Relics in Middel-Earth

[Huinesoron]

Two sets of objects jump to mind (sort of). The first is the heirlooms of Numenor, the ones the Edain brought from Beleriand. They include the Ring of Barahir and Narsil, the sword of unspecified original wielder (I still reckon it's Haleth's), but also the likes of Dramborleg the axe of Tuor, Aranruth the sword of Thingol, and the unnamed Bow of Bregor, Lord of Ladros. (Is it unnamed because the Beorians were so effectively destroyed that their language was lost?) Some of them were brought out of Numenor by Elendil and company; the others were lost in the Downfall.

The other set is the set that doesn't exist: evil relics. Yes, there's the One Ring, but other than that I can't think of anything made by Morgoth's or Sauron's forces which is said to have been passed down. (The Seven Rings could count as this, I suppose; the Nine certainly don't, because they only had one bearer.) That has the feel of a deliberate choice by Tolkien: Sauron in particular represents industrialisation, and mass produced objects taking the place of heirlooms sounds like a very firm message by the author.

hS