Why did Sauron take a Risk? What does One Ring do? | The Lord of the Rings | Middle Earth
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- Опубліковано 28 чер 2024
- Sauron created the One Ring to bring other races, especially the elves, under his dominion. But, the One Ring entailed inherent risks. Was Sauron unaware of these risks? Or why did he disregard them? What was the purpose of the One Ring? What powers did it bestow upon Sauron, mortals, and immortals?
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00:00 Intro
00:21 Magic in Middle Earth
01:19 What was Sauron's purpose?
02:00 Why did he make the one ring?
02:34 What were the rewards and risks?
03:54 Why did Sauron take a risk?
05:21 Was Sauron more powerful with it?
06:11 Why he didn't take back his power?
07:14 What is its effect on mortals?
09:22 What is its effect on immortals? - Розваги
Because he learned with Morgoth's experience. He knew that his power would dwindle in Arda, like Morgoth's.
So he created a ring with the special power of preservation. True, it was also a tool of domination, but preservation
was the main thing. Depositing power outside of his body was risky, yes, but preferable to certain loss. Why did the power of
Morgoth (and the power of Sauron ) dwindle in Arda? Probably a safety feature by Arda's maker. Eru didn't want Arda abused.
Morgoth had a similar "tool" the whole Arda was his ring, but he probably was drowing his powers faster than it could restore
Its because Morgoth marred Arda and poured his power onto it, and everytime he used his dark forced, power would drain from him, also being defeated by the Ainur didn't help.
Morgoth did not face naturally inherent decline at all. He only declined because he took poured his power into other beings and twisting creation.
I agree with the above. He poured his power into tainting middle earth and corrupt its creatures.
It was the exertion of will/power/magic that caused both greater and lesser spirits to "fade". Sauron's obsession to dominate led him to pursue the ring making skills to place his essence into a form that would not fade with exertion. Allowing him to dominate with no time limit.
Perhaps he did it because he just couldn't resist it. Sauron's deepest nature was to be a smith and a creator of new technologies, forever improving the world and works of those who came before. Maybe once he'd had the idea for a cool new gadget it was impossible for him not to do it.
One aspect that I missed in this video is that all power diminishes over time especially evil ones. So by storing his power in the ring, his power would not diminish and he had better access to his full power.
Yes, you've brought up a very valid point. I hadn't thought of that. Thanks!
"Was Sauron stronger with the ring? The answer is somewhat complex." I don't think this is complex at all, the answer is unequivocally yes. Everyone likes to present the destruction of the ring equaling the destruction of Sauron as some manner of great weakness, a flaw in the ring and a tactical miscalculation on Sauron's part. The source of his ultimate undoing. But that's dumb. He'd already been defeated and killed twice before, as said in the video once at the fall of Numenor and once by the Last Alliance in the second age. Sauron wasn't undone by the destruction of the ring until his third "life", which he never would have had in the first place if he hadn't made the ring to begin with. IE if he hadn't made the ring, he would have fallen at Numenor and that would have been the end of him. And that's not even counting the other benefits he received, such as the domination of the Nazgul.
You've summarized it very well and you're right. when I mentioned being more powerful there as you also pointed out I wanted to say that while the One Ring gave him certain advantages on the other hand it didn't enhance his inner strength or spiritual power. later on I realized that I should have explained the points you mentioned more clearly. so you are right :)
Agreed. And also, no one could willingly destroy the Ring. It's undoing was a 1 in a million or more accident with it's former bearer falling into the very fires that created it. I'd be happy to take those odds on any bet. The benefits to Sauron, as you mentioned, far outweighed any risks.
@@jasonbourneistreadstone The odds were impossible. By any Logical or Realistic Measure....ANYONE would have fallen under The One Ring. Even the Most Righteous Dwarf would have fallen prey to it.
Plus, we're talking about HOBBITS!! The ONE race that had ZERO power, small, and didn't get involved in ANYTHING!!
It'd be like Hitler worrying that someone from Haiti, with zero training or skills, was going to foil his plan and lead to his death kind of crazy.
Yeah when Sauron began his ring arc he wasn't excactly on a winning streak iirc. So at least he corrupted the younger races and turned their hearts against each other. And he couldn't be slain with the ring still intact which is an evil sorcery staple.
If only he made a foot ring... or put it on his left hand and use a shield......
I wouldn’t characterize this variety of magic in Tolkien as “limited”. A counter-spell to Gandalf’s word of command shatters a stone door explosively. Saruman has an “aura” (for want of a better term) that slows the party pursuing the orcs and hobbits, while apparently lending morale to the orcs. Gandalf destroys an dwarven-built bridge. A firestorm is seen on Weathertop from miles away when Gandalf fights the Nazgul. An unnamed intelligence drives the party from Caradras using a snowstorm. The Nazgul voices make seasoned warriors poop their britches. A large part of the apparent magic limits are likely Gandalf’s reluctance, or restrictions against, using magic in heroic ways.
Agree, Tolkien was a master of being subtle and he didn't make Gandalf's powers cheesy or ham handed. It's one of the things I love about his writing.
Well there's probably also a difference between Old vs New Magic. An that power fears of magic would have a Price. Perhaps there was even less Magic to begin with, compared to the Old Times.
