The following article contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Episode 2 and Middle-earth LoreThe two-part premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power provided more easter eggs than you could shake a bag of blackberries at, and they didn’t let up between Episodes 1 and 2. From the opening scrawl to the mountainous depths of Khazad-dûm, here are the Easter eggs we caught in the second episode of Amazon’s colossal TV series:

The Title Sequence Reveals Locations and Foreshadows Events

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Image via Amazon Studios
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Image via Amazon Studios
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Image via Amazon Studios

The intro sequence for the series is incorporated for the first time in Episode 2. While it is unclear what exactly is going on, a number of miniscule patterns are being sketched on the screen. One of them is a pattern of two trees, bearing a strong similarity to the Tree of Gondor symbol from the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings films. However, as the show predates the Tree of Gondor, the symbol likely references the Two Trees of Valinor, instead. One of the clearer images is a pattern of nine interconnected rings, which is almost certainly a foreshadowing of the nine Rings of Power given to men.

The last image that is clearly discernible appears to be some kind of jagged mountain peak pattern, which could apply to any of a number of significant mountains in the story, depending on which of the peoples of Middle-earth you ask: the Kingdom of Khazad-dûm rests under three mountains: Redhorn, Silvertine, and Cloudyhead (called Caradhras, Celebdil, and Fanuidhol by the elves, and Barazinbar, Zirakzigil, and Bundushathûr by the dwarves — in case you ever wondered. Tolkien was nothing if not thorough). The mountain pattern could represent the ones over Khazad-dûm, or it could of course be a reference to Mount Doom. It may also be Taniquetil, the holy mountain of the Valar in Valinor. A final possibility is that it is the holy mountain in Núxmenor, the Meneltarma, which we will (hopefully) get to see in Episode 3.

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Fëanor’s Hammer Might Reference a Familiar Seeing Stone

Feanor's hammer on display in the Rings of Power.
Image via Amazon Studios

One of the more blatant Easter eggs in the episode might not even qualify because of how obvious it is: the hammer of Fëanor isn’t just in the background, it is the focal point of the entire scene. While its significance is discussed by Elrond (Robert Aramayo) and Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards), one of the design elements of the hammer is particularly interesting: jewels of various colors are set into the haft; they could simply be ornamental, but they might also be a reference to one of the other notable creations of Fëanor: the Palantíri. One of the seeing-stones appeared in Númenor in one of the trailers for the series, and one of the jewels on the hammer is a shade of blue that looks quite similar to that of the Palantír in the trailer — it may be no connection at all, or simply ornamentation, but depending on how the Palantíri come into play in the series, the design of the hammer may well be referencing all the great works of Fëanor.

Celebrimbor’s Tower Is a Clear Reference to the Rings of Power

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Image via Prime Video

The mission that sends Elrond to Khazad-dûm in the second episode begins with Celebrimbor’s burning desire to build a great towering forge that can produce a flame “as hot as dragon fire.” The choice of wording is likely not incidental. The building of the forge must be for the project that will eventually create the Rings of Power, and the “dragon fire” reference recalls a statement from the books: when discussing how to destroy the One Ring, it is said that dragon fire was able to melt the Rings of Power, but it would likely not work on the One at all. However, a forge hot enough to mimic dragon fire would be the perfect place to forge such powerful magical objects as the Rings, as well as being a callback to the books.

The Rite of Sigin-tarâg References the Line of Durin

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While the Rite of Sigin-tarâg is one of the more fun and entertaining sequences in the series so far, it is not explicitly found in any of Tolkien's work. However, the name itself is a significant reference to dwarven culture nonetheless: "Sigin-tarâg" is the Khuzdul name meaning "Longbeards", which is the name of the main house of the dwarves, founded by the original King Durin I himself. Khazad-dûm is home to the people of the Longbeards, so the use of Sigin-tarâg is a useful reference to the complex backstory of the people of Durin.

