The Hobbit: 11 Amazing Things You Missed In The Desolation Of Smaug
2. Is The Arkenstone A Silmaril?
Its an ongoing discussion amongst Tolkien fans that looks set to never get an answer; is the Arkenstone, the gem that gives the right to rule Erebor, actually a Silmaril? If youre thinking you might have missed a moment with that last object, dont worry. The Silmarils are present only in Tolkiens posthumously published Silmarillion, for which Jackson doesnt have the rights to. Three jewels that prove essential to the epic tome, the Silmarils glow with their own light and (there being so few of them) caused an awful lot of conflict in the early Ages of Middle Earth before disappearing from knowledge. The important thing here is the self-produced glow, something that makes the Arkenstone so immediately identifiable on screen, leading to some fans suggesting the prophesied resurgence of the Silmarils came in the form of the Heart of the Mountain. But this is all book work; whats this got to do with the film? Well in The Hobbit Trilogy the Arkenstones powers have been upped, with a suggestion it was actually the stones influence, rather than dwarf greed, that led to Thror's complacancy, which ties into some of the Silmarils more supernatural elements. But, in a move similar to the blue wizards mentioned last year, thats as far as Jackson can go; he cant invoke the actual name because he doesnt have the rights.
