The Anduril Sword (#1316)

Because Aragorn son of Arathorn was headed to battle on the marches of Mordor, Elvish smiths crafted the Sword of Elendil again. On its blade, they etched a device of seven stars situated between the crescent Moon and the rayed Sun, with numerous inscriptions engraved around them. When that sword was restored to its full form, it was incredibly bright; the sun’s light was red in it, the moon’s light was frigid, and its edge was sharp and hard. Additionally, Aragorn renamed it Andúril, Flame of the West.

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Ring of Fellowship

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, a British academic and veteran of the First World War, secretly released an odd book in 1937. The book was called “The Hobbit,” and it was the kind of tale that, much to the surprise of its creator, captured the imagination of every succeeding generation. The first of Tolkien’s novels, The Hobbit, is set in Middle-earth, a fictionalised depiction of Europe’s distant past. The most well-known of these was The Lord of the Rings, a three-part epic high fantasy book that greatly influenced the fantasy genre and served as the model (if not outright copy) for all subsequent writers. His writings have been adapted for the screen and theatre, and colleges and institutions provide seminars and courses on the significance of his books. Were they works of pure fiction? Or metaphor in politics?

In subsequent writings, Tolkien acknowledged that his works were not, as was widely believed, a parable of the Second World War or even the First World War, in which he served and lost all but one of his buddy from childhood. Rather, his works were meant to be a contemporary retelling of the traditional fairy tale, one that would be universally applicable in all ages, both internally and externally. Perhaps this explains why the stories still inspire and have value for people who were born decades after they were first written, which would much pleasure Tolkien. Additionally, as a faerie tale, The Lord of the Rings contains numerous instances of bizarre and magical weapons, none of which are more well-known than Anduril.

One must first comprehend the Anduril sword’s place in Middle-earth’s history in order to appreciate its significance. The kings of the vast island realm of Númenor, which existed during the Second Age, were descended from a union of Elves and Humans. This strong race of explorers were so arrogant about their strength that they even attempted to overthrow the gods. This was to be their demise, and in a horrible apocalypse, the island of Númenor was submerged under the sea. A devoted remnant of Númenor, the remaining few made their way to the mainland and established the kingdoms-in-exile of Gondor and Arnor. These kingdoms were ruled by Elendil, High King, who brought the ancient sword Narsil, an heirloom from the first Númenorean king, with him as he left the ruins of Númenor.

Elendil organised his people to march alongside the Elves and their King, Gil-galad, when war broke out in Middle-earth. The Dark Lord Sauron used the dreadful power of the One Ring against the troops of Mordor, but the Last Alliance brought their strength to the table. Eldendil was killed and the sword Narsil was broken when he was forced to engage Sauron directly in single combat. Sauron’s dreadful rule over the free peoples of Middle-earth came to an end when Isildur, Elendil’s heir, picked up the broken shard of Narsil and severed the One Ring from his hand. Even after the House of Elendil deteriorated and they were no longer kings, the shards of Narsil were still inherited by the family.

The One Ring, which had been believed lost to time for centuries, has been discovered, and the dispersed remains of Middle-earth’s population must band together for a new conflict at the start of the first book of The Lord of the Rings. The ranger Aragorn, a distant descendant of Elendil who is a nomad in the forest rather than a king, must take up the cause of his forefathers and the blade in order to finally vanquish Sauron. Aragorn receives a new sword, Anduril, the Flame of the West, when the Elves reforge the shards of Narsil. As the next king of Gondor, Aragorn emerges to guide Middle-earth, Anduril in hand, out of the shadows and into a future free from Sauron’s oppression. Tolkien’s poem on the voyage of the hero Aragorn places Anduril at the heart of this mythological story arc:

Gold doesn’t gleam at all.

Not everyone who wanders is lost.

Strong old people do not deteriorate.

The cold does not reach deep roots.

A fire will be sparked from the ashes,

A light will emerge from the darkness;

The shattered blade will be renewed.

Once more, the crownless will rule.

-J.R.R. Tolkien

As admirers of Tolkien’s amazing creations, we at Darksword Armoury are happy to replicate the King of Gondor’s sword. 5160 High Carbon steel, dual hardened to a Rockwell of 60 at the edge and 48–50 at the core, is used to handcraft the Darksword Armoury Anduril. This is one of the most well-known fantasy swords because of the exquisitely detailed leather handle and the distinctive pommel. A deep full length fuller is used in the forging of the blade. As with all of our swords, the Anduril is a formidable weapon that can deal a lot of damage with a two-handed stroke. Fantasy sword collectors love this, and with good cause. We are honoured to have even a tiny influence on the admiration of a literary great like Tolkien.