Actually the Sword he "fought" with was probably aluminum, and if you watch the making of stuff on the extended edition you'll see that alot of the shots had the sword blades digitally added after the fact. There are scenes in the making of that show Ian McKellan (Gandalf) swinging a sword hilt with about 4 inches of blade on it. Especially the scenes of the battle in front of the black gates.
The real steel blades were just used for the close-up shots, as when Elrond presented Aragorn with Anduril before he took the paths of the dead.

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"I am Anduril, who was Narsil, let the thralls of Mordor fear me".
Translation of the blade.

There's no way Viggo could fight with something that heavy. I know he's strong, but that would have been way too physically exhausting. And you're right, I wouldn't want to be one os hic Orc opponents.
I'm not actually thinking about buying a Hadhafang replica, although it would be pretty awesome. I was just curious. Thanks for the help though Dumanyu. And thanks for your extra hepl there Ea. I always like talking with you. Especially about the LOTR books.
It sounds like you're really knowledgeable about LOTR weapons Dumanyu. That's interesting. You're a collector, right? Do you collect non-LOTR stuff as well?

Actually Tinuviel, I also have A Katana made of the film The Last Samurai (you can see the hilt of that sword in the picture of Anduril hanging, it's on the bottom right), and other then the LOTR stuff, the only other things I collect are Coins (Both world coins, and Ancient Roman/Egyptian).

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"I am Anduril, who was Narsil, let the thralls of Mordor fear me".
Translation of the blade.

T.T, you are most welcome and thank you too. The pleasure is all mine.

If this is the way swords were forged, then Viggo could have handled it. At least in some of the scenes... the more.. "realistic" ones.


Anyway, perhaps we should continue this discussion in the Aragorn and Anduril thread (for a moment I actually thought this was the topic...).
I think it would be a pity if Hadhafang wasn't honoured with a thread of its own!

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Banner credit: Shadowcat & Nurrantiel Mashiara

^ I think you're right Ea. This thread is getting way off topic. Where is the Aragorn/Anudril thread? Or do we have yet to start one? You're right. Hadafang does deserve it's own thread without us stealing its thunder by talking about all of these other important swords.

Yea, I liked the discussions on womens swords.
I don't think we answered this yet; what does Tolkien say about Hadhafang when Idril had it? Does he actually tell why she had it or what she might have used it for?


Here's the link to the Aragorn and Anduril thread. I found it in the Book discussion, though, I don't remember if there is a thread on the swords in the movies, but most likely!

Here you go: http://arwen-undomiel.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10452

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>>Be the change you wish to see in the world<<



Banner credit: Shadowcat & Nurrantiel Mashiara

Thank you! Perhaps I will visit there as well.
I'm just reading the Silm for the first time, so I'm not sure if Idril ever uses Hadhafang. I think she uses it to lead a remnant of the people away when Gondolin is attacked, just for protection. I don't know if she ever spills any blood. Of course, I don't think I've read that part yet (I'm pretty close if I haven't.), so I could be completely wrong and please someone correct me if I am.

Hi everyone, I don't want to burst any bubbles here.. but isn't this the book section? And allthough Hadhafang is very entertaining as a subject, it was never mentioned in the books. Awwww... But no offence, it is the most beautiful sword forged (that's how you say it, right?) for the movies! And it gives the female warrior-idea of PJ a little 'swung'. And that's also a good thing!
Still, I'm glad I found this topic, because now I know something about the swords in Dumanyu's sig! It's georgeous!!! Can you handle it?

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^ It is mentioned in the Silmarillion, but not in the LOTR books. So I think we're ok having it in the Miscellaneous books section. I could be wrong though. Also, I know it was in the movies, but did we ever actually hear them call it Hadhafang? I never knew it was Hadhafang until after I'd heard other people talking about it. I could be wrong about that too though. it wouldn't be a first, and definitely not a last either.

It is fine talking about Hadhafang in this section, because it plays a part in the Sil. To be honest, I can't remember whether Idril uses her sword, it being a while since I read that part of the Sil, but something tells me she does. (there is something to do with Glorfindel that is relevant here, but I can't for the life of me remember what it was) I know that they have to fight their way out when they escape.

Aha! I have just read it! So I know what you're talking about! Idril had a feeling that Gondolin was going to be in danger, so she had a secret escape route out of Gondolin built. She, Tuor, and the remnants of their people escape, with them is Glorfindel. They escape from Gondolin successfully, but after awhile are ambushed by many Orcs and a Balrog. Here, Glorfindel slays the Balrog, but is slain himself in the process. Thorondor bears his body back to his people, and they bury him in a mound after their own fashion. I was sad reading this. I really liked Glorfindel. Is this the same Glorfindel who was in LOTR? A reincarnated version or something? Somone told me that once. I never knew if that was right though. Does anyone here?
I am thinking that while they were being ambushed was the time when Idril was using Hadhafang, but they actually never mention her or the sword at this time. Perhaps they do in a later chapter that I have yet to read.

I have often wondered whether the Glorfindel in the trilogy is the same (or similar) to the one in the Sil. but I think that he is not. Only one elf was reincarnated, and that was Luthien Tinuviel. So the Glorfindel in the Trilogy must be a different elf, who either had the same name, but servived those times, or was named after the one who slew the Balrog.

Actually, I think there were other elves who returned from the Halls of Mandos, such as Finrod. But as far as I know, Luthien was the only elf to return to Middle Earth (rather than Valinor).
So it's possible that it's the same Glorfindel, but I'm inclined to agree with you that there were two.

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"If I had a button that would cause all guns everywhere to disappear, I might push it.
Wars would be more fun if we used swords again."
– one of my guyfriends

Luthien was brought back to life, but I was talking about being reincarnated, which is being reborn, but in a different body or form. So it coulod be that Glorfindel was reincarnated, though not brought back to life. Tolkien, however, was a Christian, and his books have a definite Christain theme, so I doubt very much that Incarnation, which is not part of Christianity, would be included in his stories. I too agree that it probably two different Glorfindels. However, since this thread is about Hadhafang and not Glorfindel, perhaps we shouls steer back on topic.......

(I know we ought to be discussing Hadhafang, but I feel I need to respond, as discussion on Tolkiens work is too rare.)

Technically The Halls of Mandos were in Valinor anyway, but now you mention it, I do remember reading something about Finrod being allowed back out to roam Valinor.

A third Glorfinded thread revived? Yes (even though it began about Hadhafang), but this one brings up the issue of Tolkien's faith...



As we now know, Tolkien imagined only one Glorfindel, and as far as his faith goes, he once explained the following. It might be noted first that for a long time (decades) Tolkien imagined Elves being reborn as Elf-children as the mode of reincarnation; thus actual rebirth -- which, one assumes, includes having a different body. In 1954 Tolkien explained to Peter Hastings (here somewhat edited by me for brevity):




So Tolkien defends his position on reincarnation with respect to his tales (not for Men in any case), and here to the manager of a Catholic Bookshop in Oxford.



JRRT would never abandon reincarnation, but he did ultimately revise his long held idea of Elves being reborn as Elf-babies. The revised idea was: the fea of an Elf [the term fea roughly translates as 'spirit'] contained an exact imprint of the hroa [roughly 'body'] -- a memory so precise and complete that a new but exact copy could be made from it by the Valar. So the restored body was 'new' but in all ways like the old hroa.