Do you remember the Legolas arc in The Lord of the Rings? Well, it has a story and a lot of amazing details that few know.
There are facts about the Legolas arc in The Lord of the Rings that very few know. JRR Tolkien’s history is full of great characters and great development of them. A story that worked from several blocks. For example, Merry and Pippin became very brave. In The Fellowship of the Rings, they were afraid of getting caught by the farmer Maggot. But by the end of the trilogy they were fighting huge battles and even helping to defeat a Nazgûl. Meanwhile, Sam’s journey allowed him to grow, even building up enough courage to ask Rosie Cotton to marry him.
While some characters in The Lord of the Rings showed growth in their interactions with others, the development of others was more tangible. In particular, the fantasy franchise often uses weapons to show character growth. Aragorn turned Narsil into Andúril and personified his right to rule over Gondor. Similarly, Gimli found Durin the Immortal’s hatchet in Moria and used it for the rest of the trilogy. The same can be said for Legolas and the extraordinary bow from him. But do you really know the history of the bow? What are the details that few know?
The origin of the fabulous Galadhrim arc in Middle-earth
New Line Cinema
After Gandalf’s fall in Moria, Aragorn led the Fellowship to Lothlórien. There, everyone was able to rest and recuperate. And what is more important, Galadriel gave each of them a unique gift for their character growth.. Aragorn received a knife, Gimli locks of Galadriel’s hair, and, unsurprisingly, Legolas a bow. The elf’s new weapon in The Lord of the Rings was a marked improvement over his previous arc. And it has a very interesting explanation.
To Lothlorien, Legolas carried the Blackwood Bow. It was a compact, lightweight bow that was accurate and effective. But only in the confines of the Mirkwood forest. However, it was too small for open combat. At one point in The Lord of the Rings, they were going through Moria and the orcs were shooting at them. Then the elf tried to return fire. The passage said that he “turned and put an arrow on the string, though it was a long shot for his little bow.” This was written by JRR Tolkien in the novel.
Legolas didn’t have that problem with the weapon Galadriel gave him. It was called the Arch of Galadhrim. And it was bigger and more robust than his previous weapon. That meant it was more powerful and could shoot farther. The Lord of the Rings story did not expressly say that the weapon was imbued with some sort of magic. But given the elves’ tendency to make special weapons, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think that the bow had some added magical benefit.
