The History of Sting, Elvish Sword of Hobbit Heroes - Artifacts of Arda
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- Опубліковано 21 лип 2024
- Sting, a dagger of Gondolin, became one of the most legendary swords in Tolkien’s works when it was borne by Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, and Samwise Gamgee. Thank you all so much for watching, let me know your thoughts on Sting in the comments below! As always, a great thanks to the online artists whose visual works made this video possible! If you are one of the artists, please let me know and I will post your name and a link to your work in this description!
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Hey everyone, thanks for watching! Wanted to provide more detail for Bilbo being Frodo's cousin. Bilbo is the son of Bungo who is the son of Mungo, whose brother is Largo and Largo is the great grandfather of Frodo. So technically they are multiple removals away but are cousins, hope that helps! :)
Largo, Montego, hey now why don't we go???
Mungo and Largo were sons of Balbo making him Bilbo’s great grandfather and Frodo’s great great grandfather. This makes Bilbo and Frodo second cousins once removed.
It's like how Lord Robert Baden Powell is my cousin, even though he died in 1941 at age 84.
Can we talk about Phil Dragash's version of the audiobook?
Well done but just for facts sake, Frodo was bilbos nephew not his cousin
"Not really sure it'd a sword. More of a letter opener really"
Everyone's favorite glow in the dark dagger haha
I've always wondered how this weapon went from one of the greatest cities of the 1st age all the way in a troll hoard! There's alot of back story missing that I need haha
But just goes to show u that it was meant to b there after all to help in the overall saving of the world
And that is an encouraging thought 😊
Perhaps we are "too" nerdy. I would love a whole series, dedicated just for, The Travels of Sting.... that just sounds like I'm talking about the artist. But I think you catch my drift. Lol
Just the little history we know, this weapon hates spiders, and loves causing them pain. It has no confirmed kills, but many confirmed "saves". This could be a Noldor spy weapon, used as a warning device. Perhaps this weapon only seeks out, "The least likely of heroes."
I figured it was probably in Eregion at some point and its owner at the time had been from Gondolin.
It and the other 2 blades found in the troll hoard were almost certainly carried off from Gondolin as plunder when the city fell. I doubt if they saw much use between then and the events in the Hobbit.
@@netpackrat Doubter! Nay sayer! Dream snuffer! Lol
When my middle grand daughter comes to visit me, she likes to play with my Ring (pretending to be invisible) and playing with Sting. She loves to unsheath it just right to hear the Bling sound it makes. Good memories.
aww cute
That’s so sweat
Beautiful my friend =) you are a blessed man indeed
My heart would melt. I hope my sons come to greatly love Tolkien too. This is a hobby I’d love to share w/ them
Remember always what Aragon said ,"The Hobbit's bite is deep , You have a good blade Frodo , son of Drogo."
Perfect timing.
Just started this chapter in the audiobook of The Hobbit narrated by Andy Serkis.
Really enjoyable to listen to, and yes, he still does Gollum’s voice perfectly.
I literally just finished serkis audiobook of the hobbit today
Do y’all realise that Sting is at least 6000 years old when Bilbo finds it?
Dang,Really? That's an amazing blade for being 6 thousand years old
GREAT point ( for ALL those Troll-Cave swords ).
Yes, I have always been curious the journey of sting before, which if it was elf blade, means an elf could have owned it for most of its life as well.
Kinda like finding a California car in Ohio.
I did the math, it's like finding a 3rd Dynasty Egyptian artifact in Modern England.
I like how in the hobbit movies sting just bleeps out like a dying lightbulb when golem kills the goblin.
As the life force of the goblin blinks out of existence
I love how in the Hobbit films, they made Sting have a much brighter hue of
blue. Making it look as though it was meant to glow perfectly in the dark. Which I genuinely like.
Yeah. What's up with Orcrist & Glamdring?
I Actually love that Peter Jackson added little more details to the sword, like adding an scription to Sting (Magnas) it give the blade more of an ancient feeling on it.
Could you add the heart again I had to change te comment.
There is also a theory that Sting was originally owned by Turin Turanbar. In the beginning of Children of Hurin, Turin gets a well made elvish dagger as a birthday gift. It would also be very interesting connecting baggins family and Turin Turanbar.
It makes me sad that Yoystan only gets about 20-30k views on each of his videos, he works so hard and deserves more recognition.
