Necklace of Girion
The Necklace of Girion was a marvelous piece of jewelry originally owned by Girion, Lord of Dale. The necklace was studded with five hundred emeralds as green as grass.
History[edit]
Prior to the coming of the dragon Smaug, Girion had traded the necklace to the Dwarves of Erebor in exchange for a coat of dwarf-linked rings wrought of pure silver that was three times as strong as steel. The coat was given to Girion's son.[1] In T.A. 2770 Smaug attacked both Dale and the Kingdom under the Mountain,[2] and the Necklace became part of Smaug's hoard after the dragon occupied the Lonely Mountain.[1]
After the death of the dragon, the Battle of Five Armies, and the death of Thorin, Dáin II became King under the Mountain and dealt the treasure wisely. Bard, the heir of Girion, returned the Arkenstone to the Dwarves and in the one-fourteenth share given to Bard came the Necklace of Girion. Bard then gave the emeralds to the Elvenking, who was most fond of such gems, in thanks for the aid the Elves had rendered to the Lake-men of Esgaroth.[3]
Other versions of the legendarium[edit]
Originally J.R.R. Tolkien had created the Gem of Girion for The Hobbit so as to provide an easily transportable part of the hoard of Smaug for Bilbo Baggins to carry home. Changing his mind about having Bilbo slay Smaug, Tolkien introduced Bard into the plot. The Gem of Girion turned into the Arkenstone and was made the most coveted part of the treasure for Thorin, and the Necklace of Girion was invented to replace its role in the story.[4]
Portrayal in adaptations[edit]
2014: The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies:
- Thorin Oakenshield finds a necklace of Girion among the hoard of the Lonely Mountain and gloats about how much an elf lord would pay for it. Thranduil claims the necklace is an Elven heirloom, however the fate of the necklace is not given in the film.
2018: The Lord of the Rings Online:
- A series of pages from an elven account of history tell that the necklace was initially been crafted by the dwarves and given to the elves in friendship. The elves later lost it and men recovered it from a troll-hoard. This is presumably how Girion came to have it. When the elves discover that it has been given to the dwarves, it becomes a source of conflict. Following the Battle of Five Armies, it is given to Bard when the treasure of Smaug is divided up. Bard, seeing that the necklace is a point of contention between the elves and dwarves, breaks it apart, giving the gold to the dwarves and the emeralds to the elves.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "Inside Information"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Third Age"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, "The Return Journey"
- ↑ 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
