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{{Short description|Fictional metal in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings}} |
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{{About|the metal in Tolkien's mythos}} |
{{About|the metal in Tolkien's mythos}} |
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{{good article}} |
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'''Mithril''' is a fictional [[metal]] found in the writings of [[J. R. R. Tolkien]], being present in his [[Middle-earth]], and also appearing in many other works of derivative fantasy. It is described as resembling [[silver]] but being stronger and lighter than [[steel]]. The author first wrote of it in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', and it is [[retcon|retrospectively mentioned]]<ref name = "hobbit">{{ME-ref|hobbit}}</ref> in the third, revised edition of ''[[The Hobbit]]'' in 1966. In the first 1937 edition, the [[Mail (armour)|mail]] shirt given to [[Bilbo Baggins]] is described as being made of "silvered steel".<ref name="hobbit" /> |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}} |
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{{Use British English|date=May 2022}} |
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'''Mithril''' is a fictional metal found in [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s [[Middle-earth]] writings. It is described as resembling [[silver]], but being stronger and lighter than [[steel]]. It was used to make armour, such as the helmets of the citadel guard of [[Minas Tirith]], and ''ithildin'' alloy, used to decorate gateways with writing visible only by starlight or moonlight. Always extremely valuable, by the end of the [[Third Age]] it was beyond price, and only a few artefacts made of it remained in use. |
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Impenetrable armour occurs in [[Norse mythology]] in ''[[Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks]]'', a story that Tolkien certainly knew and could have used for his mithril mail-coat. Mithril is the only invented mineral in his Middle-earth writings. Chemists note mithril's remarkable properties, strong and light like [[titanium]], perhaps when made into alloys with elements such as titanium or [[nickel]], and in its pure form malleable like [[gold]]. |
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In ''The Lord of the Rings'', Tolkien wrote that mithril is found only in the mines of [[Moria (Middle-earth)|Moria]] beneath the [[Misty Mountains]], where it was mined by the [[Dwarf (Middle-earth)|Dwarves]]. ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'' alleges that it is also found in [[Númenor]]. |
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The scholar [[Charles A. Huttar]] states that Tolkien treats mineral treasures as having the potential for both good and evil, recalling the association of mining and metalwork in [[John Milton]]'s ''[[Paradise Lost]]'' with [[Satan]]. The scholar [[Paul H. Kocher|Paul Kocher]] interprets the [[Dwarves in Middle-earth|Dwarves]]' intense secrecy around mithril as an expression of sexual frustration, given that they have very few [[dwarf-women]].<!--lead summarizes cited content of article body--> |
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The name ''mithril'' comes from two words in Tolkien's fictional language of ''[[Sindarin]]''—''mith'', meaning "grey" or "mist", and ''ril'' meaning "glitter".<ref name = "moria" /> |
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The metal appears in many [[Tolkien's impact on fantasy|derivative fantasy works]] by later authors. |
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==Tolkien== |
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== |
== Tolkien == |
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Within the text, the wizard [[Gandalf]] explained mithril to others while passing through [[Khazad-dûm]]: |
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=== Etymology === |
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:"''Mithril!'' All folk desired it. It could be beaten like copper, and polished like glass; and the Dwarves could make of it a metal, light and yet harder than tempered steel. Its beauty was like to that of common silver, but the beauty of ''mithril'' did not tarnish or grow dim."<ref name = "moria">{{ME-ref|fotr|"A Journey in the Dark "}}</ref> |
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The name ''mithril'' comes from two words in Tolkien's [[Sindarin]] language—''mith'', meaning "grey", and ''ril'', meaning "glitter".<ref name="moria" group=T/> The Dwarves kept their own name for the material secret.<ref name="moria" group=T/> |
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The [[Noldor]] of [[Eregion]] made an alloy out of it called ''[[List of Middle-earth objects#Ithildin|ithildin]]'' ("star moon"), which was used to decorate gateways, portals and pathways. It was visible only by starlight or moonlight. The West Gate of [[Moria (Middle-earth)|Moria]] bore inlaid ''ithildin'' designs and runes.<ref name = "moria" /> |
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It is implied at one point that the "moon-letters" featured in ''[[The Hobbit]]'' were also composed of ''ithildin''. |
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=== |
=== Properties === |
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In Tolkien's Middle-earth, mithril is extremely rare by the end of the [[Third Age]], as it was now found only in Khazad-dûm. Once the [[Balrog]] destroyed the kingdom of the Dwarves at Khazad-dûm, the only source of new mithril ore was cut off. Before Moria was abandoned by the Dwarves, while it was still being actively mined, mithril was worth ten times its weight in gold.<ref name = "moria" /> After the Dwarves abandoned Moria and production of new mithril stopped entirely, it became priceless. |
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In ''[[The Hobbit]]'', [[Thorin Oakenshield]] described some Dwarven treasures as "coats of mail gilded and silvered and impenetrable" and "a coat of dwarf-linked rings the like of which had never been made before, for it was wrought of pure silver to the power and strength of triple steel."<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937|loc=ch. 12 "Inside Information"}}</ref> A little later the narrator describes "a small coat of mail, wrought for some young elf-prince long ago. It was of silver-steel which the elves call mithril".<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937|loc=ch. 13 "Not At Home" (mention of mithril from 1966 edition onwards)}}</ref><ref name="Rateliff 2008"/> |
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===The mithril-coat=== |
