Editing Mithril (section)

=== Significance ===

The scholar of English literature [[Charles A. Huttar]] writes that ''mithril'' was the only mineral that Tolkien invented. He notes that in Tolkien's underworld, whether the [[Glittering Caves of Aglarond|caves at Helm's Deep]] or the mines of Moria, "beauty and terror [were] side by side".<ref name="Huttar 1975">{{cite book |last=Huttar |first=Charles A. |author-link=Charles A. Huttar |editor-last=Lobdell |editor-first=Jared |editor-link=Jared Lobdell |title=[[A Tolkien Compass]] |date=1975 |publisher=[[Open Court Publishing Company|Open Court]] |isbn=978-0875483030 |pages=137–139}}</ref> Greed for ''mithril'' could unleash the terror of the [[Balrog]], by digging too far down into the dark realm, but at the same time, he writes, the metal was prized for both its beauty and its usefulness, yielding the best armour. He compares the Dwarves' greed for ''mithril'' with that of the [[Barrow-wight]]s for treasure, and indeed that of the [[dragon]]s in ''[[The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[Beowulf]]'' for gold. In his view, these symbolise the evil "inherent in the mineral treasures hidden in the womb of Earth",<ref name="Huttar 1975"/> just as mining and metalwork are associated with [[Satan]] in [[John Milton]]'s ''[[Paradise Lost]]'' (I, 670–751). Huttar sums up with a reflection on Tolkien's moral vision in the story: just as the characters at every point have to decide for good or ill, so objects have the potential to be both good and evil: "Mithril is both the greatest of treasures and a deadly bane."<ref name="Huttar 1975"/>

The Tolkien critic [[Paul H. Kocher|Paul Kocher]] interprets the Dwarves' intense secrecy around mithril and their devotion to artistry in metal and stone as "a sublimation of their sexual frustration", given that they have very few [[dwarf-women]] and love beauty with a "jealous possessiveness", or (quoting Tolkien) "being engrossed in their crafts".<ref name="Kocher p95">{{cite book |last=Kocher |first=Paul |author-link=Paul H. Kocher |title=Master of Middle-Earth: The Achievement of J.R.R. Tolkien |title-link=Master of Middle-earth |date=1974 |orig-year=1972 |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=0140038779 |page=95}}</ref>

The name "mithril" (also spelt ''mith'', ''mithral'', or ''mythril'') is used in multiple [[Works inspired by J. R. R. Tolkien|fictional contexts influenced by Tolkien]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/mithril |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412201844/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/mithril |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 April 2019 |title=mithril |publisher=[[OxfordDictionaries.com|Oxford Dictionaries]] |access-date=2019-04-12}}</ref> For example, the ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' game series, begun in 1987, involves dwarves and mithril.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sakaguchi |first1=Hironobu |author1-link=Hironobu Sakaguchi |last2=Sakakibara |first2=Moto |title=Final Fantasy |publisher=Sony Pictures Home Entertainment |year=2006 |page=143 |url= |quote=Sakaguchi borrowed heavily from the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, especially ''The Hobbit'' and ''Lord of the Rings''. His game also featured elves, dwarves, and mithril, a mythical blend of steel and silver.}}</ref>