Summary
While the Ring of Barahir is not known to have any magical properties, it is one of the oldest and most significant artifacts inThe Lord of the Rings. Although it became an heirloom of Men, it was actually fashioned by the Ñoldor in the Undying Lands towards the end ofthe Years of the Trees. A brief description of the ring is given inThe Silmarillion:
[…] green jewels gleamed there that the Ñoldor had devised in Valinor. For this ring was like to twin serpents, whose eyes were emeralds, and their heads met beneath a crown of golden flowers, that the one upheld and the other devoured; that was the badge of Finarfin and his house.
According to the lore ofThe Lord of the Rings, the ring passed through several hands over the centuries, eventually ending up with King Elessar in the Third Age.
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What Was the Ring of Barahir?
The ring originally belonged to Finrod Felagund, of the House of Finarfin, who brought it to Middle-earth when the Ñoldor left Aman in pursuit of Morgoth. He later built the city of Nargothrond, where he founded his own kingdom. In FA 455, during Dagor Bragollach (or Battle of the Sudden Flame), Finrod was about to be killed by Morgoth’s forces when Barahir, of the House of Bëor, arrived to rescue him. To express his gratitude, Finrod gifted him the heirloom of his house — which eventually came to be known as the Ring of Barahir: “There King Finrod Felagund, hastening from the south, was cut off from his people and surrounded with small company in the Fen of Serech; and he would have been slain or taken, but Barahir came up with the bravest of his men and rescued him […] Thus Felagund escaped, and returned to his deep fortress of Nargothrond; but he swore an oath of abiding friendship and aid en every need to Barahir and all his kin, and in token of his vow he gave to Barahir his ring.”
For the next five years, Barahir lived with twelve companions at Tar Aeluin, hiding from Morgoth’s followers. One of them ultimately betrayed their location to Sauron (a servant of Morgothat that time), who sent an army of Orcs to attack them. Barahir’s company was slaughtered, and the Orc chieftain Gorgol chopped off Barahir’s hand (with the ring) as a trophy for himself. Unknown to the Orcs, Barahir’s son Beren was still alive, who tracked them down to avenge his father. After slaying Gorgol, Beren buried his father’s hand and wore the ring.
After arriving at Doriath a few years later,Beren fell in love with Luthien. When the latter’s father, King Thingol, opposed their union, Beren presented the Ring of Barahir and stated that his house had never been accused by an Elf before. Thingol recognized the ring and decided to send him on a quest to recoverone of the Silmarils— if he succeeded, he could marry Luthien. Beren headed to Nargothrond, where he once again proved his ancestry to Finrod with the Ring of Barahir so he would help him. After completing his mission, Beren and Luthien were married, and the ring was passed down to their son Dior. The latter’s daughter Elwing inherited it, and gave it to her son Elros, who brought it to Númenor during the Second Age. From then onwards, it became an heirloom of the kings of Númenor until Tar-Elendil handed it to his daughter Silmariën instead of his son. Silmariën later gave it to her son Valandil, the Lord of Andúnië. Hence, the Ring of Barahir was passed down the line of the lords of Andúnië until Elendil, the direct ancestor of Aragorn.
How Did Aragorn Get the Ring of Barahir?
Before the Downfall of Númenor, Elendil led the Faithful to Middle-earth, where they establishedthe kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor. The ring was handed down from Elendil’s son, Isildur, to the kings of Arnor in Annúminas, and then to their successors, the kings of Arthedain in Fornost. Arvedui, the last king of Arthedain, gave it to theLossoth, the Snowmen of Forochel, who helped him after he escaped from the Witch-king of Angmar. The ring was later ransomed by the Dúnedain, after which it was kept safe by Elrond at Rivendell. He eventually gave it to Aragorn in TA 2952 (together with the Shards of Narsil), when he was told about his true name and lineage. In TA 2980, Aragorn gave the ring to Arwen at their betrothal in Lórien.
The fate of the Ring of Barahir is unknown after that, but it is likely that it was passed down to Eldarion,son of Aragorn and Arwen, and the subsequent kings of the Reunited Kingdom. Another possibility is that it was buried with Arwen in her grave in Cerin Amroth.
In Peter Jackson’s films, Aragorn is shown wearing the ring throughout. In the extended edition ofThe Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Saruman actually figures out Aragorn’s real identity after Gríma Wormtongue tells him about the Ring of Barahir.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic names in entertainment. The franchise started with novels from J. R. R. Tolkien before being adapted onto the big screen by Peter Jackson in one of the most critically-acclaimed film trilogies of all time. There have also been numerous The Lord of the Rings video games of varying quality.
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