 | |
| Weapon | |
| Angrist | |
|---|---|
| Location | Nargothrond, Forest of Brethil, Angband |
| Owner | Curufin, Beren |
| Appearance | Long dwarf-knife |
| Creator | Telchar |
| Created in | First Age |
| Destroyer | Beren/Morgoth |
| Destroyed at | Angband |
| Destroyed in | F.A. 466 |
| Notable for | Removing a Silmaril from the Iron Crown |
| Gallery | Images of Angrist |
That knife was made by Telchar of Nogrod, and hung sheathless by his side; iron it would cleave as if it were green wood.
Angristwas a long[1] dwarf-knife[2] made by Telchar of Nogrod and borne by Curufin. It was later taken by Beren,[3] who used it to cut a Silmaril from Morgoth's Iron Crown. However, it broke soon after.[4]
History
During the First Age, Angrist was created by the dwarf-smith Telchar of Nogrod. It was said that it could cleave iron like green wood.[4]
The knife was later wielded by the Elf-lord Curufin, one of Fëanor's sons. When Curufin and his brother, Celegorm, were banished from Nargothrond in F.A. 465,[5] he laid his hand on the haft of the knife as he laughed, mockingly naming Orodreth "Sir Steward".[1] After they left, the brothers initially intended to ride to Himring,[6] but coincidentally, they encountered Beren and Lúthien in the Forest of Brethil[4]. The knife was worn by Curufin "sheathless by his side"[4] when he attempted to kidnap Lúthien, but triggered the Leap of Beren[4] as a result, causing the knife to be taken from him along with his horse and other weapons and gear.[3]
Later, early in F.A. 466[7], Beren snuck into Angband with Lúthien and used the knife to cut out a Silmaril from the Iron Crown of Morgoth. But as Beren tried to cut out the other two, the knife snapped and Morgoth stirred as "a shard of the blade"[4] grazed his cheek. Beren and Lúthien left the knife behind as they fled[8].[2]
Etymology
Angrist means "Iron-cleaver" in Sindarin,[9] [10] from ang ("iron")[11] + crist ("a cleaver, sword")[12].[13][14]
Other versions of the legendarium
In The Book of Lost Tales, Beren grabbed a great knife in fear when the castle of Tevildo shook because of the spell being broken by Tinúviel.[15] He kept the knife, but later drew it when he seized the Iron Crown, labouring "as noiselessly as may be to prise out a Silmaril with his knife" until it snapped "with a loud crack"; the sound of which awakened the sleeping Melko.[15] Later, despite the knife snapping, Beren somehow fingered the knife (or the remnant of it) as he lay dying after fleeing Karkaras Knife-fang.[16] In his commentary, Christopher Tolkien identified this "kitchen-knife" as the direct predecessor of Angrist.[17]
The knife was mentioned as "the dirk of Nargil" in Beleg's whetting spell in The Lay of the Children of Húrin.[18] In The Lay of Leithian, the knife is described as pale and made of steel.[19] It is also described as being bitter-cold and hard-edged.[20] At one point, the unnamed Angrist was a magic knife that was given to Beren by Celegorm as a passing idea.[21] In the Quenta Noldorinwa the knife of Curufin remained unnamed and it was referred to as "the knife of the treacherous Dwarves".[22]
In later versions and the version published in The Silmarillion,[4] this blade became Angrist, which was the blade of Curufin that was forged by Telchar of Nogrod.[10]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lays of Beleriand, "IV. The Lay of Leithian Recommenced"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part One. The Grey Annals": §206
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part One. The Grey Annals": §202
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Beren and Lúthien", p. 177
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part One. The Grey Annals", section for the year 465
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part One. The Grey Annals": §201
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part One. The Grey Annals", section for the year 466
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part One. The Grey Annals": §207
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Index of Names"
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, "Part Two: Valinor and Middle-earth before The Lord of the Rings, VI. Quenta Silmarillion", p. 303
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XI. The Shibboleth of Fëanor", "The names of Finwë's descendants", (5.), p. 347
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies", p. 365 (entry "KIRIS-")
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names", entries anga, ris
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", in Parma Eldalamberon XVII (edited by Christopher Gilson), pp. 87, 182
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "I. The Tale of Tinúviel", p. 29
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "I. The Tale of Tinúviel", p. 33
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "I. The Tale of Tinúviel": "Notes and Commentary", p. 58
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lays of Beleriand, "I. The Lay of the Children of Húrin: II. Beleg", pp. 45, 49
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lays of Beleriand, "III. The Lay of Leithian: Canto X (The attack by Celegorm and Curufin)"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lays of Beleriand, "III. The Lay of Leithian: Canto XIII (Beren and Lúthien in Angband)"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lays of Beleriand, "III. The Lay of Leithian: Canto VI (Beren in Nargothrond)"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Shaping of Middle-earth, "III. The Quenta: [Section] 10", pp. 112-3, 178
| Weapons in Tolkien's legendarium | |
| Arrows: | Black arrow · Dailir · Red Arrow |
|---|---|
| Axes: | Dramborleg · Durin's Axe |
| Bows: | Belthronding · Bow of Bregor · Bow of the Galadhrim |
| Knives: | Angrist · Barrow-blades · Morgul-knife · Sting |
| Maces: | Grond |
| Spears: | Aeglos |
| Swords: | Anglachel/Gurthang · Anguirel · Aranrúth · Dagmor · Glamdring · Glend · Gúthwinë · Herugrim · Narsil/Andúril · Orcrist · Ringil · Sword of Manwë |