The History of the Three Elven Rings of Power (Why Are They Good?) Artifacts of Arda & ME Explained

"Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky"... Hope you all enjoy this video about the Three Elven Rings of Power, their uses and functions, and why they are considered to be artifacts of good in Middle-Earth. I hope you all enjoy, let me know what you guys think in the comments!
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[@KenS1267]

Actually when Gandalf says he's a servant of the secret fire yadda yadda he's warning the Balrog. He and the Balrog are Maiar but Gandalf was still in service to Eru Illuvatar, the Secret Fire, who the Balrog had betrayed when he forsook his duties to serve Morgoth and was corrupted. Basically he's telling the Balrog that he's not some mortal man or even an elf but his equal if not his better and the balrog faces him at his peril.

[@tomsilberberg1978]

Thank you for this comment. That's a nice titbit

[@strawman6578]

I think the Balrog was well aware of Gandalfs nature. Their wills clashed when Gandalf tried to seal the door to the Chamber of Mazarbul. I'm sure he realized it then. For me, when he speaks these words and also by speaking these words Gandalf invokes his power for the confrontation.

[@Dadecorban]

More specifically it's the flame imperishable which is a creative feature that is possessed by Iluvatar (at least as it's described, may be a stylistic choice as it resembles Biblical verses regarding the trinity, and "the word was god and the word was with god" and so forth)

[@djdrack4681]

@@Dadecorban Exactly. The flames only ever dwelled in Eru Lluvatar, but were used to create the Ainur. That is why Melkor could never find them when he went in search of them beyond the Door of Night (before it was shut and he got Oblivion Ring'd ofc).

[@Dadecorban]

@@djdrack4681 and Eru probably referred to the flame when speaking with the Ainur which gave Melkor the impression that it was a thing that existed somewhere that could be posessed or used. Epic troll.

[@davidtherealone147]

Me: Hey Galadriel what’s that ring do? Galadriel: Nenya business

[@jeffreyfrye1811]

Me: Hey Gandalf, Do you ever lose Hope? Gandalf: Nar ya?

[@jackiedim7028]

Reminds of that line in God Of War Atreus:What is that made of? Brok:Nunya Atreus:Nunya? Brok:Nunya fuckin business

[@Thegreatbandgeek]

Me: Elrond what’s that’s thing on your hand Elrond: vilya leave me alone already

[@mcbadrobotvoice8155]

Nice

[@fishlivesmatter]

Gtfo !

[@marcsimon6251]

One of the best things about Tolkien is that he wrote both the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit using a “soft magic” system as opposed to a “hard magic system”. This use of writing doesn’t only pertain to fantasy but also science fiction. The difference between the two systems of writing is that “soft magic” doesn’t literally explain the “rules” of “magic” or what a caster can and can’t do. That being said, any book where magic is a vague, mysterious power rather than a tool is a world with soft magic. Some good examples include Lord of the Rings, A Song of Ice and Fire, The Once and Future King, The Dark Tower, and American Gods, though there are plenty more. It leaves much up to the interpretation of the reader. A hard magic system defines the “rules” and the powers someone has at their disposal. Examples of “hard magic” being Avatar the Last Airbender, Star Wars, Full Metal Alchemist, Harry Potter, Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle) etc. I think Eragon and the following novels truly did an AMAZING job explaining a hard magic system while also leaving just enough “mystery” for the reader to fantasize with. Magic is and should be mystical and have different interpretations and create a sense of “awe” in the reader. Tolkien did a fantastic job and created a mind boggling world and story for us to live in. “I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil.” -J.R.R. Tolkien

[@Prince_the_One]

The force is mysterious in Starwars.

[@Shrouded_reaper]

There are pros and cons to both kinds of systems

[@alexv3357]

I have to disagree with Harry Potter being hard magic. We see a lot more magic there than in Middle Earth, but when one really examines it, the rules of Harry Potter magic are hardly less obscure to us than that of Arda. Perhaps it is a matter of perspective, since the characters of Harry Potter obviously know about magic and its internal functions in detail and act like it's quite mundane, but to we the readers it is still opaque.

[@colleenross8752]

So, the Mystic Arts in the MCU is considered hard magic?

[@curzon176]

It seems like Galadriel communicates with Frodo in the movies through the rings as well. He isn't wearing it at the time, but he is bearing it, and near the end, when he's about to give up, she whispers in his mind that if he doesn't succeed, all is lost.