I mean there has to be a lot more restrictions than it just being reluctance or taboo IMHO
There's one other, and extremly, if not essential, element of magic in Tolkien's Legendarium: the role of language, both spoken and written.
There's a very good reason why Sauron inscribed the "One Ring to Rule Them All" part on the One Ring: language both created and shaped the world. Sauron, being a Maiar, and present at Arda'a creation, understood this well.
@@russelmurphy4868 excellent point.
Another note on what Sauron did with the ring wasn't just a power he had, there is a story in "The Unfinished Tales" called "The Faithful Stone" the Druedain were able to put some of their own spirit into the statues they made, in this story a family is friends with a Druedain that would help protect the family from orc attacks. One day the Drūg Aghan got word his brother was poisoned in a orc attack and as he had healing skills he wanted to help his brother, fearing for his friends he made a "watch stone" a statue of himself sitting cross-legged to protect them, a fierce looking thing and the family believed it was to scare anyone away. The second night Aghan was away orcs attacked the farm pouring sulfur fire around the house, when the father went out to defend his family he seen a Drûg stomping oit the fire and one-punches a orc and scares them off and in the morning the statue was missing. When Aghan returned they eventually found the statue but it's foot was burnt and broken but Aghan was also injured
It's classic alienation. I'm not sure if Tolkien intended it that way (he probably didn't, but maybe he did) but that is exactly what this concept is. The idea that a part of one's own essence of being goes into a creation. It could not be more clear.
@john.premose uhh... its clearly stated that Saurons life-force was poured into the one ring. You clearly don't give Tolkien enough credit and is quite clear that you have not read the books.
@@Chris-es3wf what are you talking about? I mean literally, what are you talking about? You just repeated exactly what I said, and then you start gibbering about "I don't give him credit and never read the book". What the actual ?
@@john.premoseI was litteraly about to type this out nearly verbatim before scrolling down a little lol. He said you were wrong and then repeated you...bizarre.
I am also going to say I *think* you're wrong but not about pouring his essence into his ring but that this act is alienation.
I just got off work and am sleep deprived so forgive me if I'm way wrong on this but I think alienation comes from the separation of the end product from the laborer. The act of creation doesn't create the alienation, it's the capitalist claiming ownership over that product and even the means to produce it that creates the alienation...I think, I may need a refresher.
@@christopherchilton-smith6482 yes, you got it exactly. Technically it's not the act of creation itself but when the creator comes to be dominated by his own creation.
Dude, Galadriel was born and raised in the light of the two trees the same as Glorfindel. Glorfindel returned from Valinor after being killed in Gondolin but only AFTER the two trees had already been slain by Morgoth, so the trees couldn't have affected his power and presence on his death, therefore any amping of his Elvish power of light from the Two Trees occurred before the Rebellion of the Noldor that took him to Middle-earth the first time. It was the Light of the Trees that gave the "Light Elves" or the High ELves of Valinor amplified powers against the unseen. Galadriel was just as powerful, even more powerful that Glorfindel during the departure of the Noldor, anyway. He only received near Maia like level-ups on his second return, possibly accelerating him past Galadriel, but it is uncertain because Tolkien still refers to her as the most powerful elf in Middle-Earth.
Is it the same Glorfindel? I thought I read they were different individuals, but I could be wrong!
Sauron may have agreed with the Marquis of Montrose:
“He either fears his fate too much,
Or his deserts are small,
That puts it not unto the touch
To win or lose it all.”
My understanding was maia and valar could reincarnate if they died if they still possessed strength. But that is the big thing. Using their powers without Eru drained them. Dying drained them. So all too quickly they could lose their strength and be rendered impotent. Thus the Ring was a safeguard against this. It preserved Sauron's life force so no matter how he flexed his spiritual muscles he could recover. The core of his being was safe. Also it provided the benefit of a type of amplification. Making those things unique to that person more potent. For Sauron one of those things was his power to dominate. So he could do it better when he possed the Ring. But this relates to other beings too. They would have access to a seemingly unending source of strength that would make them better at those thing they were already good at. But the cost was obvious. The more you were in contact with the Ring, and especially the more you used it, the more the will imbued into it would influence you. Like having a voice whispering in your ear all the time. At first you can ignore it because you do have other concerns. But the fact that whisper never stops it slowly becomes the most immediate and pressing thing you know. Driving out all other concerns. Really Sauron just understood how the mind works and weaponized it for his benefit.
I suspect that the Ring also gave Sauron the ability to keep his power going without getting weary. Similar to what Gandalf's ring Narya did for him. Kind of like a battery that never runs out. It doesn't make him more powerful, but keeps him from getting weak.
You gave me some food for thought. I've wondered why it was that the Balrogs never got new bodies. That Sauron couldn't without the ring is not anything I've seen elsewhere. It does fit the facts as we know them. Including the battle with the best boy ever, Huan.
This is a good use of gpt tech. As someone that uses it alot, it's doesn't usually read or sound like this. I'd bet money you actually put a lot of work into this.
"Sauron managed to take physical form again twice". Three times:
1 - after the fall of Numenor, starts up again in Mordor during the 2nd Age.
2 - after the Last Alliance/ring cut off, starts up again in Dol Guldur during the 3rd Age.
3 - after his sprit flees from the White Council of Dol Guldur, starts up again in Mordor/War of the Ring.
