Warning: the following contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episode 4 and episode 5. Turn back if you haven't seen the newest installments in Amazon's epic Tolkien adaptation.
After the Dwarves' secret was revealed – Mithril is the mysterious element that Khazad-dûm has been mining – The Rings of Power revealed even more about the mysterious metal, including its epic origin story.
In episode 5, High King Gil-galad shows Elrond that the tree in Lindon is slowly being poisoned. This, Gil-galad explains, means the Elves' own light is fading. The only way to save themselves is with Mithril, according to Celebrimbor, but since Elrond made a promise to Durin, he refuses to tell the Elves if the Dwarves have discovered the metal. Eventually, though, a highly suspicious story from Celebrimbor convinces Elrond to talk to Durin about the Mithril, and the duo set off to try and convince Durin's father to offer the metal to the Elves.
What is Mithril?
After Elrond discovered a secret passage hidden behind a wall in Durin’s chambers, the Dwarven prince entrusted him with the secret of the precious, glowing metal.
"A new ore, lighter than silk, harder than iron as weaponry it would best our proudest blades," Durin explains. "As specie, it might be dearer than gold. This could be the beginning of a new era for our people of strength, prosperity."
In episode 5, we learn how Mithril came into being. An Elf and a Balrog battled over a tree containing a lost Silmaril, which is a jewel containing the light of the Two Trees of Valinor. The Elf imbued the tree with pure light, while the Balrog channeled hatred into the branches. Ultimately, the tree was struck by lightning – which is how Mithril came to be formed. "A power as pure and light as good, as strong and unyielding as evil," says Gil-galad.
Mithril was first mentioned by Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings, where he described it as a precious metal that resembles silver, but is stronger and lighter than steel. By this point in the Third Age, when this story takes place, Mithril has become a very desirable metal thanks to these qualities as well as the fact very little of it still exists. And once Khazad-dûm is destroyed by the Balrog, no more Mithril ore can be mined.
Probably the most notable Mithril item in Tolkien’s works is the chainmail shirt given to Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, which was taken by Thorin Oakenshield from Smaug’s hoard. Bilbo wears it during the Battle of the Five Armies, before later gifting it to Frodo Baggins when he embarks on his quest to destroy the One Ring. The Mithril vest saves Frodo’s skin multiple times, including at the battle in the Chamber of Mazabul and when he escapes Moira.
The other notable object made of Mithril – which will likely play into the Prime Video series – is the Ring of Power Nenya. This is one of the Three Rings forged by the Elves of Eregion that were the most powerful of the 20 created, after the One Ring. Interestingly, Nenya is the ring that is later wielded by Galadriel.
Throughout Tolkien’s books, Mithril appears a few more times of note. It's used in various forms of jewelry, armor, and even gates. There's also a legend it was used to make the ship of Eärendil that sailed into the sky.
However, in the Prime Video series, it seems most likely that we’ll see how it plays into the forging of the Rings of Power.
Looking for more about The Rings of Power? Check out our Total Film cover feature about the making of the show, as well as our explainers on the mysterious Stranger, who might be playing Sauron, and where The Rings of Power sits on The Lord of the Rings timeline.
