Flight to the Ford

Today I was listening to Beowulf (a reread of Seamus Heaney’s translation) and noted the moment when the sword that he used to kill Grendel’s mother started to melt (photo from Tolkien’s translation of Beowulf).

Then tonight I read Flight to the Ford and noted that the disappearance of the Morgul blade was not altogether dissimilar. I know the format of disappearance is different, but I thought the comparison interesting to note.

I wonder if Tolkien was inspired by Beowulf’s disappearing blade when writing of Middle-earth. The blade of Merry’s sword later similarly vanished after he used it to help Éowyn dispatch the Witch-king.