The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien
Dates
Destroyed in I 4661
Origins
Made by Telchar of Nogrod
Races
Created by a Dwarf (Telchar), carried by an Elf (Curufin), and used by a Man (Beren) to retrieve a Silmaril from the Iron Crown
Pronunciation
a'ngrist
Meaning
'iron-cutter'

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 2 June 2013
  • This entry is complete

Angrist

The iron-cleaving knife made by Telchar

An extraordinary knife made by the great smith Telchar of Nogrod, that was able to cut iron as easily as wood. It was carried by Curufin son of Fëanor, who wore it by his side without any sheath. Curufin held power for a time in Nargothrond with his brother Celegorm, but after Lúthien defeated Sauron and freed his prisoners from Tol-in-Gaurgoth, many of them returned to Nargothrond and turned its people against the brothers. Forced to leave, they set out to ride to the northern lands of their brother Maedhros, but on the journey they came upon Beren and Lúthien. Attacking, they were defeated, and Beren took the knife Angrist from Curufin.

It was, perhaps, fate that Beren took the iron-cutting knife. When he found himself at the Throne of Morgoth while the Dark Lord was in an enchanted sleep created by Lúthien, Beren used Angrist to cut free one of the Silmarils from the claws that bound it to the Iron Crown. Having taken the Jewel, he chose to go beyond the goal of his quest and free all three of the Silmarils, but as he tried to cut the second free from its prison, Angrist snapped, and a shard of its broken blade struck the face of the slumbering Morgoth. Because of the breaking of Angrist, Beren and Lúthien were forced to flee with just a single Silmaril, while the other two remained in the power of the Dark Lord.


Notes

1

We have no direct indication of the age of Angrist when it snapped in Beren's hand, but we do have some hints to work from. It was made by Telchar the famous smith, and we know that Telchar worked at one time for Azaghâl, who died in the Nirnaeth in I 472. Given that Telchar and Azaghâl must have been contemporaries, and assuming a typical Dwarvish lifespan of some two hundred and fifty years, it seems very unlikely that Angrist was made much before the year I 250.

See also...

Iron Crown, Telchar

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 2 June 2013
  • This entry is complete

For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.

Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 1998, 2001, 2009, 2013. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.

Website services kindly sponsored by Discus from Axiom Software Ltd.
Discus DISC Candidate Matching helps find the optimum personalities for any role in moments.
The Encyclopedia of Arda
The Encyclopedia of Arda
Menu
Homepage Search Latest Entries and Updates Random Entry