He has a physical body during the events of the Lord of the Rings.
Isn't #2 and #3 the same thing? Did he have a physical form prior to his return to Mordor. Was he not a spirit in Dol Guldur that allowed him to withdraw to the east to avoid discovery?
@@garycook5071 He had some kind of physical form as the Necromancer in Dol Guldur, but gives it up to flee as a spirit from the White Council. He gains another physical form once he re-establishes himself in Barad-Dur prior to the War of the Ring.
But Galadriel was also born in Valinor (being Finrod's sister) and playing a minor role in the rebellion of the Noldor and their exile, so wouldn't the ring have the same impact on her as you suggest for Glorfindel?
Correct. I don't think he did his research very well.
I was going to make the same comment. The effect should be the same for Galadriel and Glorfindel…. but not Elrond.
My thought as well. She was also born in Valinor during the Ages of the Trees.
In the first age both Sauron and Morgoth were far more powerful when they first rebelled, and Morgoth at his final defeat was a far cry from how strong he once had been. Winessing this Sauron was convinced his master's methods were inferior to his own, and knew brute force was not the avenue to acheive his victory, but rather coersion and manipulation. In Middle Earth Maiar and Valar could "use up" their power/energy in their efforts as Dark lords, we saw this with Both Morgoth and Sauron... I think that for this reason creating the Ring was his most prudent move, it made him harder to defeat (he witnessed Morgoth, his superior in strength bested by the Valar and overthrown twice), and permanently directed the majority of his power towards his ultimate goal of subversion and domination. As an added bonus, when he had possession ot the Ring, this power was not only his to control, but actually enhanced him. In creating The Ring he permanently saved his energy toward his goal, made himself almost invulnerable, and retained all the power to keep his throne indefinitely once he had it... It was a cunning strategy and if not for some plucky hobbits, a meddling maiar and a King the likes of which were rarely seen, he would have succeeded too
Saurom never could have seen what happened from the Hobbits with how Solitary they are. They aren't driven to the same Dark Impulses naturally as the other races. They're not really big on Ego, Greed, Wrath, etc. the Dwarves whike resistant, weren't immune, and would fall. The Hobbits were the only race of beings that Sauron couldn't account for.
@@TheAyanamiRei Good point! the hobbits had been sheltered and sequestered away from Sauron's knowledge by the Dunedain... not only did he have no prior knowledge of them, but I would think that even if he had, he would never have considered them the slightest threat to himself.
@@sethnaffziger1402 Right! Like he PROBABLY could have had SOME knowledge of them, but they didn't get involved with ANYTHING! It'd be like Hitler thinking Haiti was going to roll up to his doorstep and foil his plans!
That's the absurdity of what we're talking about here!
Hell even the idea that someone could make it into Mordor even CLOSE to the Fires of Mount Doom, WITHOUT his notice is quite insane when you think about it. That somehow the Corruption of the One Ring NOT taking over even the most Righteous is INSANE!! Like objectively, if you think about it all WITHOUT knowing what would happen...it's CRAZY!!
Great topic 🔥 I’m stoked to listen to this
Might have been said.. but Galadriel was also of the First Born as Glorfindel. Amazing content!!
Enjoyed your perspective. Will keep listening.
good video thanks for making it! :)
You did approach the subject from a different perspective 👍
I really like your videos..I thank you for them because sometimes I really need to put my mind somewhere else, and you do the job flawlessly with something I really like (Tolkien’s universe). So Yeah, I’m really grateful, and I hope you keep going with the amazing job.
I'm trying to do my best, and I really appreciate your kind words. Hopefully, I'll get better over time.
Great video man
Nice work dude thanks
Great video!
I'm liking your take on the lore, and your perspective works for me. glad I found your channel and looking forward to many more videos so please do keep it up!
Thanks! I genuinely appreciate it.😀
This was good and to the point. Enjoyed it. Thanks. Wonder how the elves figured out they were immune to the Ring's power? Why were the design by Eru Ilúvatar so different for Eves and Men, with the latter susceptible to evil?
Dragon, I enjoy your videos. I follow and watch many Tolkien oriented channels. I like the different interpretations of his world
I didn't realize I needed this question answered but couldn't put it into words.
Tolkein didn’t have a complex quantifiable magic system in his world. In that regard, just like in our world, the more effort we put into a task we can’t “see” a numerical value of “effort” to know when to stop… the process of making the ring might have required more effort for Sauron, and he kept pushing until he was successful… without necessarily understanding the final effect on his being. Just like how a runner can push themselves to finish a race then collapse, and need medical attention…
Yes, it's all about the concept of magic - power in Tolkien's world. As I understand it, the only source of power is Iluvatar, and he is the only one who can use power without exhausting himself. The other Ainur beings only had limited power and therefore when creating Arda the Valar were only able to create some things once because they put too much power into them. An example is Yavanna and is the trees of Valinor. The power of the Valar in the world of Arda gradually weakened and, in my opinion, they no longer interfered in the events on Arda, because they no longer had enough power to do so. Restoring power is a difficult thing in Tolkien's world, except for restoration from Ilúvatar, and it is usually possible by using an object that has been infused with power by another being. Therefore, when the trees of Valinor were destroyed, Feanor was reminded that the Silmarils contain the light of the trees - power and that does not belong to him. So by Sauron putting much of his power, his life essence, into the ring, he was able to survive. It is interesting that the Silmarils are actually the only object that cannot be destroyed even in a volcano. Because one of the Silmarils was thrown into the volcano and is there until the end of Arda.
