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Ithring is Murtagh's Rider's sword. Originally named Zar'roc, it was the sword of the fallen Dragon Rider Morzan and had been once wielded by Eragon. Brom kept it following Morzan's death and later gave it to Eragon. Murtagh, Morzan's son and Eragon's half-brother, then reclaimed it from Eragon, since it was rightfully his by birth, at the Second Battle of the Burning Plains. The name Zar'roc meant "misery" in the Ancient Language. The name "misery" complemented the sword's actions, for Zar'roc was known for its destruction of many Dragons and their Riders by Morzan. It was renamed Ithring by Murtagh and its name now means "freedom".
Zar'roc as featured in Eragon’s Guide to Alagaësia[1]
Description[]
Zar'roc by Christopher Paolini[2]
Zar'roc's pommel was tear-drop shaped, set with a ruby the size of a small egg. The hilt was wrapped with silver wire. The blade itself was blood red, while its sheath was the color of red wine. Both the blade and sheath were marked with a "strange-looking symbol" that was etched in black. This symbol is a glyph in the Liduen Kvaedhí, presumably translated as "misery" to match the Ancient Language name of Zar'roc. Zar'roc was crafted by Rhunön, the elven smith who made all the Riders' swords. Though Zar'roc was a weapon that brought much pain and suffering, it was also a thing of great beauty. Zar'roc was 3 1/2 feet long and one-handed, as Morzan preferred to duel with one hand and use Magic with the other. Eragon thought the hilt should have been longer so he could fight better two-handedly, which influenced the creation of his own Rider's sword, Brisingr.
History[]
The symbol of Zar'roc
The symbol of Ithring
Zar'roc was originally created by an Elf named Rhunön, the smith of the Dragon Riders. Like all Rider's Swords, it was forged with a special metal known as brightsteel. Zar'roc was one of the last swords forged by Rhunön before the Fall of the Dragon Riders, along with Brom's sword Undbitr, and 5 others.[3] Before Morzan's death, Zar'roc was feared by many, as he had killed many Riders using it. The sword was taken by Brom after he killed Morzan. When Brom first gave Zar'roc to Eragon, he refrained from telling him its history, as he feared it may deter him from using it. The history of Zar'roc was eventually revealed to Eragon by Murtagh while they were traveling to the Varden. The Dwarves were initially distrustful of Eragon, as they still saw Zar'roc as the sword of a traitor, yet Hrothgar believed its luck had changed. Eragon used Zar'roc to defeat Durza, a Shade of immense power, in the Battle under Farthen Dûr.
After defeating Eragon at the Second Battle of the Burning Plains, Murtagh claimed Zar'roc as his own, declaring that Morzan's sword should have gone to him, the older son of Morzan, and not Eragon, the younger (which later proved untrue as Brom was revealed to be Eragon's real father).[4][5] When Eragon faced Murtagh again, Murtagh managed to wound Eragon with Zar'roc and Eragon felt a strange sadness of being wounded by the weapon he originally wielded.
When Murtagh and Thorn went to battle against Oromis and Glaedr, Galbatorix took command of Murtagh's body, using Zar'roc to kill Oromis and the body of Glaedr.
Zar'roc was still in Murtagh's possession when he and Thorn went into self exile. The sword was claimed by the witch woman Bachel after Murtagh and Thorn came to her village, but reclaimed by Murtagh after he succeeded in breaking free of her influence. As Murtagh traveled down into the village's tunnels to confront her, he used the sword to slay many of the strange creatures that confronted him, including strange rats and spiders.
Murtagh came to the realization that despite having claimed his father's sword, the name Zar'roc still represented Morzan's legacy of death and destruction. Thinking of the power of names, he considered that with his knowledge of the Name of Names, he could rename the sword in the Ancient Language. He thought about what he wanted the sword to represent, finally deciding on the name Ithring, meaning "freedom".
Trivia[]
- Several inconsistencies exist between the movie Eragon and the book. Zar'roc has a ruby embedded into the hilt, however in the Eragon film it instead is a sapphire. Morzan's insignia appears on neither the sheath nor the blade in the movie. The sheath is also black rather than wine-red, like in the book as well as the guard of the sword which is gold in the book and silver in the movie. What's more is that the handle of the sword is leather-black, not silver-wrapped like in the book.
- In the movie, Brom used Zar'roc for the majority of the film, while in the book, he gave it to Eragon as soon as they fled Carvahall.
- When Brom gave Zar'roc to Eragon, Eragon asked what its name meant. Brom stated that he did not know, but whether this was actually true or not is uncertain: though most likely a lie, based on Brom's extensive knowledge of the Ancient Language and the fact that he and Morzan were once close friends.
References[]
- ↑ "Encyclopedia Alagaësia: Brom" paolini.net, August 28, 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2022
- ↑ "Encyclopedia Alagaësi: Rhunön" [sic] paolini.net, March 2, 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2022
- ↑ Brisingr, p.652
- ↑ Eldest, p.652
- ↑ Brisingr, p.604
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