Mithril is a fictional metal found in J. R. R. Tolkien 's Middle-earth writings. It is described as resembling silver , but being stronger and lighter than steel . It was used to make armour, such as the helmets of the citadel guard of Minas Tirith , and ithildin alloy, used to decorate gateways with writing visible only by starlight or moonlight. Always extremely valuable, by the end of the Third Age it was beyond price, and only a few artefacts made of it remained in use.
83-624: Impenetrable armour occurs in Norse mythology in Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks , a story that Tolkien certainly knew and could have used for his mithril mail-coat. Mithril is the only invented mineral in his Middle-earth writings. Chemists note mithril's remarkable properties, strong and light like titanium , perhaps when made into alloys with elements such as titanium or nickel , and in its pure form malleable like gold . The scholar Charles A. Huttar states that Tolkien treats mineral treasures as having
166-460: A pilgrimage of grace , in which he grows in wisdom and virtue, and as a psychological journey towards wholeness. Bilbo has appeared in numerous radio and film adaptations of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings , and video games based on them. The protagonist of The Hobbit , Bilbo Baggins, is a hobbit in comfortable middle age. He is hired as a "burglar", despite his initial objections, on
249-482: A "jealous possessiveness", or (quoting Tolkien) "being engrossed in their crafts". The name "mithril" (also spelt mith , mithral , or mythril ) is used in multiple fictional contexts influenced by Tolkien . For example, the Final Fantasy game series, begun in 1987, involves dwarves and mithril. Norse mythology Norse , Nordic , or Scandinavian mythology , is the body of myths belonging to
332-476: A busy mining region . She writes that it is "impossible ... not to make parallels" between Tolkien's descriptions of the deep mines of Moria and the exceptional depth of South African mines, some as much as 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) deep. The chemist Suze Kundu describes mithril as a metal , a pure chemical element with "a range of amazing chemical and physical properties" not matched by any real metal, and many applications. Of those that approach it, titanium
415-427: A central sacred tree , Yggdrasil . Units of time and elements of the cosmology are personified as deities or beings. Various forms of a creation myth are recounted, where the world is created from the flesh of the primordial being Ymir , and the first two humans are Ask and Embla . These worlds are foretold to be reborn after the events of Ragnarök when an immense battle occurs between the gods and their enemies, and
498-557: A comic light and to exaggerate his own ineptitude", just as Morris's companion, the painter Edward Burne-Jones , gently teased his friend by depicting him as very fat in his Iceland cartoons. Burns suggests that these images "make excellent models" for the Bilbo who runs puffing to the Green Dragon inn or "jogs along behind Gandalf and the dwarves" on his quest. Another definite resemblance is the emphasis on home comforts: Morris enjoyed
581-455: A female being of the same name , may be ferried away by valkyries to Odin's martial hall Valhalla , or may be chosen by the goddess Freyja to dwell in her field Fólkvangr . The goddess Rán may claim those that die at sea, and the goddess Gefjon is said to be attended by virgins upon their death. Texts also make reference to reincarnation . Time itself is presented between cyclic and linear, and some scholars have argued that cyclic time
664-469: A full professor there. More specifically, he wrote the foreword to Walter E. Haigh's 1928 A new glossary of the dialect of the Huddersfield district , which included these spoken words. In addition, "Baggins", while not a name by etymology, sounds very much like one of a class of English surnames such as Dickens, Jenkins, and Huggins. These names, Shippey notes, are formed from personal names, in
747-502: A hall beside Eyja-fell, and who tells Morris, tapping him on the belly, "... besides, you know you are so fat", just as Beorn pokes Bilbo "most disrespectfully" and compares him to a plump rabbit . Burns notes that Morris was "relatively short, a little rotund, and affectionately called 'Topsy', for his curly mop of hair", all somewhat hobbit-like characteristics. Further, she writes, "Morris in Iceland often chooses to place himself in
830-535: A magic ring . His journey continues via a lucky escape from wargs , goblins, and fire, to the house of Beorn the shapeshifter, through the black forest of Mirkwood , to Lake-town in the middle of Long Lake, and eventually to the Mountain itself. As burglar, Bilbo is sent down the secret passage to the dragon's lair. He steals a golden cup and takes it back to the Dwarves. Smaug awakes and instantly notices
