Tolkien's Intellectual Landscape by E.L. Risden

Author:E.L. Risden
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Published: 2015-03-27T00:00:00+00:00

    In Imladris it dwells;

There shall be counsels taken

    Stronger than Morgul-spells [FotR 240].

The symbol of doom, as Elrond explains, is the Ring, not the sword; the sword draws together those who must do what they can to assure that the oncoming doom will bring an age of peace rather than destruction.

The broken sword motif recurs repeatedly, though never with such powerful thematic import. Even in The Fellowship of the Ring it fulfills several purposes. It appears first in the scene on the barrow-downs, the four hobbits sleeping in the cold tomb as ghostly arm of the Wight creeps toward them. Mustering his courage, Frodo grasps the short sword that lies near him and strikes at the Wight’s wrist: the hand breaks off, but the sword splinters to the hilt. Frodo has daunted but hardly destroyed the Wight; his song then brings Tom Bombadil, who has strength more than sufficient to drive it away and rescue the hobbits (138–39). Another instance occurs during and after the attack on Weathertop. Strider finds the notched Morgul-knife blade of the leader of the Black Riders that has wounded and infected Frodo’s shoulder. Later, when Frodo has crossed the Ford of Rivendell with the Ringwraiths on his heels, as he stands with his own sword raised, it spontaneously breaks in his hand. Not a spirited defense, but the raging water of the river scatters the Black Riders, the sword of little use anyway against these wraiths.

Then, during the time of the Council of Elrond, Aragorn identifies his sword as the one Elendil carried into battle against Sauron, “treasured by his heirs when all other heirlooms were lost” (241). Boromir replies that he came to solve a riddle rather than to beg a boon, but “the Sword of Elendil would be a help beyond our hope” (241)—he doesn’t believe Aragorn, nor does he believe the counsels he hears about the Ring. He trusts only in martial solutions, even repaired ones, and so his own heart will betray him.

Before the Nine Companions leave Rivendell,

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 … for Aragorn son of Arathorn was going to war upon the marches of Mordor…. And Aragorn gave it a new name and called it Andúril, Flame of the West [269].

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