It is one of the oldest rings in Middle-earth.
Forged in the Undying Lands of Valinor, it would pass from elf to man. And for
that man it would be an heirloom of his house for more than sixty generations before
coming to the one who would return as king. Today, on Nerd of the Rings, we cover
the history of the Ring of Barahir. This famous ring, featuring two serpents
with emerald eyes, is created in the lands of Valinor by the Noldor. It belongs to Finrod,
the eldest brother of Galadriel. It is noted in The Silmarillion that the serpent heads
met beneath a crown of golden flowers, that the one upheld and the other devoured;
that was the badge of Finarfin and his house. Finrod, son of the golden house of Finarfin,
bore this ring throughout its early history. Along with other treasures, the ring would be
taken with him to Middle-earth after Morgoth’s theft of the silmarils and the ensuing exile
of the Noldor. Finrod and his siblings would traverse the frozen Helcaraxe, leaving
their father and mother in Valinor. As discussed in my video on Finrod, he would
found the settlement of Minas Tirith on the isle of Tol Sirion around the 60th year of the First
Age. He would have many travels throughout his early days in Beleriand. He and his sister would
spend time as guests of King Thingol of Doriath, he would travel down the river Sirion
with Turgon, future king of Gondolin, and as a result, would construct the
stronghold of Nargothrond in 102 FA. Over 200 years later, in 310 FA, Finrod
is travelling in Ossiriand when he happens upon a group of Men - the first to enter
Beleriand. The leader of this group of Bëor, the head of the First House of the Edain.
This great figure would serve as Finrod’s vassal until his death, but his descendants
would prove great in the fate of Finrod. 145 years later, (455 FA) Morgoth would
unleash rivers of flame from Thangorodrim overwhelming the elves stationed on the plains
of Ard-galen. The highlands of Dorthonion would be heavily attacked by Morgoth’s force of
orcs, balrogs, and the dragon Glaurung. Finrod would go north from Nargothrond to
aid the men and elves of the region. Though, he would be unable to help his brothers Angrod
and Aegnor before they are killed in the assault. In the ensuing battles, Finrod and a small company
are surrounded at the Fen of Serech. In the Silmarillion we are told that Finrod would have
been slain or taken, but Barahir, a 5th generation descendant of Bëor himself, came up with the
bravest of his men and rescued Finrod, and made a wall of spears about him; and they cut their way
out of the battle with great loss. Thus Felagund escaped, and returned to his deep fortress of
Nargothrond; but he swore an oath of abiding friendship and aid in every need to Barahir and
all his kin, and in token of his vow he gave to Barahir his ring. Barahir was now by right lord of
the house of Bëor, and he returned to Dorthonion; but most of his people fled from their homes
and took refuge in the fastness of Hithlum. Thus the ring of Felagund passes to Barahir,
and it would from then on bear his name. For the next five years, Barahir would possess
this ring. During this time, though Morgoth had conquered much of the lands of Dorthonion,
Barahir would lead a group of around 10 men, operating as outlaws in their homeland, ever
working to disrupt the servants of the dark lord. However, one of Barahir’s men would be deceived
by Sauron, and betray the group. Learning of their secret location, orcs ambush the outlaws at their
hideout at Tarn Aeluin. Barahir’s son, Beren, returns to their camp to find all, including his
father killed. Swearing an oath of vengeance, Beren pursues the orcs to Rivil’s Well.
There their captain made boast of his deeds, and he held up the hand of Barahir that he had
cut off as a token for Sauron that their mission was fulfilled; and the ring of Felagund was on
that hand. Then Beren sprang from behind a rock, and slew the captain, and taking
the hand and the ring he escaped, being defended by fate; for the Orcs
were dismayed, and their arrows wild. Beren would bury the hand with the rest of
his father’s remains, yet he would keep the ring. Beren would continue living as an outlaw
for a time, before Morgoth sets such a bounty on his head that he is forced to flee south.
