the most unlikely creature immaginable

[The Wizard from Milan]

At the very beginning of the movie Galadriel's voice narrates that the ring came into the hands of the most unlikely creature immaginable. We all know what she meant: one would think that the most likely creature is a person who is either powerful or greedy or both.
Yet what is the likelihood that the ring would come in a hobbit's hand? If we believe that the process in which the ring changed hands is random then we could estimate the probability by the proportion of creatures of each race.
If we believe that there is a causal process (Iluvatar's design) behind the ring passage then the subjective probability depends on our assessment of Iluvatar's plan.
Either way the hobbit can hardly be counted as the most unlikely creature immaginable

Was this thread too geeky?

[Elanor]

Very geeky. I suppose a water spirit like Goldberry might be less likely. Or an animal-- but I doubt they'd be affected by it. Maybe an Ent.

[rohirrim TR]

well the fact that so many powerful lords of men and elves and wizards would have killed for it, its a bit improbable that a hobbit would get when there are so many that wanted it and could have been looking for it.

[durinsbane2244]

before i say this, i confirm that the text does say "creature"...[confirms that the text does say "creature"]...i have now confirmed that the text does say-[shout from over yonder] GET ON WITH IT! an ant...gosh...

[Elanor]

Maybe an ant did find it, in the short interval between when it abandoned Gollum and Bilbo found it. The short term of the ant as ringbearer, fraught with misery and drama as it defended the ring from all the other ants and was subsequently killed. And all those fish that might have found it while it lay at the bottom of the Anduin... there could be hundreds of poor little ringbearers we never knew about. Sad, really. Who knows how many tadpoles' lives the ring ruined with its malice?

[rohirrim TR]

I thought that that pike in the movie looked a little unnatural...

[durinsbane2244]

Originally Posted by Elanor

Maybe an ant did find it, in the short interval between when it abandoned Gollum and Bilbo found it. The short term of the ant as ringbearer, fraught with misery and drama as it defended the ring from all the other ants and was subsequently killed. And all those fish that might have found it while it lay at the bottom of the Anduin... there could be hundreds of poor little ringbearers we never knew about. Sad, really. Who knows how many tadpoles' lives the ring ruined with its malice?

HOLY [slivers of pie]!!!!!!
I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MUCH I JUST LAUGHED!

[MangoPi]

lol some one shoudl tell the tale of the ant who found the ring inbetween Gollum and Frodo.

Do I smell an RPG???

[Jon S.]

>> Was this thread too geeky?

No but you might want to look up cinematic hyperbole.

[Ainulindalë]

this is a case of symantics actually, in the case of a most unlikely creature imaginable it means a creature that is not noticed and very often or usually overlooked! Just read what Tolkien has written and mentioned about hobbits in his books.

Hobbits of the Shire are the few creatures that have never been really bothered by anyone or anything while living in the Shire, save certain occassions. They have almost ever lived in peace and nobody would or could imagine one of them getting a ring of immense power in their hands. No man has ever really come or visited their Shire, save Gandalf and Saruman (he gave one of them the Longbottom Leaf). And since anyone never really set foot far beyond the Shire it is unlikely that a creature like the Hobbits would get such a ring around his finger, nor could they or anyone else imagine that a creature like a hobbit would get hold of a ring like that. Just a bunch of wordplay and if you are scholared in the English Language and in communication you'll notice that is just nothing more than wordplay.

[MangoPi]

But it is so fun to pretend!

[durinsbane2244]

also, thinking about the hobbit's strange resiliance to its evil lure, maybe it is BECAUSE they live secluded and far from the temptation of power and majesty and gold...

[Bombadillo]

I wouldn't call this a geeky thread if you used fewer syllables per word. Jeez. ()

Originally Posted by Elanor

Maybe an ant did find it, in the short interval between when it abandoned Gollum and Bilbo found it. The short term of the ant as ringbearer, fraught with misery and drama as it defended the ring from all the other ants and was subsequently killed. And all those fish that might have found it while it lay at the bottom of the Anduin... there could be hundreds of poor little ringbearers we never knew about. Sad, really. Who knows how many tadpoles' lives the ring ruined with its malice?

OMG!!

On a serious note, you're starting a really good discussion, TWFM. At first I thought I knew exactly where you were going, but in fact you were headed the opposite direction. I realized I misread "causal" as "casual."

I thought you were using the word "casual" to describe the sort of meandering, pointlessness, and meaninglessness in everything that happens to people. With this in mind, it makes sense that Smeagol would be the most unlikely creature imaginable.

This is too hard for me to explain in any other way than an anecdote. This is a conversation that fate is having with itself:
- The Ring slipped itself off of Isildur's finger.
- Yeah, now who's gonna find it?
- Well, there's the band of orcs who just shot him right here at the river's edge. They're closest. Not to mention looking for it. Probably them.
- They might not find it, by some slight chance.
- Then the rest of their army is nearby, and will.
- Probably. That would make sense. But if they don't, then the armies of the Men and the Elves are nearby and looking for it also. One of them might find it.
- That's true.
- Or none of them will find it. Who knows? Maybe it'll stay there on the bottom of the river until loooooong after this war is over, until a hobbit finds it, by accident, fishing, with his friend, on his friend's birthday.
- What? Come on. I know anything is possible but what made you think of that?
- Shh! I'm thinking; then it'll make his friend kill him for it! Yeah!
- Dude, that's so random.
- So why shouldn't it happen?
- I don't know. It's just highly unlikely, don't you think? Every little detail working out that way? Against the odds of these here orcs, men, or elves finding it?
- I think it should happen.
- Alright. Whatever. It's not like I could tell which way would turn out better anyway.
- Yes! This is gonna be soooo coooool!
- You're stupid.
- No you're stupid!

So, that's what I think of fate, and how I interpreted it. The moral of the story is that someone had to find the Ring, but the odds were hugely against that someone being a hobbit some centuries later.

[Lotesse]

Originally Posted by Bombadillo

At first I thought I knew exactly where you were going, but in fact you were headed the opposite direction. I realized I misread "causal" as "casual." I thought you were using the word "casual" to describe the sort of meandering, pointlessness, and meaninglessness in everything that happens to people.

THIS precious gem of a little tidbit, ought to go in my sig somewhere. No pun intended, but this is the BOMB!! Pretty much sums it up, for me, right there. And I mean, right across the board! NICE, Bombadillo!!!

[MangoPi]

I just....

Fate saying: "Dude, that's so random."

XD

[arvedui_last_king]

the most unlikely crature imaginable... to the wise. Unless maybe a butterfly took the ring.