913-507: A pipe, a bath, and "regular, well-cooked meals"; Morris looked as out of place in Iceland as Bilbo did "over the Edge of the Wild"; both are afraid of dark caves; and both grow through their adventures. The Christian writer Joseph Pearce describes The Hobbit as "a pilgrimage of grace , in which its protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, becomes grown up ... in wisdom and virtue". Dorothy Matthews sees
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#1732801140280996-463: A region in the center of the cosmos. Outside of the gods, humanity, and the jötnar, these Nine Worlds are inhabited by beings, such as elves and dwarfs . Travel between the worlds is frequently recounted in the myths, where the gods and other beings may interact directly with humanity. Numerous creatures live on Yggdrasil, such as the insulting messenger squirrel Ratatoskr and the perching hawk Veðrfölnir . The tree itself has three major roots, and at
1079-483: A spaceship." Norse culture contains myths of impenetrable armour, such as the shirt made by elves and used in battle by Örvar-Oddr (Ørvar Odd), as related in the Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks . The saga was translated by Christopher Tolkien , with a commentary, and his father was certainly familiar with the text. The mining executive Danièle Barberis notes that Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein , South Africa, in
1162-504: Is Njörðr's unnamed sister (her name is unprovided in the source material). However, there is more information about his pairing with the skiing and hunting goddess Skaði . Their relationship is ill-fated, as Skaði cannot stand to be away from her beloved mountains, nor Njörðr from the seashore. Together, Freyja, Freyr, and Njörðr form a portion of gods known as the Vanir . While the Aesir and
1245-556: Is "an anomaly in Middle-earth and a failure of tone". Bilbo's distinctly anachronistic period , compared to the characters he meets, can be defined, Shippey notes, by the presence of tobacco , brought to Europe in 1559, and a postal service, introduced in England in 1840 . Like Tolkien himself, Bilbo was "English, middle class ; and roughly Victorian to Edwardian " , something that as Shippey observes, does not belong to
1328-558: Is close to the spoken words bæggin , bægginz in the dialect of Huddersfield, Yorkshire . where it means a substantial meal eaten between main meals, most particularly at teatime in the afternoon ; and Mr Baggins is definitely, Shippey writes, "partial to ... his tea". Tolkien worked in Yorkshire early in his career, at the University of Leeds ; from 1920 he was a reader in the school of English studies, and he rose to become
1411-526: Is engineered by Loki , and Baldr thereafter resides in Hel , a realm ruled over by an entity of the same name . Odin must share half of his share of the dead with a powerful goddess, Freyja . She is beautiful, sensual, wears a feathered cloak, and practices seiðr . She rides to battle to choose among the slain and brings her chosen to her afterlife field Fólkvangr . Freyja weeps for her missing husband Óðr and seeks after him in faraway lands. Freyja's brother,
1494-697: Is extremely rare by the end of the Third Age , as it was now found only in Khazad-dûm . Once the Balrog destroyed Khazad-dûm, the kingdom of the Dwarves in Moria, the only source of new mithril ore was cut off. Before Moria was abandoned by the Dwarves, while it was still being actively mined, mithril was worth ten times its weight in gold. After the Dwarves abandoned Moria and production of new mithril stopped entirely, it became priceless. Tolkien hints that mithril
1577-491: Is fatally wounded, but has time to make peace with Bilbo. Bilbo accepts only a little of the treasure which was his share, though it still represents great wealth for a Shire hobbit. Bilbo returns to his home in the Shire to find that several of his relatives, believing him to be dead, are trying to claim his home and possessions. The Lord of the Rings begins with Bilbo's "eleventy-first" (111th) birthday, 60 years after
1660-575: Is light (has a low density) and strong, but it is not malleable (able to be beaten into shape) like mithril. In Kundu's view the nearest material would be a stainless steel alloy of iron with enough nano-scale carbon to make it hard. The metallurgist James Owen suggests that Mithril could be "an fcc [ face-centred cubic ] metal like aluminium or nickel , or possibly a bcc [ body-centred cubic ]" metal like titanium". Owen comments that it could form "strong, stiff, tough alloys" with those elements, suitable for "light sword blades and armour", or used as