Passing through the valley of dreadful death, he would come to the lands of Doriath, where he
meets and falls in love with Luthien, the daughter of King Thingol. In the Lays of Beleriand, we find
Beren’s encounter with Thingol set to verse, in which he shows the Ring of Barahir after the king
insults him and says perhaps the man must die… ‘That may not be!’ Lo! Beren spake,
and through the king’s words coldly brake. Proud are the words, and all there turned
to see the jewels green that burned in Beren’s ring. These Gnomes had set
as eyes of serpents twined that met beneath a golden crown of flowers,
that one upholds and one devours: the badge that Finrod made of yore
and Felagund his son now bore. As we know, Thingol would send Beren on the Quest
for the Silmaril before he could be permitted to marry Luthien. Beren sets out to Nargothrond,
seeking the great friend of his house. Thus Beren came before King Finrod
Felagund; and Felagund knew him, needing no ring to remind him of the kin of Bëor
and of Barahir. Behind closed doors they sat, and Beren told of the death of Barahir, and
of all that had befallen him in Doriath; and he wept, recalling Lúthien and their joy
together. But Felagund heard his tale in wonder and disquiet; and he knew that the oath he
had sworn was come upon him for his death, as long before he had foretold to Galadriel. He
spoke then to Beren in heaviness of heart. Finrod and a small group of elves accompany Beren
in heading north on his quest. But when they make to pass Finrod’s old fortress of Minas Tirith, it
is instead Sauron’s fortress of Tol-in-gaurhoth, and the lieutenant of Morgoth captures them,
and Finrod would die saving Beren’s life. The ring of Barahir would go with
Beren the remaining days of his life - through his journey with Luthien
to Angband, where he steals a silmaril, to his death at the claws
of a werewolf in Doriath, and apparently returned with him when he is
given a second life with Luthien by the valar. The ring of Barahir is not mentioned in
the histories of Middle-earth for many long years after Beren showed
it once more to Finrod. Yet, it would no doubt pass through Beren’s line
- his son Dior, Dior’s daughter Elwing, and Elwing’s son Elros - the first King of
Numenor and brother of Elrond. Elros would continue the passing on of this ring, as it
becomes an heirloom of the Kings of Numenor. However, Tar-Elendil, the fourth King of
Numenor would not pass it on to his son and soon to be king Tar-Meneldur, but
instead his eldest child, a daughter named Silmariën. From this point onward, it
would be an heirloom of the Lords of Andunie, beginning with her son Valandil. For nearly
2500 years, it would pass from generation to generation until finally coming to Elendil, father
of Isildur, last lord of the faithful Numenoreans. When Numenor is destroyed, Elendil takes the Ring
of Barahir, and other heirlooms of his house to Middle-earth. After Elendil’s death in the War of
the Last Alliance, the Ring would pass to Isildur, who was set to take his father’s place as High
King in the northern realm of Arnor. However, Isildur would never make it to the north, as he
would be slain in the disaster of the Gladden Fields, when the One Ring is lost to the river
Anduin. What became of the ring in this moment can be considered a mystery as it is not explicitly
stated. As the ring is not lost with Isildur, some speculate that Elendil left it behind
in Rivendell before the war. Personally, I find the more likely scenario to be that
Isildur sent the Ring with his squire Ohtar, who he gave the shards of Narsil to
escape with and take to Rivendell. Thus, the Ring of Barahir would continue to
pass through generations of the Kings of Arnor, then, when the kingdom is splintered,
through the Kings of Arthedain. Finally, it would come to the last king of the north
- Arvedui. This final king of Arthedain would escape the downfall of his kingdom at
the hands of the Witch-king. He and his men are able to rescue heirlooms like the
Ring of Barahir and two of the Palantiri. After a time in the old dwarven mines of the blue
mountains, they flee north, coming to the ice-bay of Forochel, where they meet the Lossoth people.