Totally correct in saying how the Ainur only have a certain amount of "power" this is shown in countless examples but one note on what you said - I think It's a mixed bag of reasons why the Valar (and by extension other Ainur) don't interfere in the area of middle earth and partly because of what came before when they fought Morgoth and destroyed most of Beleriand. It's their main job to let things play out as Iluvatar said to them. Yes, their power has also diminished but we still see great feats by them even at the end of the 3rd age. Not to mention they can directly speak with The One himself. I think I recall it saying the Silmarils can only be destroyed by the power (or greater) that created them so we can assume that is something pretty powerful as nothing so far has even damaged them.
I believe there is a limitation on the amount of power that Ainur can have simultaneously, but I am also sure that it can be recharged over time; otherwise, they would not be considered immortal. Restoring a physical form requires a significant amount of power, and if the Ainur do it too often alongside creating fancy beings, it could draw their power to a critical point where they cannot be restored.
Balrogs already have a fierce physical form, beyond what Sauron used to have, and for a Maiar, it would probably require a substantial portion of its power. Losing that 'body' would mean losing too much power.
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In "my" opinion and in all seriousness, the whole "rings"-concept in Tolkien's work is the most missunderstood part of the whole story (which is somewhat astonishing given it's the story's centrepiece).
To elaborate, the 19 rings were crafted first (the 7/9 with Sauron's guidance, the 3 without him even being aware). None of those drew it's power from Sauron - yet they all would lose their purpose and power upon the destruction of the One - that was created therafter? I could accept the linkage between Barad Dur's existence to the One - it's foundation was enforced by the One Ring's power after all. The other rings, however, weren't made with such a dependancy - and since they didn't draw their power from Sauron, his demise as a consequence of the One's destruction would hardly be able to affect them either.
Infact, Tolkien seems to have been aware of that dependency issue himself, outright writing upon the Witch King's fall by the hand of Eowyn,
"and a cry went up into the shuddering air, and faded to a shrill wailing, passing with the wind, a voice bodiless and thin that died, and was swallowed up, and was never heard again in that age of this world."
The last few words express that this "misshap" didn't "kill" the Witch King - he simply vanished for the rest of the third age (which didn't last too long any more anyway; and since Tolkien didn't create another novel revolving around 4th-age events, he thus became irrelevant - keep in mind that this only goes for the Witch King, the other 8 Nazgul were incinerated upon Orodruin's eruption; assuming they wore their rings, those most definitely would've been destroyed alongside; the 3 still existing dwarven rings would've been buried under the collapsed Barad Dur and thus basically "out of reach").
Consequently, Tolkien never outright wrote that the Three would've lost their power altogether - instead, he even somewhat refuses that concept by letting the soil from Galadriel's garden keep it's wondrous effect when Sam uses it to "repair" the damage done by Saruman in the Shire, an effect that could only come from Nenya's power; if such power of creation would've been inherent to Elves "naturally" (and be it "Light Elves" such as Galadriel), the very crafting of the Three would've been completely pointless.
So, ultimately, Tolkien himself didn't exactly provide a "solution" for the remaining rings of power; he instead remained vague and only implied that they would have kept their power; the "consensus" that they would've become somewhat worthless trinkets after the One Ring's destruction, however, is, to "my" understanding, solely based on our very human nature to not want to leave a story with loose ends remaining.
Hey there and first of all - welcome to UA-cam (as a channel) and happy new year!
Your video was quite interesting. For me, especially the part with the power to exist in both worlds was rather fascinating.
That brought up a question: Why are the nine men, that became the Ring Wraiths, able to exist in both worlds? Didn't they shift from the mortal realm to the other?
Is it because of their rings?
All the best to you and until next time!
Hey Im not super sure but I'm pretty sure the nazgul didn't exist in the normal realm and we only see their costume. They're invisible. Whats her name stabs the nazgul king "where his face should be" or something idr how the book wrote it. But yeah I think they are invisible lol
@@devon6336 Thank you very much for coming back at this topic. It's sometimes not very plausible, how their 'physics' are described, that's why I asked. :)
I apologize for the delay in my response. The Nazguls initially human undergo a "fading" process as they become Ringwraiths. they lose their human forms. This is why when Frodo wears the Ring he can perceive their faded forms in the wraith realm. thank you and happy new year to you too!
@@middleearthtales Hey there and thank you for the reply. The time for the response is absolutely no problem. Patience is scarce theses days, yet remains important.
I'm looking forward for your next videos!
Your presentation was great. Only question I have that you didn't cover but remains on the topic is when Tom Bombadil put the One Ring on it had no effect on him.
I know the nature of Tom Bombadil is questionable at best but how does that infer the rings effect on other immortal beings?
Curious how that would differ.
He wasn't wearing the Ring in Numenor (otherwise it would have been lost). He left it in Barad Dur (rather convenient since he did not know the Valar would sink Numenor but oh well). Anyway, I doubt he could use its power from that far away. Otherwise he wouldn't need to search for the Ring at all.
