The Rings of Power premiere depicted a few mysterious objects and characters. One of them was the glowing item in King Durin III’s box/chest. The Dwarven King and his son Durin IV opened the chest while discussing if Elrond knew about it.
In Episode 4, this mysterious artifact was revealed, and we got the answer to the question, ‘What was in Durin’s box?’
Durin’s box had the ore of Mithril. Mithril is a rare metal available only in Khazad-dûm. The dwarves found it in their mines, and Durin IV believed it could bring prosperity to their kind.
In the episode, we see Elrond discovering the mines of Mirrormere and heading down there. When he does so, Prince Durin catches him and questions him about his ulterior motive. He inquires if Elrond reached out to Durin just for a transactional interaction.
Earlier, the elf had approached the kingdom of Khazad-dûm to seek help from his friend Durin IV. Things don’t go as smoothly as he thought they would, but he finally manages to pitch his idea.
The idea was simple but extremely difficult to pull off. To build a forge like no one has ever seen before in such a short time frame was no child’s play. However, Elrond believed that if anyone could do it, it was his friend Durin IV.
After having dinner with Elrond and sorting their differences, Durin IV goes to his father, King Durin III. However, the King doesn’t seem to buy the pitch. In fact, he’s suspicious of Elrond and asks his son if the Elf suspects something. He further questions if he knows about their possession.
In the end, we see a box/chest open and an item glowing in front of their faces. Durin opens this chest in front of Elrond and shows him the ore of Mithril. He tells him it’s lighter than silk but harder than iron.
However, his father, the dwarven king, had warned him against mining it because it was too dangerous. The reason they kept this a secret was to prevent others from trying to acquire it. The metal is only available in the dwarven city, making it rarer and more precious.
The Mithril is of great significance in the LOTR lore. In the OG films, Bilbo Baggins gives a chainmail shirt to Frodo Baggins, who wears it on his quest to destroy the One Ring. It had even protected him on multiple occasions when he was attacked.
Now that the ore is not a mystery anymore, we can move on to the next question. How exactly will the dwarves help Elrond to build the world’s greatest forge? I suppose we’ll find our answers in the upcoming episodes.
About The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is an American TV series, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, developed by J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay for streaming on Amazon Prime.
Set 3,000 years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, the show will be set in the Second Age of Middle-earth. Beginning with a time of peace, the series will follow the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron and the forging of the rings of power.
The cast includes Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, and Dylan Smith among many others.
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