The Lossoth would aid Arvedui, but when a ship from Cirdan arrives to help the king, he makes
to leave. The Lossoth plead with Arvedui to wait… Do not mount on this sea-monster! If they
have them, let the seamen bring us food and other things that we need, and you may
stay here till the Witch-king goes home. For in summer his power wanes; but now his
breath is deadly, and his cold arm is long. However, Arvedui would not listen. He
gives the Lossoth the Ring of Barahir in gratitude for their help and
sets sail upon the ship, saying. “This is a thing of worth beyond your reckoning.
For its ancientry alone. It has no power, save the esteem in which those hold it
who love my house. It will not help you, but if ever you are in need, my kin will ransom
it with great store of all that you desire.” Sadly, the hull of the ship would be broken on
the ice, and so died the last king of Arthedain, and two of the palantiri were lost to the
sea. Indeed, as Arvedui had predicted, the ring would indeed be ransomed
sometime in the future by the Dunedain, though we are not told when - or
what price was paid in exchange. As with other heirlooms, like the Shards
of Narsil, the Ring of Barahir would be kept for many years in Rivendell for
safekeeping. For the heirs of Isildur were now no longer a great kingdom, but
a scattered group of Dunedain rangers, left to live and serve in the
northern lands of their ancient home. But Elrond, the brother of Elros who
had possessed this very ring some 6000 years earlier, would one day bestow the
ring upon one of the line of Elendil. “Here is the ring of Barahir,” he said,
“the token of our kinship from afar; and here also are the shards of Narsil.
With these you may yet do great deeds; for I foretell that the span of your life
shall be greater than the measure of Men, unless evil befalls you or you fail
at the test. But the test will be hard and long. The Sceptre of Annúminas
I withhold, for you have yet to earn it.” Thus, Elrond gives the ring to the heir of
Isildur, descendant of Elros, Aragorn son of Arathorn, in the year 2952 TA. Aragorn, learning
of his true heritage, carries the Ring of Barahir, and the Shards of Narsil over the coming
years - yet the ring he would not keep. For in 2980 TA, as he nears 50 years old,
Aragorn once again meets Arwen Undomiel, this time in her grandmother’s realm of
Lorien. There, they would pledge themselves to one another - Arwen choosing a mortal life
and Aragorn gifting her the Ring of Barahir as a sign of their betrothal. Thus the ring of
Finrod would finally return to his own family, for Arwen’s grandmother is none other
than Galadriel, the sister of Finrod. And the lines of these ancient houses - that
of Finarfin and of Bëor the old, would once more be joined. As for what happens to the Ring
from this point onward, we can only guess. Some say Arwen may have taken it to her grave - that
after Aragorn’s passing, she would have taken it to her death upon the very hill where she
and Aragorn pledged themselves to one another. However, I believe it more likely that
the ring would be passed down once more, as it had done for ages past - perhaps
from Arwen to her son Eldarion, second High King of the Reunited Kingdom. The story of the Ring of Barahir is one that
involves two great families, over 60 generations, and countless other lives. Its use to unite
Aragorn and Arwen in marriage is the conclusion of thousands of years of peril, war, and love. And
it is thanks to an in-world scholar that we have this ending of the story. For it was the grandson
of Faramir who wrote The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen which we find in the appendices of The Lord of the
Rings. Faramir’s grandson whose name was Barahir. as always I want to say a huge thank you
to all my patreon and YouTube supporters who make this channel possible Tom de Bombadil
19 list me the Cinda Rabbi Rob Thomas Charles Leisure CCDC red team Joe teer the mighty
MIM Andrew Carlile swirled traveler Matthew Jeffrey Viking Lord Leo vitori Sky carcass
slide belts Dane Ragnar Berto Berg Graham derot the darkhaired one wiland Michael woo and
Debbie if you enjoyed the artwork in this video check out the artists in the description
to purchase prints of their great work for yourself thanks so much for watching and
we'll see you next time on nerd of the Rings