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The most notable item made of mithril in the works of Tolkien is the "small shirt of [[mail (armour)|mail]]" retrieved from the hoard of the dragon [[Smaug]], and given to [[Bilbo Baggins]] by [[Thorin Oakenshield]].<ref name="hobbit" /> [[Gandalf]] says the value of this mithril-coat was "greater than the value of the whole [[Shire (Middle-earth)|Shire]] and everything in it."<ref name = "moria" /> |
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In ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', the wizard [[Gandalf]] explained mithril to the rest of the Fellowship in [[Moria (Middle-earth)|Moria]]: |
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<blockquote>"Also there is this!" said Bilbo, bringing out a parcel which seemed to be rather heavy for its size. He unwound several folds of old cloth, and held up a small shirt of mail. It was close-woven of many rings, as supple almost as linen, cold as ice, and harder than steel. It shone like moonlit silver, and was studded with white gems. </blockquote> |
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{{blockquote|''Mithril!'' All folk desired it. It could be beaten like [[copper]], and polished like [[glass]]; and the [[Dwarf (Middle-earth)|Dwarves]] could make of it a metal, light and yet harder than [[Tempering (metallurgy)|tempered steel]]. Its beauty was like to that of common [[silver]], but the beauty of ''mithril'' did not tarnish or grow dim.<ref name="moria" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 2, ch. 4 "A Journey in the Dark"}}</ref>}} |
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Bilbo wore the mithril shirt during the [[List of Middle-earth wars and battles#Battle of Five Armies|Battle of the Five Armies]],<ref name="hobbit" /> and took it with him when he left the Shire. He donated it to the Mathom-house, a museum in [[Michel Delving]]. However he later reclaimed it for his journey to [[Rivendell]]. There, some years later, he gave the shirt to [[Frodo Baggins]] when the younger [[hobbit]] embarked on his quest in ''[[The Lord of The Rings]]''. Frodo wore the mail underneath his tunic and other shirt unbeknownst to the rest of [[Fellowship of the Ring (characters)|the fellowship]]. The mail saved Frodo's life when he was hit by a spear thrust from a cave troll during the battle in the [[Chamber of Mazarbul]], and again when an orc-arrow struck him while escaping [[Moria (Middle-earth)|Moria]].<ref name = "moria" /> Later, it protected him from another orc-arrow while crossing the River [[Anduin]].<ref>{{ME-ref|fotr|"The Great River"}}</ref> In the [[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring|''Lord of the Rings'' film]], Frodo is speared once but survives much to the disbelief of the Fellowship. Upon opening his tunic he reveals the mithril mail much to the amazement of [[Gimli (Middle-earth)|Gimli]] and [[Aragorn]]. |
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The [[Noldor]] of [[Eregion]], the Elvish land to the west of Moria, made an alloy from it called ''ithildin'' ("star moon"), used to decorate gateways, portals and pathways. It was visible only by starlight or moonlight. The [[Moria (Middle-earth)#West-door|West Gate]] of Moria bore inlaid ''ithildin'' designs and runes.<ref name="moria" group=T/> |
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When [[Sam Gamgee]] believed Frodo to be dead outside [[Shelob]]'s Lair, he left the shirt with Frodo. Frodo was taken by the orcs, who fought over the shirt. Frodo was saved, but one of the orcs escaped with the shirt. The shirt was, along with Frodo's other possessions, shown to Frodo's allies at the [[Black Gate (Middle-earth)|Black Gate]] to falsely imply that he was captured. Gandalf took the shirt and other tokens, but refused any offer of parley. In [[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King|the film ''Return of the King'']] the shirt is presented by the [[Mouth of Sauron]] as false evidence that Frodo was killed. |
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=== Abundance === |
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At the end of the story, Frodo wore the shirt at the celebrations and on the trip home. The shirt saved his life one more time when [[Saruman]], who had taken over the Shire, tried to stab Frodo after Frodo had spared his life.<ref>{{ME-ref|rotk|"The Scouring of the Shire"}}</ref> |
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{{further|Economy of Middle-earth}} |
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===Other mithril objects in Tolkien's writings=== |
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Searching through the closets of [[Orthanc]], King [[Aragorn|Elessar]] and his aides found the long lost first ''Elendilmir'', a [[Star of Elendil|white star of Elvish crystal]] affixed to a fillet of mithril. Once owned by [[Elendil]], the first King of [[Arnor]], it was an emblem of royalty in the North Kingdom. After Elendil fell in the [[War of the Last Alliance]], his eldest son [[Isildur]] ascended to the throne. On his journey back to the northern capital of Arnor, his retinue was ambushed by orcs. Isildur tried to escape by jumping into a river but was killed by arrows. [[Saruman]] may have found his body there, and taken the Elendilmir from it. A replica was made, which was used by Isildur's successors up to the re-establishment of the kingdom ([[Reunited Kingdom|reunited with Gondor]]) by Elessar. He thus used both, using one or the other on certain occasions. |
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In Tolkien's [[Middle-earth]], mithril is extremely rare by the end of the [[Third Age]], as it was now found only in [[Khazad-dûm]]. Once the [[Balrog]] destroyed Khazad-dûm, the kingdom of the Dwarves in Moria, the only source of new mithril ore was cut off. Before Moria was abandoned by the Dwarves, while it was still being actively mined, mithril was worth ten times its weight in gold.<ref name="moria" group=T/> After the Dwarves abandoned Moria and production of new mithril stopped entirely, it became priceless.<ref name="moria" group=T/> |
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The guards of the citadel of [[Minas Tirith]] wear helmets of mithril, "heirlooms from the glory of old days." As a result, the citadel guards are the only soldiers in Gondor that still bear the emblems of the lost kings during the days of the stewards. |
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Tolkien hints that mithril was found in the lost island kingdom of [[Númenor]]<ref name="Disaster of Gladden Fields" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1980|loc=part 3, ch. 1 "The Disaster of the Gladden Fields}}</ref> and the inaccessible continent of [[Aman (Tolkien)|Aman]].<ref name="Many Meetings" group=T/> |
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As Aragorn's ships sail up the [[Anduin]] to relieve the besieged Minas Tirith during the [[War of the Ring]], the standard flying on his ship shows a crown made of mithril and gold. |
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=== The mithril-coat === |
