Glamdring

Glamdring is a sword of the High Elves of the West, forged in the hidden city of Gondolin during the wars against the goblins. It was once worn by the King of Gondolin himself, earning the name "Foe-hammer" in the ancient tongue of that realm. The blade was discovered by Gandalf and Thorin Oakenshield in the trolls' cave, where it lay among plunder from a dragon's hoard or goblin loot. Elrond, the master of Rivendell, identified the sword by the runes on its blade, revealing its noble origin and its history of slaying goblins in ages past. The goblins themselves knew it by a different name: they called it "Beater," and they hated it even more than they hated Orcrist, the "Biter" carried by Thorin.

Discovery and Identification

Gandalf and Thorin each took one of the swords from the trolls' cave, drawn by their beautiful scabbards and jewelled hilts. Gandalf examined the blades, noting that they were not made by trolls or by any smith among men in those parts. When Elrond later inspected them, he confirmed that they were ancient swords of the High Elves of the West, his kin, made in Gondolin for the Goblin-wars. He read the runes on Gandalf's sword and named it Glamdring, the Foe-hammer, and declared that it was a famous blade once worn by the king of Gondolin. The swords had likely come from a dragon's hoard or goblin plunder, for dragons and goblins had destroyed that city many ages ago.

Magical Properties and Role in the Escape

Glamdring possessed a magical property: it burned with a rage that made it gleam when goblins were about. In the darkness of the goblin tunnels, after the Great Goblin had been killed, Gandalf drew his sword and it flashed in the dark by itself, bright as blue flame for delight in the killing of the great lord of the cave. The sword made no trouble of cutting through the goblin-chains that bound the dwarves, freeing them quickly. When the goblins pursued, Gandalf and Thorin turned a corner and drew their swords, and the goblins, seeing "Biter and Beater" shining cold and bright, shrieked and fell into confusion, allowing the company to escape.

Significance

Glamdring is more than a weapon; it is a relic of a lost age, a symbol of the ancient alliance between elves and the forces of good against the goblin hordes. Its discovery and use by Gandalf underscore the wizard's role as a protector and a force of ancient wisdom and power. The sword's hatred for goblins and its ability to inspire terror in them make it a crucial tool in the company's survival, and its history connects the present adventure to the legendary past of Middle-earth.