What is the name of the sword wielded by Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings? The answer is Glamdring.
Glamdring is an ancient Elvish sword forged in Gondolin during the First Age. It originally belonged to Turgon, the city’s king, and was later lost for thousands of years. Gandalf discovered it in the treasure hoard of three trolls during the events of The Hobbit, alongside Thorin’s sword Orcrist and Bilbo’s blade Sting.
The name Glamdring is Sindarin for “Foe-hammer.” The Goblins of the Misty Mountains remembered it under the nickname “Beater,” and they recognized the sword when Gandalf and the company entered their underground realm. Like Orcrist and Sting, Glamdring was an ancient blade with a special association with Orcs.
Readers sometimes mix up Glamdring and Orcrist because the swords were found together and share Gondolin’s history. Orcrist became Thorin Oakenshield’s weapon, while Glamdring remained Gandalf’s sword. In The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf carries it during the Fellowship’s journey and in his battle with the Balrog in Moria.