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After [[Gimli (Middle-earth)|Gimli]] became lord of [[Helm's Deep#Aglarond|Aglarond]], he and his Dwarves forged great gates of mithril and steel to replace the gates of Minas Tirith, which were broken by the [[Witch-king of Angmar]]. |
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The principal item made of mithril in the works of Tolkien is the "small coat of [[mail (armour)|mail]]" that [[Thorin Oakenshield]] gave to [[Bilbo Baggins]] after it had been retrieved from the hoard of [[Smaug]] the dragon.<ref name="hobbit" group=T/> [[Gandalf]] stated that the value of this mithril-coat was "greater than the value of the whole [[Shire (Middle-earth)|Shire]] and everything in it".<ref name="moria" group=T/> The mail-shirt was first described in ''[[The Hobbit]]'' in 1937,<ref name="hobbit" group=T/> but without any mention of mithril. Tolkien first described the shirt as being made of mithril in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' in 1954,<ref name="moria" group=T/> and it was retrospectively mentioned in the third, revised edition of ''[[The Hobbit]]'' in 1966.<ref name="Rateliff 2008">{{cite book |last=Rateliff |first=John D. |author-link=John D. Rateliff |chapter=The Second Phase, "While the Dragon's Away..." |title=[[The History of the Hobbit]]: Volume 2, Return to Bag-End |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |date=2008 |isbn=978-0-00-726647-0 |page=(ii) "The Arkenstone as Silmaril", note 13}}</ref> In the first 1937 edition, the [[Mail (armour)|mail]] shirt given to [[Bilbo Baggins]] is described as being made of "silvered steel".<ref name="hobbit" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937}} ch. 13 "Not at Home"</ref> |
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[[Galadriel]]'s [[Three Rings|Elven ring]], [[Nenya]], is made of mithril and is set with a stone of "[[adamant]]" (probably diamond).[https://books.google.com/books?id=-DiuAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT16&lpg=PT16&dq=tolkien+adamant+diamond&source=bl&ots=p2A1ncmStD&sig=9_gMQKlf8ej86ywZhgTnqqrLzj0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjIgpOb_-7KAhUW-mMKHSdCDLIQ6AEIRjAG#v=onepage&q=tolkien%20adamant%20diamond&f=false]{{citation needed|date=November 2012}} |
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{{blockquote|Also there is this!" said Bilbo, bringing out a parcel which seemed to be rather heavy for its size. He unwound several folds of old cloth, and held up a small shirt of mail. It was close-woven of many rings, as supple almost as linen, cold as ice, and harder than steel. It shone like moonlit silver, and was studded with white gems.<ref name="moria" group=T/>}} |
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From the ''Song of [[Eärendil]]'', written by Bilbo and Aragorn, "A ship then new they built for him of mithril and of elven-glass".<ref>{{ME-ref|FotR|"Many Meetings"}}</ref> |
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Bilbo wore the mithril shirt during the Battle of the Five Armies.<ref name="hobbit" group=T/> He donated it to the Mathom-house, a museum in [[Michel Delving]]. However he later reclaimed it, and took it with him when he left the Shire for his journey to [[Rivendell]]. There, some years later, he gave the shirt to [[Frodo Baggins]] when the younger [[hobbit]] embarked on his quest in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. Frodo wore the mail underneath his tunic and other shirt unbeknownst to the rest of [[Fellowship of the Ring (characters)|the fellowship]]. The mail saved Frodo's life when he was struck by an orc chieftain's spear thrust during the battle in the [[Chamber of Mazarbul]], and again when orc-arrows struck him while escaping [[Moria (Middle-earth)|Moria]] and while crossing the River [[Anduin]].<ref name="moria" group=T/><ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 2, ch. 9 "The Great River"}}</ref> |
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==Outside of Tolkien's writings== |
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The name "mithril" or similarly spelled variations (''mith'', ''mithral'', ''mythril'', and others) is present in other fictional contexts like role-playing and other games such as ''[[Shining Force II]]'', ''[[Bravely Default]]'', ''[[Terraria]]'', ''[[The Sims Medieval]]'', ''[[RuneScape]]'', ''[[Hexen II]]'', ''[[Elsword]]'', ''[[Guild Wars 2]]'', ''[[Diablo II]]'', ''[[World of Warcraft]]'', ''[[Landmark (video game)]]'', ''[[Dark Age of Camelot]]'', ''[[Chrono Cross]]'', ''[[Final Fantasy]]'', ''[[Zenonia 3]]'', ''[[Xenoblade Chronicles]]'', ''[[NetHack]]'', ''[[Dungeons of Daggorath]]'', ''[[Golden Sun (series)]]'', ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]'', ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'', ''[[EverQuest]]'', ''[[Patapon]]'', ''[[The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion]], "[[Star Ocean (series)]]" , [[Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura|Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magic Obscura]], [[Dota 2]] and [[Lineage II]].'' Mithril metal is also frequently mentioned in many of the original 1st edition ''[[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]]'' game books and adventure modules written by [[Gary Gygax]] and published by [[TSR, Inc.|TSR]]. |
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''[[Simon the Sorcerer]]'' has an element called "Milrith" an anagram of Mithril. |
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When [[Sam Gamgee]] believed Frodo to be dead outside [[Shelob]]'s Lair, he left the shirt with Frodo.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954|loc=book 4, ch. 10, "The Choices of Master Samwise"}}</ref> Frodo was taken by the orcs, who fought over the shirt. Frodo was saved, but one of the orcs escaped with the shirt.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955|loc=book 6, ch. 1, "The Tower of Cirith Ungol"}}</ref> In both Tolkien's and [[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King|Peter Jackson's]] versions, the shirt was, along with Frodo's other possessions, shown to Frodo's allies at the [[Battle of the Morannon]] to imply falsely that he was imprisoned in [[Barad-dûr]].<ref name="Black Gate Opens" group=T/><ref name="Kocher 1974">{{cite book |last=Kocher |first=Paul |author-link=Paul H. Kocher |title=[[Master of Middle-Earth]] |date=1974 |orig-year=1972 |publisher=[[Penguin Books]] |isbn=0-1400-3877-9 |page=141}}</ref><ref name="Bogstad Kaveny 2011">{{cite book |editor1-last=Bogstad |editor1-first=Janice M. |editor2-last=Kaveny |editor2-first=Philip E. |chapter=Introduction |title=Picturing Tolkien: Essays on Peter Jackson's 'The Lord of the Rings' Film Trilogy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jNjKrXRP0G8C&pg=PA1 |year=2011 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company|McFarland]] |isbn=978-0-7864-8473-7 |page=14}}</ref> Gandalf took the shirt and other tokens, but refused any offer of parley.<ref name="Black Gate Opens" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955|loc=book 5, ch. 10 "The Black Gate Opens"}}</ref> |