1743-603: Is primarily attested in dialects of Old Norse , a North Germanic language spoken by the Scandinavian people during the European Middle Ages and the ancestor of modern Scandinavian languages . The majority of these Old Norse texts were created in Iceland , where the oral tradition stemming from the pre-Christian inhabitants of the island was collected and recorded in manuscripts. This occurred primarily in
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#17328011402801826-521: Is this!" said Bilbo, bringing out a parcel which seemed to be rather heavy for its size. He unwound several folds of old cloth, and held up a small shirt of mail. It was close-woven of many rings, as supple almost as linen, cold as ice, and harder than steel. It shone like moonlit silver, and was studded with white gems. Bilbo wore the mithril shirt during the Battle of the Five Armies. He donated it to
1909-562: The Baggins and other hobbit family trees in Lord of the Rings gives the book, in Fisher's view, a strongly "hobbitish perspective". The tree also, he notes, serves to show Bilbo's and Frodo's connections and familial characteristics, including that Bilbo was both "a Baggins and a Took". Fisher observes that Bilbo is, like Aragorn : a "distillation of the best of two families"; he notes that in
1992-618: The Dwarves could make of it a metal, light and yet harder than tempered steel . Its beauty was like to that of common silver , but the beauty of mithril did not tarnish or grow dim. The Noldor of Eregion , the Elvish land to the west of Moria, made an alloy from it called ithildin ("star moon"), used to decorate gateways, portals and pathways. It was visible only by starlight or moonlight. The West Gate of Moria bore inlaid ithildin designs and runes. In Tolkien's Middle-earth , mithril
2075-728: The North Germanic peoples , stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia as the Nordic folklore of the modern period. The northernmost extension of Germanic mythology and stemming from Proto-Germanic folklore , Norse mythology consists of tales of various deities, beings, and heroes derived from numerous sources from both before and after the pagan period, including medieval manuscripts, archaeological representations, and folk tradition. The source texts mention numerous gods such as
2158-626: The 13th century by Snorri and Gesta Danorum , composed in Latin by Saxo Grammaticus in Denmark in the 12th century, are the results of heavy amounts of euhemerization. Numerous additional texts, such as the sagas , provide further information. The saga corpus consists of thousands of tales recorded in Old Norse ranging from Icelandic family histories ( Sagas of Icelanders ) to Migration period tales mentioning historic figures such as Attila
2241-813: The 13th century. These texts include the Prose Edda , composed in the 13th century by the Icelandic scholar, lawspeaker , and historian Snorri Sturluson , and the Poetic Edda , a collection of poems from earlier traditional material anonymously compiled in the 13th century. The Prose Edda was composed as a prose manual for producing skaldic poetry—traditional Old Norse poetry composed by skalds . Originally composed and transmitted orally, skaldic poetry utilizes alliterative verse , kennings , and several metrical forms. The Prose Edda presents numerous examples of works by various skalds from before and after
2324-595: The 1993 television miniseries Hobitit by Finnish broadcaster Yle , Bilbo is portrayed by Martti Suosalo . In Peter Jackson 's films The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) and The Return of the King (2003), Bilbo is played by Ian Holm , who had played Frodo in the BBC radio series 20 years earlier. Throughout the 2003 video game The Hobbit , the players control Bilbo, voiced by Michael Beattie . The game follows
2407-460: The Arkenstone to prevent fighting, but Thorin sees his action as betrayal, and banishes Bilbo. Dain arrives, and the army of Dwarves faces off against the armies of Elves and Men. As battle is joined, a host of goblins and wargs arrive to take over the mountain, now that Smaug is dead. The armies of Elves, Men, and Dwarves, with the help of Eagles and Beorn, defeat the goblins and wargs. Thorin
2490-499: The BBC's long-running children's programme Jackanory was The Hobbit , in 1979. Four narrators told the story with Bilbo's part being played by Bernard Cribbins . In the BBC's 1981 radio serialization of The Lord of the Rings , Bilbo is played by John Le Mesurier . In the unlicensed 1985 Soviet version on the Leningrad TV channel, Хоббита ("The Hobbit"), Bilbo was played by Mikhail Danilov [ ru ] . In