Dwarven Culture References Appear All Over Khazad-dûm

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One of the delightful results of the focus on Khazad-dûm in the second episode was the fact that it was allowed to explore the intricacies of Dwarven culture. A small but significant Easter egg here was the continual use of the expression "Aulë's beard!" by the dwarves. Aulë is the Valar who created the dwarves in the early years of the First Age and is considered the "Father of the Dwarves," so it would be natural to have a reference to Aulë in common Dwarven parlance.

Another natural part of Dwarven culture shows up when Elrond and Durin IV (Owain Arthur) are taking the lift back up to the gate. At the top of the track is a massive sculpture of a swooping raven. The dwarven association with ravens is one of the older parts of Tolkien’s legendarium, with the dwarves in The Hobbit and elsewhere having a form of communication with ravens, receiving and sending messages with them, and even being counseled by them. The great raven sculpture seems to nod towards the long history between dwarves and ravens elsewhere in Tolkien’s stories.

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Another expression that hints at the depth of Dwarven culture is seen in the various moon references sprinkled throughout the dialogue in the Khazad-dûm scenes. People are called “moon-eyed” a few times, for example. The moon is another element significant to Tolkien’s dwarves, as the Dwarven New Year starts on Durin’s Day, which is the last cycle of the moon in Autumn when the moon and sun are together in the sky. Thror’s map in The Hobbit has a secret message written in “moon-letters” which can only be read under the light of the same moon in which they were written, and the moonlight is consequently an important, almost sacred, part of Dwarven culture.

A Recurring Easter Egg

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Two artifacts are of particular note that show up in the Khazad-dûm storyline. One of them is a curious reappearance of an Easter egg from the first episode: the Dragon Helm of Dor-lomin shows up again, this time on one of the ceremonial heads Durin and Disa’s (Sophia Nomvete’s) children are playing with before dinner. The Dragon Helm was shown in the first episode in the hands of the elf Fingon (probably). A replica of the helm for the dwarves would also be appropriate, however, as it was made by the dwarf smith Telchar and made to be worn by a dwarf. The recurrence of the Dragon Helm is an interesting element to bring back into play, however.

RELATED: 'The Rings of Power': Elrond and Durin's Friendship Explained

Secondly, of course, in terms of dwarf artifacts, what’s in the box?

What Is in the Box at the End of Episode 2?

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Durin III (Peter Mullan) and Durin IV are seen together opening a box filled with a pale shining light at the end of the episode, discussing keeping the contents a secret from the elves. Assuming the box does not contain Marcellus Wallace’s soul, what could it be?

There is one most likely option, but a couple of more tenuous options as well, that, though not likely, would be interesting to consider. The most viable option is that the box contains mithril, the same substance that makes the light and impenetrable mail shirt Bilbo and Frodo both wear. Mithril in Middle-earth was only ever found in Khazad-dûm, so the discovery of a metal ten times more valuable than gold would certainly be worthy of keeping as a trade secret. Mithril is also eventually used to create ithildin, the silvery-glowing substance that the West Gate of Khazad-dûm is later made out of, so this is likely the top candidate.

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Image via New Line Cinema

Another option, though not canonical, is that the box contains one of the Silmarils, that the Dwarves have somehow rediscovered. It would explain the secrecy from the Elves, as a treasured Elvish artifact, and could bring some drama of the First Age into the Second Age storyline. It is unlikely, but perhaps not impossible.

The final possibility is that it is the Nauglamir, the great bejeweled necklace made by the dwarves for Finrod in the First Age. It later housed one of the Silmarils, but the ultimate fate of the Nauglamir was never explained by Tolkien. Bringing the necklace into the story would provide an opportunity to explain a mystery left open by Tolkien, and would also forge a dramatic connection between the dwarves of Khazad-dûm and Galadriel, as Finrod’s sister.

On this particular mystery, we will likely find out sooner rather than later. It is most likely mithril, after all, but the sheer world full of possibilities is a great testament to the depth of detailed world building Tolkien lavished on Middle-earth. The appeal of the original books and Tolkien’s created world has provided a fertile ground for exploration and inspiration for nearly a hundred years, and if The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is to be any measure, that world will continue to do so for many years to come.