The Anduril Sword

“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 rayed Sun, and about them was written many runes; for Aragorn son of Arathorn was going to war upon the marches of Mordor. Very bright was that sword when it was made whole again; the light of the sun shone redly in it, and the light of the moon shone cold, its edge was hard and keen. And Aragorn gave it a new name and called it Andúril, Flame of the West.”

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

In 1937, a British First World War veteran and college professor named John Ronald Reuel Tolkien quietly published an unusual book. The book was entitled, “The Hobbit,” and was the sort of story that – unexpectedly to its author – gripped the imagination of every generation since. The Hobbit was the first of Tolkien’s books set in the land of Middle-earth, a fictionalized version of Europe’s long distant past. The most famous of these books was The Lord of the Rings, a three-part epic high fantasy novel that was absolutely formative for the fantasy genre and the subject of inspiration (if not outright plagiarism) for every author that came afterward. Films and stage productions have been made of his works, college and universities teach courses and seminars about the meaning of his books – were they pure fiction? Or political allegory?

In letters written later in his life, Tolkien admitted that his books were not (as was the popular understanding) an allegory for the Second World War, or even for the First World War in which he served and lost all but one of his childhood friends. Instead, his books were intended to be a modern take on the classic faerie story – a tale that would have not only internal consistency but outward applicability in any age. Perhaps this is why the stories continue to give inspiration and meaning to people born many decades since they were originally written – a fact that would please Tolkien greatly. And as a faerie story, there are many examples of strange and magical weapons in the pages of The Lord of the Rings – none are more famous than Anduril.

In order to understand the importance of the Anduril sword, one must first understand its position in the history of Middle-earth. During a time known as the Second Age there was a great island kingdom called Númenor, whose kings were descendants of a union of Humans and Elves. This mighty race of explorers grew powerful, and prideful in their power, so much so that they sought even to challenge the gods. This was to be their downfall, and the island of Númenor was sunk beneath the ocean in a terrible cataclysm. The surviving few, a faithful remnant of Númenor, travelled to the mainland and founded the kingdoms-in-exile of Gondor and Arnor. The ruler of these kingdoms was Elendil, High King, and out of the ruins of Númenor he carried with him the ancient sword Narsil – an heirloom from the first king of the Númenoreans.

War came to Middle-earth, and Elendil raised up his people to march along side the Elves and their King, Gil-galad. The Last Alliance brought their might against the forces of Mordor and the Dark Lord Sauron, who wielded the terrible power of the One Ring against them. Forced to face Sauron himself in single combat, the sword Narsil was broken and Eldendil was slain. Isildur, the heir of Elendil, took up the broken shard of Narsil and cut the One Ring from Sauron’s hand, ending his terrible reign over the free peoples of Middle-earth. The shards of Narsil were passed down in the family, even after the House of Elendil fell into decay and they were Kings no longer.

When the events of the first book of The Lord of the Rings begin, the One Ring (thought lost to time for centuries) has been found, and the scattered remnants of the people of Middle-earth must rally for another war. A distant descendant of Elendil – the ranger Aragorn, not a king but a wanderer in the wilderness – must take up both the cause of his ancestors and the blade to defeat Sauron once and for all. The shards of Narsil are reforged by the Elves, and into Aragorn’s hands is given a new sword – Anduril, the Flame of the West. Aragorn rises to lead Middle-earth, Anduril in hand, and bring them out of the shadow and into a future free from Sauron’s tyranny as the new king of Gondor. Anduril is at the center of this mythological story arc, as depicted in the poem Tolkien wrote about the hero Aragorn’s journey:

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king.

-J.R.R. Tolkien

As fans of Tolkien’s incredible works, we at Darksword Armory are pleased to recreate the sword of the King of Gondor. The Darksword Armory Anduril is hand Crafted with 5160 High Carbon steel, dual hardened to a Rockwell of 60 at the edge and 48-50 at the core. The beautifully detailed leather handle is accentuated by the unique pommel, making this one of the most recognized fantasy swords. The blade is forged with a deep full length fuller. The Anduril sword, as with all our swords, is a powerful battle ready sword, capable of delivering considerable damage with a two-handed swing. Given the pommel geometry, the Anduril sword was not topped with a peened pommel but rather hot peened. That being said, the pommel and tang were heated and pressure set. This is a favorite among fantasy sword collectors, and for good reason. We are proud to contribute even in a small way to the appreciation of the work of a literary master such as Tolkien.