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There is a Minecraft mod that adds Middle Earth during the time of Lord of the Rings. The modder usually tries to make it according to the books instead of making things up. Awhile ago they had a discussion on where mithril could be found. Is it anywhere in Middle Earth, or only in certain places?

Edit: In case you want to know, the modder made it only in the Misty Mountains.

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    @codeNinja Should I edit out that this is about a mod? The people here could probably give a better answer than at the gaming stackexchange. Jun 7, 2014 at 18:09
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    @FeldpauschAll4 - I think this is a good and valid question, even with the gaming part (there are plenty other questions about plot-points of games on this SE); it shouldn't have been downvoted and it shouldn't be migrated.
    – user8719
    Jun 7, 2014 at 18:12
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    @codeNinja - not at all. Arquade is about game mechanics. Not game's fictional content. And DEFINITELY not about a book's fictional content even if that is needed for a game in the end. People who downvoted don't know the rules EITHER of this SE or Arquade's, I'm sad to say. +1 - it's a good question. Jun 7, 2014 at 20:08
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    Did you mean by "they made it only in the misty mountains" that the modders made it only available in the misty mountains? If so, that should probably be clarified
    – The Fallen
    Jun 8, 2014 at 15:12
  • @SSumner Thanks, I clarified it. Jun 8, 2014 at 17:41

1 Answer 1

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Mithril can only be found in Moria, per Gandalf's words in Fellowship of the Ring:

The wealth of Moria was not in gold and jewels, the toys of the Dwarves; nor in iron, their servant. Such things they found here, it is true, especially iron; but they did not need to delve for them: all things that they desired they could obtain in traffic. For here alone in the world was found Moria-silver, or true-silver as some have called it: mithril is the Elvish name.

That doesn't rule out the possibility that it was also to be found in Aman (which was removed from the circles of the world at the time Gandalf spoke); see especially Bilbo's song in Rivendell (which admittedly may have been embellished by Bilbo himself):

A ship then new they built for him
of mithril and of elven-glass
with shining prow; no shaven oar
nor sail she bore on silver mast

This notably happened after Earendil's errand on behalf of the Two Kindreds, so it was a Valinorean event.


Update: 9th March 2015

Footnote 31 to The Disaster of the Gladden Fields in Unfinished Tales confirms that mithril was also to be found in Númenor:

For that metal was found in Númenor. [Author's note.]

Númenor, however, was not in Middle-earth, and Gandalf's words may still be seen to be true ("from a certain point of view") if we assume that he was referring to a time after the Downfall.


What's especially interesting here is that we don't actually know what mithril is at the time of Bilbo's song.

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  • What about the mitril that Gimli used to make gates for Minas Tirith? Where did that come from? Did they go back into Moria to get it? Jun 7, 2014 at 18:34
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    Melting down some priceless heirloom swords and armor to make a pretty gate. #JustDwarfyThings
    – DampeS8N
    Jun 7, 2014 at 19:24
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    @DampeS8N - Bling Before Aggression Jun 7, 2014 at 20:10
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    @FeldpauschAll4 - all we have to go on is Gandalf's words and they are quite clear: Moria only. In the absence of any other info we must assume that's a final statement: mithril is only found in Moria.
    – user8719
    Jun 8, 2014 at 0:39
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    Mithril also was found in Numenor, but after Downfall it would be hard to get it ;) Also before dwarves reestablished realm in Moria it was rather impossible to mine there - that's why it was so rare.
    – Mithoron
    Mar 9, 2015 at 23:42

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