But, with the release of the 5th episode, it is clear that the Rings of Power doesn’t only intend to give origin stories to its characters, but to some events and the creations of the Second Age as well. In a visually dynamic and interesting scene, fans got their first glimpse of the creation of Mithril, and just why it is so important to the race of elves and dwarves alike.
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Mithril is an incredibly rare and precious ore, that makes incredibly strong armor as light as a feather. It is revolutionary for the dwarves, and ushers in a new era of power, wealth, and trade for their people. All other races in Middle Earth greatly desire the metal they have found. But as the Rings of Power details in its latest episode, it is the elves who currently need it the most. That’s not because they desire vast riches, but because it may be the key to saving them from the darkness that is spreading through their forests and making them sick.
King Gil-galad describes the ore as “as pure and light as good, as strong and unyielding as evil,” and tells Elrond that this ore may be the only way of reversing the decay that has befallen their lands and their souls. To make Elrond understand, he asks the young elf to recount the ‘Song of the Roots of Hithaeglir.’ This obscure, long ago legend tells the story of a brave warrior who poured his light into the tree said to contain the lost Silmaril, in order to protect it from a terrible Balrog whose sole purpose was to destroy it. Within the episode, the ‘Song of the Roots of Hithaeglir’ is a flashback made to look like an animation of the epic fight, as Elrond’s voice-over tells the story of the lightning striking the tree. It struck so deep, the light that the elf poured into it crystallized through the roots and deep into the ground. This created a stream of silver tendrils running through the mountain beneath it.
It is this very power that Gil-galad believes to be Mithril, the discovery of the dwarves. He also believes it to be the only thing that can save them from certain doom. It contains within it the light of the missing Silmaril, plus the sacrifice of the elven soldier who was as brave as Manwe. The interesting thing about this origin story for Mithril is that neither the light of the Silmaril, nor the ‘Song of the Roots of Hithaeglir,’ are canonical. Tolkien never wrote any such creation myth for Mithril, nor ever details what happened to the third Silmaril. All that is known within Tolkien’s works is that one was lost to the sea, and another was sent up into the sky with Earendil, Elrond’s father, for protection.
However, the myth fits in beautifully with both the current events taking place in the Rings of Power, and the later storylines of the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit. It also ties in the earlier events of the First Age. The myth is a clever way to create tension within the series, to show that there are high stakes in Elrond’s relationship with Durin. It also serves as a way to give the dwarves more of a reason to dig deep into the depths of the mountain and accidentally awaken the Balrog, other than simply their own greed. Celebrimbor confesses to Elrond:
That is a lot of pressure for both Elrond and the dwarves. They are mining the precious ore, and may be exactly what leads to the catastrophic downfall of Khazad-Dum in the Third Age.
“I have tested it, under every duress. Nothing diminishes its light. We believe, that if we can secure vast quantities of it quickly, enough to saturate every last elf in the light of the Valar once more, then yes, it very well could be our salvation.”
The ‘Song of the Roots of Hithaeglir’ is not canon, and may cause concerns from some die-hard fans of Tolkien’s original stories. However, many fans feel that it is a wonderful way to drive home the importance of the ore, and the significance of later events like Thorin’s gift of the Mithril chain armor in The Hobbit. This jacket is no mere trinket, but something that many dwarven people died to obtain. It has long been a symbol of the peace between the dwarves and the other races, which stems from the bond between Elrond and Durin forging right now in the Rings of Power.
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