Arkenstone

From Tolkien Gateway
Arkenstone
Jewel
Donato Giancola - The Arkenstone.jpg
"The Arkenstone" by Donato Giancola
Other namesHeart of the Mountain
LocationErebor
OwnerKings of Durin's Folk since Thráin I
GalleryImages of the Arkenstone
"That stone of all the treasure I name unto myself, and I will be avenged on anyone who finds it and withholds it."
Thorin in The Hobbit, "A Thief in the Night"

The Arkenstone was a great jewel discovered beneath the roots of the Lonely Mountain during the reign of Thráin I and prized by his descendants as the "Heart of the Mountain".

History[edit | edit source]

Heart of the Mountain by Ted Nasmith

The Arkenstone was discovered soon after the establishment of the Dwarf-kingdom in the Lonely Mountain, and the Dwarves used all their skill to work the gem into a shimmering multi-faceted jewel. In the centuries after its discovery, the Arkenstone became an heirloom of the Kings of Durin's Folk.

Thráin's son Thorin I carried it away into the Grey Mountains where it remained for some generations, until in time King Thrór brought it back to the Great Hall of Thráin.[1] When the Dragon Smaug sacked Lonely Mountain, the Arkenstone was lost to the Dwarves of Durin's Folk — it lay among Smaug's booty in the halls of Erebor.

Arkenstone by Ted Nasmith

Many years later, when Thorin led a band of Dwarves to recover their ancient realm, their companion Bilbo Baggins discovered the Arkenstone, but kept it for himself. Thorin sought for it while exploring the treasure, and swore an oath to take revenge on anyone who knowingly kept it from him, but Bilbo stayed silent nonetheless.[2] Later, when the Lake-men and the Wood-elves came to demand a share of Smaug's treasure from Thorin, Bilbo was disturbed by Thorin's unwillingness to barter. Hoping to aid negotiations, he secretly entered the camp of the Men and Elves and delivered the Arkenstone to their leaders, Bard and Thranduil. The next day a twelfth share of the treasure was demanded from Thorin for the ransom of his people's heirloom.[3]

After the Battle of Five Armies, enmity was set aside between the leaders of the Dwarves, Elves, and Men, and Bard of Dale placed the Heart of the Mountain on the breast of Thorin in Thorin's tomb. Thus, nearly a thousand years after its discovery, the Arkenstone was buried once more in the depths beneath the Lonely Mountain.

Description[edit | edit source]

The Dwarves worked the stone into a multifaceted jewel. It shone with its own pale light, but when outer light fell upon the Arkenstone, it "...changed it into ten thousand sparks of white radiance shot with glints of the rainbow". It was a heavy gem, small enough for Bilbo Baggins to hold in one hand, yet not so small that he could close his own small hand around it.[2]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

Arkenstone means roughly "precious stone",[4] although the element *arken does not exist in modern English. Arkenstone could be a modernization of the Old English name eorclanstán or an anglicization from the Old Norse name iarknasteinn, which appears in the Edda.[4]

Note that Tolkien used the word eorclanstánas to refer to the Silmarilli in Old English texts by Ælfwine.[5] Some fans explore the possibility that the Arkenstone was one of the Silmarilli, specifically the one Maedhros threw in the chasm, until supposedly found by the Dwarves of Erebor.[6]

Other versions of the legendarium[edit | edit source]

In the writing of The Hobbit J.R.R. Tolkien halted after the capture of the Dwarves by the Wood-elves and sketched out the continuation of the story in plot notes. In these notes Bilbo stole a "gem", which became a "marvelous gem", and finally the "Jem [sic] of Girion" which the king of Dale had given to the Dwarves for the arming of his son.[7] As noted by John D. Rateliff, the Gem of Girion was to be offered by the Dwarves to Bilbo as his share of the payment,[8] thus solving the problem of how to transport Bilbo's one-fourteenth share back to Bag End.