I like the idea that Sting may well have been made for the same elf-prince for whom the mithril-shirt was meant.
This also provides a valuable lesson that equipping those different from you can have unexpected benefits. Surely some elves scoffed at the idea of laboring over a tiny sword with the same effort as Glamdring or Orcrist, or wasting so much mithril on armor for a child. Yet if this hadn’t been done, ages later, the quest of the Ring would have gone much differently.
I believe Bilbo's mithril shirt was of dwarven make?
It was forged by the dwarves
I always imagine that the knife was akin to the same dagger that stuck Glaurung by Azaghâl. Maybe as a gift from FINGON for standing against Morgoth.
Magic Elf Stinger Beats Evil Spider Stinger and we are all grateful for it.
I always preferred the Rankin Bass look of Sting. It felt more like a knife made into a sword, rather than the leaf-shaped blade with a proper guard we see in the new movies and all subsequent media. A good deal of the art you used has that same feel about it, and I prefer it over the movie trilogy's aesthetic choices.
Just my personal preferences, like how I prefer your videos over most other videos on youtube. Thank you, once again.
I would agree. Legolas's knives were said to be shorter too than the movies showed. Harder to see knives on film than small swords and blades.
It would certainly be interesting if Sting was indeed originally forged for Earendil.
Yoystan that anecdote at the end was adorable
I love the idea that Sting had a history in the years of Gondolin in Middle Earth. In my imagination, it was a spider-slayer even in the First age. Perhaps some of Ungoliant's misbegotten children tried to cross the Encircling mountains, and were encountered by patrols of the Gondolidrim? Pretty awesome.
"misbegotten" 👌
Hopefully, Sam was Shelob's Bane.
Tolkien didn’t give too much away about Sting, but you know there’s a lot more history to it
"I am BILBO, Sword of Hobbiton! Fear me, icky spidey-wideys!!!"
But, seriously, folks. I actually have TWO thoughts on Sting's origin, neither of which contradicts the other . . . and either of which could have been worked into Jackson's films with a minimum of effort. (I can literally imagine how.)
One idea is rather unassuming: that Sting wasn't unique. It may have been a regulation dagger for the city's army, an item that *anyone* could have carried. Hence, the lack of names or marking.
The other thought mirror's the presenter's: that it has some connection with Earendil. Tolkien's draft version of "The Fall of Gondolin" relates how the young hero warded off Maeglin's attempt to kill him with a dagger, never named or described. Who's to say that this isn't the same one, fallen to Bilbo's hand by thousands of years of chance? And of course, that same dagger could have been some soldier's weapon, borrowed for the occasion, and afterward either lost or discarded.
Wow one of the first 18 views. I love how Bilbo used Sting when he was invisible in cartoon. Very scary as a child.
An yes, Rankin-Bass
Your videos got me to read the whole series for the first time. Silmarillion to Return of the King 👏🏻
Yoysten has that subtle power when watching his videos. He makes you want to read the stories again.
Great video. Just ordered a Sting replica to hang on my wall. It was delivered yesterday. Looking forward to the Undying Lands.
Six spiders disliked this video.
This is a high level lotr video, I've always wanted to know more about sting.
I know its not mentioned anywhere in the Tolkien lore but I would love to know how they made blades that glow
ua-cam.com/video/i80Rf1_kaAg/v-deo.html
Kinda makes the elvish bulb light given to Frodo irrelevant
That "elvish light bulb" contained the light of a simarail. Which was from the Trees of Light.
Thank you for sharing this video on Sting! I was wondering if the High Elves of Gondolin had a premonition (or a "feeling" about the future - like Gandalf mentioning about Gollum having a role in the future) that maybe they suspected its role in the future for Bilbo... Just a thought...
Man really like your videos very uplifting and inspiring.
Thank you for another lovely video. Sting was always a favorite of mine ❤️
Hey Yoystan I have a suggestion for a future weapons video. The swords of Arnor, Gondor and the Rangers in particular Aragorn's ranger sword. They're of Númenorean make but what of the rangers swords? Still made in the Númenorean style or was that art lost during Stryders time?
I just love that Sting was passed down to Sam, all the three great hobbits form The Shire wielded the same blade.
I like the idea that Sting may well have been made for the same elf-prince for whom the mithril-shirt was meant.
