Orcrist was one of the legendary swords in the world of The Hobbit. The sword was seen throughout all The Hobbit films being wielded by Thorin, a dwarven king. It was used during the Quest of Erebor but the way the sword was found was a stroke of luck. If you would like Orcrist for yourself, check it out here on Amazon.
How did Thorin get his sword Orcrist?
When Thorin and the rest of his party started their journey, they didn’t have any proper weapons. This was until they encountered some trolls and found their way inside their cave. There they found a lot of gold as well as weapons.
It was inside the trolls’ cave where they found Orcrist along with its mate, Glamdring and one other weapon, Sting. Perhaps it was fate that brought them to the weapons as these were old, special weapons from the first age..
Although dwarves are known to be great blacksmiths, Orcrist was actually made by elves. This was made clear by Gandalf when they were first found.
He could tell that the weapons were forged in Gondolin during the first age and according to him, “You could not wish for a finer blade.”However, he did not know more. SoThorin, a dwarven king, used an elvish sword along his journey, which were people he wasn’t too fond of at the time. Regardless, Thorin still used it because he thought it was also of high quality.
However, to complete their journey, he would need the help of elves and at one point, the history of Orcrist and Glamdring was revealed to them by Elrond as he welcomed them into Rivendell.
It was then that Thorin and company found out that Orcrist was also called the Goblin Cleaver. This was because, during the Goblin Wars of the First Age, Orcrist was used to kill hundreds of goblins. Just the sight of the sword struck fear into the hearts of many goblins that see it. This included the Goblin King himself.
While the original owner of the sword was not certain, it might have been King Turgon himself or any of the Lords of the Gondolindrim who originally owned Orcrist. Regardless, Orcrist was an infamous sword to the goblins. Additionally, the sword’s fame was increased when the sword was taken up by Thorin during the Quest of Erebor and the story of The Hobbit. Being made by the elves, Orcrist had abilities that Elven weapons from the first age typically possessed. It also had a beautiful scabbard and hilt with a jewel on it. In this article, you’ll get to know more about Orcrist and how it has become such an important weapon in the world of The Hobbit.
What Does Orcrist Look Like?
The race of elves has a distinct way with how they designed everything. With the design of Orcrist, one can already tell that it was an Elven made weapon, even if the design was that of the first age.
Orcrist is a single-edged blade. It had runes etched on the blade that translated as “The Serpent’s Tooth”. While the type of metal that was used to create the Elven blade is unknown, its grip is made from a dragon’s tooth.
The inscriptions on the sword starts off from its hilt and stretch across half of the blade. Its dragon’s tooth grip has markings along its side which are probably meant to make it easier to handle.
Orcrist’s scabbard also has inscriptions which translated as “Born from the Maws of Dragon, I am Always Hungry and Thirsty”. The scabbard is designed in a way that the runes of the hilt seamlessly connect to the runes of the scabbard when Orcrist is sheathed.
Moreover, the scabbard of Orcrist has wood for its base and is protected by metal. Apart from its wooden section, it’s covered with a lot of fine details from tip to hilt.
While some sources say that the runes on the blade actually bore its name, the inscriptions for the sword’s name is actually the etchings on its guard.
The sword’s belt is also adorned with a lot of details. It has a lot of intricate leatherwork and even the metal pieces are not left out in terms of being beautifully made. From the sword, scabbard, the belt, straps, much of the Elven design is emphasized.
Typically, specifications for film weapons are not stated but with the Orcrist, we actually have specifications from the studio that made the Orcrist for the film. Here are the physical specifications for Orcrist:
- Blade Length: 37 inches
- Total Length: 49.2 inches
- Total Width: 7.9 inches
Although they did mention the weight and balance point for the sword, we can’t really use those measurements because the specifications are only for the prop and not for the real Orcrist.
What Are the Abilities of Thorin’s Sword?
Some weapons in the world of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings possess abilities that make them truly stand out from the rest. Also, nothing fits the heroes of the story better than them having enchanted and magical weapons that can greatly help them out with their journey.
