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Andúril was the sword of Aragorn 2, forged from the shards of Narsil (the mighty sword of Elendil) by elven-smiths in Rivendell in the Third Age 3018. On its blade was a design of seven stars (for Elendil) between a crescent moon (for Isildur) and a rayed sun (for Anárion), as well as many runes. Because of its heritage and its bearer, and because of its brightness, Andúril quickly became a famous weapon. It was called in Westron the Flame of the West. It was also known as the Sword that was Broken, the Sword Reforged, etc.
The Arkenstone was a great white jewel found deep beneath Erebor by Thráin 1. The Arkenstone was the greatest treasure of the Kings of Erebor, but was left in Erebor when Smaug drove the Dwarves out in the Third Age 2770. In 2941, while a member of Thorin and Company, Bilbo found it when he explored Smaug's hoard. The Arkenstone was used by him to attempt a reconciliation between Thorin and the Elves and Men besieging him, and was later buried with Thorin. It was also called the Heart of the Mountain.
The Iron Crown was the great crown of Morgoth, forged by him in Angband on his return to Middle-earth, and symbol of his claim to be King of the World. The Silmarils were set in the Crown, fastened by iron claws. Beren pried one Silmaril loose from the Iron Crown , and after the Great Battle the other two jewels were removed and the Crown beaten into a collor for Morgoth's neck.
A corselet and helmet of mithril made in Erebor for a young Elf-prince was incorporated into Smaug's hoard. During the expedition of Thorin and Company, Thorin gave it to Bilbo Baggins, who in turn later gave it to Frodo. Frodo wore the corsselet during the Quest of Mount Doom, and it saved his life in Khazad-dûm. The mithril corselet was captured with Frodo in Cirith Ungol, and when two Orc-bands quarreled over its pOssëssion Frodo was able to escape. Gandalf reclaimed the corselet from the Mouth of Sauron, and Frodo wore it on his return to the Shire, where it foiled Saruman's attempt on his life.
Narsil was the mighty sword of Elendil, forged by Telchar of Nogrod in the First Age. Narsil broke and its light was extinguished when Elendil fell in the Second Age 3441 while fighting sauron. Isildur used the hilt to cut the One Ring from Sauron's finger. Brought back to Arnor by Ohtar, the shards of Narsil were one of the heirlooms of the Line of Isildur; Elrond foretold that the sword would not be reforged until Sauron rose again and the One Ring was found. After the fall of the North-kingdom, the shards of Narsil were kept in Imladris. Elrond presented Narsil to Aragorn 2 when he came of age, and on the eve of the War of the Ring the sword was reforged and named Andúril. It was also called the Sword of Elendil and the Sword or Blade that was Broken. The Elvish name carried a connotation of “red and white flame.”
Narya was the third of the Three Rings of the Elves, originally worn by Cirdan, but given by him to Gandalf when the latter came to Middle-earth. Narya was the Ring of Fire and had a red stone. It had the power to strengthen hearts. It was also called Narya the Great, the Ring of Fire, and the Red Ring of Fire.
Nenya was the second of the Three Rings of the Elves. Worn by Galadriel, it was made of mithril and had a white stone with a soft, flickering light. It was also called the Ring of Water and Ring of Adamant.
The Nine Rings were the Rings of Power given to Men. The bearers of the Nine, the Nazgul, were easily corrupted by Sauron and showed themselves in their new form about the Second Age 2250. The Nine Rings preserved them, but they became invisible and totally dependent on Sauron and the One Ring. The Nine Rings were destroyed in Orodruin when the One was destroyed during the War of the Ring, although the greatest of the Nine, worn by the Lord of the Nazgul, may have been preserved, although it was powerless. As with the other lesser Rings of Power, the Nine were each set with a gem.
The One Ring was the greatest of the Rings of Power. After the forging of the other Rings, Sauron secretly forged the One Ring by himself in Orodruin, intending thereby to control the other Rings and their bearers. However, Celebrimbor perceived his designs and kept the Three Rings free from Sauron's domination. Sauron Did, however, control the Nine Rings through the One Ring. He let much of hi power pass into the Ring, and many of his works, including the Barad-Dûr, were linked to its power. The Ring was completely evil. In appearance, the One Ring was a plain gold band. The Ring inscription was finely engraved on it, but could only be read when the Ring was heated. The Ring could only be melted in the Fire of Doom in which it was forged. Because of its great evil power, the Ring had curious properties. It posessed a certain measure of self,determination; Gandalf, who had wisdom in such matters, claimed that Bilbo found the Ring because it wanted to be found in order to be reunited with Sauron. The Ring also used and devoured its bearers unless, like Sauron, they were of very great power. Their lives were extended, but they became enslaved to it and were physically changed as their bodies and souls were consumed by the Ring's hunger. The Ring also incited greed on the part of others to possess it, and jealous hat and fear on the part of its bearer.