2573-754: The Christianization process and also frequently refers back to the poems found in the Poetic Edda . The Poetic Edda consists almost entirely of poems, with some prose narrative added, and this poetry— Eddic poetry—utilizes fewer kennings . In comparison to skaldic poetry, Eddic poetry is relatively unadorned. The Prose Edda features layers of euhemerization , a process in which deities and supernatural beings are presented as having been either actual, magic-wielding human beings who have been deified in time or beings demonized by way of Christian mythology . Texts such as Heimskringla , composed in
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2656-607: The Dwarves' greed for mithril with that of the Barrow-wights for treasure, and indeed that of the dragons in The Hobbit and Beowulf for gold. In his view, these symbolise the evil "inherent in the mineral treasures hidden in the womb of Earth", just as mining and metalwork are associated with Satan in John Milton 's Paradise Lost (I, 670–751). Huttar sums up with a reflection on Tolkien's moral vision in
2739-562: The Grey Havens, there to board ship bound for Tol Eressëa across the sea. In Tolkien's narrative conceit , in which all the writings of Middle-earth are translations from the fictitious volume of the Red Book of Westmarch , Bilbo is the author of The Hobbit , translator of various "works from the elvish ", and the author of the following poems and songs : The philologist and Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey notes that "Baggins"
2822-617: The Hun ( legendary sagas ). Objects and monuments such as the Rök runestone and the Kvinneby amulet feature runic inscriptions —texts written in the runic alphabet , the indigenous alphabet of the Germanic peoples —that mention figures and events from Norse mythology. Objects from the archaeological record may also be interpreted as depictions of subjects from Norse mythology, such as amulets of
2905-480: The King . The 1976 Russian translation of The Hobbit was illustrated with drawings by Mikhail Belomlinsky; he based his Bilbo character on the actor Yevgeny Leonov , who he described as "good-natured, plump, with hairy legs". In Ralph Bakshi 's 1978 animated version of The Lord of the Rings , Bilbo was voiced by Norman Bird . Billy Barty was the model for Bilbo in the live-action recordings Bakshi used for rotoscoping . The 3000th story to be broadcast in
2988-543: The Lonely Mountain, and horrify Bilbo by refusing to share the dragon's treasure with the lake-men or the wood- elves . Bilbo finds the Arkenstone of Thrain, the most precious heirloom of Thorin's family, but hides it. Thorin calls his relative Dáin to bring an army of Dwarves. Thorin and his dwarves fortify the entrance to the mountain hall, and are besieged by the Wood-elves and Lake-men. Bilbo tries to ransom
3071-610: The Mathom-house, a museum in Michel Delving . However he later reclaimed it, and took it with him when he left the Shire for his journey to Rivendell . There, some years later, he gave the shirt to Frodo Baggins when the younger hobbit embarked on his quest in The Lord of the Rings . Frodo wore the mail underneath his tunic and other shirt unbeknownst to the rest of the fellowship . The mail saved Frodo's life when he
3154-656: The Norwegian woman Ragnhild Tregagås —convicted of witchcraft in Norway in the 14th century—and spells found in the 17th century Icelandic Galdrabók grimoire also sometimes make references to Norse mythology. Other traces, such as place names bearing the names of gods may provide further information about deities, such as a potential association between deities based on the placement of locations bearing their names, their local popularity, and associations with geological features. Central to accounts of Norse mythology are
3237-421: The Rings "Appendix F". One category was the names that meant nothing to the hobbits "in their daily language", like Bilbo and Bungo; a few of these, like Otho and Drogo in the family tree, were "by accident, the same as modern English names". In the 1955–1956 BBC Radio serialization of The Lord of the Rings , Bilbo was played by Felix Felton . In the 1968 BBC Radio serialization of The Hobbit , Bilbo
3320-491: The Rings , and the fictional narrator (along with Frodo Baggins ) of many of Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. The Hobbit is selected by the wizard Gandalf to help Thorin and his party of Dwarves reclaim their ancestral home and treasure, which has been seized by the dragon Smaug . Bilbo sets out in The Hobbit timid and comfort-loving and, through his adventures, grows to become a useful and resourceful member of
3403-511: The Shire , tried to stab Frodo after Frodo spared his life. When he left to sail to Elvenhome, he gave all his possessions to Sam. Nenya , the Ring of Power wielded by Galadriel , was made of mithril. The guards of the citadel of Minas Tirith wore helmets of mithril, "heirlooms from the glory of old days". They were the only soldiers in Gondor who still bore the emblems of the lost kings during
