the twenty rings of power

[jammi567]

what was essentually so special about them, really? afterall, all they did was to distroy peoples lives once sauron tampered with then by making the one ring to rule them all. so why keep them when you know that you can't use them to their full potential because your eminy knows about them?

[Butterbeer]

were they so easy to take off though?

especially after Sauron made the one and began to exert control over them!

Hindsight is a wonderful thing huh?

but what lore or power went into their making that the smiths of Eregion harnessed or twisted or wrought?

[jammi567]

i believe, as does this article here, that it was the power to preserve middle earth in a timeless zone almost. There is also this quote that helps to back it up:

Originally Posted by FAQ of the rings

What special powers did the Three Rings have?
We are not told clearly. Galadriel’s Ring did seem useful in preserving Lórien, and Elrond’s in defending Rivendell, but then all the Rings of Power were about preservation.

The Three Rings seem to be like the others, but without the elements that Sauron contributed. At the Council, Elrond says, “The Three were not made ... as weapons of war or conquest: that is not their power. Those who made them did not desire strength or domination or hoarded wealth, but understanding, making, and healing, to preserve all things unstained.� [LotR II 2 (286)] They did not make a wearer invisible.

Tolkien underlines this in a letter: after Sauron’s fall at the end of the Second Age, “the Three Rings of the Elves, wielded by secret guardians, are operative in preserving the memory of the beauty of old, maintaining enchanted enclaves of peace where Time seems to stand still and decay is restrained, a semblance of the bliss of the True West.� [L #131 (157)] “Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age� says something similar: “those who had them in their keeping could ward off the decays of time and postpone the weariness of the world.� [Silm: Rings (288)]

It may be that the Three had power to give new hope. When CÃ*rdan gives one of them to Gandalf, he says “this is the Ring of Fire, and with it you may rekindle hearts in a world that grows chill.â€� [LotR App B (1122)] But perhaps CÃ*rdan’s language was merely poetic. When Gandalf rekindled Théoden’s heart, it seemed that his staff was important to the process [LotR III 6 (536-537)], but there was no statement that he used his ring.

[Butterbeer]

was then some essence of the west or some residue / light or elemental force perhaps from the trees or similiar summoned or caught or entrapped or focused into the rings of power think you?

[jammi567]

i think the power that all the rings had was desire, or there was greed in there that worked on each individuals desires, individual person or race. for example, the elves desire was to have a bit of valinor without leaving middle earth. therefore, that's what their rings did (preserving, but also enlarging) ie. lorien, rivendale. On the other hand, once given to them, one man-king might want to practice dark arts, so the ring he had gave him that power to be able to do so, whilst another might want to help another country, and so his ring gave him resorces and the abilities to go the job sucessfully.

[jammi567]

The Rings of Power

This essay will help to explain the basics of the Rings, what powers they had, and other such matters. To begin with, some basic facts:

The Rings were made in Eregion, right next to the mines of Moria, on the west side, around 1500-1600 of the Second age. They were made by the Gwaith-i-Mirdain (People of the Jewel-smiths), and they were most cunning things ever wrought, except for the simarils, of course. The leader of this group was Celebrimbor, son of Curufin. We don’t know how they were made, but we do know that they contained powerful magic “The power of the Elven-Rings was very great� (Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power, page 297). The 19 were made originally because the elves of Eregion wanted to live both in Middle-earth, and yet have the bliss and wonder of Valinor. The One, however, was made because Sauron wanted to eventually bring the elves under his rule by deceptive means.


Now, to understand why everyone considers the Rings to be dangerous, we first have to look at what powers they had:

All Rings = One power I believe that all the Rings had was being able to work on the desires/greed of the race/person in question. For example, the elves wanted to have Valinor, but not leave Middle-earth, therefore the Rings preserved and slowed down decay, whilst the dwarves wanted gold and mithril, therefore, they found massive gold and mithril hoards. Finally, Men wanted power, whether for good or evil, so their Rings enlarged that power.

3 Rings = The powers that they had was that they didn’t turn the person invisible, as well as being able to kindle hearts, as “With it you may rekindle hearts in a world that grows chill� (Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, page 1122). But the main power that they had was to preserve and prevent decay, e.g. Lorien, Rivendell.

7 + 9 Rings = They made a person invisible, put them both in the spiritual world when worn, and corrupted because they were made under the guidance of Sauron. Around 550 years after the nine were given, the nazgul first appeared. However, this only happened to men, because dwarves were too tough, and so it didn’t affect them. An interesting question to ask would be: Could an elf become a slave to Sauron if he wore one of the seven or nine? I believe the answer to be yes, because in their own way, elves are as weak as men, and the ring would work on that elf’s desire, and eventually, hello elf nazgul.

The One Ring = Its powers are that it controls the other Rings of Power, it seems to understand the Orc language (unless they were speaking the common speech in the first place, of course). It can sense its surroundings, and even influence them to suite its own needs, e.g. Gollum in cave in Hobbit, Frodo in Prancing Pony, and Sam in Cirith Ungol, and finally, it corrupts, controls, and abandons the person that has it. (The last one only happens if that person isn’t heading towards Sauron).


A question to ask is: How did Sauron manage to corrupt the Rings in the first place? There are two possible answers to this. 1) Sauron planned the whole business with the One Ring from the start, and so when he helped those fateful elves, he left himself a kind of ‘back door’ that he could use to ensnare them. 2) A less likely possibility is that once he helped make the Rings, and the Ruling Ring, he did some powerful spell to add the ensnaring part to them. I personally believe 1).

Of course, the ultimate question we have to ask ourselves is: Why, when they realized that Sauron had control of the Rings, didn’t they destroy them as soon as possible? The simple answer is that “They failed to find the strength� (Unfinished Tales, History of Galadriel and Celeborn, page 237).