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Since 2003, mithril has been the "inspiration and metaphor for the MIThril project", a "next-generation wearables research platform"<ref>{{cite web |
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| last = |
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| first = |
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| authorlink = http://www.media.mit.edu/wearables/mithril/people.html |
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| coauthors = |
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| title = Frequently Asked Questions |
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| work = MIThril project |
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| publisher = Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
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| date = |
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| url = http://www.media.mit.edu/wearables/mithril/index.html |
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| doi = |
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| accessdate = 2012-11-19}}</ref> at [[MIT]]. |
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At the end of the story, Frodo wore the shirt at the celebrations and on the trip home. The shirt saved his life one last time when [[Saruman]], who [[The Scouring of the Shire|had taken over the Shire]], tried to stab Frodo after Frodo spared his life.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955|loc=book 6, ch. 8 "[[The Scouring of the Shire]]"}}</ref> When he left to sail to Elvenhome, he gave all his possessions to Sam.<ref name="Grey Havens" group=T/> |
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Mithril also features in games set in Middle-Earth, such as ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]''. One instance that features mithril heavily is volume 2 of the "Epic Story". Records are uncovered of an axe called ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria#Volume II: Mines of Moria|Zigilburk]]'' forged solely from the legendary metal by a master Dwarven smith. The player is tasked with finding the weapon, uncovering the lost forge dedicated to its making in the process. |
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=== Other objects === |
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In the anime series {{nihongo|''[[Full Metal Panic!]]''|フルメタル·パニック!|Furumetaru Panikku!|often abbreviated to '''FMP!'''}} "Mithril" is used as the name of a covert [[anti-terrorist]] private [[military organization]] tasked with protecting [[Kaname Chidori]], a spirited Japanese high school girl. |
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[[File:Flag of the Kings of Gondor.svg|thumb|Artist's impression of the [[Heraldic flag|standard]] of the kings of [[Gondor]], with a crown made of mithril and gold.]] |
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==See also== |
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{{Portal|Middle-earth}} |
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* [[Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks#Tolkien|Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks]] |
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[[Nenya]], the [[Rings of Power|Ring of Power]] wielded by [[Galadriel]], was made of mithril.<ref name="Grey Havens" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955}}, book 6, ch. 9 "The Grey Havens"</ref> |
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==References== |
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{{Reflist}} |
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The guards of the citadel of [[Minas Tirith]] wore helmets of mithril, "heirlooms from the glory of old days". They were the only soldiers in Gondor who still bore the emblems of the lost kings during the days of the stewards.<ref group=T name="Grey Company">{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955}}, book 5, ch. 2 "The Passing of the Grey Company"</ref> |
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==External links== |
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* [http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Mithril mithril] on ''Lord of the Rings'' wikia |
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As Aragorn's ships sailed up the [[Anduin]] to relieve the besieged Minas Tirith during the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]], the [[Heraldic flag|standard]] flying on his ship showed a crown made of mithril and gold.<ref name="Pelennor Fields" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955}}, book 5, ch. 6 "The Battle of the Pelennor Fields"</ref> |
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{{Moria (Middle-earth)}} |
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After [[Gimli (Middle-earth)|Gimli]] became lord of [[Helm's Deep#Later writings|Aglarond]], he and his Dwarves forged great gates of mithril and steel to replace the gates of Minas Tirith, which had been broken by the [[Witch-king of Angmar]].<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955}}, Appendix A, part 3.</ref> |
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[[Category:Middle-earth materials]] |
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[[Category:Precious metals]] |
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The ''Elendilmir'', the Star of Arnor, was a "white star of Elvish crystal upon a [[fillet (clothing)|fillet]] of mithril". It was made for Silmariën, mother of [[Valandil]]; it passed down to [[Elendil]].<ref name="Disaster of Gladden Fields" group=T/> It was found in [[Orthanc]] when the Ents returned the tower to King [[Aragorn]], evidence that Saruman had found and apparently destroyed [[Isildur]]'s remains.<ref name="Disaster of Gladden Fields" group=T/>{{sfn|Libran Moreno|2013|pp=146–147}} |
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Greatest of all, according to legend, was the ship of [[Eärendil]], Vingilótë, which he sailed into the sky, making the gleam of ''truesilver'' visible to the world as the [[Venus|Evening and Morning Star]]. The "[[Song of Eärendil]]", written by Bilbo and Aragorn, contains the lines "A ship then new they built for him / of mithril and of elven-glass".<ref name="Many Meetings" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 2, ch. 1 "Many Meetings"}}</ref> The linguist of Elvish languages [[Anthony Appleyard]] wrote that this machine, with "no shaven oar nor sail", was evidently of an advanced technology, "sound[ing] suspiciously like most people's image of a spaceship."<ref name="Appleyard 1996">{{cite journal |last=Appleyard |first=Anthony |author-link=Anthony Appleyard |title=Tolkien and Space Travel |journal=[[Mallorn (journal)|Mallorn]] |date=December 1996 |issue=34 |pages=21–24 |jstor=45321694}}</ref> |
