So ... Why a Ring?

[Algamesh]

Have you ever given any thought as to why Tolkien decided to make the ultimate weapon of the enemy a RING? It really could have been anything but he must have seen certain qualities about this piece of jewelry that contirbuted to the decision.

What qualities or aspects about a plain "band of gold" lend themselves to its use by JRRT? I can think of a couple ... rings in our world symbolize certain wholesome ideas in marriage and so on. What are your thoughts?:wave:

[Sindarin]

I think Tolkien used the ring as a symbol of power, an ultimate weapon, a source of evil, etc., because it is such a simple piece of jewelry that no one would at first assume is evil.

To simply look at the One Ring idly, one could never suspect that a mere trinket as such could have so much power.

The ring itself entraps all who look upon it. Only a mere band of gold, it's power seduces people, and draws them into insanity and hatred against others. It corrupts all who are in possession of it, and has the ability to destroy all. Yet it's just a ring.

One of my favorite scenes in FOTR is at Rivendell, during the Council of Elrond when everyone is arguing amongst themselves about the fate of the One Ring, and Frodo sees as flames erupt across the band of gold while the reflections of the others are seen fighting and yelling at one another. The malignant power of the ring itself is the cause of the arguing, and it is the cause of the war.

The ring brings with it nothing but woe and misery, and I believe that it's this conception that Tolkien wanted to use.

How such an simple thing such a ring could cause so much trouble to so many. :evil:

While watching a documentary on the author's life, Tolkien was asked in an interview, if the One Ring could easily be percived as that of a modern weapon of mass destruction.

"Even the most morally just person," the interviewer said, "could easily be corrupted by it, and by the power is has against others."

[Undomiel]

i agree wid Sindarin-i think it was mainly used because at first glance it seems insignificant.
In a practical sense i guess he wanted something that can be worn. At the time he invented the ring there was no fixed plan about a sequel to The Hobbit (though i'm sure the ideas were there) and i guess it was a useful thing to create because it could be taken on and off making Bilbo invisible or not. I suppose when he started LOTR it made sense to use the ring as it was already there.

[Nessa]

I think that Tolkien may have intended some symbolism with the ring the same way he used symbolism in hobbits, something insignificant, yet powerful. I like the idea of everything unholy packed into a simple ring.

I've thought about how a ring is symbolized in different situations, such as marriage. In Theology they used to tell us that a wedding ring represents endless love, the ever continuing shape of it, if that makes any sense. Maybe its the same concept, only representing everlasing power or evil?

Another concept of a wedding ring is binding to people together....... perhaps Tolkien used the Ring to represent the binding of the wearer to it, or the binding of the wearer to Sauron.... (I've carried on a bit, haven't I? :rolleyes: lol )

[Catz]

no you have a good point there Nessa, in the sense of a binding. Tho i would disagree about the RIng being insignificant.....Rings in general have always been very significant....the most symbolically loaded of all jewellery. Take for example the Ring of the Pope, or the Ring that is a part of every European Crown jewels....a ring conferred power...in many periods of history, you had to belong to a certain class in order to be allowed to wear a ring, and there were strict rules as to what you could set them with. The wearing of a ring both bound the individual to a particular task and also bound others to them. and the sybolism is powerful....no beginning and no end, a ring embodies the cycles of the world. And of course Rings have because of this, always been the targets of greed and avarice.
In this case too, there is the forging (tho you do not in fact forge gold) but its still a reference to the craft of the smith, who in years gone by was the closest member of a community to the Gods, as he controlled fire and metal. The fact that it is gold and thus immutable is a nice little illustration of the immutable nature of evil in Tolkiens mythology.....evil can be beaten, but never totally vanquished, and the fact that a ring can be a symbol of both great good and great evil is important too, since it shows the way that evil can turn the best of intentions to its own path, as with Boromir, motivated by the plight of Gondor to do what he knew was wrong.
:catz:

[Mirkgirl]

Not that there is no symbolism, but if we look from the practical side:
1. Rings are jewels - greed, allusion for the Silmarills(?)
2. Rings are small (if you need the ultimate weapon of this type, size is important)
3. Rings are easy to put on and off (hmm I have no idea why Sauron needed this quality, but it's great for the storyline - sidenote maybe fear of loss - it's something that can easily kill the bearer (Isuldur)
And something more allusive:
1. Rings are worn on hands The part of body associated with action, with the show of strength is the hand. This way the ring is for using power.
2. Rings are circles. Circles are symbols of something that has no end and lasts forever
3. The Ring is golden - gold is solar metal, sun is one of the most terrifying things for evil - in a way - I used my greatest enemy to make my greatest power.

[Sindarin]

An interesting thought, Mirkgirl. :)

[Pil]

Originally posted by Mirkgirl
Rings are worn on hands The part of body associated with action, with the show of strength is the hand. This way the ring is for using power.

I really like that point :thumbs:...the hand is a constructive tool...but also destructive (in terms of the ring). If it had been a weapon of KNOWLEDGE it could have had something to do with the head...maybe a crown or circlet or something. But for DESTRUCTION and DOMINATION...the hand is the perfect part of the body to associate it with. :evilcool:

[Sindarin]

Especially in the scene when Sauron is fighting in the beginning of FOTR.

[Algamesh]

Mirkgirl!

Excellent response! I admire your perception in each itemized statement. I believe the use of a "ring" is very significant and that you have pin-pointed each major reason.

[TheRingBearer]

I agree with all of you especially with Mirkgirl about the Ring being a circle so it has no end.
And I agree with Sindarin, I mean Boromir said it himself: "Tis a strange fate that there is so much fear and doubt over so small a thing, such a little thing"