Angrist

"...but Beren despoiled him of his gear and weapons, and took his knife, Angrist. That knife was made by Telchar of Nogrod, and hung sheathless by his side; iron it would cleave as if it were green wood."

—The Silmarillion, Of Beren and Lúthien

Angrist was a knife made by Telchar of Nogrod and borne by Curufin, one of Fëanor's sons. It was taken from Curufin by Beren, who used it to cut a Silmaril out of Melkor's Iron Crown. However, as he was attempting to remove a second Silmaril, the knife broke and it cut Melkor. It was the mate of Narsil.^{[citation needed]}  

Behind the scenes

The blade is first described in The Lays of Beleriand in several of the poems and stories, where it had been forged by the Wicked dwarves of Nogrod.

The treacherous smiths of Nogrod also made Curufin's Dwarvish knife; a cunning blade of Dwarvish steel with hard edge, and bitter cold. Many Nogrod songs were told of it. How Dwarvish armourers long ago sung slow enchantments over it, where their hammers fell (hammer songs) like the sound of a bell. It clove iron like tender wood and through mail like wool. It was wielded by Gwindor but mostly known by Beren to cut a Silmaril from Morgoth's crown. Even Morgoth's gleaming coat of armor was made of rings of steel no arrow could pierce, made of web of Dwarvish craft. He was able to break a Silmaril free from the iron claws that held it, but the knife snapped and betrayed him to Morgoth when he went for a second gem.

In later versions and the version published in The Silmarillion, this blade became Angrist, which was originally the blade of Curufin. It still maintained its Dwarven heritage, further being described as having been forged by Telchar of Nogrod (in earlier versions he was of Belegost). Although the evil connotations of it being enchanted dark weapon or having  'betrayed' him were played down or removed in the published version.^{[citation needed]}

Etymology

Angrist was a Sindarin word that meant "Iron-cutter".^{[citation needed]}

External link

• Angrist at Tolkien Gateway