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3486-573: The Star of Arnor, was a "white star of Elvish crystal upon a fillet of mithril". It was made for Silmariën, mother of Valandil ; it passed down to Elendil . It was found in Orthanc when the Ents returned the tower to King Aragorn , evidence that Saruman had found and apparently destroyed Isildur 's remains. Greatest of all, according to legend, was the ship of Eärendil , Vingilótë, which he sailed into
3569-546: The Vanir retain distinct identification, they came together as the result of the Aesir–Vanir War . While they receive less mention, numerous other gods and goddesses appear in the source material. (For a list of these deities, see List of Germanic deities .) Some of the gods heard less of include the apple-bearing goddess Iðunn and her husband, the skaldic god Bragi ; the gold-toothed god Heimdallr , born of nine mothers ;
3652-717: The ancient god Týr , who lost his right hand while binding the great wolf Fenrir ; and the goddess Gefjon , who formed modern-day Zealand , Denmark . Various beings outside of the gods are mentioned. Elves and dwarfs are commonly mentioned and appear to be connected, but their attributes are vague and the relation between the two is ambiguous. Elves are described as radiant and beautiful, whereas dwarfs often act as earthen smiths. A group of beings variously described as jötnar , thursar , and trolls (in English these are all often glossed as " giants ") frequently appear. These beings may either aid, deter, or take their place among
3735-630: The base of one of these roots live the Norns , female entities associated with fate. Elements of the cosmos are personified, such as the Sun ( Sól , a goddess), the Moon ( Máni , a god), and Earth ( Jörð , a goddess), as well as units of time, such as day ( Dagr , a god) and night ( Nótt , a jötunn). The afterlife is a complex matter in Norse mythology. The dead may go to the murky realm of Hel —a realm ruled over by
3818-477: The beginning of The Hobbit . The main character of the novel is Frodo Baggins , Bilbo's cousin, who celebrates his 33rd birthday and legally comes of age on the same day. Bilbo has kept the magic ring, with no idea of its significance, all that time; it has prolonged his life, leaving him feeling "thin and stretched". At the party, Bilbo tries to leave with the ring, but Gandalf persuades him to leave it behind for Frodo. Bilbo travels to Rivendell and visits
3901-490: The cosmological tree Yggdrasil to gain knowledge of the runic alphabet, which he passed on to humanity, and is associated closely with death, wisdom, and poetry. Odin is portrayed as the ruler of Asgard , and leader of the Aesir . Odin's wife is the powerful goddess Frigg who can see the future but tells no one, and together they have a beloved son, Baldr . After a series of dreams had by Baldr of his impending death, his death
3984-665: The days of the stewards. As Aragorn's ships sailed up the Anduin to relieve the besieged Minas Tirith during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields , the standard flying on his ship showed a crown made of mithril and gold. After Gimli became lord of Aglarond , he and his Dwarves forged great gates of mithril and steel to replace the gates of Minas Tirith, which had been broken by the Witch-king of Angmar . The Elendilmir ,
4067-515: The diminutive form; and Tolkien uses Huggins as the name of one of the Trolls in The Hobbit . Tolkien's choice of the surname Baggins may be connected to the name of Bilbo's house, Bag End, also the actual name of Tolkien's aunt's farmhouse, which Shippey notes was at the bottom of a lane with no exit. This is called a " cul-de-sac " in England; Shippey describes this as "a silly phrase", a piece of "French-oriented snobbery". Shippey observes that
4150-531: The dragon's armour does indeed have a gap. He escapes the dragon's flames as he runs up the passage, and tells the Dwarves about the gap in Smaug's armour. An old thrush hears what he says, and flies off to tell Bard in Lake-town. Smaug realizes that Lake-town must have helped Bilbo, and flies off in a rage to destroy the town. The Dwarves and Bilbo hear that Smaug has been killed in the attack. The Dwarves reclaim
4233-726: The dwarves of the Lonely Mountain before returning to retire at Rivendell and write books. Gandalf discovers that Bilbo's magic ring is the One Ring forged by the Dark Lord Sauron , and sets in motion the quest to destroy it. Frodo and his friends set off on the quest, finding Bilbo, now obviously old, but spry, in Rivendell. When they have destroyed the Ring, they return to the Shire, via Rivendell, where Bilbo looks "very old, but peaceful, and sleepy". Two years later Bilbo accompanies Gandalf, Elrond , Galadriel , and Frodo to
