having not thought a whole lot on this topic.  but I find what you say about Anglachel very interesting.  Without question it was a sword bent on killing, which is someting else.  I for one have a hard time imagining a sword bent on doing anything.

Personally, I believe it probobly hurt Eol immensly to lose either of these swords.  They both seem to have some of their creator in them... an ability left only to very powerful beings.  It seems to me that Eol probobly also, then, had the ability to curse whoever would later be tied with those swords.  His creative power was magnificent, but ultimatly evil.  Also, he was jealous of his possessions, which is, to me, a huge clue as to whether or not he would curse a sword in this way.

Certianly all that Anglachal does cannot be called evil.  And yet its story is far from a happy one.  Very odd, to me, that it can have such a story.

And, btw Kodax, I have also always liked Ringil, if for no other reason then the fact that it is tied into my second favorite part of my favorite work, which you already discussed.