Going on an Adventure
Some might say that young Bilbo Baggins was ill prepared for the dangers of the great wide world when he set off from the familiar safety of his comfortable armchair and lovely feather bed at his ancestral home of Bag End nestled in the rolling hills of the Shire. They may have been right. It wasn’t until nearly making his way into the stew of three nasty trolls along with his dwarven companions that he would find the means to defend himself with more than his wits. Thanks to Bilbo’s stalling, Gandalf was given time to find Thorin’s Company in their precarious predicament and save them from it.
The Troll’s Horde
As the inspiration for most modern dungeon crawler RPGs, this scene in The Hobbit sets a precedent now all too familiar to most gamers – defeat the monster, loot the treasure. While gold and silver are of course there for the taking, these are “common” treasures, the truly valuable loot comes in the form of legendary weapons (and the friends we’ve made along the way)! This horde held three such famous swords for our heroes to level up.
Orcrist: The Goblin Cleaver
Though not aware of their full history at first sight, Gandalf was able to recognize the three swords’ origins in Goldolin, the lost great elven city of the First Age. He assured Thorin Oakenshield that this was a “good blade.” Upon reaching Lord Elrond at the House of Rivendell, the name “Orcrist” - or “Goblin Cleaver” in the common tongue - was revealed thanks to his translation of the ancient runes written on the blade. Thorin would carry this blade until his company’s capture by the elves of Mirkwood. The sword would not be returned to him until after the Battle of Five Armies, but it would grace and defend his tomb for eternity.
Glamdring: The Foe Hammer
The hand and a half sword that Gandalf chose for himself was revealed by Elrond to be the personal swords of High King Turgon, the ruler of the once great city of Gondolin. Like Orcrist, the Cirth runes inscribed in the weapons named itself, in this case reading "Turgon Aran Gondolin, Tortha gar a matha Glamdring, Vegil Glamdring gud daelo. Dam an Glamhoth." which translates to "Turgon, King of Gondolin, wields, has, and holds the sword Glamdring, Foe of Morgoth's realm, Hammer of the Orcs." This mighty weapon would remain at Gandalf’s side through the duration of the events of The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings and would in fact leave Middle Earth with him when he sailed for Valinor with Bilbo and the last of the elves.
The Sword that Would be Sting
Even the smallest sword can change the course of history. One might think that an individual of reduced stature, such as a Hobbit, might wish to increase their reach in a combat situation with a long weapon like a spear or polearm. Instead, our hero Bilbo opts for a more proportional approach. The smallest of the three elven blades recovered from the troll cave was taken up by Bilbo. Though an engraved design was present on the blade, no inscription was present to identify the sword by name. That honour would not be bestowed upon it until Bilbo came into his own in defense of his compatriots against the terrifying giant spiders of Mirkwood Forest. Through the power of the ring, Bilbo could make out the screams of the spiders as he stabbed at them unseen from the shadow realm, “it stings!” they cried. A fitting name that would find its way permanently laid into the blade before being handed down to Bilbo’s nephew Frodo for protection on his own great adventure many years later. The full inscription written in Quenya reads “Sting is my name and I am the Spider’s Bane!”
A Horde of Your Own
Though I would encourage everyone to go out for a grand adventure at least once in life, United Cutlery and Museum Replicas LTD can at least spare you the trouble of troll slaying in the acquisition of your replica ancient elven swords. Orcrist, Glamdring and both Bilbo & Frodo’s version of Sting are available along with a screen accurate replica of Sting’s elegant scabbard, allowing you to comfortably carry the Spider’s Bane with you on your own adventures!
Written by: Sean Wallis