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#17328011402804316-432: The form of three gifts. After the cataclysm of Ragnarok, this process is mirrored in the survival of two humans from a wood; Líf and Lífþrasir . From these two humankind is foretold to repopulate the new and green earth. Bilbo Baggins Bilbo Baggins ( Westron : Bilba Labingi ) is the title character and protagonist of J. R. R. Tolkien 's 1937 novel The Hobbit , a supporting character in The Lord of
4399-486: The game The Quest of Erebor , Gandalf is given the (non-Tolkien) lines "So naturally, thinking over the hobbits that I knew, I said to myself, 'I want a dash of the [adventurous] Took ... and I want a good foundation of the stolider sort, a Baggins perhaps.' That pointed at once to Bilbo". The Tolkien critic Tom Shippey notes that Tolkien was very interested in such names, describing Shire names at length in The Lord of
4482-486: The god Freyr , is also frequently mentioned in surviving texts, and in his association with the weather, royalty, human sexuality, and agriculture brings peace and pleasure to humanity. Deeply lovesick after catching sight of the beautiful jötunn Gerðr , Freyr seeks and wins her love, yet at the price of his future doom. Their father is the powerful god Njörðr . Njörðr is strongly associated with ships and seafaring, and so also wealth and prosperity. Freyja and Freyr's mother
4565-503: The god Thor's hammer Mjölnir found among pagan burials and small silver female figures interpreted as valkyries or dísir , beings associated with war, fate or ancestor cults. By way of historical linguistics and comparative mythology , comparisons to other attested branches of Germanic mythology (such as the Old High German Merseburg Incantations ) may also lend insight. Wider comparisons to
4648-459: The gods. The Norns , dísir , and aforementioned valkyries also receive frequent mention. While their functions and roles may overlap and differ, all are collective female beings associated with fate. In Norse cosmology , all beings live in Nine Worlds that center around the cosmological tree Yggdrasil . The gods inhabit the heavenly realm of Asgard whereas humanity inhabits Midgard ,
4731-609: The like of which had never been made before, for it was wrought of pure silver to the power and strength of triple steel." A little later the narrator describes "a small coat of mail, wrought for some young elf-prince long ago. It was of silver-steel which the elves call mithril". In The Fellowship of the Ring , the wizard Gandalf explained mithril to the rest of the Fellowship in Moria : Mithril! All folk desired it. It could be beaten like copper , and polished like glass ; and
4814-564: The modern period, the Romanticist Viking revival re-awoke an interest in the subject matter, and references to Norse mythology may now be found throughout modern popular culture . The myths have further been revived in a religious context among adherents of Germanic Neopaganism . The historical religion of the Norse people is commonly referred to as Norse mythology . Other terms are Scandinavian mythology , North Germanic mythology or Nordic mythology . Norse mythology
4897-416: The much older world of elves , dwarves , and wizards . Marjorie Burns , a medievalist , writes that Bilbo's character and adventures match the fantasy writer and designer William Morris 's account of his travels in Iceland in the early 1870s in numerous details. Like Bilbo's, Morris's party set off enjoyably into the wild on ponies . He meets a "boisterous" man called "Biorn the boaster" who lives in
4980-463: The mythology of other Indo-European peoples by scholars has resulted in the potential reconstruction of far earlier myths. Only a tiny amount of poems and tales survive of the many mythical tales and poems that are presumed to have existed during the Middle Ages, Viking Age, Migration Period, and before. Later sources reaching into the modern period, such as a medieval charm recorded as used by
5063-436: The mythology, Thor lays waste to numerous jötnar who are foes to the gods or humanity, and is wed to the beautiful, golden-haired goddess Sif . The god Odin is also frequently mentioned in surviving texts. One-eyed, wolf - and raven -flanked, with a spear in hand, Odin pursues knowledge throughout the nine realms. In an act of self-sacrifice, Odin is described as having hanged himself upside-down for nine days and nights on
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#17328011402805146-605: The plights of the gods and their interaction with various other beings, such as with the jötnar , who may be friends, lovers, foes, or family members of the gods. Numerous gods are mentioned in the source texts. As evidenced by records of personal names and place names, the most popular god among the Scandinavians during the Viking Age was Thor the thunder god , who is portrayed as unrelentingly pursuing his foes, his mountain-crushing, thunderous hammer Mjölnir in hand. In
