Bard's arrow

[afro-elf]

is there something mentioned about Bard's arrow being SOMEHOW magical?

[Coney]

Bards words certainly seem to imply that it may be magical.

"Arrow" said the bowman "Black Arrow! I have saved you to the last. You have never failed me and always I have recovered you. I have you from my Father and he from of old. If ever you came from the forges of the true King under the Mountain, go now and speed well!"

Hobbit Ch. 14 Fire and Water.

Other than that I have no idea:confused:

[afro-elf]

thanks. that was the quote I was looking for.

[Lefty Scaevola]

Yeah, not magical, just a well experience and brought up veteran arrow.

[afro-elf]

The subtle magic of ME.

[Eothain]

I don't think so.

[L@ur@y Elven Warrior]

I don't think that Bard's arrow is magical.

[Nilore]

Wow! It's been a long time since I read the Hobbit.

[zavron]

I think it was Just a Family Heirloom from long ago.

[WallRocker]

Originally posted by Coney
Bards words certainly seem to imply that it may be magical.


True. But maybe Bard just had a superstitsion(spl) about the black arrow.

[Beleg Strongbow]

It seems to be a recurring theme in many high adventure stories; the passed down arrow, it's the last one they have, of course it works. A little cliched, maybe.

[Nurvingiel]

I think it is, as Afro-Elf said, the subtle magic of Middle-earth. It's the same sort of magic that Gandalf often deals with.

[Agburanar]

There are accounts of english archers reclaiming arrows that had killed particularly powerful enemies and treasuring them as 'lucky'. Also they re-used arrows that slew particular members of their own armies as they thought that they were 'lucky' arrows for whoever fired them, not neccesarily one particular side. Bard's arrow could have been an heirloom or perhaps an orc arrow belonging to a foe he had slain (in LotR it says that orcs used black-feathered arrows).

[Mahal]

Um... don't Bard's words imply that the arrow was made by dwarves--before Smaug drove them out from the Lonely Mountain? And there were often allusions of magic in the making of dwarven works. Besides which, dwarves were simply some of the best smiths in Middle Earth and their weapons and armor were highly prized.

Also, dwarves had been dispossessed and killed by dragons numerous times before without even counting the desolation of Smaug. There seems to be a kind of poetic justice in a dwarf-made arrow taking the life of one of the last and greatest of the dragon brood.

[Beleg Strongbow]

Maybe it wasn't magical, but it was "destined."

[Nurvingiel]

Originally posted by Beleg Strongbow
Maybe it wasn't magical, but it was "destined."

Isn't that magic? There's other forces at work in Middle-earth besides evil ones.

[SamwiseGamgee]

On the subject of Bard's arrow, what color was it...oh yeah, BLACK! That's right! There's proof right there that Whitey doesn't rule Middle-Earth, cuz in the end, it's Black that takes the dragon down!

[Beleg Strongbow]

:rolleyes:
You're being sarcastic, right?

[SamwiseGamgee]

Yeah guys, I was only funning. I didn't mean for my little joke to be racist or offensive, so if anyone took it that way, my sincerest apologies. I'm only kidding around. Typical hobbit.

[Nurvingiel]

I thought you were talking about how the 'good' side is represented with the colour white, and the 'evil' side is represented with black, with several important exceptions.

I thought you were just pointing out another exception...

Never mind. ;)

[Beleg Strongbow]

Oh please, Nurvingiel, let's not go there...

[Nurvingiel]

LOL :D Okay.

That is a bit off topic anyway.


Bard's arrow and his killing shot is partly Bard's skill, partly the fact that it was his last arrow, and if he missed he'd be dead, and partly a little Middle-earth magic.