Three swords of Gondolin found in the Troll’s Cave
After the three trolls Tom, William and Bert were petrified by the sunlight, Thorin, Gandalf, Bilbo and the dwarves discovered various treasures in the Troll’s cave.
Among the treasures were Sting(Sting would later be named by Bilbo Baggins at Mirkwood, Orcrist and Glamdring the masterpiece blades of Gondolin that would be identified by Elrond at Rivendell.
Gondolin and Elrond
Gondolin was a Noldor elf kingdom that was far hidden in the Encircled Mountains at the north of Beleriand and just beneath the Thangorodrims and Angband during the First Age.
Beleriand and the surrounding lands were sunken to the abyss by the Valars so it doesn’t appear on the maps of Middle Earth during the Third Age.
Gondolin was the last elf kingdom that would resist Morgoth (Melkor) the dark lord that Sauron used to serve during the First Age.
Eventually Gondolin fell by the dark armies of Morgoth led by the lord of the balrogs Gothmog. Elrond was the grandson of the Edain human hero Tuor and Idril the elf princess of Gondolin so Elrond himself was a descendant of the Gondolin royal bloodline.
Glamdring, Orcrist and Sting were Gondolin elf blades that were forged by the Noldor elf craftsman that were the best technicians of the Legendarium.
Orcrist – Thorin Oakenshield’s sword
The Orcrist was known as the Goblin Cleaver or the Biter as it has slayed numerous orcs during the First Age. Although the original master of Orcrist is unknown, it was one of the blades that slayed numerous orcs during the Siege of Gondolin that made it infamous among the orcs.
*Goblins is the same meaning as orcs in the Legendarium. Thorin Oakenshield would take the Orcrist as his sword where goblins would identify it at Goblin Town.
String – Sword of Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins
The small elf dagger would now become the possession of Bilbo Baggins and it didn’t have a name when Bilbo Baggins first wielded it. However, Gilbo Baggins would later name this Gondolin elf dagger Sting during the fight with the spiders at Mirkwood.
Bilbo Baggins would keep the elf sword Sting to the Shire after the Battle of Five Armies and later inherit Sting to his nephew Frodo Baggins.
Samwise and Frodo Baggins would later use Sting to resist the giant spider Shelob that was parallel with Bilbo Baggins fighting the spiders at Mirkwood.
Glamdring – Sword of Turgon and Gandalf
Elrond explains that Glamdring was once the sword of the king of Gondolin and it was also known as Beater or the Foe-Hammer.
The only king of Gondolin was Turgon, the second son of Fingolfin and the founder and king of Gondolin. Turgon was also throned the king of the Nolodor elf, the high elves of the west before Gil-Galad.
The exact records on how Glamdring the sword of Turgon ended up in the Troll’s cave, however it eventually ended up in the possession of Gandalf.
Gandalf would become the master of Glamdring that was once the sword of Turgon of Gondolin at the Battle of the Five Armies, Battle of the Mazarbul Chamber which was the duel with him and the balrog Durin’s Bane and all the other battles of the War of the Rings.
Rivendell
Also known as Imaldris, Rivendell was called the last stronghold of Eriador for elves. Elrond ruled Rivendell since the Second Age as he has first established Rivendell or Imladris as a stronghold to defend the elves from Sauron during the War of the Elves and Sauron.
During this war, Sauron invaded Eriador capturing Celebrimbor the maker of the rings of power and perished Eregion the kingdom of Celebrimbor. Rivendell would remain as a stronghold and a majestic city for the elves until the end of the War of the Ring.
Relationship of the Dwarves and Elrond
Elrond was half-human and a half-elf that chose his destiny as an elf and Elrond’s lineage was closer to a Noldor elf. Historically, the Noldor elves were very close allies and friends with the dwarves.
The dwarves and the Sindar elves, Silvan elves were more of arch enemies due to the old historic grudge of the dwarves between Thingol, the Sindar elf king of Doriath.
Thranduil and Legolas were both Sindar elves and the elves of Mirkwood were Silvan elves(Nandor elves) so they had a mutual historic grudge.
However in the novel, Noldor elves and dwarves had great mutual respect as they’ve shared so much in common in craftsmanship and technology.
All the finest masterpieces of Middle Earth and the Legendarium are mostly from Noldor elves. Examples would be the Silmarils, palantirs, rings of power, the three swords of Gondolin etc.
Even the door of Khazad-dum Durin’s Door was a gift from the Noldor elves as a token of friendship with the dwarves.
In the novel, Thorin Oakenshield had great respect with Elrond and wasn’t resistant to visiting Rivendell, however the cinematic series didn’t necessarily distinguish the different types of elves for easier understanding, thus Thorin Oaken shield would be resistant to visiting Elrond at Rivendell and objected against Gandalf at first.
Overall, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings cinematic series didn’t want to complicate the audience and viewers with the different types of elves and just set that dwarves hate all elves in default.
However, in the novel, dwarves actually respected and were friendly with Noldor elves and they were only hostile against Sindarin and Silvan elves(Forest, Nandor elves)
Moon Runes – Moon Letters of Dwarves
The map of the backdoor to Erebor was written in Moon Runes or Moon Letters of the Dwarves by Thror, Thorin Oakensheild’s grandfather.
The map of the backdoor to Erebor could only be read under the starlight or the moonlight as it was made by a special material called Ithildin that is made by Mithril.
Ithil means Moon in Sindarin elf language and Elrond has knowledge of Ithildin and the Moon Runes because Ithildin was a substance that the Noldor elves made by Mithril provided by the dwarves.
Noldor elves even made Durin’s Door and engraved Moon Runes by Ithildin which the Fellowship of the Ring would enter Moria the old Relam of Khazad-dum.