The Palantíri were seven crystal globes wrought by the Noldor in Eldamar and given to the Lords of the Andúnië by the Eldar. The palantíri showed scenes far away in space and time, and the views could be controlled by a person of strong will; two palantíri could be used for communication. Palantíri were also called the Seeing-stones. The palantír of the Tower Hills was called the Stone of Elendil. At the fall of Númenor, Elendil brought the palantíri to Middle-earth, and placed them throughout his realm. The chief palantír he placed in the Dome of the Stars in Osgiliath; thi stone alone could view all the others at one time. The others were placed in Minas Ithil, Mina Anor, Orthanc, Annúminas, the Tower Hills, which only looked to the Undying Lands, and from time to time the Eldar made pilgrimages to the Tower Hills to look at Eldamar and Valinor. This palantír was put aboard the white ship of the Last Riding of the Keepers of the Rings in the Third Age 3021. The palantír of Amon Sûl was long coveted by Rhudaur and Cardolan, for it was the chief stone of the North-kingdom and the other two were pOssëssed by Arthedain and the Eldar.
The Phial of Galadriel was a jar of crystal, containing the light of Eärendil caught in the water of the fountain that filled the Mirror of Galadriel. The Phial was given by Galadriel to Frodo as a parting gift when he left Lórien during the Quest. The Phial had the virtue of shining in dark places and of bringing strength and courage, and its light was in turn increased by the hope and bravery of its bearer. With the Phial Frodo was able to overcocme his desire for the Ring, and Sam used the Phial to cow and blind Shelob. It also aided the breaking of the spell of the gate of the Tower of Cirith Ungol. After the War of the Ring, Frodo bore the Phial with him to the West.
The Seven Rings were the Rings of Power of the Dwarves. They were probably given to the Kings of each of the seven houses of the Dwarves. Despite Sauron's plans, the Seven could not dominate the Dwarves either by making them evil or by lengthening their lives. They did, however, cause their bearers to lust after gold and other precious materials. This failure caused Sauron to hate the Dwarves more than he did already, and he tried to recover the Seven. Sauron was successful in recovering three of the Rings, and dragons consumed the other four. The only Ring about which much is said is the Ring of Durin's Folk. It was said to have been given to Durin 3 by the Elves and not by Sauron, and was probably the greatest of the Seven. It was long kept hidden, but the Dwarves believed that Sauron at last discovered its location and for this reason especially persecuted the Kings of Durin's Folk. The ring was taken from Thráin in Dol Guldur about the Third Age 2845. The Seven Rings had metal bands and were set with single gems.
The Silmarilli were the three jewels shining with the light of the Two Trees, made by Fëanor in the years following the unchaining of Melkor. The Silmarilli were the greatest works of craft ever produced by the Children of Ilúvatar, and, like the Two Trees, their creation could not be duplicated. The shell of the jewels was composed of silima, but at their heart was the ever radiant light of the Trees, and the Silmarilli shown by themselves. They were hallowed by Varda so that any impure hand touching them would be burned and witherd. The inhabitants of Aman loved the jewels, but Fëanor gave his heart to them and Melkor lusted after their light. At first Fëanor wore them at festivals, but as the lies of Melkor influenced him, he began to keep them locked away, and his love for them grew arrogant and greedy. When Melkor and Ungoliant poisoned the Trees, Fëanor refused to give up the Silmarilli to restore the Trees, and at that moment they were stolen by Melkor from the Noldorin Treasury at Formenos, even though his hands were burned and ceaselessly tormented him. The lust of Melkor and the arrogance of Fëanor (expressed in his Oath and the revolt of the Noldor) tainted the jewels, so that thereafter all desire for them came to an evil end. Melkor and Ungoliant quarreled over them; after the Dark Lord overcame his former ally, he set the jewels in his Iron Crown. There they remained, luring the Noldorin Exiles to their doom, until Beren, impelled by his love for Lúthien and the demand of Thingol, cut one out. This Silmaril was soon swallowed by Carcharoth, who bit off Beren's hand in the process, and was not recovered for some time, until Carcharoth was slain in the Hunting of the Wolf. The dying Beren gave the Silmaril to Thingol, thus fulfilling his Quest.