So I hope you like it, and that there is lots of discussion about it.

[Landroval]

One power I believe that all the Rings had was being able to work on the desires/greed of the race/person in question. For example, the elves wanted to have Valinor, but not leave Middle-earth

Their desire to have Valinor was the cause of making the rings, not the other way around.

[jammi567]

Originally Posted by Landroval

Their desire to have Valinor was the cause of making the rings, not the other way around.

what i mean is that all the Rings had this power of greed/desire. so if the elves wanted that, that's what they got.

[Curubethion]

A question to ask is: How did Sauron manage to corrupt the Rings in the first place? There are two possible answers to this. 1) Sauron planned the whole business with the One Ring from the start, and so when he helped those fateful elves, he left himself a kind of ‘back door’ that he could use to ensnare them. 2) A less likely possibility is that once he helped make the Rings, and the Ruling Ring, he did some powerful spell to add the ensnaring part to them. I personally believe 1).

I don't have a quote, but I know it's in there somewhere...but Sauron had a crucial role in the making of all of the rings, save for the Elven rings. All the others were touched by Sauron. Then, when the elves figured it all out, they hid the Elven Rings.

I like the essay...although what makes you think that the seven dwarven rings made people invisible? In fact, IIRC, Tolkien says that the only effect that they had was to increase gold hoards. Whether or not he was speaking with invisibility in mind, I don't know. Also, did the nine rings actually make men invisible? I was rather under the impression that it was Sauron's influence that turned the men into wraiths after they died.

[Farimir Captain of Gondor]

Originally Posted by jammi567

Of course, the ultimate question we have to ask ourselves is: Why, when they realized that Sauron had control of the Rings, didn’t they destroy them as soon as possible? The simple answer is that “They failed to find the strength� (Unfinished Tales, History of Galadriel and Celeborn, page 237).

So I hope you like it, and that there is lots of discussion about it.

Verry good essay jammi.


I think at first they didn't destroy them because they might not have known how to. Later, they thought the One was lost, so there wasn't any threat of someone controlling thier three via the One.

[jammi567]

Originally Posted by Curubethion

I like the essay...although what makes you think that the seven dwarven rings made people invisible? In fact, IIRC, Tolkien says that the only effect that they had was to increase gold hoards. Whether or not he was speaking with invisibility in mind, I don't know. Also, did the nine rings actually make men invisible? I was rather under the impression that it was Sauron's influence that turned the men into wraiths after they died.

what i'm saying is that the seven and the nine are like generic copies of each other, so if you gave a man a Ring that was given to a dwarf, that person would still be invisible. It didn't affect the dwarfs because they were too mentally tough to be effected. As to your other question, yes, i think they must've because i can't think of any other way that they could go into the spiritual world otherwise.

[jammi567]

Originally Posted by Farimir Captain of Gondor

I think at first they didn't destroy them because they might not have known how to.

Okay, lets assume that that they did have the strengh to distroy the Rings (that is, after Sauron uttered the verse, but before he attacked Eregion). I would think that they could undo their own Power on them, and then just throw them into the fire. If this was the case, then, of course, the One Ring would lose control over them. But as they didn't do this, then i would've thought that they would try and do something a bit more drastic to stop Sauron in what he was doing, rarther then just hiding them.

[hectorberlioz]

You know, I never did think about this before.

Though the rings did make you powerful over people though, as demonstrated when Sam scares off the orcs in the tower.

Great points Jammi.

[Butterbeer]

what about the last alliance though?

[jammi567]

Originally Posted by Butterbeer

what about the last alliance though?

what about it.

[Gordis]

Interesting essay, Jammi.
I was very busy lately, so I had no time to comment. I shall do it later.

Only some things now.
In UT it is stated clearly that Celebrimbor and Co. DID understand the necessiy to destroy all the rings, but they "failed to find the strength". Not the power, mind you, but moral strength. Rings were as dear to Celebrimbor as Silmarils to Feanor.
And Galadriel and Celebrimbor still hoped to use them one day.. so great was their desire to preserve things as they were and get the bliss of Valinor in ME.

Now a question:
Destroying the One Ring meant the end of th power of all the other 19.

Now, could it be that the end of ALL the 19 could mean the loss of the power of the One and thus Sauron's destruction?

Perhaps Celebrimbor had Sauron's very existence in his hands but did nothing?

[Butterbeer]

sounds in keeping with the elves...


... but ...???

[jammi567]

Originally Posted by Gordis

Now a question:
Destroying the One Ring meant the end of th power of all the other 19.

Now, could it be that the end of ALL the 19 could mean the loss of the power of the One and thus Sauron's destruction?

Perhaps Celebrimbor had Sauron's very existence in his hands but did nothing?

As i said above, i think the Powers of the Ring (to control other Rings etc)would've gone, but not the Power to distroy Sauron. For that, the Ring itself had to be distroyed. But i might be wrong on this totally, of course, i'm just saying my opinion.

[Landroval]

Now, could it be that the end of ALL the 19 could mean the loss of the power of the One and thus Sauron's destruction?

I doubt it; it was Sauron's power in the One Ring, not of the other rings; the first 16 were attempts by the elves under his guidance and in the last 3 were made by Celebrimbor alone - I know of no power the rings have over the One Ring.

[jammi567]

Originally Posted by Landroval

I doubt it; it was Sauron's power in the One Ring, not of the other rings; the first 16 were attempts by the elves under his guidance and in the last 3 were made by Celebrimbor alone - I know of no power the rings have over the One Ring.

very true. afterall, it required much Power on Saurons part to control the 19, so yeh, none of them could be more powerful then the One.