This also provides a valuable lesson that equipping those different from you can have unexpected benefits. Surely some elves scoffed at the idea of laboring over a tiny sword with the same effort as Glamdring or Orcrist, or wasting so much mithril on armor for a child. Yet if this hadn’t been done, ages later, the quest of the Ring would have surely failed.
I like Sting. It became the weapon that was used by simple yet brave folk in dark times.
sting is 1 of my top 10 all time favorite weapons
Same along with Anduril, Glamdring, and Gimli's Axe.
Sting was some kinda emergency side piece for some badass elf, imagine that dude and the hardware they all had.
I truly love all your posts and the magic of middle earth 🌟
Oh Mellon, that is nice, I short, sweet video on an important sword of Arda, which was welded by 3 important Hobbits later!!!
Your stories are making me wish I bought Sting a few months ago...But oh well!
Thanks for the history of Sting, until Valinor's regional spotlight...Marion Baggins Out!!!
Nicely done.
Wonderful. I always loved watching the swords of Arda.. Both in the LOTR and The Hobbit Trilogy
Matt from the Dork Lords channel has a theory of where the blade may have come from. Glorfindel. When he is fighting the Balrog he loses his named sword and pulls out his dagger and that's what he uses to kill the Balrog. This dagger is not named. But this seems to be the only account of a dagger being used in the fall of Gondolin.
It's a good theory but personally I like the idea that before Bilbo it had no special significance. I think it means more if Bilbo is able to take a small dagger with no significance and between him and Frodo use it to save Middle-Earth.
Good video as always I have a to scale version of This sword and i use it as a really good scissor or kitchen knife sometimes nice to know more about my favourite weapon of arda and again thanks for the good video friend
Been into the lore of LOTR recently, and had to say really great content sir..
You have cut me deep, Yoystan, and internally I feel as though I will glow with exuberant joy if you come near to me:)
It never occurred to me to wondered what happened to Sting after LOTR -- I like the idea that Sting may have remained in the Shire and passed through generations as an heirloom or relic of the Elder Days. Nice vid!
I like to think there is a Room some where in Minas Tirith that houses all the great blades of Middle Earth With a colorful an long history of each blade inscribed under it along with paintings depicting each owner and some of the epic deed done with it. A lowly care taker tends to each blade oiling them regularly and possibly on occasion taking one out and pretending to be that great hero of days past slashing wildly at the air.
@@Enerdhil Good point no prehistoric creatures to form the stuff . Good old animal fat or plant based oil. I hear troll fat works nicely.
Great video
It's funny I was just talking about Sting.
Finally, I'll have se more info on Sting 🥳
Stick them with the pointy end! Oops! Wrong series
I have one whale of a jump but I love my little silly idea. Turgon died as the Kings Tower fell saying "Great shall be the victory of the Noldor". I like to think a part of that oath lived on in the crafts of Gondolin like Sting.
I was thinking and searching what video of yours i still didnt watch
Could someone answer this question as I've been trying to find an answer for ages.
When did Sauron leave Valinor? I know that this was before the War for sake of the Elves, but am unsure if this was before or after the destruction of the two lamps?
Thanks.
Sauron left after Melkor was imprisoned the second time. After he was cast into the edge darkness of the world.
@@shadowofchaos8932 but surely Sauron was in middle earth at the end of the first age. I mean when did he leave for the last time.
@@rossswann3346 he left Valinor to become Melkor's general in the north after he declared himself with Melkor. Here is a link to the character history yoysten did, ua-cam.com/video/0CI68v_JKBc/v-deo.html
@@Enerdhil if Tolkien never wrote about it, then it doesn't exist. Yoysten gave as much info in the video as Tolkien provided. UA-camrs aren't avoiding the issue. They don't have an exact answer. But feel free to write to the Tolkien estate and ask your question and any complaints.
@@Enerdhil sorry. My research focus has been on the Fourth age of Middle Earth. I'm up to year 1183 and writing a story that leads to Dagor Dagoroth. I have 22k words written so far and a storyline worked out. I'm going to destroy the world.
Very interesting video
When Glorfindel fought against the Balrog in the first age, he used a sword and a dagger. Neither were ever recovered, and one assumes they were plundered. Given they come from the same battle, it is entirely possible that Sting was that dagger. Remember, Bilbo hid the dagger down a pant leg during his stay at Rivendale, so Glorfindel would never have had an opportunity to see it.