To think that such a complex world is created in a mind of a man is fascinating. Just imagine what a genius Tolkien was..
The ring was a phylactery into which he put part of his soul (ie horcrux). His physical body was killed by Isidur and Elrond in the books, so that’s what is left.
So I want to make a correction on how the rings were made because this is common misconception partially because of the Fellowship Movie Prologue. How the forging of the rings happened is Sauron posed as a envoy of the Valar bringing them gifts and offering them special knowledge. Most of the elves kinda knew he was shady and the only person really willing to trust him was the elven smiths of Eregion who were keen on his knowledge of smithing. Sauron (as Annatar) taught the smiths how to make various minor rings of power and eventually Celebrimbor, the leader of the elves of Eregion, forged with Sauron 16 greater rings of power. After that was done, Sauron left Eregion to secretly craft the One Ring thinking he completely fooled the elves. But that wasnt entirely true because Celebrimbor had some suspicions about Annatar also crafted in secret 3 rings on his own using the knowledge Sauron taught him. So the video is saying Sauron poured his essence into the One Ring as a counter-balance to the elven rings.... which cannot be true. Because Sauron had no idea the 3 rings were made when he crafted the One Ring and only found out when he put on the One Ring and attempted to dominate the elven lords. He failed to do so, partially because of the 3 rings and he was furious. He blew his cover, everyone knew who he was now, and the elves immediately set out to hide the rings from him. Sauron marched down to Eregion at the head of an army and demanded the Rings back and when the elves refused, he destroyed Eregion and captured Celebrimbor. He tortured him until he revealed the location of the 16 rings and when it became clear he wasnt going to reveal where the 3 he made were, he killed him.
After that, Sauron took the 16 rings and gave 7 of them to Dwarven lords and 9 to various Kings of Men as a means to try to dominate them instead of the elves. It worked well for Men and they would eventually turn into Ringwraiths. The attempt to dominate the dwarves didnt work out that well, as all it did was make them more greedy, paranoid, and self-destructive but not really subservient to Sauron. Id suggest reading the Silmarillion, particularly the initial part on 'Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age.' It will have a more detailed account of what I described.
Question I always wondered
I wonder if Sauron never linked the one ring to the elven ones would the Elves instead had stayed instead of having been forced to abandon Middle Earth.
Loko que rallada bro
In the films, the One Ring grants invisibility to the wearer, but I'm under the impression that this is not the case in the books. It could be a detail added for cinematic effect, though I'm not entirely sure.
I like to think that the Istari could only access a portion of their power from ME, and that by putting the majority of his power in the ring, he was able to access more of it. I don't think this is backed up by anything, but I think it fits with the descriptions of the maiar vs the istari.
So JK Rolling was inspired a lot by Tolkien. Most fantasy writers were; as he was one of the most influential fantasy writers of his age.
Magic in the Legendarium is actually about understanding and influencing the Music of the Ainur. More or less the music is the fabric of the reality that breathed physical reality into existence within the Void.
I think it is important to note, that as a Catholic, Tolkien believes that it is the Soul that is immortal. The body will die, but be resurrected at the end of days. I have thought that by infusing his power into a physical object, the Ring, Sauron was able to establish and maintain a physical presence in the material world of Middle-earth, a body so to speak. If his physical body were destroyed, the Ring gave Sauron an anchor to Middle-earth that he could draw on and re-constitute his physical form.
Sauron was in a physical form on Numenor, and that physical form was destroyed in the drowning, although his spiritual form, his soul if you will, still existed. By having the One Ring safely hidden, his spirit could draw on the power contained in the ring and regain the physical form that that was observed in the 3rd Age. (Although diminished. Tolkien points out that the physical form had deteriorated and Sauron could no longer appear "fair".)
I remember Gandalf explaining that if the Ring were destroyed, Sauron would lose his power and become a spirit, gnawing on itself in the darkness, but be unable to ever take form and manifest itself. Much like Tolkien's Catholic faith, that the spirit/soul endures, even of the body is destroyed.
The most powerful magic in middle earth is promises. That's why the promise on the ring is so important. And why the oathbreakers were cursed.
After watching enough twilight zones, I have decided that if a genie offered me wishes, I'd say "No thanks."
So if I encountered the ring, there's a chance that I would also decide to nope out of there.
One topic of interest I believe is what would have happen to Sauron if the ring was destroyed before his body was destroyed (before the Numenor island was sunk and Sauron lost it s ability to change form). With Sauron still having his original body in middle earth, would the destruction of the ring had just rendered him very weak but not destroyed him ?
In my opinion it would have still killed him. He put a great amount of his power into it and we see many times in LOTR when people put that much of themselves into a work and it is destroyed, so too are they. Even Feanor says that if the Silmarils were destroyed then it might even kill him.
Sauron could've just waited another 10 years and the majority of the Elves would've left Middle Earth for good for the Grey Havens.
I still think to some degree he made it so his power couldn't be taken as Gandalf did to Saruman.
Classic problem: The 16 Great Rings were made for Elves alone. They only ended up with Men and Dwarves after Sauron recovered them during the sack of Eregion.
Well I was wondering about that
The answer is pretty simple; it gave him more power so that he could fulfill his goals. A better question is why Morgoth created a crown with jewels that weakened him and caused him continuous pain?