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== Analysis == |
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=== Origins === |
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Norse culture contains myths of impenetrable armour, such as the shirt made by elves and used in battle by [[Örvar-Oddr]] (Ørvar Odd),<ref name="Fox 2020">{{cite book |last=Fox |first=Michael |title=Following the Formula in Beowulf, Örvar-Odds saga, and Tolkien |chapter=The Folktale Formula: Beowulf and Örvar-Odds saga |publisher=[[Springer Publishing|Springer]] |publication-place=Cham |year=2020 |isbn=978-3-030-48133-9 |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-48134-6_5 |pages=157–194}}</ref> as related in the ''[[Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks]]''.<ref name="Hervarar Saga p10">{{cite book |last=Thorarensen |first=G. (trans.) |editor-last=Petersen |editor-first=N. M. |title=Hervarar Saga |date=1847 |publisher=Det Nordiske Literatur-Samfund |page=10 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EmgAAAAAcAAJ |language=Old Norse}}</ref> The saga was translated by [[Christopher Tolkien]], with a commentary, and his father was certainly familiar with the text.<ref name="Hammond Scull 2020">{{cite journal |last1=Hammond |first1=Wayne G. |author1-link=Wayne G. Hammond |last2=Scull |first2=Christina |author2-link=Christina Scull |title=Christopher Tolkien, 1924–2020 |journal=[[Tolkien Studies]] |publisher=[[Project Muse]] |volume=17 |issue=1 |year=2020 |issn=1547-3163 |doi=10.1353/tks.2020.0001 |pages=7–24}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Shippey |first=Tom |author-link=Tom Shippey |title=Review of The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise |journal=[[Tolkien Studies]] |via=[[Project Muse]] |issue=8 |year=2011 |volume=8 |pages=136–142 |doi=10.1353/tks.2011.0009 |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/20/article/434402/summary}}</ref> |
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{|class="wikitable" |
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|+ The myth of the impenetrable mail-coat |
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|- |
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! ''[[Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks]]''<ref name="Hervarar Saga p10"/> !! Prose translation |
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|''Oddr svarar: "ek vil berjask við Angantýr, hann mun gefa stór högg með Tyrfingi, en ek trúi betr skyrtu minni, enn brynju þinni, til hlífðar"'' |
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|[[Örvar-Oddr|Oddr]] answers: "I want to fight [[Angantyr|Angantýr]], he will deliver a mighty blow with [his magic sword] [[Tyrfing]], but I trust my shirt better than your armour for protection" |
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[[File:IY188 pg157 KIMBERLEY DIAMOND MINE, GRIQUALAND WEST, SOUTH AFRICA, 1885.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|[[Schematic drawing|Semi-schematic drawing]] of [[Kimberley Diamond Mine]] in South Africa, 1885. Tolkien was born near deep mines, and may have chosen to use them in his fiction.<ref name="Barberis 2006"/>]] |
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The mining executive Danièle Barberis notes that Tolkien was born in [[Bloemfontein]], South Africa, in [[Mining in South Africa|a busy mining region]]. She writes that it is "impossible ... not to make parallels" between Tolkien's descriptions of the deep mines of Moria and the exceptional depth of South African mines, some as much as {{convert|4,000|metre|feet}} deep.<ref name="Barberis 2006">{{cite journal |last=Barberis |first=Danièle |title=Tolkien: The Lord of The Mines – Or A Comparative Study Between Mining During the Third Age of Middle-Earth by Dwarves and Mining During Our Age by Men (or Big-People) |journal=Minerals & Energy - Raw Materials Report |volume=20 |issue=3–4 |year=2006|pages=60–68 |doi=10.1080/14041040500504392 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2006MERMR..20...60B }}</ref> |
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=== Metallurgy === |
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The chemist Suze Kundu describes mithril as a [[metal]], a pure [[chemical element]] with "a range of amazing chemical and physical properties" not matched by any real metal, and many applications. Of those that approach it, [[titanium]] is light (has a low density) and strong, but it is not [[Ductility|malleable]] (able to be beaten into shape) like mithril. In Kundu's view the nearest material would be a [[stainless steel]] alloy of [[iron]] with enough nano-scale [[carbon]] to make it hard.<ref name="Kundu 2019">{{cite journal |last=Kundu |first=Suze |title=Elements of Heroism |journal=Chemistry International |publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH |volume=41 |issue=4 |date=1 October 2019 |doi=10.1515/ci-2019-0411 |pages=34–37}}</ref> |
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The metallurgist James Owen suggests that Mithril could be "an fcc <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[face-centred cubic]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> metal like [[aluminium]] or [[nickel]], or possibly a bcc <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[body-centred cubic]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>" metal like titanium".<ref name="Owen 1994"/> Owen comments that it could form "strong, stiff, tough alloys" with those elements, suitable for "light sword blades and armour", or used as the pure element, when "it would be soft and malleable" like copper or gold.<ref name="Owen 1994">{{cite journal |last=Owen |first=James |title=Metallurgy in the Third Age |journal=Other Hands |date=January 1994 |issue=4 |pages=19–21 |url=https://www2.otherminds.net/downloads/oh-archive/other-hands-issue-04.pdf}}</ref> The [[geologist]] [[William Sarjeant]], however, notes that mithril crystallises out "at so high a temperature that it is only found in veins at great depths", and proposes that it may be a [[native metal|native]] alloy of [[platinum]] with another metal, which might be [[palladium]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Sarjeant |first=William Antony Swithin |date=1996 |title=The Geology of Middle-earth |url=https://dc.swosu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2167&context=mythlore |journal=Mythlore |volume=21 |issue=2 |pages=334–339 |access-date=11 July 2024}}</ref> |
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=== Significance === |