Tolkien originally had the notion that Bilbo would kill Smaug. As his story progressed Tolkien decided that this strained credibility and so he introduced Bard as the dragon slayer and made him the heir of Girion. This led to a series of re-conceptualizations since now the Lake-men and the Elves were no longer mere opportunistic scavengers; there was one within their ranks with a legitimate claim to part of the treasure. The Gem of Girion became the Arkenstone and the one part of the hoard that Thorin would insist upon keeping. The elevation of Girion's gem led to the invention of the Necklace of Girion as the payment of Girion to the Dwarves for the arming of his son.[4]

Portrayals in adaptations[edit | edit source]

1966: The Hobbit (1966 film):

In this film the Arkenstone was a heart-shaped jewel of Earth and was later used as an arrowhead to a large crossbow made of old mining machines by Bilbo and company to kill Slag the Dragon.

1977: The Hobbit (1977 film):

The Arkenstone is omitted. In the place of this subplot, Bilbo voices a desire to be taken prisoner as quickly as possible prior to the Battle of Five Armies, to which Thorin responds that these are the words of a coward.

2003: The Hobbit (2003 video game):

In the game, Thorin orders Bilbo to find the Arkenstone. He eventually finds it and, as in the book, gives it to Thranduil and Bard in order to help negotiate with the Dwarves and avoid war.

2012: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey:

The Arkenstone is discovered during the reign of Thrór - rather than that of Thráin I - and never leaves the Lonely Mountain. It is considered a divine symbol for the King under the Mountain to rule, and is fastened on the king's throne. During the Sack of Erebor, Thrór fails to save it as it falls into the great hoard of gold.

2013: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug:

The Arkenstone is seen depicted in a mural just inside the Back Door. It is mentioned that the Quest of Erebor was to retrieve it, as possessing it would give Thorin the authority to unite all the Dwarven clans to liberate Erebor, and reclaim it from the Dragon Smaug. Bilbo Baggins is shown to have found it in the treasure hoard during his conversation with Smaug, who even contemplates letting the Hobbit have it - just to see it corrupt Thorin's mind - before deciding against it.

2014: The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies:

As in the book, the Arkenstone is given by Bilbo (who, it is revealed, recovered it during his escape from Smaug) to Thranduil and Bard, in order to try to force Thorin to yield a share of the treasure. In the extended edition of the film, it was placed upon Thorin's chest following his death.

2018: The Lord of the Rings Online:

It is said that King Thranduil believed Arkenstone to be nothing less than a lost Silmaril (a reference to a popular fan theory). He demanded to see it, but was refused by Thráin I. Mithrandir was able to convince Thranduil that the lost Silmarils could not be recovered, but the friendship between the elves and the dwarves remained tainted.
In the days after the War of the Ring, it is suspected that the Arkenstone could have been stolen. Gandalf, Thorin III, Dís and the surviving members of the Company pay respects to Thorin's tomb and confirm that the Arkenstone remains in its resting place.

External links[edit | edit source]

References

  1. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "Durin's Folk"
  2. 2.0 2.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Not at Home"
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "A Thief in the Night"
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, John D. Rateliff (ed.), The History of The Hobbit, Return to Bag-End, The Second Phase, "While the Dragon's Away...", (ii) The Arkenstone as Silmaril, p. 603
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Shaping of Middle-earth, "VI. The Earliest Annals of Valinor: Appendix: Old English versions of the Annals of Valinor, made by Ælfwine or Eriol ([Version] I)", entry MMD
  6. "RE: Eorclanstanas (was Re: For JDR: Query on Hobbit geography)" dated 2 January 2007, Mailing list for the Mythopoeic Society (accessed 9 June 2013)
  7. J.R.R. Tolkien, John D. Rateliff (ed.), The History of The Hobbit, Mr. Baggins, The Second Phase, "Plot Notes B", p. 364
  8. J.R.R. Tolkien, John D. Rateliff (ed.), The History of The Hobbit, Mr. Baggins, The Second Phase, "Plot Notes B", (vii) The Gem of Girion, p. 373