Orcrist

Orcrist is a noted sword mentioned in the fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. It was the weapon of the Dwarf Lord Thorin Oakenshield from Tolkien's novel, The Hobbit.

In Sindarin Orcrist is said to mean "Goblin Cleaver", (Goblin being a synonym for Orc used mainly in The Hobbit) and was called "Biter" by the goblins. Many of the famed weapons in Tolkien's stories had names, such as Glamdring, Narsil and Sting (see chart below). It was crafted by the Elves, who not only made it a valuable weapon, also a feared one, particularly among traditional enemies of the Elves: Orcs and other evil creatures of Middle-earth. Like Glamdring and Sting, Orcrist could detect the presence of Orcs and warn its bearer by glowing various colours. However its colour is not explicitly stated: Sting is recorded as a sword which glows with a blue hue (in both the novels and the movies); whereas Glamdring has been recorded as glowing white (The Fellowship of the Ring' records that "Glamdring glittered white in answer" to the Balrog's initial attack; this is also the case in Peter Jackson's The Two Towers) or "glowing with a pale light" and has also been (only) once recorded as glowing blue (right after Gandalf used it to kill the goblin-king of the Misty Mountains). Since Glamdring and Orcrist were mates, it is very likely that they glowed in a similar manner.

As the "mate" to King Turgon's sword Glamdring, Orcrist was borne by an Elf of Gondolin, most likely Ecthelion.

In The Hobbit, Orcrist, along with Glamdring and Sting, are found in the Troll's cave and are later identified by Elrond.

Thorin was subsequently mortally wounded at the Battle of Five Armies. After his death Orcrist is placed upon Thorin's tomb and that it "gleamed ever in the dark if foes approached" (The Hobbit Chapter 18, "The Return Journey").