Barrow-blades

Lore & Background

Forged in the glory days of Arnor, these weapons were designed by Elendil's people to strike fear into the hearts of the Witch-king's armies. They were not merely tools of war but symbols of a lost kingdom's resilience. When the North Kingdom fell, the blades were laid to rest in the barrows of the Barrow-downs, waiting for a time when they would be needed again. Over millennia, the blades absorbed the malice of the Barrow-wights that guarded them, causing their metal to grow cold and their edges to gleam with a pale, ghostly light.

Tom Bombadil, the master of the forest, recognized their latent power and retrieved them from the grave of the Barrow-wight king. He cleaned the blades and spoke runes over them, awakening their dormant purpose. The inscriptions on the hilts, written in an ancient tongue of Westernesse, are said to burn with a cold fire when enemies of the West draw near. This dual nature—cold steel that burns like fire—is what makes them so deadly to the Ringwraiths, beings who exist partially outside the physical world and cannot be harmed by ordinary weapons.

Reader's Guide

The Barrow-blades serve a dual purpose: they are practical weapons for close-quarters combat and magical artifacts designed to disrupt spiritual entities. In the physical world, they function as sharp daggers capable of harming flesh and bone, though their primary historical use was against the wraiths of Angmar. Their true power is activated when facing enemies tied to the Shadow; against such foes, the runes ignite with a pale light that sears through spiritual defenses.

Did You Know?

• The runes on the blades were written in a script used by the Men of Westernesse, which is an ancestor of the Common Speech.
• Merry's use of the Barrow-blade was instrumental in breaking the magical protection around the Witch-king, allowing Éowyn to deliver the final blow.