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The scholar of English literature [[Charles A. Huttar]] writes that ''mithril'' was the only mineral that Tolkien invented. He notes that in Tolkien's underworld, whether the [[Glittering Caves of Aglarond|caves at Helm's Deep]] or the mines of Moria, "beauty and terror [were] side by side".<ref name="Huttar 1975">{{cite book |last=Huttar |first=Charles A. |author-link=Charles A. Huttar |editor-last=Lobdell |editor-first=Jared |editor-link=Jared Lobdell |title=[[A Tolkien Compass]] |date=1975 |publisher=[[Open Court Publishing Company|Open Court]] |isbn=978-0875483030 |pages=137–139}}</ref> Greed for ''mithril'' could unleash the terror of the [[Balrog]], by digging too far down into the dark realm, but at the same time, he writes, the metal was prized for both its beauty and its usefulness, yielding the best armour. He compares the Dwarves' greed for ''mithril'' with that of the [[Barrow-wight]]s for treasure, and indeed that of the [[dragon]]s in ''[[The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[Beowulf]]'' for gold. In his view, these symbolise the evil "inherent in the mineral treasures hidden in the womb of Earth",<ref name="Huttar 1975"/> just as mining and metalwork are associated with [[Satan]] in [[John Milton]]'s ''[[Paradise Lost]]'' (I, 670–751). Huttar sums up with a reflection on Tolkien's moral vision in the story: just as the characters at every point have to decide for good or ill, so objects have the potential to be both good and evil: "Mithril is both the greatest of treasures and a deadly bane."<ref name="Huttar 1975"/> |
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The Tolkien critic [[Paul H. Kocher|Paul Kocher]] interprets the Dwarves' intense secrecy around mithril and their devotion to artistry in metal and stone as "a sublimation of their sexual frustration", given that they have very few [[dwarf-women]] and love beauty with a "jealous possessiveness", or (quoting Tolkien) "being engrossed in their crafts".<ref name="Kocher p95">{{cite book |last=Kocher |first=Paul |author-link=Paul H. Kocher |title=Master of Middle-Earth: The Achievement of J.R.R. Tolkien |title-link=Master of Middle-earth |date=1974 |orig-year=1972 |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=0140038779 |page=95}}</ref> |
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The name "mithril" (also spelt ''mith'', ''mithral'', or ''mythril'') is used in multiple [[Works inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien|fictional contexts influenced by Tolkien]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/mithril |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412201844/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/mithril |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 April 2019 |title=mithril |publisher=[[OxfordDictionaries.com|Oxford Dictionaries]] |access-date=2019-04-12}}</ref> For example, the ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' game series, begun in 1987, involves dwarves and mithril.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sakaguchi |first1=Hironobu |author1-link=Hironobu Sakaguchi |last2=Sakakibara |first2=Moto |title=Final Fantasy |publisher=Sony Pictures Home Entertainment |year=2006 |page=143 |url= |quote=Sakaguchi borrowed heavily from the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, especially ''The Hobbit'' and ''Lord of the Rings''. His game also featured elves, dwarves, and mithril, a mythical blend of steel and silver.}}</ref> |
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== References == |
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=== Primary === |
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{{reflist|group=T|28em}} |
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=== Secondary === |
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{{reflist|28em}} |
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== Sources == |
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* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Libran Moreno |first=Miryam |editor-last=Drout |editor-first=Michael D. C. |editor-link=Michael D. C. Drout |title=Elendilmir |encyclopedia=[[The J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia|The J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: Scholarship and Critical Assessment]] |year=2013 |orig-year=2007 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-0-415-86511-1 |pages=146–147}} |
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* {{ME-ref|TH}} |
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* {{ME-ref|FOTR}} |
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* {{ME-ref|TT}} |
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* {{ME-ref|ROTK}} |
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* {{ME-ref|UT}} |
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{{The Lord of the Rings}} |
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{{Middle-earth}} |
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[[Category:Middle-earth objects]] |
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[[Category:Fictional metals]] |
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Latest revision as of 10:08, 7 January 2025
Mithril is a fictional metal found in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It is described as resembling silver, but being stronger and lighter than steel. It was used to make armour, such as the helmets of the citadel guard of Minas Tirith, and ithildin alloy, used to decorate gateways with writing visible only by starlight or moonlight. Always extremely valuable, by the end of the Third Age it was beyond price, and only a few artefacts made of it remained in use.
Impenetrable armour occurs in Norse mythology in Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks, a story that Tolkien certainly knew and could have used for his mithril mail-coat. Mithril is the only invented mineral in his Middle-earth writings. Chemists note mithril's remarkable properties, strong and light like titanium, perhaps when made into alloys with elements such as titanium or nickel, and in its pure form malleable like gold.
The scholar Charles A. Huttar states that Tolkien treats mineral treasures as having the potential for both good and evil, recalling the association of mining and metalwork in John Milton's Paradise Lost with Satan. The scholar Paul Kocher interprets the Dwarves' intense secrecy around mithril as an expression of sexual frustration, given that they have very few dwarf-women.
The metal appears in many derivative fantasy works by later authors.
Tolkien
[edit]Etymology
[edit]The name mithril comes from two words in Tolkien's Sindarin language—mith, meaning "grey", and ril, meaning "glitter".[T 1] The Dwarves kept their own name for the material secret.[T 1]
Properties
[edit]In The Hobbit, Thorin Oakenshield described some Dwarven treasures as "coats of mail gilded and silvered and impenetrable" and "a coat of dwarf-linked rings the like of which had never been made before, for it was wrought of pure silver to the power and strength of triple steel."[T 2] A little later the narrator describes "a small coat of mail, wrought for some young elf-prince long ago. It was of silver-steel which the elves call mithril".[T 3][1]
In The Fellowship of the Ring, the wizard Gandalf explained mithril to the rest of the Fellowship in Moria:
