He was a great dwarf smith of the Second Age. And partnering with one of the greatest elven
smiths of all time, he would construct one of the greatest wonders of Middle-earth.
Today, on Nerd of the Rings, we cover Narvi and the Doors of Durin.
While we don’t know a great deal about Narvi himself, we know a bit more about
his friendship with the elves, and more yet about the doors they created. Narvi
is born in the mid-Second Age. While we don’t have specific dates for his birth or death,
we know that he lived sometime between 750 SA, when a group of elves founded
nearby Eregion and 1600 SA, when Sauron forges his One Ring to Rule Them All.
Celebrimbor had led his group of elves, the majority of whom were Noldor, to found Eregion
near the dwarven realm of Khazad-dum. They are drawn to this area due to the dwarves’
discovery of mithril. While one might imagine, given events from the First Age, that this might
become a hostile situation between the two races - the reality was quite the contrary. Of note,
the clashes between these races in the First Age were between the Sindar and the two dwarf clans
of the Blue Mountains. Here, we find elves of the Noldor and the dwarves of Durin’s folk. And
Celebrimbor’s father specifically, had strong ties with the previously mentioned first age dwarves.
We are told a great friendship arises between the elves of Eregion and the
dwarves of Khazad-dum - the likes of which, never before seen. And there was no greater
friendship among these two groups than that of Celebrimbor and Narvi. In Unfinished Tales,
we read: Celebrimbor had ‘an almost “dwarvish” obsession with crafts’;
and he soon became the chief artificer of Eregion, entering into a close relationship
with the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm, among whom his greatest friend was Narvi.
During their friendship, Narvi and Celebrimbor would take on a project resulting in one of the
most iconic images of Middle-earth - the Doors of Durin. We learn much of the doors in the pages of
the Fellowship of the Ring, including that the door was flanked on either side by two
Holly trees - taller than any Frodo had ever seen or imagined. Holly itself was a token
of the elves of Eregion (the realm itself was also called Hollin). The trees are planted at
the Doorway to Khazad-dum to mark the end of the elven domain, and the beginning of the dwarven.
As Gandalf analyzes the doors, we learn that while they can be opened by simply pushing from
the inside, they cannot be opened from the outside without the spell of command. And,
they cannot be forced to open inward. Demonstrating his great craftsmanship,
Narvi constructs the doors so perfectly flush with the mountain that they are invisible to the eye.
We learn that while Narvi had constructed the doors,
Celebrimbor engraved them with many markings - and not just any markings - these were inlaid
with ithildin. As a result of their friendship and trade with the dwarves,
Celebrimbor’s elves had acquired mithril. And one of the great things they made from it was
ithildin - a substance that could only be seen by the reflected light of the moon and stars.
After Gandalf finds the smooth rock of the doors and the moonlight shines upon it, the fellowship
can see the markings drawn by Celebrimbor. There was a hammer and anvil surmounted by a crown with
seven stars - which Gimli immediately recognizes as the emblems of Durin.
Legolas points out the Tree of the High Elves, which stands aside each pillar - likely signifying
Galathilion - the tree that lived in the elven city of Tirion in Valinor. And Gandalf points
out the Star of the House of Feanor - representing Celebrimbor’s own house,
for he was Feanor’s grandson - and the greatest elf smith to ever live aside from his grandfather.
At the top left, we find a tengwar Calma (or C) standing for Celebrimbor. The top right,
the tengwar Óre (or N) for Narvi, and at the base, we find Ando (or D) for Durin.
Well over 4000 years after their creation, Gandalf reads the words
of Narvi written in an arch of interlacing letters upon the door: The Doors of Durin,
Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter. And underneath small and faint is written: I,
Narvi, made them. Celebrimbor of Hollin drew these signs.
Of course, this translation by Gandalf, is very nearly correct, for he missed one
small but important word. Rather than “Speak, friend, and enter” the doors proclaim “Say,
friend, and enter.” While still technically a password, it’s notable that this is not a
very strong way to keep it. Quite simply, when Celebrimbor and Narvi constructed these doors,
they were not secret. They often stood wide open, with only doorwards standing nearby.
While by the late third age, such a thing was nearly inconceivable, these doors were made
by the two kindreds for the two kindreds in their open trade and friendship with one another. Before
either would know anything of the coming threat of the dark lord Sauron, who would make war on their
very lands. After Eregion is sacked by Sauron, the dwarves are driven back into their halls, and
they shut the Doors of Durin behind them. While both Eregion, and later Khazad-dum would fall,
the Doors of Durin would stand for thousands of years after the deaths of their makers.
When the Fellowship passes into Moria, the Doors are slammed shut behind them by the
Watcher in the Water, who then proceeds to barricade the doors shut with boulders and
uproot the great holly trees. While Khazad-dum would be reclaimed by Durin VII in 171 FoA,
we are not told whether they cleared, and if necessary repaired, the Doors of Durin.
Regardless, the Doors of Durin would stand for millennia after their construction by
Narvi and Celebrimbor - a testament to the great things made possible by
the friendship of elves and dwarves. As we are told in Unfinished Tales:
Both Elves and Dwarves had great profit from this association: so that Eregion became far stronger,
and Khazad-dûm far more beautiful, than either would have done alone.
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