Rings of Power’s songs, mithril tree myth rewrite a Lord of the Rings origin

Regardless of its standing as a prequel, Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Energy nonetheless has a lot to show us in regards to the historical past of Center-earth, or a minimum of its model of that historical past. Whereas the present’s newest episode covers many alternative bases, maybe its most fascinating has to do with the historical past of mithril, a legendary elf, and the Misty Mountains themselves.

[Ed. note: This post contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episode 5, “Partings.”]

Episode 5’s glimpse into Center-earth’s previous got here throughout this episode’s dialog between Excessive King Gil-Galad and Elrond. When Elrond refused to disclose info he realized from Durin — because of his oath final episode — Gil-Galad requested him to recount The Tune of the Roots of Hithaeglir.

Elrond describes the poem as depicting a combat between a pure-hearted elf warrior and a balrog of Moria over a gorgeous tree on the high of the Misty Mountains. Based on the legend the tree was thought to include one of many misplaced Silmarils, a set of gems over which the struggle with Morgoth was fought.

In an try and maintain the tree pure, the elf poured his mild into it, whereas the balrog tried to deprave it with its personal evil and darkness. Within the midst of this combat, the tree was struck by lightning, and its essence seeped deep into the Misty Mountains under and shaped mithril.

In fact, till Durin and his individuals found the legendary stone under their halls in Khazad-dûm, nobody knew for certain that mithril was actual, but it surely appears Gil-Galad had at all times suspected it, and was holding out hope that it could possibly be mined.

Picture: Prime Video

However why is mithril so essential to the Elves? As a result of, apparently, of one other tree. After explaining the origins of mithril, Gil-Galad reveals Elrond over to a different tree, one which’s slowly succumbing to corruption. This, Gil-Galad says, is an outer manifestation of an internal actuality: The elves remaining in Center-earth are dwindling in energy, dropping their affect over the world round them. Solely infusing the remaining elves with mithril — which incorporates the ability of the Silmarils, which derives from the sunshine of the traditional timber that when grew in Gil-Galad’s homeland — can the elves be entire once more.

Amidst all of this lore, it’s in all probability value noting that the majority of that is an invention of the present somewhat than of Tolkien’s unique work. Tolkien by no means supplied a concrete origin story for mithril, and it was found in mines apart from Moria, reminiscent of these in Númenor as properly. With all these adjustments, it’s exhausting to say how mithril might ultimately get used within the sequence, however we do know that it has an essential half to play as Rings of Energy continues, particularly as soon as the rings themselves seem.