5229-506: The plot of the book, but adds the elements of platform gameplay and various side-objectives along the main quests. In The Lord of the Rings Online (2007) Bilbo resides in Rivendell, mostly playing riddle games with the Elf Lindir in the Hall of Fire. In Peter Jackson's The Hobbit film series , a prequel to The Lord of the Rings , the young Bilbo is portrayed by Martin Freeman while Ian Holm reprises his role as an older Bilbo in An Unexpected Journey (2012) and The Battle of
5312-673: The potential for both good and evil, recalling the association of mining and metalwork in John Milton 's Paradise Lost with Satan . The scholar Paul Kocher interprets the Dwarves ' intense secrecy around mithril as an expression of sexual frustration, given that they have very few dwarf-women . The metal appears in many derivative fantasy works by later authors. The name mithril comes from two words in Tolkien's Sindarin language— mith , meaning "grey", and ril , meaning "glitter". In The Hobbit , Thorin Oakenshield described some Dwarven treasures as "coats of mail gilded and silvered and impenetrable" and "a coat of dwarf-linked rings
5395-416: The pure element, when "it would be soft and malleable" like copper or gold. The geologist William Sarjeant , however, notes that mithril crystallises out "at so high a temperature that it is only found in veins at great depths", and proposes that it may be a native alloy of platinum with another metal, which might be palladium . The scholar of English literature Charles A. Huttar writes that mithril
5478-485: The quest . Bilbo's way of life in the Shire , defined by features like the availability of tobacco and postal service, recalls that of the English middle class during the Victorian to Edwardian eras . This is not compatible with the much older world of Dwarves and Elves . Tolkien appears to have based Bilbo on the designer William Morris 's travels in Iceland; Morris liked his home comforts but grew through his adventurous journeying. Bilbo's quest has been interpreted as
5561-425: The recommendation of the wizard Gandalf and 13 Dwarves led by their king in exile, Thorin Oakenshield . The company of dwarves are on a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and its treasures from the dragon Smaug . The adventure takes Bilbo and his companions through the wilderness, to the elves haven, Rivendell , across the Misty Mountains where, escaping from goblins , he meets Gollum and acquires
5644-619: The self, the ring; the escape from the dark underground imprisoning chambers of the wood-elves and Bilbo's symbolic rebirth into the sunlight and the waters of the woodland river; and the dragon guarding the contested treasure, itself "an archetype of the self, of psychic wholeness". Later research has extended Matthews' analysis using alternative psychological frameworks such as Erik Erikson 's theory of development. The Tolkien scholar Jason Fisher notes that Tolkien stated that hobbits were extremely "clannish" and had strong "predilections for genealogy ". Accordingly, Tolkien's decision to include
5727-464: The shirt. In both Tolkien's and Peter Jackson's versions, the shirt was, along with Frodo's other possessions, shown to Frodo's allies at the Battle of the Morannon to imply falsely that he was imprisoned in Barad-dûr . Gandalf took the shirt and other tokens, but refused any offer of parley. At the end of the story, Frodo wore the shirt at the celebrations and on the trip home. The shirt saved his life one last time when Saruman , who had taken over
5810-445: The sky, making the gleam of truesilver visible to the world as the Evening and Morning Star . The " Song of Eärendil ", written by Bilbo and Aragorn, contains the lines "A ship then new they built for him / of mithril and of elven-glass". The linguist of Elvish languages Anthony Appleyard wrote that this machine, with "no shaven oar nor sail", was evidently of an advanced technology, "sound[ing] suspiciously like most people's image of
5893-444: The socially aspiring Sackville-Bagginses have similarly attempted to "Frenchify" their family name, Sac[k]-ville = "Bag Town", as a mark of their bourgeois status. The journalist Matthew Dennison, writing for St Martin's Press , calls Lobelia Sackville-Baggins "Tolken's unmistakable nod to Vita Sackville-West ", an aristocratic novelist and gardening columnist as passionately attached to her family home, Knole House , which she
5976-509: The story rather as a psychological journey, the anti-heroic Bilbo being willing to face challenges while firmly continuing to love home and discovering himself. Along the way, Matthews sees Jungian archetypes , talismans, and symbols at every turn: the Jungian wise old man Gandalf; the devouring mother of the giant spider, not to mention Gollum's "long grasping fingers"; the Jungian circle of