Mithril! All folk desired it. It could be beaten like copper, and polished like glass; and the Dwarves could make of it a metal, light and yet harder than tempered steel. Its beauty was like to that of common silver, but the beauty of mithril did not tarnish or grow dim.[T 1]
The Noldor of Eregion, the Elvish land to the west of Moria, made an alloy from it called ithildin ("star moon"), used to decorate gateways, portals and pathways. It was visible only by starlight or moonlight. The West Gate of Moria bore inlaid ithildin designs and runes.[T 1]
Abundance
[edit]In Tolkien's Middle-earth, mithril is extremely rare by the end of the Third Age, as it was now found only in Khazad-dûm. Once the Balrog destroyed Khazad-dûm, the kingdom of the Dwarves in Moria, the only source of new mithril ore was cut off. Before Moria was abandoned by the Dwarves, while it was still being actively mined, mithril was worth ten times its weight in gold.[T 1] After the Dwarves abandoned Moria and production of new mithril stopped entirely, it became priceless.[T 1]
Tolkien hints that mithril was found in the lost island kingdom of Númenor[T 4] and the inaccessible continent of Aman.[T 5]
The mithril-coat
[edit]The principal item made of mithril in the works of Tolkien is the "small coat of mail" that Thorin Oakenshield gave to Bilbo Baggins after it had been retrieved from the hoard of Smaug the dragon.[T 6] Gandalf stated that the value of this mithril-coat was "greater than the value of the whole Shire and everything in it".[T 1] The mail-shirt was first described in The Hobbit in 1937,[T 6] but without any mention of mithril. Tolkien first described the shirt as being made of mithril in The Lord of the Rings in 1954,[T 1] and it was retrospectively mentioned in the third, revised edition of The Hobbit in 1966.[1] In the first 1937 edition, the mail shirt given to Bilbo Baggins is described as being made of "silvered steel".[T 6]
Also there is this!" said Bilbo, bringing out a parcel which seemed to be rather heavy for its size. He unwound several folds of old cloth, and held up a small shirt of mail. It was close-woven of many rings, as supple almost as linen, cold as ice, and harder than steel. It shone like moonlit silver, and was studded with white gems.[T 1]
Bilbo wore the mithril shirt during the Battle of the Five Armies.[T 6] He donated it to the Mathom-house, a museum in Michel Delving. However he later reclaimed it, and took it with him when he left the Shire for his journey to Rivendell. There, some years later, he gave the shirt to Frodo Baggins when the younger hobbit embarked on his quest in The Lord of the Rings. Frodo wore the mail underneath his tunic and other shirt unbeknownst to the rest of the fellowship. The mail saved Frodo's life when he was struck by an orc chieftain's spear thrust during the battle in the Chamber of Mazarbul, and again when orc-arrows struck him while escaping Moria and while crossing the River Anduin.[T 1][T 7]
When Sam Gamgee believed Frodo to be dead outside Shelob's Lair, he left the shirt with Frodo.[T 8] Frodo was taken by the orcs, who fought over the shirt. Frodo was saved, but one of the orcs escaped with the shirt.[T 9] In both Tolkien's and Peter Jackson's versions, the shirt was, along with Frodo's other possessions, shown to Frodo's allies at the Battle of the Morannon to imply falsely that he was imprisoned in Barad-dûr.[T 10][2][3] Gandalf took the shirt and other tokens, but refused any offer of parley.[T 10]
At the end of the story, Frodo wore the shirt at the celebrations and on the trip home. The shirt saved his life one last time when Saruman, who had taken over the Shire, tried to stab Frodo after Frodo spared his life.[T 11] When he left to sail to Elvenhome, he gave all his possessions to Sam.[T 12]
Other objects
[edit]
Nenya, the Ring of Power wielded by Galadriel, was made of mithril.[T 12]
The guards of the citadel of Minas Tirith wore helmets of mithril, "heirlooms from the glory of old days". They were the only soldiers in Gondor who still bore the emblems of the lost kings during the days of the stewards.[T 13]
As Aragorn's ships sailed up the Anduin to relieve the besieged Minas Tirith during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, the standard flying on his ship showed a crown made of mithril and gold.[T 14]
After Gimli became lord of Aglarond, he and his Dwarves forged great gates of mithril and steel to replace the gates of Minas Tirith, which had been broken by the Witch-king of Angmar.[T 15]
The Elendilmir, the Star of Arnor, was a "white star of Elvish crystal upon a fillet of mithril". It was made for Silmariën, mother of Valandil; it passed down to Elendil.[T 4] It was found in Orthanc when the Ents returned the tower to King Aragorn, evidence that Saruman had found and apparently destroyed Isildur's remains.[T 4][4]
Greatest of all, according to legend, was the ship of Eärendil, Vingilótë, which he sailed into the sky, making the gleam of truesilver visible to the world as the Evening and Morning Star. The "Song of Eärendil", written by Bilbo and Aragorn, contains the lines "A ship then new they built for him / of mithril and of elven-glass".[T 5] The linguist of Elvish languages Anthony Appleyard wrote that this machine, with "no shaven oar nor sail", was evidently of an advanced technology, "sound[ing] suspiciously like most people's image of a spaceship."[5]
Analysis
[edit]Origins
[edit]Norse culture contains myths of impenetrable armour, such as the shirt made by elves and used in battle by Örvar-Oddr (Ørvar Odd),[6] as related in the Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks.[7] The saga was translated by Christopher Tolkien, with a commentary, and his father was certainly familiar with the text.[8][9]
| Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks[7] | Prose translation |
|---|---|
| Oddr svarar: "ek vil berjask við Angantýr, hann mun gefa stór högg með Tyrfingi, en ek trúi betr skyrtu minni, enn brynju þinni, til hlífðar" | Oddr answers: "I want to fight Angantýr, he will deliver a mighty blow with [his magic sword] Tyrfing, but I trust my shirt better than your armour for protection" |
The mining executive Danièle Barberis notes that Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in a busy mining region. She writes that it is "impossible ... not to make parallels" between Tolkien's descriptions of the deep mines of Moria and the exceptional depth of South African mines, some as much as 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) deep.[10]
Metallurgy
[edit]The chemist Suze Kundu describes mithril as a metal, a pure chemical element with "a range of amazing chemical and physical properties" not matched by any real metal, and many applications. Of those that approach it, titanium is light (has a low density) and strong, but it is not malleable (able to be beaten into shape) like mithril. In Kundu's view the nearest material would be a stainless steel alloy of iron with enough nano-scale carbon to make it hard.[11]
