LOTR: What is the Arkenstone?

Throughout The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit, fans are shown a variety of fascinating objects of varying importance to the overall plot. Some of the objects, like Saruman’s palantír, remain a bit of a mystery to the average fan, even if there is a rich explanation for what the palantír is and what it does, while many more are explained quite well in the movies. One important object from The Hobbit trilogy is the Arkenstone, and it seems many fans have been left confused about what exactly it is.

It’s not too surprising that some fans have been left scratching their heads at what the Arkenstone is considering it is mostly highlighted in passing across the trilogy. Despite it only being mentioned and seen a handful of times, the Arkenstone is deeply important to the Dwarves of Middle Earth during the time of The Hobbit. Interestingly, depending on which The Lord Of The Rings media one looks at, the Arkenstone is actually slightly different.

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What is the Arkenstone in LOTR?

The Arkenstone:
Other Names:	The Arkenstone of Thráin, the Heart of the Mountain
Location Discovered:	Under the Lonely Mountain
Creators:	The Dwarves
Physical Qualities:	A heavy large stone that emits light,
Usage:	Used to symbolize the king of Durin’s Folk

The Arkenstone, known in full as the Arkenstone of Thráin or the Heart of the Mountain is said to be one of the most striking and beautiful stones ever discovered. Originally discovered by the Dwarven king Thráin in the pits of the Lonely Mountain (also known as Erebor), the Arkenstone quickly became a mark of pride for Durin’s Folk. Essentially, the Arkenstone would be passed down the lineage of Durin’s Folk to whoever would hold the title of their king. It would remain an important part of Dwarvish culture until the dragon Smaug would claim it and the Lonely Mountain for himself. It is actually Bilbo of all people who manages to highlight the importance of the Arkentstone in the pages of The Hobbit:

“This is the Arkenstone of Thrain,” said Bilbo, “the Heart of the Mountain; and it is also the heart of Thorin. He values it above a river of gold. I give it to you. It will aid you in your bargaining.”

Originally some kind of brilliant stone, the Dwarves did what they do best and crafted it to perfection. They were able to morph the stone into a beautiful jewel that would remain as the pride of the powerful Dwarves. A reason for the stone’s great beauty was its ability to create its own light, something that wasn’t exactly common. An interesting tidbit about the Arkenstone is that some fans believe that it is actually a lost Silmaril due to the nature of the light the stone produces.

The Arkenstone In The Hobbit Movies

Throughout The Hobbit trilogy, the Arkenstone plays an important if somewhat shifted role from the original source material. Said to have been discovered by the Dwarven king Thror in the Lonely Mountain, the beautiful stone is one of the key objects that begin to create great greed within the hearts of the Dwarvish people. Fans of The Lord Of The Rings will know how dangerous greed among the Dwarves can be, and that issue is no different in The Hobbit, though the source of the greed is somewhat different from the typical lore. Rather than the evil plot of Sauron being involved in the Dwarvish greed, it is actually a malady known as Dragon Sickness that befalls the Dwarves thanks to the beauty of the Arkenstone.

Acting as a sort of MacGuffin, the Arkenstone is the object needed for Thorin (or any other Dwarf) to be able to unite the Dwarves as it bestows true kingship among their people. One of the main points of the journey in The Hobbit trilogy is to retrieve the Arkenstone from the fierce dragon Smaug. Bilbo manages to find the Arkenstone during his time in conflict with Smaug, though he ends up hiding it away from his Dwarf companions as dragon sickness begins to befall Thorin. As Thorin becomes more and more unhinged, it’s made clear that he’d do anything to have the Arkenstone, causing him to lash out at others with cruelty and nearly leading to conflict, something that leads to Bilbo taking matters into his own hands.

What Happens To The Arkenstone?

In The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Bilbo eventually ends up giving the Arkenstone to the Elf Thranduil and the Lake-Man Bard in a slight betrayal of Thorin. This move ultimately is for the good of all people as Bilbo intends to avoid an all-out conflict. Unfortunately, the blind greed of Thorin leads the Dwarves to war anyway soon leading to the beginning of the Battle of Five Armies. The battle would be bloody, especially for Thorin, as even though the Orc forces ended up being defeated, Thorin would be gravely wounded.

Upon his death, Thorin was finally reunited with the Arkenstone, being buried with it in his tomb. This was a fitting end not only for Thorin but for the Arkenstone as well, as it would end up back where it was found, deep in the bowels of the Lonely Mountian. With it back where it truly belongs, the Arkenstone truly becomes representative of its other name, it becomes the heart of the Lonely Mountain.

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The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic names in entertainment. The franchise started with novels from J. R. R. Tolkien before being adapted onto the big screen by Peter Jackson in one of the most critically-acclaimed film trilogies of all time. There have also been numerous The Lord of the Rings video games of varying quality.