Mithril
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Mithril is a fictional metal found in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. It is described as resembling silver, but being stronger and lighter than steel. It was used to make armour, such as the
Semi-schematic drawing of Kimberley Diamond Mine in South Africa, 1885. Tolkien was born near deep mines, and may have chosen to use them in his fiction.
Tolkien's impact on fantasy
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Although fantasy had long existed in various forms around the world before his time, J. R. R. Tolkien has been called the "father of fantasy", and The Lord of the Rings its centre. That novel, publish
Mithril
…potential for both good and evil, recalling the association of mining and metalwork in John Milton's Paradise Lost with Satan. The metal appears in many derivative fantasy works by later authors. The name mithril comes from two words in Tolkien's Sindarin language—mith, meaning "grey", and ril, meaning "glitter". The Dwarves…
A Tolkien fan in a The Lord of the Rings fantasy costume, Budapest, 2015
Tolkien created or popularized fantasy elements such as heroes, quests, magical objects, wizards, elves, dwarves, and monsters including Gollum. Painting of Gollum by Frederic Bennet, 2014
Middle-earth video games at E3 2011
The Lord of the Nazgûl by Alexander Korotich