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Anglachel, eventually reforged and renamed Gurthang, was a sword wrought by Eöl, the Dark Elf. It ws crafted with its mate Anguirel from the same iron meteorite.

Description[]

"There is malice in this sword. The dark heart of the smith still dwells in it. It will not love the hand it serves, neither will it abide with you long."
Melian on Anglachel[1]

It is described as being forged from the "iron that fell from heaven as a flaming star" or a meteorite. According to Melian, Eöl's malice was left in the sword.

Anglachel seems to have held a certain level of sentient awareness, poured into it from Eöl: it was fierce and bloodthirsty, drinking the blood of those it bit. "From no blood wilt thou shrink," said Túrin after seeing it unharmed by the scorching blood of Glaurung. Nevertheless, innocent blood left a terrible shroud of grief on the sword, and it remembered: when it spoke to Túrin it named two especially whose innocent blood it had drunk: Beleg, slain by mischance, and Brandir slain unjustly. It was noticed by Gwindor to "mourn" for Beleg[2], and was said to "rejoice" when unsheathed in war. Towards the close of the tale of Túrin Turambar, Anglachel even speaks.[3]

History[]

Anglachel was one of two swords Eöl forged from a meteorite. The other, Anguirel, he kept for himself. Eöl gave this sword to Thingol as payment for staying in his forest, Nan Elmoth, though he did not relish giving it away. Thingol gave the sword in keeping to his subject Beleg Cúthalion, when Beleg left to seek down Turin. Whenever Beleg took the sword out of its sheath, the sword is said to have sung with gladness.

At one time, Beleg was unbinding the unconscious Túrin, who had been held captive and tormented by Orcs. However, whilst undoing his bonds, the sword slipped and cut Túrin's foot. Túrin woke, thinking Orcs again upon him, and in the dark slew Beleg with Anglachel before realizing who it was. This mistake he rued bitterly.

Túrin was then handed the sword by Gwindor, and Túrin travelled to Nargothrond, Gwindor's place of birth, where the sword was reforged and renamed Gurthang, "Iron of Death".[1][4][5]

Etymology[]

The name Anglachel means "Shooting Star Iron", from the Sindarin ang ("iron"), lhach ("leaping flame"), and el ("star").[6]

Translations[]

Foreign Language Translated name
Arabic انغلتشل
Chinese (Mandarin) 安格拉赫尔
Georgian ანგლახელი
Gujarati એન્ગલાચેલ
Hebrew אנגלאכל
Hindi अंगलाचल
Japanese アングラチェル
Kannada ಆಂಗ್ಲಾಚೆಲ್
Kazakh Англачел (Cyrillic) Anglaçel (Latin)
Korean 앵글 라첼
Kyrgyz Cyrillic Англацhэл
Macedonian Cyrillic Англачел
Marathi अंगलाचेल
Mongolian Cyrillic Англачэл
Nepalese आङ्लछेल
Russian Англахэль
Sinhalese ඇන්ග්ලචෙල්
Tajik Cyrillic Англачҳел
Tamil அங்கசேல்
Telugu ఆంగ్లచెల్
Urdu انگلاچہےل
Yiddish אַנגאַטשעל


References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XXI: "Of Túrin Turambar"
  2. The Children of Húrin, Ch. IX: "The Death of Beleg", pg. 157
  3. The Children of Húrin, Ch. XVIII: "The Death of Túrin", pg. 256
  4. Unfinished Tales, Part One: The First Age, II: "Narn i Chîn Húrin" (The Tale of the Children of Húrin)
  5. The Children of Húrin, Narn i Chîn Húrin, The Tale of the Children of Húrin, V: "Túrin in Doriath"
  6. The Silmarillion, Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin names
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