What is the Eye of Sauron?

[CAB]

This is a very interesting thread. I wish I had been around when it was active the first time. There are a couple of ideas I would like to comment on.

Concerning the One Ring as a life support system theory, I think it is possible but unlikely. I agree with Gordis’s idea that part of each (pre)Nazgul’s fea was contained by his individual ring and the destruction of that ring ends the Nazgul’s physical existence. Tied to this idea is the assumption that the Nazgul don’t really have a life anymore to support. I believe that at the moment an individual becomes a ringwraith it’s existence in entirely dependent on it’s own personal ring. The life support system idea may very likely be valid for someone who has not yet crossed the line and become a wraith though. I would have to question Telcontar Dunedain’s idea that mastery of the Ring as opposed to possession would make a difference. Gollum, Bilbo, and Frodo all have their lives (or youth) extended without having ever mastered the Ring. In Gollum’s and Bilbo’s case the life extension continued long after they even possessed the Ring. Still, I suppose we don’t really know enough about how the rings work to be sure.

As for the Witch King vs. Sauron question, I think that if Sauron ever allowed the Witch King to master the One Ring (he wouldn’t) then yes he could defeat Sauron, depending on how you define defeat (see below).

What is Sauron’s real fear concerning one of the great taking possession of his Ring? Was it really such a powerful weapon of war? The (evil) power of the rings is based on control. It can be argued that the possessor of Sauron’s ring would eventually be able to control Sauron’s own forces and defeat him militarily but this couldn’t be done very quickly or easily and Sauron surely had means to oppose this kind of take over (ingrained power structure, servant’s fear of Sauron, punishment, his own still very powerful will, etc.). I would argue that the real threat is that anyone mastering the ring becomes the master of Sauron.

Think about Gordis’s (very plausible) idea that part of each Nazgul’s fea is contained in it’s individual ring. Doesn’t that sound familiar? Sauron put a great deal of himself into the One Ring during it’s creation. Sauron is able to control the Nazgul without possession of the One Ring because he holds each ring which enslaves the Nazgul. Sauron made himself a slave to the One Ring thinking that no other would ever possess it. I believe that anyone who masters the One Ring would thus control Sauron just as he controls the Nazgul.