Barrow-blades

The Barrow-blades were created by the Dúnedain of Cardolan during their war against the Witch-king of Angmar. They were made for fighting forces sent from Angmar. After the fall of Cardolan, at least four of these Barrow-blades ended up in the tomb of which it was said that it was the grave of the last prince of that realm who fell in Third Age 1409.

On 28 September Third Age 3018, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin became lost in the Barrow-downs and were captured by one of the wights and imprisoned in the tomb. Frodo was able to call Tom Bombadil to their aid, and he opened the tomb and drove the wight away. Tom gave each of them a Barrow-blade from the tomb and told them their history.

On 13 October, at the Ford of Bruinen the Witch-king raised up his hand and Frodo's Barrow-blade broke and fell out of his shaking hand. The pieces were recovered and passed into the possession of Bilbo Baggins. Having forgotten to ask the elven-smiths if they could repair the blade, he gifted Frodo with Sting as a replacement.

On 15 January Third Age 3019, Sam felled an Orc with a thrust with his Barrow-blade in the Chamber of Mazarbul.

On 26 February, Pippin and Merry had drawn their swords to defend themselves against a group of Orcs in the woods near Amon Hen and Merry cut off several of the arms and hands of the Orcs with his Barrow-blade before they were captured by the Orcs. The Orcs cast the weapons away in fear, and they were found and recovered by Aragorn. He would return the weapons to Merry and Pippin upon their reunion at Isengard.

On 6 March, in the Hornburg Merry laid his sword in the lap of King Théoden offering service to him. The king gladly made Merry an esquire of Rohan of the household of Meduseld.

When Pippin came before Denethor in Minas Tirith on 9 March, he offered his sword to the Steward in token of service. Denethor smiled at first but was impressed by the Barrow-blade, recognizing it as coming from his own kindred in the North.

On 13 March, the the monstrous spider Shelob stung Frodo and Sam picked up Frodo's sword Sting, which had fallen to the ground, to fight against Shelob. Sam believed Frodo to be dead who had been incapacitated by the poison on Shelob's sting and left his Barrow-blade beside the unconscious Frodo. A patrol of Orcs found the unconscious Frodo and took him and Sam's Barrow-blade with them to the Tower of Cirith Ungol. The Orcs were under orders to send a full description of every weapon or ring of any trespasser they had found to Lugbúrz. Sam's Barrow-blade was probably taken by Shagrat to Barad-dûr after Shagrat had fled from the Tower of Cirith Ungol with a heavy bundle.

On 15 March, during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Merry stabbed the Witch-king from behind and pierced his sinew in the back of the knee with his Barrow-blade, which enabled Éowyn to thrust her sword into his face.

The Barrow-blade that Merry stabbed into the Witch-king had a power beyond mere metal, for it broke the spell that linked the will of the Ringwraith to his unseen sinews. However, after Merry's blow the blade of the sword writhed and withered, vanishing like a dry branch in a fire. Thus while the Barrow-blade was created centuries before to battle against the forces of Angmar, it contributed to the demise of the Witch-king.

On 25 March, the Mouth of Sauron showed Sam's sword to Gandalf during a parley in front of the Black Gate and Gandalf seized it from him before he rejected the terms offered by Sauron. During the following Battle of the Morannon, Pippin stabbed the great troll-chief of a company of Hill-trolls from Gorgoroth with his barrow-blade causing the troll to lose a lot of blood and to crash down.

On 8 April, Gandalf returned Sam's Barrow-blade to Sam when they rested in the Field of Cormallen after the Battle of the Morannon.

On 2 November, Pippin drew his Barrow-blade and threatened to use it, referring to it as "this troll's bane", and Sam also drew his sword to support him when they were confronted by Ruffians at Bywater.

On 3 November, during the Battle of Bywater in The Shire Pippin probably used his Barrow-blade when he and Merry charged the Ruffians.

Swords that dwindle can be seen in the Volsungasaga and the Nibelungenlied. In Beowulf, the sword melts "like ice" after decapitating Grendel and his mother.

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