Amazon Studios The Rings of Power is here. We want all Spoilerites to have the best viewing experience possible and have the widest knowledge base about the Second Age of Middle-Earth. This is a weekly Let’s Get Nerdy article series highlighting a different piece of Tolkien I think you need to know about!
In past articles I have answered the question:
- What Are the Rings of Power?
- What is Númenor?
- What is the Second Age?
- Who are the Harfoots?
- Who is Prince Durin IV?
- What is Khazad-dûm?
- Who is Celebrimbor?
- What is the Last Alliance of Men and Elves?
- Who is Elendil?
- New Pics! Who are Bronwyn and Theo?
- What is Rivendell?
- The Rings of Power First Reactions Are In!
- What is Lindon?
- What are the Nine Human Rings?
- Empire Magazine’s The Rings of Power Covers
- New Character Pictures
- Will Wizards Appear in The Rings of Power?
- New Promo for The Rings of Power
- What is Eregion?
- Leaked! Rings of Power Trailer Breakdown
- The Rings of Power Teaser Breakdown
- New EW Rings of Power Pictures
- SDCC Rings of Power Trailer Breakdown
- Who is Isildur?
- The Rings of Power is Here! Read the Reactions
- Who is the Stranger?
- Who is Queen Míriel?
- Who is Ar-Pharazôn?
- What is the broken black blade?
- What is Mordor?
- What is Mithril?
- What are the Silmarils?
- What is Narsil?
- Who founded Númenor?
- Who is Galadriel’s Brother Finrod?
- Rings of Power Adds 15 New Cast Members for Season 2
- Who is Círdan?
- Will Celeborn Appear in The Rings of Power?
- Are Galadriel and Sauron Enemies in Book Canon?
Last year actor Charles Edwards, who plays Celebrimbor in The Rings of Power, gave an interview to Tech Radar and stated that when it comes to the second season of the Amazon Studios show he would like to see the character Narvi make an appearance and for his close relationship with Celebrimbor to shine through.
This comment has caught a lot of attention on social media and online and this feels like the perfect time to answer the question: who is Narvi? while also introducing additional content about dwarves which I’m often asked for in this feature!
Narvi is described by Tolkien as a “craftsman” which when it comes to Tolkien is shorthand for being good at smithing and stone masonry. He enjoys a close working relationship with the elf, Celebrimbor, particularly during the era when the much-discussed Rings of Power were being created. Narvi is famous for crafting something even those Spoilerites who aren’t book readers: the Doors of Durin!
(for those who need even more of a short hand: the glowing “Speak friend and enter” door from The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Rings film)
In fact, Narvi crafted the legendary Doors of Durin working in tandem with Celebrimbor. Hence the Elvish word for “friend” (Mellon in the Sindarin language), rather than the more obvious-at-first-blush use of the Dwarvish word for friend.
Sadly, the doors aside, there isn’t all that much we know about Narvi from the original J.R.R. Tolkien texts.
He’s mostly known for his association with Celebrimbor and the work they did together bringing protection to the unguarded West Gate. He was known to reside in Khazad-dûm at the height of its power and to have been referenced by Tolkien as living before Durin’s passing. From this I would extrapolate Narvi being a bit older than Durin.
Narvi is from Khazad-dûm, big setting for The Rings of Power, which would make him easy to integrate into the current mythology of the show, and could easily set him up as a contemporary of Owain Arthur’s Prince Durin IV. Wouldn’t it be a gag if the show revealed Narvi was actually present throughout the first season of the show and none of us noticed?
I’m sad to say I don’t have a casting choice based on the 15 cast members who were announced a few weeks ago. It’s a little less easy to pinpoint the actors who play the male dwarves since they’re under so much makeup and prosthesis in their final forms.