Included in the number of weapons that are enchanted are elven weapons, especially those that have been forged during the first age. Of course, this includes Orcrist. It is important to note that Glamdring and Sting were also elven swords forged during the first century along with Orcrist.
We mention those other swords because some of the abilities that they share have only been seen to be used by one of them. Still, since they have been forged during the same time and by the same Elven smiths of old, it can be assumed that the three Elven weapons share similar abilities.
Here are but a few abilities of Orcrist that was shown in the films:
Orcrist Glows When Certain Enemies Are Nearby
When there are orcs and or goblins nearby, the Elven swords would give out a blue glow. This helps the wielder by warning them that there could be potential danger nearby.
It can also help the wielder when fighting in a dark cave or anywhere else that is dark, due to the light it emits. This is also especially handy against creatures that detest light. While it is known that Elvish swords give out a blue glow when there are orcs nearby, for some reason, the Orcrist did not appear to have this ability in the films, but it did so in the books.
Thorins Sword Was Good Against Spider Webs
Spider webs created by giant spiders in the world of The Hobbit can’t be easily cut. They are hard to get out of and normal weapons can’t do much against these spider webs.
When Bilbo and his party encountered giant spiders in Mirkwood, he was able to cut off spider webs using his elven long knife, Sting. While Thorin was not seen cutting spider webs with his Orcrist, it can be safe to say that Orcrist has the same abilities as Sting.
Orcrist was Feared by Goblins
Elven weapons are feared by orcs and goblins. However, Orcrist has an amplified effect on goblins being the infamous goblin cleaver. Goblins would be in terror just seeing the weapon as was shown when they were captured and brought to the Great Goblin.
These are but the abilities of Elven swords that were shown in the films.
Who Was Able to Wield Orcrist?
King Turgon In the First Age Wielded Orcrist
While it is not certain if King Turgon is the original owner of the Orcrist, it is widely speculated that he or one of the lords of the Gondolondrin was the very first owner of the sword.
King Turgon was an elf and was the king of Gondolin and was also the high king of the Noldor. If King Turgon turned out to be the original owner of the sword, Orcrist would become more symbolic having been wielded by another king, Thorin Oakenshield.
Thorin Oakenshield Wielded Orcrist
The Orcrist is Thorin’s signature weapon. He was able to acquire it when they found the Orcrist along with other weapons and treasure in a Troll’s cave. Throughout their Quest for Erebor, he wielded Orcrist.
However, there were times that he temporarily lost possession of the sword. One instance was due to them being captured. While Thorin did put the sword to great use and even until his death, the sword would remain by his side.
Legolas Wielded Orcrist
Upon capturing the dwarves including Thorin, the Orcrist was confiscated by Legolas and the elves of Mirkwood. Although the dwarves did manage to escape, Orcrist remained in Legolas’ possession. Legolas was then seen again with the Orcrist wielding it as he battled against Bolg in Laketown in the Movie. This is not in the book, however.
In the movie, Thorin was able to once again have Orcrist when Legolas saved him by throwing the sword towards the chest of an orc that nearly killed him. Ultimately, Thorin died after his battle with Bolg.
Where is the Orcrist After Thorin’s Death?
Since Thorin died after his battle with Bolg, Orcrist lost its wielder. However, instead of someone else taking ownership of the Elvish sword, the Orcrist was buried along the body of Thorin. Until death, Thorin still has his Orcrist with him.
Summary:
More than the sword’s already epic history, it was made even more legendary when Thorin wielded it as his weapon during his adventure to regain back the control of Erebor. Orcrist was a sword that definitely stood the test of time.
It proved just how incredible the smithing skills of the elves were even when the sword was forged a long time ago during the first age. Unfortunately, as the sword was buried, the only way we could get to see more of Orcrist is if a film is to be made that also includes the sword’s history.
Regardless, we hope you learned more about Orcrist, the sword wielded by Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit films. It was a legendary weapon and played a significant role in the story. It helped Thorin with his journey was mentioned by Gandalf, with an Elvish sword forged by the elves in Gondolin like the Orcrist, you could not wish for a finer blade.