Narsil

Narsil is the sword of Elendil the Tall, the High King of the Dúnedain who led the survivors of Númenor into exile in Middle-earth after the Downfall. Forged in the First Age by the great Dwarf-smith Telchar, it was a blade of legendary lineage, carried by Elendil throughout the wars of the Second Age. In the climactic battle of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, on the slopes of Orodruin, Elendil wielded Narsil against Sauron himself. The sword broke beneath him as he fell, but the shard of its hilt remained in the hand of his son Isildur, who used it to cut the One Ring from Sauron's finger, ending the Dark Lord's first reign. The breaking of Narsil thus marked both a catastrophic defeat—the death of the High King—and the singular act that made possible Sauron's temporary overthrow.

The Broken Heirloom

After Isildur's own death in the Disaster of the Gladden Fields, the shards of Narsil were brought to Rivendell by his esquire Ohtar and given to Valandil, Isildur's young heir. For nearly three thousand years the broken sword was preserved by the Chieftains of the Dúnedain in the North, kept in the house of Elrond as the most sacred heirloom of the line of Elendil. It was never reforged, for the time was not yet come. The prophecy concerning it was preserved in the rhyme: "Renewed shall be blade that was broken, / The crownless again shall be king." The sword's shattered state became a symbol of the fallen kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor, and of the long exile of the rightful heirs.

The Reforging and Naming

At the Council of Elrond, Aragorn son of Arathorn, the heir of Isildur, cast the broken blade upon the table before Elrond, declaring: "Here is the Sword that was Broken!" Boromir of Gondor, who had come seeking the meaning of a prophetic dream that spoke of the sword, recognized its significance. After the Council, Elvish smiths in Rivendell reforged Narsil anew. On its blade they traced a device of seven stars set between the crescent Moon and the rayed Sun, and about it were written many runes. Aragorn gave it a new name: Andúril, Flame of the West. When it was made whole again, it shone with a light that was both red and cold, and its edge was hard and keen.

The Sword in War

Aragorn carried Andúril throughout the War of the Ring. At the Battle of the Hornburg, he drew it and the blade blazed with white fire, causing the defenders to shout: "Andúril! Andúril goes to war. The Blade that was Broken shines again!" In the Paths of the Dead, he showed the reforged sword to the Oathbreakers, and they recognized the heir of Isildur and followed him. At the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Andúril was wielded as a flame of the West, and its bearer was hailed as king. When the Captains of the West marched to the Black Gate, Aragorn swore: "You shall not be sheathed again until the last battle is fought." The sword was present at the final confrontation, though the Ring's destruction, not the sword's edge, decided the war.

Symbolic and Dynastic Significance

Narsil/Andúril is the central dynastic weapon of the Dúnedain, the tangible link between the exiled kings and their ancient heritage. Its breaking and reforging mirror the fall and restoration of the kingdoms of Men. The sword's history is intertwined with the Ring's: it was broken in the same battle where the Ring was taken, and it was reforged only when the Ring was found again. Aragorn's display of the reforged blade to Sauron through the Orthanc-stone was a deliberate challenge, drawing the Dark Lord's attention away from the true peril. The sword thus functions not merely as a weapon but as a sign of legitimacy, a rallying point for the Free Peoples, and a key element in the strategic deception that allowed the Ring-bearer to reach Mount Doom.