforging it was named Andúril, the Flame of the West

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About this entry:

  • Updated 26 October 2002
  • Updates planned: 2

Sword of Elendil

The great sword known as Narsil

Narsil, the sword manufactured in ancient times by Telchar of Nogrod, and borne in the late Second Age by Elendil. He fought with it in the War of the Last Alliance, where it was broken in his fall, but its Shards were preserved in the North-kingdom.


Notes

1

Details of the original forging of Elendil's sword are difficult to determine. It was made by Telchar of Nogrod, who also made the Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin. Helpfully, a passage in Unfinished Tales tells us that the Dragon-helm was originally made for Azaghâl of Belegost, who died in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad in I 471; in order to make the helm specifically for Azaghâl, Telchar must have been working at about this time. Though we can't be certain of Narsil's origins, then, we can fairly safely place its forging in Telchar's workshop in Nogrod, probably during the fourth or fifth centuries of the First Age.

2

The Sword was broken in the War of the Last Alliance, with the fall of Elendil. Its burning light was lost, but Elendil's son Isildur used its broken shards to cut the Ruling Ring from Sauron's finger. The shards were eventually brought to Imladris, and they became an heirloom of the House of Isildur. During the War of the Ring, the sword was reforged, its light was rekindled, and it was borne by Elendil's distant descendant Aragorn, who renamed it Andúril.

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 26 October 2002
  • Updates planned: 2

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