August 27, 2002

Thoughts on Rings and Gollum
Danny

I just read in Fellowship how Gandalf says, "I think it is a sad story," said the wizard, "and it might have happened to others even to some hobbits that I have known." I just thought this was interesting. It echos my feelings that Gollum was a tragic character. Recall how Bilbo showed traits like Gollum calling it his precious too. It was only because he was fortunate enough to have the guidance of Gandalf, that he found the strength to leave the ring. I think that had it not been for Gandalf, Bilbo would have ended up like Gollum (if Sauron were to never reclaim the ring that is.) Gandalf seems to think so by the comment I quoted.

A thought on the rings. I just read Gandalf's explanation of the rings of power. He was talking of any ring of power, like the three elvin rings, and the nine that ensnared the wraiths when he said "A mortal, Frodo, who keeps one of the Great Rings, does not die, but he does not grow or obtain more life, he merely continues until at last every minute is a weariness. And if he often uses the Ring to make himself invisible, he fades: he becomes in the end invisible permanently, and walks in the twilight under the dark power that rules the Rings."

This sounds to me like it is saying that the rings of power (those that are under Sauron's power wether they be the one ring, or others) make mortals invisible, and that any ruling ring will make a mortal fade if used too much.

Notice later in the same chapter when Gandalf talks of how he knew that Bilbo's ring was a ring of power right away though he didn't know it was the one. He says, "I wondered often how Gollum came by a Great Ring, as plainly it was- that at least was clear from the first."

So this makes me beleive that any of the great rings, wether they be elvin or the nine make mortals invisible. I don't know about the dwarven rings because dwarves are mortal, but it seems wierd to think that their rings convey invisibility too.

I also noticed, as I read the Hobbit a day or two ago, that it leaves it entirely open to the reader to think that Gandalf can't see Bilbo, but it never says anything for or against his ability to see him. I think he could see him, because it makes more sense that way to me.

I know that you can interpet the statement about 'uses the ring to become invisible' to mean that the invisibility is a willed thing, and I don't want to restart that whole debate. That is open to a readers interpetation, and as I said I feel that the invisibility is a default action (at least for The One) over mortals, unless they grow incredibly in order to control that.

What I did want to start discussing is wether others think that the other great rings would make a mortal invisible. The text in Shadow of the Past sure sounds like they do.