Sting (Middle-earth)

An artifact from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy universe of Middle-earth, Sting was an Elvish knife or dagger made in Gondolin in the First Age.

Sting was a magical weapon used by Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit. Bilbo found it in a troll-hoard along with the swords Glamdring and Orcrist. Sting was likely forged by the elves of Gondolin in the First Age. Although it was only a dagger by the standard of Men or Elves, it made a handy short sword for a hobbit. Bilbo gave Sting to Frodo Baggins before the Fellowship of the Ring set off from Rivendell. When Frodo was betrayed at the pass of Cirith Ungol, Samwise Gamgee saved it from being captured, but later returned the weapon to Frodo.

Bilbo named the blade after fighting giant spiders in Mirkwood. The spiders themselves referred to it as his "sting."

Sting had the magical ability to detect any nearby orcs. When orcs were present, it glowed blue, as it did when the Fellowship encountered orcs in the mines of Moria. This was a common property of First Age Elf blades, particularly those forged in Gondolin.

Sting was exceptionally sharp. Bilbo managed to thrust it without effort deep into a wooden beam at Rivendell. Frodo also wounded a troll in Moria, after Boromir notched his own sword with his attempt. Sting was useful in Shelob's Lair when it cut though Shelob's webs with ease. Considering that giant spiders were a menace in the mountains south of Gondolin, it makes sense that a weapon of this type would be enchanted/designed to cut their webs. In real Europe, a bilbo blade was an exceptionally fine blade, after the city of Bilboa where such blades were made. It is possible that Bilbo's name and his acquisition of this sharp blade was connected in the author's mind.

Gollum, who disliked anything made by Elves, was afraid of Sting. This fear helped Bilbo when he confronted Gollum under the Misty Mountains in The Hobbit. It also helped Frodo to tame Gollum temporarily in The Lord of the Rings.

Adaptations
In Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, Sting is depicted as vaguely leaf-shaped, with gentle curving edges. Engraved on the blade and cross-guard are letters in Sindarin that read phonetically, Maegnas aen estar nin dagnir in yngyl im. Translated into English, they read, "Maegnas is my name, I am the spider's bane." According to the Appendix of The Silmarillion, the element maeg in Sindarin means "sharp" or "piercing". The film version of Sting is 23 inches long (24 while in scabbard) and 3 inches wide at the hilt. Its scabbard is made of brown leather and reinforced with metal.