Mithril Coat

Lore & Background

In Tolkien's writings, mithril is the only invented metal in his Middle-earth legendarium. Its name derives from Sindarin words meaning 'grey' and 'glitter'. The Dwarves kept their own name for the material secret, mining it exclusively in Khazad-dûm before the Balrog destroyed the kingdom. Before this abandonment, while actively mined, mithril was worth ten times its weight in gold; afterward, it became priceless. Thorin Oakenshield described a coat of dwarf-linked rings as being wrought of 'pure silver to the power and strength of triple steel.' Bilbo later identified a similar small coat made for an elf-prince as 'silver-steel which the elves call mithril.' The Noldor of Eregion also created an alloy called ithildin from it, used to decorate gateways with writing visible only by starlight or moonlight.

In Their Own Story

Bilbo Baggins received the coat after the Battle of Five Armies and wore it during that conflict. He later donated it to the Mathom-house in Michel Delving before reclaiming it for his journey to Rivendell, where he gave it to Frodo Baggins. Frodo wore the mail beneath his tunic, unknown to the rest of the Fellowship. In the Chamber of Mazarbul, an orc chieftain struck Frodo with a spear thrust that was saved by the shirt. Later, while escaping Moria and crossing the River Anduin, orc-arrows also failed to pierce it. When Sam believed Frodo dead outside Shelob's Lair, he left the shirt behind; orcs subsequently fought over it, with one escaping in possession of the garment. At the Battle of the Morannon, the shirt was shown to allies alongside other tokens to falsely imply Frodo was imprisoned in Barad-dûr. Finally, when Saruman attempted to stab Frodo after being spared in the Shire, the coat saved his life a last time.

Reader's Guide

To utilize this artifact effectively, one must wear it as an under-layer beneath standard clothing and tunic, as demonstrated by Frodo Baggins who kept its presence secret. The armor is described as 'close-woven of many rings' yet supple almost as linen, allowing for unrestricted movement without the burden of heavy plate. Its primary function is defense against physical strikes; it successfully withstood a spear thrust from an orc chieftain and multiple arrow strikes. The coat requires no special training to wear due to its lightness, making it suitable even for Hobbits.

Did You Know?

• The mail shirt was first described in The Hobbit (1937) as 'silvered steel' and only retrospectively identified as mithril in the 1966 revised edition.
• Gandalf stated the coat's value was greater than that of the entire Shire and everything within it.
• The metal is described by Gandalf as being beaten like copper, polished like glass, and harder than tempered steel while remaining light.
• Bilbo wore the shirt during the Battle of the Five Armies before donating it to a museum in Michel Delving.
• One of the orcs who found Frodo near Shelob's Lair escaped with the shirt after a fight over it.