Enchantment or advancement.

[Rumil]

Hi All,

Strangely Mnem I agree with you, notwithstanding the following...

He took from the box a small sword in an old shabby leathern scabbard. Then he drew it, and its polished and well-tended blade glittered suddenly, cold and bright, 'This is Sting,' he said, and thrust it with little effort deep into a wooden beam. 'Take it, if you like. I shan't want it again, I expect.'

The part I agree with is that mysteriousness should be preserved, and similarly dislike the urge to science-up fantasy. I prefer there to be countless creatures of strange types in the Wild, Giants in the Misty Mountains and a veil of uncertainty (and perhaps decency!) to be drawn over the origins of orcs.

My only point being that if you have some ancient sword of immense history in our world, its just an old sword with an interesting story, however in LoTR it can also be better, more useful and more functional, just as if it was from an advanced tech. Agree with Lal the Smith was somewhat of an uncanny figure steeped in ancient mysteries in legend!

I also liked the comeback to Clarke that any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced . (Must take deep breaths to avoid an impassioned OT rant on the evils of distinctly unmagical Office 2007, breathe, breathe).