July 15, 2002

The Rings
Brett C.

In the 2nd age Sauron seduces the Elven smiths in his form of Annatar [Lord of Gifts] into accepting his knowledge, in order to create the Rings. In effect Annatar is the Bill Gates of Middle Earth, because he gives Celebrimbor and the Elven smiths an operating system on which their Rings will function, but makes sure that that system is slaved to his own purposes. When Celebrimbor makes the Elf Rings by himself, he is still using Saurons 'Micro-Rings' program, so even though Sauron never touched the Elf Rings they are still subject to the One's 'master operating system'.

The Elves do not become Wraiths for reasons covered in my earlier article concerning the Invisibility 'side-effect' of the Ring. Also, the Elves became aware of Sauron as soon as he set the One upon his finger and uttered the Ring Chant, and immediately took theirs off. This probably include not only the Three, but the other great rings, then in Eregion with the smiths [see below]. The Dwarves do not fade either because of the nature imbued in them by Aule at their creation, that they should 'ill-endure the domination of others.'

Incidentally, the opening narration in FOTR by Galadriel, while wonderful to listen to, is not quite right. The seven and the nine were never originally designed by the Elf smiths for use by men and Dwarves; that was an idea of Sauron's after he had seized them from the sack of Eregion [all except the Three, which Celebrimbor hid with the other great Elf Lords - perhaps he thought to use the power of the other Great Rings in resisting Sauton's invasion of Eregion, but sent the Three away as a safe gaurd, and also because they were not primarily tools of war]. Thus the line that each of set of Rings contained the power meant to govern each race is not strictly true to the books, though the statement 'But they were all of them...deceived.' [my favourite line of Galadriel's so far] is spot on.