| Category | Properties & Descriptions |
|---|---|
| Material & Construction | ○ Made entirely of mithril (true-silver / silver-steel), mined by Dwarves in Moria ○ Small coat of mail (corslet/vest), close-woven of many fine mithril rings ○ Originally crafted for a young Elf-prince long ago by Dwarves ○ Supplied with a belt of pearls and crystals (sometimes mentioned with a light helm) ○ Beaten and worked like copper, polished like glass |
| Physical Qualities | ○ Harder than tempered steel ○ Yet lighter than a linen shirt ○ Supple / flexible almost as linen ○ Cold as ice to the touch ○ Does not tarnish or grow dim with age ○ Soft and malleable in pure form, but forged into very strong metal |
| Aesthetic Qualities | ○ Beautiful like common silver, but far fairer ○ Shimmers with appearance like light on rippling water / sea ○ When shaken, the rings tinkle like rain falling in a pool ○ Gems set upon it glitter like stars ○ Described as exceptionally fair beyond anything commonly seen or heard |
| Value & Rarity | ○ Worth more than ten times the value of gold (in earlier times) ○ Now beyond price due to the loss of Moria and scarcity of new mithril ○ Valued greater than the Shire and everything in it ○ A kingly gift; desired by all peoples (Dwarves, Elves, Men, Orcs) ○ Sauron himself would pay any price for such an item |
| Protective Performance (Demonstrated by Use) | ○ Saved Bilbo in the Battle of Five Armies (battlefield use) ○ Turned an Orc-chieftain's spear in Moria (only a bruise to Frodo) ○ Deflected an arrow on the Anduin River ○ Withstood Shelob's sting without being pierced (force still caused injury) ○ Worn concealed under clothing for long journeys without hindrance |
| Other References & Implications | ○ Part of Smaug's hoard for many years; retained perfect condition ○ If its nature were widely known, it would draw hunters to the Shire ○ Arrows would be in vain against it (implied near-impenetrability) ○ Compared poetically to "a pretty hobbit-skin to wrap an elven-princeling in" ○ Mithril material also used by Elves for other fine works (e.g. ithildin) |
Based solely on descriptions in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.
| Category | Properties & Descriptions |
|---|---|
| Material & Origin | ★ An alloy / specially worked substance made by the Elves ★ Crafted specifically by the Noldorin smiths of Eregion (Gwaith-i-Mírdain) ★ Made from extremely refined mithril ★ Worked into very thin, inlay-like form suitable for fine inscriptions and decorations |
| Visibility & Activation | ★ Completely invisible under normal (daylight or ordinary) light conditions ★ Only becomes visible when reflecting moonlight and starlight ★ Even under moon- and starlight, remains hidden until a specific spoken word / password is uttered ★ Upon correct password, inscriptions appear clearly visible as glowing silver tracery ★ Used for secret / concealed writings (e.g. moon-runes / moon-letters) |
| Appearance & Aesthetic Qualities | ★ Silver in colour when revealed ★ Shimmers / glows subtly under moonlight and starlight ★ Produces elegant, fine, highly refined inscriptions ★ Described as beautiful and delicate when illuminated |
| Name & Etymology | ★ Sindarin name: Ithildin ★ Translated by Gandalf as "starmoon" ★ Etymology: Ithil ("Moon") + tin/tîn ("spark; star; twinkle of stars") ★ Literally means "moon-star(light)" or "moonlight" ★ Strictly correct Sindarin form may be ithildim (per Tolkien's linguistic notes) |
| Practical Use & Demonstration | ★ Employed for high-craftsmanship inlay work on important Elven structures ★ Most famous example: the Doors of Durin (West-gate of Moria) ★ Crafted in the Second Age by Elves of Eregion in collaboration with Dwarves of Khazad-dûm ★ Serves a protective / secretive function: inscriptions undetectable except to those who know the conditions and password ★ Password example: "Mellon" (Sindarin for "friend") |
Based solely on descriptions in The Lord of the Rings (especially Book II, Chapter 4) and Tolkien's linguistic writings (e.g. Parma Eldalamberon XVII).
Re: “Mithril” (Armored Vests...)
From “John Wick 2” (2017)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmhuTDZpGow
Granted “John Wick” is a movie, however a few years ago someone made a suit that was similar in capability and appearance. I’m pretty sure that certain agencies have access to better stuff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eeb4aZObp-0 (go to about the 20 minute mark)
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