01-08-2006, 08:48 PM | #1 |
Elven Warrior
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What are the powers of the ring?
So the ring has the power to control other rings, but does it have any other power for which Sauron would want it?
The ring has other powers too (it make men-elves-dwarfs-hobbits invisible; can corrput people), but none of this would be relevant to Sauron. So my question is, what is the fuss all about? |
01-08-2006, 08:57 PM | #2 |
Dreamweaver
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er, he put the most part of his soul into it, so, he's like, to quote rowling, "the meanest of spirits" and such things without it...just a minor point there
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01-09-2006, 12:22 AM | #3 |
Elven Warrior
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I understand that. But what about powers? Isn't Sauron referred to as sorcerer in several places? I think there is at least a reference of two to Morgul-spells, but nowhere it says what spells they are.
We know Gandalf can make fire spells, but what about Sauron? and his ring? |
01-09-2006, 08:48 AM | #4 |
Elven Warrior
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it is mentioned many times in LOTR that the ring would give an enemy of souron the power to beat him and that armies would flock to the wearer maybe this is relevent to souron
I would suppose that wearing the ring he is unbeatable he was only defeated because Isildur happened to cut the ring off his finger, and as for armies flocking to the wearer this would be very relivent to souron for he would want as many things as possible to join his dark army the ring probably has other powers as well but I can't think of any examples as yet
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01-09-2006, 10:27 AM | #5 | |
Advocatus Diaboli
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i don't think the ring had any specific "great powers"... sauron was quite powerful in and of himself, and i don't think the ring increased his personal power... his reason for creating the ring was to control the leaders of middle earth as he did with the men and dwarves... he had hoped to do the same with the elves, but they just stopped using them 'till sauron was defeated the first time that said, as far as the big picture goes, he may have been better off having not made the ring at all... in the end, it's ability to be used against him lead to his permanent destruction... if he had not made the ring he might still have been defeated by the last alliance, but he may also have eventually succeeded as time went by and more elves left for the west... by creating the ring, he made himself "mortal"
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01-10-2006, 10:59 AM | #6 | |||
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And Sauron would have been defeated but would not be able to reform his body. He would have become a mere powerless spirit without the One, anchoring him to the ME. |
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01-10-2006, 01:53 PM | #7 | |||
Advocatus Diaboli
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but the idea that removing the ring "killed" him for a time is a possible intepretation Quote:
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01-10-2006, 10:01 PM | #8 |
Elven Warrior
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01-10-2006, 10:31 PM | #9 |
Dreamweaver
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i think you completely missed part of my point, not only would he be reduced to the ring, but he put MOST OF HIS POWERS INTO IT! thus, were he a sorceror, most of his sorcery, and so on and so forth.
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Lord, what fools these mortals be! ---------------- We are the music-makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams, Wandering by lone sea-breakers, And sitting by desolate streams; World-losers and world-forsakers, On whom the pale moon gleams: Yet we are the movers and shakers Of the world for ever, it seems. ---------------- Shanti, shanti, shantih... |
01-11-2006, 10:26 PM | #10 | |
Elven Warrior
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It would have been nice to have an actual description of what spells you can perfom with the ring, but I think that JRRT's omission was very likely intentional. oh, well |
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01-12-2006, 08:34 AM | #11 | |||
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It is all there, in the book. |
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01-12-2006, 07:46 PM | #12 |
Enting
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I always thought (and could be wrong about this) that the ring although made by Sauron and thus a part of him, also took elements out side of itself (in it's creation) and thus would augment his powers, but would be mostly useless on it's own (aside from the whole invisibility thing) which the nice little link that John S. posted seems to suggest.
It could also be like a Horcrux? In that he would have been destroyed by the armies of Isildur but for the fact that the ring had been removed, not destroyed and then lost?
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01-12-2006, 08:34 PM | #13 |
Dreamweaver
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indeed. i am ashamed of isildur, if indeed the scene from the movie did happen.
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Lord, what fools these mortals be! ---------------- We are the music-makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams, Wandering by lone sea-breakers, And sitting by desolate streams; World-losers and world-forsakers, On whom the pale moon gleams: Yet we are the movers and shakers Of the world for ever, it seems. ---------------- Shanti, shanti, shantih... |
01-12-2006, 08:44 PM | #14 | |
Elven Warrior
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01-12-2006, 08:56 PM | #15 |
Dreamweaver
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because man has free will...i am also dissapointed with frodo...
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Lord, what fools these mortals be! ---------------- We are the music-makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams, Wandering by lone sea-breakers, And sitting by desolate streams; World-losers and world-forsakers, On whom the pale moon gleams: Yet we are the movers and shakers Of the world for ever, it seems. ---------------- Shanti, shanti, shantih... |
01-12-2006, 10:13 PM | #16 | |
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01-17-2006, 01:00 PM | #17 |
Spaceman Spiff
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GREAT article Jon! thanx for the link. i believe that no one could have destroyed the ring under their own will and everyone knew it, even frodo.
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01-21-2006, 04:00 PM | #18 |
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Sauron was immortal. Even after the ring was destroyed he still existed. And even if Sauron regained the ring he could have been defeated, but not by any power that was in Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age. The ring did not allow him to do magic "spells", as Gandalf did with fire, it would greatly increase the power he had over his subjects, and it would allow him to control all ring bearers. The power of the Nazgul would also be greatly increased.
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01-21-2006, 05:46 PM | #19 |
Enting
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I have to disagree. From a simple ideological point of view; I don't like determinism as justification, just as much as I dislike dues ex mechina.
In the end, Frodo chose to bear the Ring from Rivendale, and then chose the keep it at Mt. Doom. Whether or not any other out could even exist, that is what happened. Frodo kept it. I think that the ultimate message of that passage reads: the Ring was so evil that it destroyed itself. Frodo and Sméagol, under the influence of the Ring, fight for possession of it and because of this fight the ring falls into the fires of Mt. Doom. So maybe I'll end up disagreeing with the author himself on this point, but eh, I can live with that.
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01-22-2006, 09:27 AM | #20 |
Warrior of the House of Hador
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Frodo and Sam do not fight for it, it is only in the film that Frodo fights for it. In the book Smeagol hits Sam on the head with a rock, and jumps on the invisible Frodo before biting his finger off. Then Frodo just givesup while Gollum falls in to the fire.
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Then Huor spoke and said: "Yet if it stands but a little while, then out of your house shall come the hope of Elves and Men. This I say to you, lord, with the eyes of death: though we part here for ever, and I shall not look on your white walls again, from you and me a new star shall arise. Farewell!" The Silmarillion, Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Page 230 |
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