You forgot that the dwarven rings did destroy multiple dwarven kingdoms through their greed being magnified.
"As long as the ring was not destroyed, neither could Sauron be...", except Sauron was a Maiar, an immortal spirit being, so he could not be destroyed before the ring was created either, so that wasn't a benefit to making the ring.
Dude this channel is a gem
I have watched every morsel of information on the subject of the One Rings power. There are only two powers universally agreed upon.
The One Ring dominates everyone near it completely and absolutely, even Sauron himself cannot ignore it.
The other power is the ability to last forever. Even the Elven rings have the power of preservation.
Both of these powers are enough, Sauron wanted complete domination and to last forever.
Creating the One Ring was a brilliant idea. Ultimately the only thing that ruined his plan was his over confidence.
If Sauron had not taken the One Ring into battle, he never would have lost the ring in the first place
The One Ring assured Sauron’s victory and ensured his ability to keep his dominance.
When Tolkien took to writing Lord of the Rings and creating his setting of Middle Earth he never imagined someone would one day create a video entitled “What the One Ring do?”
I don't think the Elven rings were completely ineffective. Gandalf used Narya to summon fire on occasion and Galadriel was using Nenya to sustain Lothlorien. Once the One Ring was destroyed, they lost hat power and Lothlorien could no longer be sustained.
There are videos of alternate timelines out there: look up "what if X took the One Ring"
X being Gandalf, Galadrial, Saurumon. Even "what if Sauron got the One Ring back"
I recall mention in the books that barad dur had been built with the ring, amd while it existed its foundations could not be destroyed. You did not mention this in the rings powers
Nine rings for mortal men doomed to die. Who were the Nine? Were all of them Kings?
Only Khamul (probably spelled wrong) the Easterling is named, other than The Witch King of Angmar.
I have just started this video and looking forward to hearing more but i wanted to mention that many magic rings were made before the rings of power and then the 19 we know of were all goven to elves but after the 20th ring being made The One Ring sauron attack Eragion (ms) Sauron demanded the rings and recieved all of the but the elven rings
I never got the feeling that he demanded them, but rather that he took them; the Elves all removed and may have discarded them once "his purpose was revealed," since they were no longer usable without subjecting the wearer to the power of the One. Even Celebrimbor's Three seem to have been sequestered away to be used, if at all, only secretly.
Sauron created the One Ring, and guided the creation of the others, in order to stop the decay of time-a decay that would eventually force him to leave Middle Earth, along with all his minions.
The elves desired this as well, for they loved Middle Earth and were loathe to depart it, along with all their great works. This desire was purposely cultivated by Sauron.
With all the Rings' powers under his command, he could forstall the decline of Middle Earth until the end of days, and rule-and none would be able to withstand him.
That's why he put the greater part of himself into the Ring: to preserve his own power, and to magnify his ability to dominate others.
With the One Ring he could defy the will of Iluvatar Himself. Without it he would fade.
So Sauron really had no choice. The One Ring was the only way he could stay and rule.
The elves eventually understood this, which is why they called the time from the last war with Sauron "the long defeat." Had Isildur destroyed the Ring, the elves would've needed to depart quickly. Instead, they were able to use the three great rings to forstall the inevitable, but knowing full well that this path led inevitably towards another conflict with Sauron, and possibly a defeat so great that all the world would be enslaved. So either way they lose.
The magic and spells intricacies weren't discussed in the Book(s). There's an intention to leave these ideas veiled in mysticism. That's what's irritates readers, but what they have to come to terms with.
In Silmarilion there's a magical battle between Sauron and Finrod Felagund described as battle of magical songs, which conjure images of respectively good and evil.
And the most i.portant comment - Galladriel wouldn't be invisible with a ring- as an elf who saw the light of both trees - she was a high elf, present both worlds, very much as Glorfindel.
😍😍😍👌
It's kinda like an investment and Sauron loses every time. Multiple bodies which weakened him and a whole lot of his remaining essence was bet on the ring gamble. With the ring lost while with Tolkien noone "truely dies" he probably can't manifest anymore and is reduced to almost nothing.
He had a good chance of winning from his point of view, disregarding that Illuvatar rigged the game from the start so to speak.
Not sure if Glorfindel's state could be extrapolated to elves in general. He's singular in that he already died and came back.
Off topic, but... I've always had a ring theory nobody is willing to engender or discuss. Thorin Oakenshield actually found the One Ring in the Goblin Lair. Bilbo stole it from him. We only heard the story as Bilbo wrote it. Think about it, the story makes sense when you realize why Thorin developed such greed and hatred as someone who came from such a lineage of generosity. He felt betrayed, and rightfully so, when a hobbit stole from him the most valued treasures of Middle Earth.
Between Melkor and Sauron I don't think they could help themselves in risking their own being to get what they wanted. I think it's in spite of being Eru themselves which willfully or not pushes them in these directions. Their own existence isn't safe from their mockery, corruption, and destruction.
Video Suggestion - What would have happened if the Ring had fallen into the hands of the Balrog?
It wasn't such a great risk. Sauron was not dependent on the ring initially, at least before the sinking of Numenor. He was relatively untouchable and the ring allowed the potential of projecting control through the other rings at low cost. The only way that someone could take the ring from him before the sinking was direct intervention from Valinor and then it wouldn't matter if the ring was made or not.
