Idril's sword

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The title of this article is conjectural. While the content of this article is based on official information, the actual name of the subject is conjectural, and is yet to or cannot be officially named.

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Hadhafang (non-canon name)
Idril's sword
Background Information
Location	Gondolin
Owner(s)	Idril
Used by	Idril
Creator	Elves
Appearances
Books	The Book of Lost Tales Part Two
Films	The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - Season Two
Games	The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game

The immortal Elf Idril, who wed Tuor, a mortal Man, carried a sword which she used in saving Elven-women and children during the Fall of Gondolin in the First Age. What became of this sword after the fall is untold.

In adaptations

The Lord of the Rings film trilogy

Arwen wielding Hadhafang

Wētā Workshop created Hadhafang, which, according to some official publicity material for the first film of Peter Jackson's film trilogy, was the name of the sword that Idril wielded in Gondolin. After the city's fall, it was passed on to her son Eärendil, who was the father of Elros and Elrond.

Hadhafang was wielded by Elrond during the War of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men against the forces of the Dark Lord Sauron on the slopes of Mount Doom.

The blade is inscribed with Tengwar runes in neo-Sindarin which say Aen estar Hadhafang i chathol hen, thand arod dan i thang an i arwen. This translates to "This blade is called Hadhafang, a noble defense against the enemy throng for a noble lady".

Hadhafang, or Haðafang, is mentioned as an early Sindarin "sword-name" in entries SYAD and STAG of The Etymologies. Another dissimilated form given is Havathang. It is said to be a cognate of Quenya Sangahyando, a Quenya name meaning "throng-cleaver".

In the original concept for the sword, the inscription contained an additional verse of text that read as follows: Idril i hel en aran Gond dolen, which when translated read "Idril, daughter of the king of the Hidden Rock". The text was omitted from the final design for the sword due to a lack of space on the finished prop.

Some viewers claimed that Hadhafang was a Japanese-type sword due to its cosmetic similarity to a katana. Hadhafang was actually inspired by European cavalry sabers of the early modern period (such as the Shashka, the signature sword of the Cossacks) and the Assyrian sickle-sword of the Bronze Age Near East. Like both the cavalry sword and the sickle-sword, Hadhafang was made for use on horseback (katana were designed for melee). However, the decision to not include Arwen at Helm's Deep meant that the only time the sword was seen in use was when Elrond used it in close combat during the prologue (Arwen doesn't actually use the sword against the Ringwraiths). Elrond is able to wield it one handed against the Nazgul in the Hobbit films. Some people have also commented on the alleged bad balance of the prop, not realizing that it's meant for use from horseback.

The Hobbit film trilogy

Hadhafang on Elrond's side

In The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Elrond is seen on horseback carrying Hadhafang, having used it in battle against Hunter Orcs. And later in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Elrond is seen wielding it again against the Ringwraiths.

In the behind the scenes documentaries, the film crew asserted that Hadhafang is a sword that once belonged to Idril, grandmother of Elrond. While the lineage of the sword is an invention of the film makers, Idril did indeed carry a sword in Gondolin.

The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game

In The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game, Arwen wielded a sword identified as Gwemegil ("maiden-sword"), derived from gwen ("maiden") and megil ("sword"). The blade is stated to have been "forged by the Elven-smiths of Rivendell" and possessed enchantments which "ward off the forces of" Sauron. In a subsequent expansion, the sword was later retconned to be the same sword as Hadhafang from the films. The flavor text on the card uses the translation of the inscription in the films.