Interesting - and rather appropriate, as I'm watching RotK.
Legolas Send a noteboard - 09/05/2010 06:31:43 PM
1. Is there any evidence that Gandalf ever used Narya during the three books? Considering it was rumoured to cause courage in the hearts of men, could one assume that he used it at the great battles like the Pelenor fields to rouse some bravery in the soldiers?
Not that I know of, but then the Elven rings aren't really things you use actively - for that matter, the One Ring isn't either. It's not like you wave it around and cast spells with it.
2. The Ring bearers can see one another's rings. How did Frodo not see Gandalf's, yet he saw Galadriel's? Was he perhaps just not observant?
Galadriel is more open about it, perhaps? I don't know.
3. When Gandalf tells the Balrog that he is the 'servant of the secret fire, keeper of the flame of Anor', is he referring to the Ring?
I would assume so.
4. Why did Gil-galad give the greatest of the Rings to Elrond? One would think that he'd give it to Galadriel who is far older and of the highest kin amongst the Noldor. Instead she kept the weaker ring while the most potent was given to a half-elf.
One is tempted to say, sexism. But sexism or not, Elrond is Gil-galad's heir as leader of the Elves in Middle-Earth, perhaps precisely because he's half-Elven and has close ties to Numenor/Gondor. Or because Galadriel mostly just stays in Lothlorien.
5. Why were the Elves not dominated by the Rings like men were? There are several suggestions out there, namely that they took the rings off when they sensed him, or that their will could match his, and finally, that Sauron never tainted the three Elven rings made by Celebrimbor, though he had access to the others.
The last one is definitely the case, but still they were linked to the One Ring somehow. I don't think it would really be so direct as to "sense" him or face his will directly, though.
6. Is there any evidence that the Rings of Power failed when the One Ring was destroyed? As far as I can tell, the Elves were merely paranoid about it and went to the West 'in case' their lands withered.
Uh, I guess not, although I'm not sure, there might be something at the end of RotK or in the Appendices. Their reasoning as to why the rings would fail seems sensible to me, though, not paranoid.
/Tolkein - Questions about the Elven Rings of Power
- 09/05/2010 06:20:16 PM
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Interesting - and rather appropriate, as I'm watching RotK.
- 09/05/2010 06:31:43 PM
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Watching RotK is never appropriate
- 09/05/2010 09:01:59 PM
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Does it help if watching it didn't improve my opinion of it? 
- 09/05/2010 10:13:05 PM
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- 09/05/2010 10:13:05 PM
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Hey I love those movies
- 10/05/2010 11:12:53 AM
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- 10/05/2010 11:12:53 AM
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I mostly agree about the first two, but RotK just has too much silliness.
- 10/05/2010 12:22:07 PM
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i'm of the opinion that there should not be "artistic license" taken with such a long-standing story
- 11/05/2010 05:42:09 AM
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*NM*