Quick Links
J.R.R Tolkien’s work on Lord of the Rings was centered around Sauron’s one ring — the malice and cruelty he poured into that ring to dominate the wills of everyone in Middle-earth. He did this by deceiving Elves, Dwarves, and Men by giving them their own Rings of Power, which he had created to corrupt them from the inside.
Sauron’s plan worked for the most part. He created the Rings of Power and gave them to the rulers of each race. The Men were the first to be corrupted by evil, while the Elves were free from his influence after sensing it for a moment. The Rings of Power, besides the One Ring, are powerful objects and the lore surrounding this power is important to get a full grasp of understanding theLord of the Rings: Rings of PowerTV show better.
The Rings Of Power Origin In The Books
The origin of the Rings of Power isexplored in The Silmarillionwhere, in the Second Age,Sauron, through trickery and deceit, disguises himself as a fair and wise being known as Annatar.He deceived the elvesinto helping them craft the Rings of Power, andhad a direct hand in creating all the Rings of Powerbesides the Elven rings.
Under his guidance, the elven smiths,led by Celebrimborin the realm of Eregion, forged many rings.Sauron’s ultimate goal was to enslave the peoplesof Middle-earth by controlling these rings, his ambition knowing no bounds. He sought to unite Middle-earth not by conquering, butby controlling the will of all things living, through the Rings of Power.
Sauron,without the elves’ knowledge, crafted a master ring in secret, the One Ring, which would give himdominion over all the other Rings of Power. The moment Sauron put on the One Ring,the elves sensed his betrayaland removed their rings, to not succumb to Sauron’s magic.
The nine rings of man, however, led them intodarkness and corruption, creating the Nazgûl. The seven rings of the dwarves also corrupted them and gave birth toa desire for riches in them, which led the dwarven lords to ruin,but not under Sauron’s legion.
These events eventually sparked the war between the Elves and Men against Sauron’s legion,where Isildur eventually killed the Dark Lordand took ownership of the One Ring.
The Three Elven Rings Of Power
The three rings created for the elves wereforged by Celebrimbor alone, to stop the rot and save the Elven race without Sauron’s direct influence. Sauron did, however, pointCelebrimbor towards the directionhe needed to go to create them,according to the Ring of Power TV show. Because of this, they were free of his corruption, though still subject tothe One Ring’s power.
Narya was the ring wielded by Círdanand later given to Gandalf. Narya is associated with fire and is said toinspire hope even when there is little of it.
Nenya, also known as the Ring of Adamant, is worn by Galadriel. It has powers of helping Galadriel maintain the beauty and magic of Lothlórien, and represents her best qualities.
Vilya is the most powerfulof the three,and was initially held by Gil Galad, king of the elves, and then by Elrond.
The Elven Rings were neverintended for dominationbut rather forpreservation of the Elven race in Middle-Earth, so that when Sauron rose again, they’d be there to fight off the darkness. They could not be used for conquering or controlling others, which is whythey were kept hidden from Sauron.
The Seven Rings Of The Dwarves
The Seven Rings were given to the dwarf-lords, however,the dwarves proved resistant to Sauron’s attemptsto dominate them through the rings. While the Seven amplified their greed for wealth,they did not enslave them as Sauron intended.
Instead of bending them to his will, the rings cause the dwarves to become increasinglyobsessed with the wealthof their mountains. This greed often led to thedestruction of their kingdomsand, over time,most of the Seven Rings were reclaimed by Sauron.
The Nine Rings Of Men
The Nine Rings were given to mortal men, and thesehad the most devastating effect, as Sauron knew that men were the most easily bendable to his will. The kings who received the ringsgained great power and a long life.
However,the rings also slowly corrupt them, turning them into the Nazgûl,Sauron’s most loyal servants. Over time, they become fully enslaved to Sauron’s will, neither living nor dead,bound to the One Ring.
Sauron’s One Ring
The One Ring is themost powerful of all the Rings of Power, created by Sauronin the fires of Mount Doom. It was designed to control all the other rings, and its powerwas tied to Sauron’s own.The famous verse inscribed into the ring shows its will to dominate the mortalsof Middle-Earth.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them.
The One Ring allowed Sauronto take over the minds of thosewho wore the other Rings of Power, except for the three Elven Rings,which were hidden from him. The Ring also containsmuch of Sauron’s own essence, making it his greatest weaponbut also his greatest vulnerability. When the Ring was cut from his hand by Isildur,Sauron lost much of his power, though he remained tied to its fate.
The One Ring also had the powerto corrupt and dominate anyone who bore it, as seen with Gollum, Bilbo, Frodo, and even Boromir. It granted invisibility to mortals inthe Peter Jackson moviesand prolonged life unnaturally, but at the cost ofslowly consuming the bearer’s mind and soul. Out of all the rings of power, the One Ring was at the endthe ring that controlled it all, and with its destruction at Mount Doom, even theElven rings ceased to bear the magicthat binded the Elves to Middle-earth.
