Middle Earth Ranger Forum

Hi all,

Entertainment Weekly has a new set of photos from The Hobbit online:
http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,2048313 ... 20,00.html

Some amazing shots, great detail, and the cast and Peter Jackson will be at Comic Con!

The buzz begins!

Ken

Great shots. I'm super excited for the movie. And I am incredibly interested in the sword of Thorin.

I can't wait for the movie!

Well, we called it. Orcrist is an elvish Kopis. Not sure how I feel about it, but it does look kinda cool.

I'm majorly disappointed in Orcrist. I can see how they tied in elements of Glamdring but I think to call it a brother to it is a stretch. There not even in the same type. I don't even know if Tolkien made reference to singled edged weapons in regards to the elves ever. To me it looks like someone left Glamdring in the dryer, it shrunk, and they cut it in half by accident. IMHO I would think, given the elvish artistic eye, they would have made a single handed version of Glamdring with the same general proportions, just scaled down. I have to say this is the first time I've been disappointed in Peter Lyons.

You'd think, given the similarities between Glamdring and Sting, that Orcrist would follow those same lines, eh? Well, poop.

Well, to be fair, I don't believe Tolkien identified Glamdring and Orcrist as being related in any way other than that both were forged by the Gondolindrim. They were quite possibly made by different smiths, and cannot be expected to have been as similar in design as, say, Anglachel and Anguirel probably were.

Not to be a little off-topic or whatever but do any of you know a good Middle Earth naming site? My mind blanked on me and I forgot what they were called but it's where you can look at names to give your weapons. Many thanks!

I think that they are looking at the name "Orcrist" (goblin-cleaver) and took it literally. We haven't seen it in action yet, so I am holding back any reservations. Perhaps they are just trying to show different styles? We know that they took artistic license for many other things in the film-verse, so this shouldn't be that different.

Ken

RangerKellen wrote:Not to be a little off-topic or whatever but do any of you know a good Middle Earth naming site? My mind blanked on me and I forgot what they were called but it's where you can look at names to give your weapons. Many thanks!

Maybe this can start you on your way!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mi ... and_armour

Happy naming!

Ken

Building a bit of info, as I find it:

From The Hobbit:

Chapter: "A Short Rest": Elrond said "These are not troll-make. They are old swords, very old swords of the High Elves of the West, my kin. They were made in Gondolin for the Goblin-wars. They must have come from a dragon's hoard or goblin plunder, for dragons and goblins destroyed that city many ages ago. This, Thorin, the runes name Orcrist, the Goblin-cleaver in the ancient tongue of Gondolin; it was a famous blade."

Chapter: "Over Hill and Under Hill", the Dwarves are captured by the Goblins and interrogated. Thorin is called a liar, and "Also, he has not explained this!" He (the Goblin) held out the swrod which Thorin had worn, the sword which came from the Trolls' lair.

The Great Goblin gave a truly awful howl of rage when he looked at it, and all his soldiers gnashed their teeth, clashed their shields and stamped. They knew the sword at once. It had killed hundreds of goblins in its time, when the fair elves of Gondolin hunted them in the hills or did battle before their walls. They had called it Orcrist, Goblin-cleaver, but the goblins called it simply Biter. They hated it and hated worse any one that carried it.

And an interesting discussion on the topic of the owner of Orcrist!

http://www.minastirith.com/cgi-bin/ulti ... 7;t=000144

Ken

Thank you Mirimaran!

Ernildhir wrote:Well, to be fair, I don't believe Tolkien identified Glamdring and Orcrist as being related in any way other than that both were forged by the Gondolindrim. They were quite possibly made by different smiths, and cannot be expected to have been as similar in design as, say, Anglachel and Anguirel probably were.

The closest that he ever came to that was in the Fellowship of the Ring, in the chapter titled The Ring Goes South when describing the gear of the company. Here it states that Gandalf is carrying Glamdring, "The mate of Orcrist," which rested with Thorin under the Lonely Mountain.

Brian

BrianGrubbs wrote:

Ernildhir wrote:Well, to be fair, I don't believe Tolkien identified Glamdring and Orcrist as being related in any way other than that both were forged by the Gondolindrim. They were quite possibly made by different smiths, and cannot be expected to have been as similar in design as, say, Anglachel and Anguirel probably were.

The closest that he ever came to that was in the Fellowship of the Ring, in the chapter titled The Ring Goes South when describing the gear of the company. Here it states that Gandalf is carrying Glamdring, "The mate of Orcrist," which rested with Thorin under the Lonely Mountain.

Brian

Well, that's certainly something more. I stand corrected. I wonder if he only described it as the mate of Orcrist because they dwelt together in the Stone-trolls' lair, or if he thought them mates in Gondolin?

Ernildhir wrote:

BrianGrubbs wrote:

Ernildhir wrote:Well, to be fair, I don't believe Tolkien identified Glamdring and Orcrist as being related in any way other than that both were forged by the Gondolindrim. They were quite possibly made by different smiths, and cannot be expected to have been as similar in design as, say, Anglachel and Anguirel probably were.

The closest that he ever came to that was in the Fellowship of the Ring, in the chapter titled The Ring Goes South when describing the gear of the company. Here it states that Gandalf is carrying Glamdring, "The mate of Orcrist," which rested with Thorin under the Lonely Mountain.

Brian

Well, that's certainly something more. I stand corrected. I wonder if he only described it as the mate of Orcrist because they dwelt together in the Stone-trolls' lair, or if he thought them mates in Gondolin?

See "mate" to me implies matched set, much as we'd see in 17th century Europe with civilian dueling swords and daggers. Some sets were matched down to the eating utensils on the scabbards. So while I understand it's a fantasy movie, I'm disappointed because till now Lyons has done so well making historically plausible designs that this feels like he just dropped the b all on this one and gave it over to a junior assistant. When I see that sword on the screen I'm going to cringe.