6059-452: The story: just as the characters at every point have to decide for good or ill, so objects have the potential to be both good and evil: "Mithril is both the greatest of treasures and a deadly bane." The Tolkien critic Paul Kocher interprets the Dwarves' intense secrecy around mithril and their devotion to artistry in metal and stone as "a sublimation of their sexual frustration", given that they have very few dwarf-women and love beauty with
6142-424: The theft and a draught of cold air from the opened passage. He flies out, nearly catches the Dwarves outside the door, and eats their ponies. Bilbo and the Dwarves hide inside the passage. Bilbo goes down to Smaug's lair again to steal some more, but the dragon is now only half-asleep. Wearing his magic ring, Bilbo is invisible, but Smaug at once smells him. Bilbo has a riddling conversation with Smaug, and notices that
6225-401: The thunder-god Thor , the raven -flanked god Odin , the goddess Freyja , and numerous other deities . Most of the surviving mythology centers on the plights of the gods and their interaction with several other beings, such as humanity and the jötnar , beings who may be friends, lovers, foes, or family members of the gods. The cosmos in Norse mythology consists of Nine Worlds that flank
6308-524: The world is enveloped in flames, only to be reborn anew. There the surviving gods will meet, and the land will be fertile and green, and two humans will repopulate the world. Norse mythology has been the subject of scholarly discourse since the 17th century when key texts attracted the attention of the intellectual circles of Europe. By way of comparative mythology and historical linguistics , scholars have identified elements of Germanic mythology reaching as far back as Proto-Indo-European mythology . During
6391-403: Was first described in The Hobbit in 1937, but without any mention of mithril. Tolkien first described the shirt as being made of mithril in The Lord of the Rings in 1954, and it was retrospectively mentioned in the third, revised edition of The Hobbit in 1966. In the first 1937 edition, the mail shirt given to Bilbo Baggins is described as being made of "silvered steel". Also there
6474-498: Was found in the lost island kingdom of Númenor and the inaccessible continent of Aman . The principal item made of mithril in the works of Tolkien is the "small coat of mail " that Thorin Oakenshield gave to Bilbo Baggins after it had been retrieved from the hoard of Smaug the dragon. Gandalf stated that the value of this mithril-coat was "greater than the value of the whole Shire and everything in it". The mail-shirt
6557-404: Was played by Paul Daneman . The 1969 parody Bored of the Rings by " Harvard Lampoon " (i.e. its co-founders Douglas Kenney and Henry Beard ) modifies the hobbit's name to "Dildo Bugger". In the 1977 Rankin/Bass animated version of The Hobbit , Bilbo was voiced by Orson Bean . Bean also voiced both the aged Bilbo and Frodo in the same company's 1980 adaptation of The Return of
6640-514: Was struck by an orc chieftain's spear thrust during the battle in the Chamber of Mazarbul , and again when orc-arrows struck him while escaping Moria and while crossing the River Anduin . When Sam Gamgee believed Frodo to be dead outside Shelob 's Lair, he left the shirt with Frodo. Frodo was taken by the orcs, who fought over the shirt. Frodo was saved, but one of the orcs escaped with
6723-475: Was the only mineral that Tolkien invented. He notes that in Tolkien's underworld, whether the caves at Helm's Deep or the mines of Moria, "beauty and terror [were] side by side". Greed for mithril could unleash the terror of the Balrog , by digging too far down into the dark realm, but at the same time, he writes, the metal was prized for both its beauty and its usefulness, yielding the best armour. He compares
6806-483: Was the original format for the mythology. Various forms of a cosmological creation story are provided in Icelandic sources, and references to a future destruction and rebirth of the world— Ragnarok —are frequently mentioned in some texts. According to the Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda poem, Völuspá , the first human couple consisted of Ask and Embla ; driftwood found by a trio of gods and imbued with life in
6889-656: Was unable to inherit, as Lobelia was to Bag End. The opposite of a bourgeois is a burglar who breaks into bourgeois houses, and in The Hobbit Bilbo is asked to become a burglar (of Smaug the dragon's lair), Shippey writes, showing that the Bagginses and the Sackville-Bagginses are "connected opposites". He comments that the name Sackville-Baggins, for the snobbish branch of the Baggins family,
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