The Silver Crown was the chief mark of royalty of Gondor. Originally a plain Númenórean war-helm, said to be Isildur's, in the time of Atanatar Alcarin it was replaced by a jeweled helm. The new helm was silver and had wings like those of a seabird wrought of pearl and silver. The Crown had seven gems in it to represent Elendil, and also a single gem to represent Anárion. It was also called the White Crown and the Winged Crown.
Sting was a well-forged long knife made in Beleriand in the First Age, named by Bilbo Baggins. Sting shone with a blue light when Orccs were near. Bilbo found Sting in a Troll-cave during the expedition of Thorin and Company, and he and Frodo used it as a sword throughout their adventures. Frodo gave Sting to Sam in the Tower of Cirith Ungol, after Sam had seriously wounded Shelob with it.
The Red Book of Westmarch was a large book with red leather covers, written by Bilbo, Frodo, and Sam, and containing additions and notes by other hands. The Red Book contained the story of Bilbo's adventures with Thorin in the Third Age 2941, and an account of the War of the Ring and the events of the end of the Third Age as seen by Hobbits. Attached to the Red Book were the three volumes of Bilbo's Translations from the Elvish and a volume of genealogies and other Shire matters compiled by one of Sam's descendants. The Red Book was given by Sam to his daughter Elanor, and was kept by the Fairbairns in Westmarch, whence its name. Although the original of the Red Book was lost, many copies of it were made. The first, and most important, was Thain's Book. An exact copy of this copy, made by Findegil in the Fourth Age 172, was kept at the Great Smials. This copy, the only extant one to contain all of Bilbo's Translations, also contains annotations and corrections made by the scholars of Gondor, as well as various marginalia written by many generations of Hobbits. It was also known as the Red Book and (in Gondor) the Red Book of the Periannath.
The ring of Barahir was an Elven-ring, made by the Noldor in Valinor and given by Finrod to Barahir during Dagor Bragollach as a pledge of his aid to Barahir and his kin. When Barahir was slain in Dorthonion, his hand, bearing the ring, was cut off for proof of his death, but Beren recovered both hand and ring, at great peril to himself. He brought the ring to Nargothrond during the Quest of the Silmarils, and Finrod fulfilled his pledge, giving his life to save Beren in the dungens of Minas Tirith. The ring was somehow preserved through the rest of the First Age (probably by Dior and Elwing), and apparently passed into the hands of the Faithful of Númenor in the Second. In the Third Age, it was one of the heirlooms of the North-kingdom; at the fall of Arthedain Arvedui gave it to the chief of the Lossoth, from whom it was afterwards ransomed. Thereafter it was kept at Rivendell. The ring was in the fashion of two serpents with emerald eyes, one devouring and the other supporting a ccrown of golden flowers. It was also called the ring of Felagund.
The Rings of Power were the greatest rings of Middle-earth, forged by the Noldorin smiths of Eregion and by Sauron between the Second Age 1500 and 1590. There were Nine Rings for Men, Seven Rings for Dwarves, and Three Rings for the Elves. Ten years after the forging of these Rings, Sauron treacherously forged the One Ring to rule the others, but his designes were perceived by Celebrimbor. Although the Elves managed to escape from this trap, and the Dwarves proved untamable through the Rings, the Nine Rings ensnared the Nazgul. After the unmaking of the One Ring during the War of the Ring, however, all the Rings lost their power. Any mortal posessing one of the Rings would not die, but would continue living in great weariness; the Dwarves, however, were unaffected by this. All the Rings except for the One consisted of a metal band set with a gem. They were also called the Great Rings and the Rings.
The Three Rings were the Elven Rings of Power. They were forged without Sauron's assistance, and thus his tain was not directly on them. However, they and their works could be controlled by the One, and their wielders would be revealed to Sauron if he had the One Ring. Unlike the other Rings, the Three gave power to build, understand, and heal, not to control or conquer. The Three were somehow successfully hidden through the Second Age and were used in secret in the Third. However, when the One was destroyed they became powerless, and the things wrought with them failed. The Rings were taken to the West with the Last Riding of their Keepers at the end of the Third Age. The Three Rings, each of which was a band set with a single gem, were Vilya, Nenya, and Narya.
Vilya was the mightiest of the Three Rings of the Elves. Vilya was originally worn by Gil-galad, but it was given by him to Elrond. Vilya was made of gold and was set with a great sapphire. It was also called the Ring of Air and the Ring of Sapphire.