Consider this: The dagger was excellently crafted as a weapon of war. This was no mere ceremonial piece, it was a weapon crafted to hunt and kill, among other things, orks. It was made with the expectation that it would see the front lines of combat. So I doubt it was made for a child or even a mage. I'm sure there were a great many mithril daggers that were made, the odds of it being that specific dagger are quite low. But, it's not out of the realm of possibility. It came from the same place, the same battlefield, as the other two blades. Their being plundered together as a set would have been the only way they could have remained together for over six thousand years until it finally came into Bilbo's hands.
Just an idea.
Kult of Athena sells a pretty good High Carbon Steel replica of this blade. It's not cheap, and it's currently on backorder, but it's a really nice long knife...
www.kultofathena.com/product/legacy-arms-halfling-sword/?attribute_grade=Standard+Grade
This is the best Tolkien channel on youtube. You put so much love into these videos.
If I may ask can you craft a video about the language of the Orcs and a theory video if there are female dragons within Tolkien's Mythos please?
Thanks!
I always wondered what happened to Sting after the Fellowship ended. Never read the books and the sword disappears after a point in the movies so I wasn't sure if it was canonically kept or if it perished at Mount Doom with the ring. Thanks for uploading this video. :)
I suspect as the Red Book of Westmarch and Bag End became Sams, it's back on the wall.
Sting is my favorite it's pretty cool!
So in a way, the user floated like a butterfly and stumg like a bee
I like to think that Sting is in a Mathom house, with peaceful and prosperous Hobbits who have forgotten war.
Will it be possible for you to make a video of Nauglamir?
Men of the west, do you think Morgoth will be in the new show? I hope he his. I have been wanting Morgoth live action for so long. And with the two trees being alive, that means morgoth is alive
It's entirely possible, my friend! They could potentially have the rights to show him, at least in a flash back or something!
@@MenoftheWest I really hope they do. Even if we only see him in a flashback for a second, it would be amazing
@@MenoftheWest As long as I see Benedict Cumberbatch as a fair sauron ill be happy lol
I love love your videos my friend. But would you mind speaking closer to the microphone? It sounds like you are sitting at the other end of a room. Or maybe it’s the quality of the microphone itself. Much appreciated
Sting. Able to glow when goblins approach, able to be a bane of the spiders of Mirkwood, forest, and aided Frodo and Sam against the Spider Queen Shelob. Moreover it sings when unsheathed. The mystery remains....Its creators if there was more than one.
Sting and Orcrist are my favorite 💜
I call my hat “waspbane” it’s kill count is quite impressive
Great!
I admit, the weapons of Middle Earth will always hold a place in my heart of fantasy hearts, but in terms of weaponry, to this day, my favorite sword is the Soul Reaver from the Legacy of Kain video game series. It beat out the Sword of Kas from Dungeons and Dragons. But I've held a full size stainless steel replica of Anduril. That sword is a true weapon meant for a king.
I have always believed that Sting had a specific purpose. It wasn't meant to be the pocket knife of a prince or some short sword meant to use up a remaining supply of a special metal. It was either the dagger of a queen, a High priest's sacrificial knife, or as a main-gauche blade to be used in tandem with either Glamdring and/or Orcrist. Considering how these blades (all 3 of them) were constructed, they are not elven arms, even if elves are who constructed them. They were made for humans. The 2 swords are arming swords, so a single person could have wielded both at the same time, and used Sting if one of them were broken, or disarmed from the user.
Ah yes,The soul devouring flamberge type weapon,The soul reaver is truly a badass weapon
I've always wanted Sting to be Berens knife that he used to cut the Silmarils from Morgoth.
I hated it that it was referred to as a "letter opener", even though its OBVIOUSLY a highly enchanted magic sword, akin to a Barrow blade in power-indeed Frodo, calling out magic words, almost got the Witch King. This resistance to the last saved Frodos life, and he was wounded in shoulder and not heart near weather top. It was found with orcist and glamdring, not without reason. I suspect its of the same power, though of a slightly lesser degree being shorter. Like a Hobbit, its appearance belies its power and strength which gives its user wisdom by glowing, but also courage to stand against evil. It was Sting that gave Biblo courage against Gollum (and pity), as well as helping Biblo kill the foul spiders of Mirkwood. It might have been forged with spawn of ungoliant in mind, as it one time she lives near the elves
Thank you for the video, but I agree with what someone else posted. Bilbo was Frodo's Uncle.
