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Originally Posted by Findegil
Since the discussion has lost the swords of Eol fare behind, this might be out of place, but here it goes anyway: As fare as I remember the swords were not black to begin with. They were shiny steel as any other normal balde. Anglachel changed to the black colour only after the death of Beleg.
Respectfuly
Findegil
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Anglachel was 'ever black' but 'its edges shone with pale fire' after it was reforged by the smiths of Nargothrond. This indicates that the sword was always black previous to its reforging, as the 'dark heart' of the smith who wrought it lay in it. In any case, it did not 'turn black' after Beleg's death. Whether the swords Anguirel and Anglachel were made of galvorn, the jet black metal devised by Eol for his armor, is up for conjecture; but it is interesting that the swords are said to be wrought of 'meteoric iron', and galvorn was a metal seemingly different than any other on earth (although never linked directly to meteoric iron in the text). In fact, the description of galvorn is nearly identical to mithril, save in color (jet black as opposed to silver):
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...and he devised a metal as hard as the steel of the Dwarves, but so malleable that he could make it thin and supple; and yet it remained resistant to all blades and darts.
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P.S. In regards to Tolkien and any influence from Islamic myth, I don't see it. I did a cursory glance through his Letters, and found nothing to substantiate such a link.