He lost his power outside of the ring when Eru sunk Numenor and without the ring he could have been destroyed outright.
How would the One Ring have affected Smaug? He already covets shiny things - kinda like a dwarf. He wants to protect it. His lifespan is already unnaturally long. He has incredible power on his own. Would the Ring have done much to alter him? Would he have sought to return the Ring to Mordor - which seems against his nature? Or none if the above since he could never put the Ring on, it would merely be kept in close proximity.
Great video
Well, you can call me Nighthawk. =]
Saruman threw a fireball at Gandolf in a deleted scene
What would happen if a dragon wore the ring?
The ring doesnt make him more powerful physically but he cant die, unlike morgoth he doesnt lose power by using his magic on the world because of the ring, and it helps him manipulate and dominate beings better. He saw what happened to morgoth becoming so weak by putting so much of his essence into arda to create strongholds, creatures and taint the world itself, with the ring sauron doesnt fade when he does those things, a huge benifit.
For the vast majority of the mortals of middle earth, simply possessing the ring made the notion of destroying it unthinkable.
I would be careful in characterizing Gandalf’s and the other Maiar’s power as limited because it is not like that in dungeons and dragons . It is only limited in that it doesn’t do evil which is why it is not like that in dungeons and dragons and therefore much more powerful because it is Good and also because it was akin to Heavenly Power in a Guardian Angel !
It was basically automation, kind of creating a machine with part of your soul.
For a channel called "Middle Earth Tales", most of the lore in this video is wrong. After the destruction of Numenor and so Sauron's physical form, he could take physical form again, albeit after an extended period, he simply could no longer take a fair form. Sauron is the one who tortures Gollum in Mordor, he simply never takes the field of battle so is never seen. If you read the Silmarillion it explicitly states that the Ainur - Valar and Mair - could assume and discard a physical form as easily as one dons a Raiment.
I don't quite understand what you consider incorrect. I've already mentioned that Sauron regained a physical form after the fall of Numenor. Is 'second incarnation that you find problematic? If so, I'd like to remind you that Gollum witnessed him and even noted that he was missing one finger.
Regarding his ability to change appearance at the will of the Valar, it's possible that this power diminished over time, as evidenced by Melkor's inability to heal Thorondor's wounds or Fingolfin's
Morgoth wasn't just a destroyer. As Melkior he wanted above all to be a creator in his own right.
Sauron was an elf. He knew the times of the elves was coming to an end. He made the rings out of spite. Illuvitar wasnt a good being. But that is because many higher beings assumed humans would succeed when some knew better
Regarding Galadriel she would also remain visible also being born in valinor and being part of both worlds
They should make the movie and war when Sauron has the ring
I have always thought that Sauron created the One ring to hold back the swiftly moving winds of time that would bring on the Age of Men, when all others would fade. But Eru always intended for Men to follow Elves. The Ring could delay the coming of the Age of Men, but it could not stop it. Sooner or later, the Ring would be swept away. Also, I consider the Ring to be a failure. The Dwarves could not be taken over by the Ring, the Elves took their Rings off and the Rings given to Men created monsters. That Rings wraiths were terrifying but were they too terrifying? Great for leading Orcs, but not much use around regular people since they were too hideous.
His main purpose was to corrupt the elves as they were the main power in the world (of the Children of Iluvatar) but after a series of defeats and setbacks decided to steal the rings and try it with the Dwarves and Men. And as you mentioned, it didn't really even work with Dwarves aside from amplifying their nature, making them more greedy and arguably sending them to their doom, which wasn't his objective, but it didn't hurt.
I still love how Tom Bombadil slipped it on and off his finger, like any other normal ring
Though we can only guess what he is, it shows that he is of a higher power than that of a Maiar
I would say not "higher", just "different". The discussion at the Council implies that, in the view of Gandalf and Elrond, the Ring has no power over Tom, nor he over it; to use a mathematical term, they're orthogonal to each other. In contrast, Gandalf seems to believe that he himself would be able to use the Ring (though with some difficulty since they're opposed powers along the same axis), but that doing so would ultimately corrupt him.
Gimli has no issues trying to smash the ring. I think that suggests something.
Sauron thinks like a greedy player. That kind of people usualy are self-destructive beings🤷😕.
You need to remove the section titles when you feed your script to the AI narrator. The section titles are meant to be your notes to keep track of position and, maybe, text for you to display for the viewer. The section titles, under most circumstances, should not be read aloud. Feeding the script with the section titles into the AI narrator also causes weird, unnatural pauses in the essay read.
When the One Place On Middle Earth that could allow the un-making of your ultimate contingency plan to endure the destruction of your own body is a freaking Volcano in the middle of your Stronghold nation... you would make this choice with arrogant abandon if you were of the mind to make such a thing.
Sauron was right. No one would willingly destroy it. The only one who really stood a chance was Sam at the end. But only if he managed to snatch it from Frodo close enough to throw it in. Or... if he threw Frodo in. One murder to save the world. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Unnn no mention of Tom Bonbadil.
This begs the question what if the ring was never taken off?
What a.i. voice do you use?
