July 19, 2002

Invisible Man... Or Elf?
Bill the Pony

Annatar, and Brett C., your comments are very intriguing, about the invisibility etc., and I was wondering if you'd explain a little more about where you got your ideas from. Does it talk about this anywhere in Tolkien's works? If so I'd like to know where, as I am VERY interested in the powers of the other rings and how they all work together. So far I haven't had a lot of luck, but I'm still studying the Simarillion.

I was under the impression that the ringwraiths were only invisible because they had passed from a natural existence into the other-world by some other device, not the rings they wore. It states in the book that if Frodo had gone untreated after being stabbed by a Morgul blade that he would incidentally become a ringwraith, hence, invisible. The rings have specific powers, as does the One ring, and if we are going on opinions, than it is my opinion that invisibility comes only when you are the bearer of the One ring, or if you have been completely bent to its will.

As for Sauron being visible while wearing the One ring, I don't know where, if at all, it describes this in the books. Perhaps he was visible at first, but then as he became more and more corrupt his appearance was lost. It says somewhere that when he was assisting in the creation of the rings he was "bearable to look upon," or something like that. Again... this is speculation. Any thoughts?