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"Against Aeglos the spear of Gil-galad none could stand..."

J.R.R. Tolkien
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Aeglos or Aiglos was the famed Elvish glaive of Gil-galad, last High King of the Ñoldor, and was used in the War of the Last Alliance. It was greatly feared by the enemies, but its fate after Gil-galad's death in SA 3441 is unknown.

Etymology[]

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Aeglos means "snow-point" or "icicle" in Sindarin. The element aeg means "point" from ayak, "sharp, pointed". The element los means "snow". There are two variant spellings of the name, Aiglos and Aeglos (though they are pronounced in the same way, and would be written identically in Elvish characters). Aiglos is the spelling in most earlier editions of The Lord of the Rings, while Aeglos is seen in later editions.

Portrayal in adaptations[]

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power[]

Aeglos first appears briefly in the final episode of The Rings of Power Season One as Gil-galad departs Ost-in-Edhil.

The Lord of the Rings film trilogy[]

In The Lord of the Rings film trilogy by Peter Jackson, Gil-galad, portrayed by Mark Ferguson, appears only briefly in the first film, during the opening prologue sequence, moments before Sauron enters the battle.

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In behind-the-scenes material for The Fellowship of the Ring, Aeglos is also referred to as a lance, suggesting that Gil-galad used it as such on horseback. It is portrayed to be nine feet in length with a blade etched in brass filigree.

The blade bears an Elvish inscription, written by the filmmakers:

Gil-galad ech vae vaegannen matha

Aith heleg nín i orch gostatha

Nin cíniel na nguruthos

Hon ess nín istatha:

Aeglos

Gil-galad wields a well-made spear

The Orc will fear my point of ice

When he sees me, in fear of death

He will know my name:

Aeglos

Boromir: "Is it not a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt for so small a thing? So small a thing!"
- J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring II:10

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