A Thief Stole Something Precious After The Hobbit Movies Wrapped

In J.R.R. Tolkien's 1937 adventure novel "The Hobbit, or There and Back Again," Bilbo Baggins and his merry band of stern dwarf friends are apprehended by a marauding group of wicked goblins and dragged into their dank underground lair. The lead dwarf, Thorin Oakenshield, is targeted as a particular threat by the Goblin King as he is carrying a unique sword called Orcrist, the Goblin-Cleaver. Orcrist, according to Tolkien's lore, was forged millennia ago by expert elf swordsmiths, and passed down through generations. It is a magic sword that glows when orcs are nearby, warning its wielder of danger. Later in "The Hobbit," Thorin would lose Orcrist when he was captured by the Wood-elves of Mirkwood — though it was eventually returned to him. 

In Peter Jackson's three "Hobbit" film adaptations — "An Unexpected Journey" (2012), "The Desolation of Smaug" (2013), and "The Battle of the Five Armies" (2014) — Thorin was played by Richard Armitage, and the Orcrist sword was constructed by Wētā Workshop, the SFX house that provided most of the visuals and props for Jackson's six extant "Lord of the Rings" movies. It was important that Orcrist look good, as fans of "Lord of the Rings" have a keen eye for weapons, and can likely identify which swords, axes, bows, and scabbards are held by each character. (Antiwar sentiment is a large theme of Tolkien's "The Hobbit," so there is certainly an irony in the weapon fetish that springs from its fandom.)

When Jackson completed filming "Battle," he thanked Armitage for his hard work by gifting him the prop Orcrist sword. Armitage packed it away in a storage locker, hoping to keep it safe. Imagine his surprise then, when he learned that his sword was put up for sale on an online auction. Armitage revealed details of the theft in the latest issue of Total Film Magazine.

Armitage didn't even know his sword had been stolen until Peter Jackson brought it to his attention. He'd been equally surprised to have Orcrist join his possessions in the first place. When asked about his most memorable end-of-shoot gift from any production, the actor replied:

"Orcrist, the sword from 'The Hobbit.' I just did not expect to be gifted the original sword from the shoot. Actually, I had it in a lock-up and it got stolen, and someone was trying to sell it. Peter pulled me aside and said, 'Are you hard up for money?' I was like, 'What are you talking about?' He said, 'Your sword's for sale online.' So I had to go through this whole thing of getting the police involved, but we got the sword back. Now it's on a shelf in a very prominent place." 

Neither the circumstances of the theft, nor the identity of the thief, were given. The important thing is that Armitage got his sword back. 

Tolkien fans will be quick to note the poetry of the theft. In "The Hobbit," Orcrist was plundered by Thorin from a trolls' lair with a pile of other knick-knacks — a location reminiscent of a modern, disheveled storage locker. It's also worth noting that Bilbo Baggins was hired by Thorin to be a burglar, and that theft and salvage are common themes of Tolkien's novel. 

Sadly, actor Martin Freeman, who played Bilbo, was not revealed to be the thief. That would have been a little too perfect.