"Mr. Drogo married poor Miss Primula Brandybuck. She was our Mr. Bilbo's first cousin on the mother's side (her mother being the youngest of the Old Took's daughters); and Mr. Drogo was his second cousin. **So Mr. Frodo is his first *and* second cousin, once removed either way**, as the saying is, if you follow me."
-Hamfast "the Gaffer" Gamgee, *The Fellowship of the Ring*
I loved that :-)
Great Video as always.. i have a question for you. Do you think Radagast actually failed in his mission or did he decide to stay in Middle Earth?
What if Beorn found the ring?
Could be done a number of ways;
1. The ring, feeling Beorn's strength falls out of bilbo's picket whilst he sleeps, Beorn sees the ring and steal it.
2. Beorn kills Thorins Company and finds the ring on Bilbo
3. Beorn requests payment for the lodgings and frisks the Company.
How isn't really important though, would Beorn use the ring himself to kill orcs and wolves or would Sauron offer him power in return of the Ring?
Oooooooh thank you Mr. West!!!! Sting is my FAVORITE sword!!!! I have the biggest smile on my face 🤩
My co-favorite sword along with the Master Sword.
I hope you never lose your desire to fight with Sting against the badies!
Can i humbly request an epic character history of ecthelion of the fountain?
Thanks
An elvish dagger that did many deeds for a hobbit. I wonder who crafted it and when?
You would think Shelob would be able to smell the blood of her brothers and sisters on that blade
I think it is Glorefidal's Dirk. He used against a Balrog.
I have a bronze version of Sting. Yes, it costs a big penny, but it is as sharp as a neurosurgeons scaple. It is not used, but I can clean and sharpen it with a good microfiber cloth rag.
BTW. You got it wrong with Orcist, that is Gandalfs sword.
No, glamdring is gandalf sword
The real question is, how common was the metal used? Did every foot soldier have a glowing blade or were they rare and difficult to make? Considering there are only three blades known it paints it as a rare enchantment, but they're also thousands of years old.
More of a letter opener than a sword really.
BTW do you think it's possible for you to do another ring giveaway soon?
Please do elrond vs thraduil,
who would win?
you said at one point in this video ( 8:32 ) that Frodo was Bilbo's cousin? He was Bilbo's Nephew right?
Second cousins once removed 😄
@@MenoftheWest AH... you are right. I am letting the Movie influence my thoughts on how they were related. You are right of course... Second Cousins once removed.
@@MenoftheWest No Its Nephew
I like to think that Sting was a companion dagger to either Glamdring or Orcrist. Like they were part of a set.
One of the four great swords of the Third Age.
Just thought, if Bilbo wore the ring and became invisible in the presence of orcs, would the light of Sting still illuminate the space around him that others could see it without seeing Bilbo himself? Or would the light of sting be extinguished by the ring?
Who needs a flashlight, when you've got an Elvish sword?
The Master Sword Also Glows Look At Botw
"This is Sting... You've seen it before?..."
Sting blooded in the Hobbit and became a bane weapon to spiders and levelled up in LOTR to defeat Shelob !!!!
You ever think about how Frodo threatened Gollum with Sting, declaring its name, even though it hadn't been named yet during Riddles in the Dark?
Perhaps Bilbo tells Frodo about it
I've always wondered how the metal knew to get radioactive when orcs, etc were near...
moonlight greatsword intensifies
What would a Jrr Tolkien version of the Biblical Antichrist be like in his legendium? Would he be supported by the New Shadow for the most part?
@@Enerdhil
They were not really what I was thinking. When I say Antichrist I do not mean Satan.
@@Enerdhil
Perhaps a man or some kind of spawn of Morgoth that the New Shadow would raise and set the conditions and indoctrinations for him to rise as the supreme god king of man across the entire world and setting up institutions subtly merging Morgoth worship with other reglions and names to corrupt the hearts of men.
@@Enerdhil
They would most likely would not do such a thing in the end because it would be "too" Biblical in their minds and tastes and as such would likely reject such a proposition or mess it up in someway.
Much like the Barrow-daggers of the Dunedain were imbued by their crafters with a virtue baneful to the Lord of Angmar & his minions, in my headcanon the blades of Gondolin were similarly blessed to be lethal to both Morgoth and his servants, & Ungoliant & any of Her children.
I also have a replica of Sting, and it glows blue on dark nights when fighting orcs in my backyard. 😉