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| {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}} | |||
| {{notability|date=November 2019}} | |||
| {{Infobox fictional artifact | |||
| |colour = #DAA520 | |||
| |name = Sting | |||
| |image = Frodo Baggins holding Sting.jpg | |||
| |caption = ] as Frodo, holding Sting, in ] | |||
| |source = ] | |||
| |source_type = Franchise | |||
| |company = | |||
| |first = ] | |||
| |first_type = Novel | |||
| |date = 1937 | |||
| |creator = ] | |||
| |genre = ] | |||
| |type = Magical dagger | |||
| |uses = Weapon | |||
| |traits = Ornate dagger which glows in the presence of ]s or ]s, and is supernaturally strong | |||
| |affiliation = {{Plainlist| | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| }} | |||
| }} | |||
| '''Sting''' is a fictional ]<!--Please do not "correct" the British English spelling "artefact"--> from ]'s ] universe of ]. In the story, it is a magical ] knife or dagger presumably forged in ] in the ]. | |||
| In '']'' (1937), ] ] finds the blade in a ]-hoard, along with the swords ] and ]. Although it is only a dagger by the standard of ] or Elves, it serves as a sword for the diminutive Bilbo. He uses it to fight off the giant spiders in ], and names the blade after the talking spiders refer to it as his "sting". ] is afraid of Sting, which aids Bilbo in his confrontation with Gollum under the ]. Bilbo gives Sting to his nephew ] in '']'' (1954). When Frodo is betrayed at the pass of ], ] takes the blade to prevent it from falling into enemy hands, but later returns it to Frodo. In '']'' (1955), Frodo gives Sting and all of his other possessions to Sam before Frodo departs for the ]. | |||
| Sting has the magical ability to detect ]s or ]s nearby, glowing blue in their presence, as it did when the Fellowship encountered orcs in the mines of ].<ref>{{cite book |title=The Science of Middle-Earth |first=Henry |last=Gee |publisher=Cold Spring Press |date=2004 |page= |isbn=978-1-59360-023-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/scienceofmiddlee00geeh/page/236 }}</ref> Tolkien establishes this as a common property of First Age Elf blades, particularly those forged in Gondolin. Sting is also exceptionally sharp. Bilbo manages to thrust it without effort deep into a wooden beam at Rivendell. Frodo also wounds a troll in ], after ] notches his own sword with his attempt. Sam uses Sting to cut through the giant spider ]'s strong webs with ease, and also wound the spider, driving it away from the paralyzed Frodo. | |||
| ==Bilbo blades in Europe== | |||
| In real Europe, a ] (sometimes spelled "bilbow") was an exceptionally fine blade, named after the city of ] where such blades were made. It is possible that Bilbo's name and his acquisition of this sharp blade were connected in the author's mind.<ref>{{citation |title=The Hobbitonian Anthology of Articles on JRR Tolkien and His Legendarium |author=John Rateliff |journal=Tolkien Studies |quote=I would suggest that it's far more likely Bilbo gains Sting because Tolkien became aware of the 'bilbow blade = sword' entry in the ] than that the character was given the name with the idea of his becoming a sword-wielder already in mind. However, as there was a Count Frodo and a Bishop Bilbo in the Frankish Kingdom of the middle ages as well as another noble named Fredegar it is more likely that these Hobbit names were mined from Frankish history. |volume=7 |year=2010 |issn=1547-3163 |doi=10.1353/tks.0.0066 |pages=330–335}}</ref> | |||
| ==Adaptations== | |||
| In ]'s ] and ] film adaptations, Sting is depicted as vaguely leaf-shaped, with gentle curving edges. Engraved on the ] and ] are letters in ] that read phonetically, ''Maegnas aen estar nin dagnir in yngyl im''. Translated into English, they read, "''Maegnas'' is my name, I am the spider's bane." According to the Appendix of '']'', the element ''maeg'' in Sindarin means "sharp" or "piercing". The film version of Sting is {{convert|23|in}} long (24 while in ]) and {{convert|3|in}} wide at the hilt. Its scabbard is made of brown leather and reinforced with metal.<ref name=WaW>{{cite book|last=Smith |first=Chris |title=The Lord of the Rings Weapons and Warfare |publisher=HarperCollins |year=2003 |location=London |isbn=0-00-717201-X }}</ref> In ''The Hobbit'' book, Sting does not bear the inscription. | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{reflist}} | |||
| {{Middle-earth}} | |||
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| ] | ] | ||
| ] | |||
| ⚫ | ] | ||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
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