The Sword That Was Broken

[Firondoiel]

Okay, I know that Aragorn's sword Narsil was quite important (and I'm extremely miffed about it in the movies) but it doesn't say anything about him having another weapon in the books. So did he walk around with just his broken sword and trust to luck? What did he do when he met an enemy? I mean, a broken sword is not gonna do you much good in a fight. Thoughts ya'll?

[Elentari]

I think Tolkien probably meant for everyone to assume Aragorn had another sword. As a ranger, Aragorn would have had to have a sword in good fighting condition. But Narsil is reforged in the movies...

[Firondoiel]

Hmmm....thank you for your thought Elentari!

But Narsil is reforged in the movies...

Yeah, finally! *rants and raves about how Aragorn was supposed to have the bloody sword in FOTR*

[Elentari]

You need to watch the trailer for RotK ^_-

[InklingElf]

Narsil is of the Dunedain--quite important you know--and as you saw in ROTK it was significant due to the fact that it was the only sword Aragorn could use to command the loyalty of the Oath Breakers...

It's not such a bad heirloom either, hence the fact that it passed through the 2nd Age (Isildur) as an important weapon of Man/Dunedain. Heck, even the Elves think it's important.

And as to Aragorn as a ranger--Elrond did not think of forging the sword then because it was not the proper time... Wielding the sword would imply that Aragorn was king (remember he was in exile during FOTR and the beginning of TTT)...

[Dragoneyes]

If Aragorn had another sword, why did he draw Narsil (or part of it anyway) in Bree (or thereabouts) to show Sam that he had no really useful weapon. Or was it purely to fool Sam while he secretly had another sword down his trouser leg or something?

[Istawen Aeros]

I do not believe that Aragorn had another sword simply because Tolkien did not say he did. And we all know how detailed particular Tolkien is, so why didn't he leave out such an obvious and important detail. Not once is another sword mentioned...

But then again, I do have a faulty memory.

[lordoffools]

It's probably extreme blasphemy, but Aragorn strikes me as a bit of a weirdo in the first few scenes he's in. I think he drew the broken bits of Narsil out to show Sam that he wasn't really that dangerous. But if he had another sword, then Sam would have seen it and totally freaked. Maybe Aragorn hid it? As for the movies, it was an interesting way to have the sword remade, and it was good they showed the forging in such a way. But can someone please tell me what the hell that thing with Arwen was? I STILL can't make any sense of it!

[InklingElf]

lordoffools said:

It's probably extreme blasphemy, but Aragorn strikes me as a bit of a weirdo in the first few scenes he's in. I think he drew the broken bits of Narsil out to show Sam that he wasn't really that dangerous. But if he had another sword, then Sam would have seen it and totally freaked. Maybe Aragorn hid it? As for the movies, it was an interesting way to have the sword remade, and it was good they showed the forging in such a way. But can someone please tell me what the hell that thing with Arwen was? I STILL can't make any sense of it!

It was NOT Narsil at all -- it was his Dunedian ranger sword in Bree.

What 'thing with Arwen'?

[Dragoneyes]

It was NOT Narsil at all -- it was his Dunedian ranger sword in Bree.

Erm, actually, he draws a broken sword in Bree to show Sam he's not dangerous. If that's not Narsil, why the hell is he carrying around a broken sword that's not an important heirloom? That makes even less sense than carrying just a broken sword that is a family heirloom!

[Caunedhiel]

Ok lordofthefools be educated. The thing arwen said was the Rhyme of strider-

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
Alight from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken:
The crown less again shall be king.

It was a Rhyme that Gandalf put into the letter for Frodo at the inn of the prancing pony. So it does have some significance.

[Caunedhiel]

Ok lordofthefools be educated. The thing arwen said was the Rhyme of strider-

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
Alight from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken:
The crown less again shall be king.

It was a Rhyme that Gandalf put into the letter for Frodo at the inn of the prancing pony. So it does have some significance.

[gokitas]

With regard to Aragorn's use of a sword at bree, I believe that it would be entirely possible for jrrt to leave us with the possiblility of aragorn having another unbroken sword at his disposal. the sword that was broken is his family's heirloom and therefore his responsibility to carry. but after all, a ranger is a ranger and aragorn would have needed a better sword for practical use. Aragorn is no fool. He had defended hobbits unseen for years and he knew that they were not used to violence. to alleviate sam's fears he drew the broken sword, narsil, and mused at his own incapacity for a proper fight. This statement also fits with Aragorn's inner turmoil about becoming king. That sword technically marks him as royal blood but when he looks at from day to day as a ranger exile, he must have wondered if he would ever have what it takes to make it whole again, to make it more than an ineffectual broken sword. it seemed like aragorn was talking both to sam and to himself in bree that night.

[GuyWhoReadtheBooks]

Strange discussion revolving around items' significance to Tolkien in general and the LOTR triology in particular, and yet no one strays beyond the movies to offer any insight!

Also, for accuracy's sake, Aragorn wields Anduril, Flame of the West, the sword that was broken and forged again from the shards of Narsil, which was broken under the fall of Elendil, Isildur's father, taken up by same and used to hew the Ring from Sauron's hand.

Recall that Aragorn has a bit of a standoff with the doorwardens at Meduseld (Two Towers, the BOOK, that is) becuase he will not lay aside his sword BECAUSE IT IS ANDURIL. He says as much, relating he would respect any man's wishes in his own home but for THAT sword. So we see Aragorn carried Anduril from the Fellowship's departure from Rivendell. It is a key to his identity as the heir to Isildur's throne IF HE CHOOSES TO CLAIM IT. The movie's ill-considered 'shrine' to the shards of Narsil and it's supposed reforging only just before the battle at Gondor is sad and unnecessary (Aragorn carried them from an early age and they were reforged after the Council of Elrond).

VERY unfortunately, the movies ADD a great deal of 'story' that was never part of the Tolkien's works, an egregious error that doubly damages the films because it subtracts from their ability to relate crucial aspects of the story AS IT WAS WRITTEN.

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