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03-31-2006, 08:48 PM | #1 |
Animated Skeleton
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 42
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Orcrist
Why didn't Dain use Orcrist during the Battle of Dale or loan it to Gimli for the Quest?
Is it some sort of Dwarven ritual? Thorin wouldn't have cared. He's dead. |
03-31-2006, 09:11 PM | #2 |
Doubting Dwimmerlaik
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Heaven's basement
Posts: 2,466
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I would say that there are two reasons for leaving Orcrist, "Biter," where it lay. First, as many peoples and races honored their dead by burying them with the dead's possessions and beloved artifacts, like Thorin with his sword and the Arkenstone, one doesn't then wait a while to take the objects back from the dead. Also, my guess is that these magical and great items have to be 'lost,' or there would be nothing fun to look for in later ages (plus you don't want a First Age weapon on the streets during the Fifth Age...).
I cannot see Dain or his folk to be so desperate as to desecrate the tomb of their 'father' just for the use of a sword. Welcome to the Downs.
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04-01-2006, 02:41 PM | #3 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: In a world grown ever smaller.
Posts: 678
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If I recall correctly, its broken in the Battle of Five Armies. Perhaps there was not skill to reforge it?
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04-01-2006, 04:38 PM | #4 | |
Shady She-Penguin
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: In a far land beyond the Sea
Posts: 8,093
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Quote:
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04-01-2006, 08:44 PM | #5 |
Animated Skeleton
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 42
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The Goblin Cleaver
I never heard it was broken, but I may be wrong I just wasn't sure (if it was whole) whether or not it was buried with THorin or not. If it was I could see not digging it up, but in a life threatening situation I might take that chance.
http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/default.asp "The sword of Thorin Oakenshield, discovered by him in a troll-hoard on his journey to Erebor, and buried with him after his death in the Battle of Five Armies. Notes 1 Exactly what happened to Orcrist at Thorin's funeral isn't completely clear. The Hobbit tells us that the sword was placed by Thranduil 'upon his tomb', and that it 'gleamed ever in the dark if foes approached' (The Hobbit 18, The Return Journey). These quotes seem to suggest that Orcrist wasn't actually buried with Thorin, but instead just laid on his tomb. In The Lord of the Rings, there's a suggestion that this may have changed. We are told there that Orcrist '...lay now upon the breast of Thorin...' (The Fellowship of the Ring II 3, The Ring Goes South). This seems to suggest that the sword was actually placed within Thorin's tomb, and not just placed on it, though this text is admittedly ambiguous." |
04-02-2006, 11:32 AM | #6 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: In a world grown ever smaller.
Posts: 678
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Hmm, I seem have a propensity for making things up...
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I've got bridge club on Wednesday,
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04-02-2006, 06:41 PM | #7 | |
Shade of Carn Dûm
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Quote:
Its another one of those slip of Tolkiens from transferring information from series to series. My guess is that Tolkien meant it to be placed on his tomb, then rather on his chest. Like was aforestated. He would have meant for whatever was written in The Hobbit to stand, since for one he wrote it first. Perhaps! ________ Chrysler lebaron Last edited by Elu Ancalime; 03-03-2011 at 11:36 PM. |
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04-08-2006, 08:22 AM | #8 |
Sage & Onions
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Britain
Posts: 894
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I guess one benefit of leaving orcrist on top of Thorin's tomb was that the Dwarves could tell if orcs were close to the Lonely Mountain by the gleam from the sword (as for Sting), and so avoid being surprised.
I'd imagine some sort of very solemn duty guard of dwarven soldiers guarding the tomb of Thorin and able to raise the alarm if Orcrist lit up, must have been exceptionally boring!
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04-29-2006, 09:02 PM | #9 |
Shade of Carn Dûm
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I'm sure it's just a thing that they do with their kings, I mean Boromir wasn't that important and the Horn of Gondor went with him to the sea.
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05-12-2006, 10:24 AM | #10 | |
Regenerating Ringkeeper
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Holland
Posts: 757
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The actual quote from the Hobbit runs thus:
Quote:
Now, back to the original question of this thread. Why didn't Dain fight with Orcrist? If I remember correctly, in mythology dwarves generally are very reluctant to use one another's tools. There most beloved tools for crafting or weapons in battle were therefore not lightly used by another dwarf. I do not know if Tolkien used this dwarven characteristic in his books, but it might be. Then Dain wouldn't have taken Orcrist from Thorin's tomb, unless he had no other choice. Another reason could be that what Orcrist was for Thorin, Dain's axe was for him. It is said in UT that Dain wielded his axe with great power. Maybe he had a greater power when fighting with his axe then with Thorin's sword. It is like Aragorn and Anduril. Anyone can carry Anduril and stab an orc with it, but Aragorn is the only one who van actually wield the power of the sword. greetings, lathspell
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