The metallurgist James Owen suggests that Mithril could be "an fcc [face-centred cubic] metal like aluminium or nickel, or possibly a bcc [body-centred cubic]" metal like titanium".[12] Owen comments that it could form "strong, stiff, tough alloys" with those elements, suitable for "light sword blades and armour", or used as the pure element, when "it would be soft and malleable" like copper or gold.[12] The geologist William Sarjeant, however, notes that mithril crystallises out "at so high a temperature that it is only found in veins at great depths", and proposes that it may be a native alloy of platinum with another metal, which might be palladium.[13]
Significance
[edit]The scholar of English literature Charles A. Huttar writes that mithril was the only mineral that Tolkien invented. He notes that in Tolkien's underworld, whether the caves at Helm's Deep or the mines of Moria, "beauty and terror [were] side by side".[14] Greed for mithril could unleash the terror of the Balrog, by digging too far down into the dark realm, but at the same time, he writes, the metal was prized for both its beauty and its usefulness, yielding the best armour. He compares the Dwarves' greed for mithril with that of the Barrow-wights for treasure, and indeed that of the dragons in The Hobbit and Beowulf for gold. In his view, these symbolise the evil "inherent in the mineral treasures hidden in the womb of Earth",[14] just as mining and metalwork are associated with Satan in John Milton's Paradise Lost (I, 670–751). Huttar sums up with a reflection on Tolkien's moral vision in the story: just as the characters at every point have to decide for good or ill, so objects have the potential to be both good and evil: "Mithril is both the greatest of treasures and a deadly bane."[14]
The Tolkien critic Paul Kocher interprets the Dwarves' intense secrecy around mithril and their devotion to artistry in metal and stone as "a sublimation of their sexual frustration", given that they have very few dwarf-women and love beauty with a "jealous possessiveness", or (quoting Tolkien) "being engrossed in their crafts".[15]
The name "mithril" (also spelt mith, mithral, or mythril) is used in multiple fictional contexts influenced by Tolkien.[16] For example, the Final Fantasy game series, begun in 1987, involves dwarves and mithril.[17]
References
[edit]Primary
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Tolkien 1954a, book 2, ch. 4 "A Journey in the Dark"
- ^ Tolkien 1937, ch. 12 "Inside Information"
- ^ Tolkien 1937, ch. 13 "Not At Home" (mention of mithril from 1966 edition onwards)
- ^ a b c Tolkien 1980, part 3, ch. 1 "The Disaster of the Gladden Fields
- ^ a b Tolkien 1954a, book 2, ch. 1 "Many Meetings"
- ^ a b c d Tolkien 1937 ch. 13 "Not at Home"
- ^ Tolkien 1954a, book 2, ch. 9 "The Great River"
- ^ Tolkien 1954, book 4, ch. 10, "The Choices of Master Samwise"
- ^ Tolkien 1955, book 6, ch. 1, "The Tower of Cirith Ungol"
- ^ a b Tolkien 1955, book 5, ch. 10 "The Black Gate Opens"
- ^ Tolkien 1955, book 6, ch. 8 "The Scouring of the Shire"
- ^ a b Tolkien 1955, book 6, ch. 9 "The Grey Havens"
- ^ Tolkien 1955, book 5, ch. 2 "The Passing of the Grey Company"
- ^ Tolkien 1955, book 5, ch. 6 "The Battle of the Pelennor Fields"
- ^ Tolkien 1955, Appendix A, part 3.
Secondary
[edit]- ^ a b Rateliff, John D. (2008). "The Second Phase, "While the Dragon's Away..."". The History of the Hobbit: Volume 2, Return to Bag-End. HarperCollins. p. (ii) "The Arkenstone as Silmaril", note 13. ISBN 978-0-00-726647-0.
- ^ Kocher, Paul (1974) [1972]. Master of Middle-Earth. Penguin Books. p. 141. ISBN 0-1400-3877-9.
- ^ Bogstad, Janice M.; Kaveny, Philip E., eds. (2011). "Introduction". Picturing Tolkien: Essays on Peter Jackson's 'The Lord of the Rings' Film Trilogy. McFarland. p. 14. ISBN 978-0-7864-8473-7.
- ^ Libran Moreno 2013, pp. 146–147.
- ^ Appleyard, Anthony (December 1996). "Tolkien and Space Travel". Mallorn (34): 21–24. JSTOR 45321694.
- ^ Fox, Michael (2020). "The Folktale Formula: Beowulf and Örvar-Odds saga". Following the Formula in Beowulf, Örvar-Odds saga, and Tolkien. Cham: Springer. pp. 157–194. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-48134-6_5. ISBN 978-3-030-48133-9.
- ^ a b Thorarensen, G. (trans.) (1847). Petersen, N. M. (ed.). Hervarar Saga (in Old Norse). Det Nordiske Literatur-Samfund. p. 10.
- ^ Hammond, Wayne G.; Scull, Christina (2020). "Christopher Tolkien, 1924–2020". Tolkien Studies. 17 (1). Project Muse: 7–24. doi:10.1353/tks.2020.0001. ISSN 1547-3163.
- ^ Shippey, Tom (2011). "Review of The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise". Tolkien Studies. 8 (8): 136–142. doi:10.1353/tks.2011.0009 – via Project Muse.
- ^ a b Barberis, Danièle (2006). "Tolkien: The Lord of The Mines – Or A Comparative Study Between Mining During the Third Age of Middle-Earth by Dwarves and Mining During Our Age by Men (or Big-People)". Minerals & Energy - Raw Materials Report. 20 (3–4): 60–68. Bibcode:2006MERMR..20...60B. doi:10.1080/14041040500504392.
- ^ Kundu, Suze (1 October 2019). "Elements of Heroism". Chemistry International. 41 (4). Walter de Gruyter GmbH: 34–37. doi:10.1515/ci-2019-0411.
- ^ a b Owen, James (January 1994). "Metallurgy in the Third Age" (PDF). Other Hands (4): 19–21.
- ^ Sarjeant, William Antony Swithin (1996). "The Geology of Middle-earth". Mythlore. 21 (2): 334–339. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
- ^ a b c Huttar, Charles A. (1975). Lobdell, Jared (ed.). A Tolkien Compass. Open Court. pp. 137–139. ISBN 978-0875483030.
- ^ Kocher, Paul (1974) [1972]. Master of Middle-Earth: The Achievement of J.R.R. Tolkien. Penguin Books. p. 95. ISBN 0140038779.
- ^ "mithril". Oxford Dictionaries. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
- ^ Sakaguchi, Hironobu; Sakakibara, Moto (2006). Final Fantasy. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. p. 143.
Sakaguchi borrowed heavily from the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, especially The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. His game also featured elves, dwarves, and mithril, a mythical blend of steel and silver.
Sources
[edit]- Libran Moreno, Miryam (2013) [2007]. "Elendilmir". In Drout, Michael D. C. (ed.). The J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: Scholarship and Critical Assessment. Routledge. pp. 146–147. ISBN 978-0-415-86511-1.
- Tolkien, J. R. R. (1937). Douglas A. Anderson (ed.). The Annotated Hobbit. Boston: Houghton Mifflin (published 2002). ISBN 978-0-618-13470-0.
- Tolkien, J. R. R. (1954a). The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. OCLC 9552942.
- Tolkien, J. R. R. (1954). The Two Towers. The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. OCLC 1042159111.
- Tolkien, J. R. R. (1955). The Return of the King. The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. OCLC 519647821.
- Tolkien, J. R. R. (1980). Christopher Tolkien (ed.). Unfinished Tales. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-395-29917-3.
