What if SMAUG had gotten The One Ring?

[CAB]

Originally Posted by The Gaffer

I must confess, however: the joke is nicked from Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy.)

Well, there is a lot to be said for knowing when to use a good quote.



As The Gaffer said, how would anyone know if Smaug had the Ring? If the Ring went unused it might sit in Smaug's hoard unnoticed by the Wise or Sauron for who knows how long. It probably needed to be worn to be noticed and I for one really question that the Ring would expand enough to fit a dragon's claw. It did change sizes, presumably because Sauron could still shift shape when the Ring was forged, but it seems unlikely that Sauron could or would make himself dragon-sized. So why would the Ring be designed to fit a dragon?

But for the sake of argument (and since there isn't anything to indicate it wasn't possible either) let's assume Smaug could wear the Ring. What use would he find in it? I'm guessing - not too much. The Ring's real power is providing control over others and dragons don't appear to be much interested in this kind of control. Glaurung even went so far as to chase off his servants when he occupied Narogthrond. Still, the Ring would probably have no problem tempting Smaug just as it tempted so many others (even Sam, who also had little desire to control other people).

What if the Wise and/or Sauron became aware of Smaug's possession of the Ring? Well, if Sauron knew and the Wise didn't and Smaug was unable to use the Ring, I think Sauron might have just left it there, at least for a while. He would have been better off conquering Middle Earth first (and he didn't need the Ring for that) than wasting resources trying to recover the Ring while also drawing attention to the one way he could be defeated. Who could Sauron have sent to retrieve the Ring? With their fear of fire, the Nazgul weren't suited for such a mission. I would think that Sauron would have had to personally confront Smaug.

If the Wise knew and Sauron didn't, then probably an attempt to recover the Ring quietly (almost certainly involving a short, furry-footed patsy) would have been made first. If this failed, force might have been used, but this may have proved a rather difficult task (at least if it weren't for the bare spot on Smaug's chest).

If both parties knew about Smaug's possession, then I agree with Gordis, a race would have ensued and I'm guessing it would have been very messy. I guess, in the end, Smaug couldn't have survived this pursuit of the Ring, but I wouldn't underestimate the damage he could have caused in the meantime. Gandalf feared even for Rivendell should Smaug attack it.

When this thread was first active, the question of whether or not Smaug would have become invisible should he wear the Ring was discussed. I would guess not. Invisibility seems to be tied to access to the Spirit World. Sauron, Gandalf, and the Elves didn't turn invisible because they already had this access. According to Gordis's theory, Dwarves didn't turn invisible because, for them, access to the Sprit World was impossible. Men / Hobbits were capable of seeing the Spirit World, but not without aid. The rings of power gave them this aid, therefore they became invisible while wearing them. I would think that, due to dragons' origins and nature, Smaug saw in the Spirit World without aid, and so, would have remained visible should he have worn the Ring.