Calling Tolkiens take on magic naive because it is suitably subdued for the narrative purpose while assuming that elaborate systems of magic are somehow less naive from a narrative perspective, because “more is more” is what is actually naive. Comparing the function of magic in literature with a dedicated narrative purpose with the function of magic in a game revolving around player interaction, numbers and throwing dice reflects further naivete as it pertains to the meaning and functioning of genre.
On a more general note - it is rather common knowlegde at this point that excessive or poorly defined magic, special powers or technology all have the capacity to annihilate dramatic tension at numerous levels. Story is about conflict and resistance. If that can be easily fixed by magic then that tension dissipates. To the extent that stories are about humans (or similar sentient beings) and their development through difficult choices in complex situations where a lot is at stake - and where the actions taken ultimately carry and convery the meaning and perspective of the story about all that - when individual action in the existential field is replaced by magic there is a loss of narrative meaning because magic in and of itself is neither particularly human or particularly rich in applicable meaning. There are limited life lessons to be learned from the ability to do more or less anything at will. Life has to be brought to any magic system and the further removed it is from the things that human lives are normally contingent upon the more inhuman the tale becomes.
This is why characters who reach a very high level of “magical” or “transcendent” ability usually do so at the height of their character arc and as they become “the one” or the transcendent being - the become more distant. These are very particular stories that require careful handling. Examples of such characters might be Gandalf the White, Dr. Manhattan, Paul Atreides, Neo, the Buddha, the Jesus, Odin or any mythical or religious figure who gained special sight or power through sacrifice of their humanity. The delimitations of what they do with their magic usually have something to do with either compassion and/or higher level universal stakes, that may seem foreign or abstract to a normal human perspective.
Clearly these are powers you can’t randomly throw around at the everyday level of story. Magic like physics needs rules to become narratively meaningful. A character who can do anything who fights a character who can do anything instantly nullifies most common story patterns. The best you could hope for there would be that they COULD do it but sit down to discuss the philosophical reasons why they don’t or should not. Which would probably be rather boring even if potentially intellectual, but also rather a one trick pony as story types go.
I really appreciate the way you put this. I have come to feel that the heart of it all is in what Gandalf said to Frodo when Frodo wished the Ring had never come to him, that none of those things had never happened.
@@jeancoppin6353 Thank you. Can you elaborate on the connection though? I am thinking along the lines of “all we have to do is decide what to do with the time we’re given”, perhaps?
@@whynottalklikeapirat yeah, that's just what I was thinking of. Life throws us so much, good bad, fair, unfair. We can choose how to deal with it. All the elements and archetypes of a myth may not make perfect sense, but what matters is how the heroes respond and act.
@@jeancoppin6353 Yeah. Don’t get me wrong - magic, tech, special powers etc all have their place, it’s just that it has to be delimited and imbued with meaning, it can’t just be a free ride. LOTR has rings of power and one to rule them all. But the story is not one of people running around blasting magical ring charges in each others faces. The story is everybody struggling with the premise. Most of the rings are not even active in the story, and the one ring is used very sparingly, and is intimately tied to the character of Sauron and a specific and elaborate view of what constitutes good, evil, temptation, power, true courage, compassion etc. Magic on its’ own does not solve any of that. People do, at real costs. Magic ultimately cannot save Frodo from his deeper wounds. Not in this world. In fact he has to pass on into magic, leaving his old life and his hobbit ways behind - it is essentially a symbolic death in the hope of a life beyond. Like all the young men who died in the trenches in ww2 - Frodo persevered in the face of “evil”. He saved the world and the shire (outer goal) but “not for him” (inner goal). That is a story that has useful wisdom and real life application.
So Sauron like a HDD partitioned his power so that should one partition fail he has a back up.
Any of the Great Rings would extend the life of mortals as Gandalf tells Frodo in Shadow of the Past. If this extends to the invisibility property is uncertain but it is plausible. If so, Elves most likely wouldn't turn invisible as evidenced by Galadriel and Elrond.
My personal theory is that turning back and forth from being invisible (or making the ring invisible) is an ability people who hold a great ring can learn. Sauron and the three elven ring bearers all had complete control over the ability. My guess is that the nazgul probably could control whether or not they're invisible in the beginning, but as Sauron started taking over their minds, it took more and more will to turn back to visible, until they just stayed invisible permanently. Dwarves, by their nature, were probably innately stubborn. Whether this means that they couldn't turn invisible, or just never wanted to, I don't know, but in the end, it probably didn't matter.
Long story short, this means that, theoretically, Gandalf could have taught Frodo how to turn back visible while wearing the one ring, but since that would just encourage him to wear the ring constantly, and thus open his mind more to the ring's and Sauron's influence, it wasn't beneficial for him to do it.
I have a question are dragons maiar’s ? If so when bilbo was hiding from smaug by using the ring wouldn’t he see him?
Dragons were bred by Morgoth in Angmar. Whether their lineage included Maiar or not (doubtful, in my opinion), they themselves were not Maiar. Smaug admits to being unable to see Bilbo; it's possible that he was lying to lull Bilbo into a false sense of security, but if so, why admit that he could smell him and "feel [his] air"?
You get Sauron's intention wrong. He's not about domination, his goal is to order chaos, therefore he has to rule, otherwise he wouldn't be able to restructure the world.