[@frostycane5134]

Three rings for the elven rings under the sky Seven for the dwarf lords in their halls of stone Nine for mortal men doomed to die One for the dark lord on his dark throne Tolkien passed in the year 1973

[@TmanTheTdog]

hoodle101 I do suppose it does

[@andreaspapapap7737]

Jesus

[@landonletterman831]

How many languages did Tolkien make for this book!? Add the ones he only half made, and *WOOOOOoooooow* that is nuts! (Entish, Elvish, Orcish,..... Dwarve ...ish?)

[@threwthelookingglass7194]

Frosty Cane hummmmmmm

[@d.p.robertz657]

Shit!!

[@Terminalsanity]

Slight correction, Galadriel did not show Frodo her ring Nenya rather, The Ring of Power bestowed upon Frodo the power to perceive it. Similar to how The Ring allowed him to see the Ringwraiths for what they really were. As he had worn it enough times by that point and had stature enough for it to convey that ability to him. Galadriel remarks upon this and how it is an example of how The Ring has changed and is changing Frodo. Foreshadowing Frodo's later use of The Ring's Power on Gollum at the crack of Doom using its own power and corrupting influence to destroy it. Sorry just had to mention that because many people miss that bit and its significance.

[@ashleytrout7452]

I’m pretty sure she shows it meaning to in the movie but maybe the books are different

[@Terminalsanity]

@@ashleytrout7452 We're discussing the books here.

[@ashleytrout7452]

@@Terminalsanity ah sorrry

[@djfull4442]

That one person disliking your videos must be Morgoth himself. Unless he's too clever and sent some stupid ork to do the dirty job.

[@sirensongsindia]

it's now nearly 300. What is wrong with them

[@philipbasler5077]

@@sirensongsindia when i look vids on my phone, and scrolling down, it happens that i click on disslike without i wanting that, i think that happend to some 300 people

[@dewianggraini1959]

They breed..OMG d time is come..

[@Khizar_kt]

unsheath your swords my comrades we will slay the orcs also known as the haters

[@Dadecorban]

Dagor Downvotelad

[@ryvyr]

This brings bittersweet tears of nostalgia and sorrow for things long sailed, both in and out of writing, and for it you have my gratitude.

[@kyuiis]

As a woman, I'd say 'Yes' if you proposed to me with any of these 3 rings.

[@cpmenninga]

With the One Ring you would say “yes, master.”

[@FreeTibetFTW]

As a man i'd say ¡YES! too

[@230mps]

@@cpmenninga sauron was one kinky bastard.

[@nicb.1411]

Because you're a GOLD DIGGER!

[@Bluemilk92]

I always found it quirky the way Elves respond to the concept of magic, at least when the Hobbits present it to them. There response always boils down to "...IDK about the dumb thing you said, but I can do this" I feel like it's totally alien to them, and it may being reading too much into things, but I think it gives an idea of the way Elves think, and see the world. They must perceive things so differently, that our concept of magic just doesn't even make sense to their world view.

[@MenoftheWest]

Bluemilk92 That is a very excellent point. The Elves see it more as technology, I think, rather than an indescribable magic that Hobbits see it as.

[@robertpalumbo9089]

The elves are magic .....it is like shouting about how great air is

[@kevinstelmach5594]

Galadriel claims she dosent understand the word as it describes both the wholesome magic of the elves and the evil magic in the world. I think they see the magic they do as fundamentally opposed to magic used for evil, and thus would use a different word.

[@Terminalsanity]

@@kevinstelmach5594 Magic in LotR just a matter of subtle insight into the working of the world and all the free races even if they don't realize it have their own unique crafts born out of those insights that allows them to shape things in the world in ways the other races cannot understand and so are essentially magic in the eyes of other races. Like the color shifting cloaks of the Elves, the moon letters of the Dwarves, the indestructible stone work of the men of Numenor. The mark of the servants Melkor/Morgoth is that all crafts born out their insight always debases and reduces the subject and materials of their crafts in some fashion.

[@mukkaar]

@@MenoftheWest Elves are beings of magic so I think it's more like explaining sight to someone who was born blind.

[@antonis816]

These videos help people like me, who haven't read the books, understand the story shown in the movies. Thank you

[@MenoftheWest]

antonis816 Glad I could help! Thank you for watching!

[@keyboarddancers7751]

antonis816 Suggested order of reading: the Hobbit; the Lord of the Rings (including its wonderful appendices and chronologies); the Silmarillion; Unfinished Tales; the Children of Hurin; the History of Middle Earth; Beren and Luthien.

[@Kornknealious]

I've read the books (except Simirrlion) I knew the Elvish rings had some power.. but not exactly what.

[@tar-maironlordofgifts5702]

Read the books

[@Erik-um1zn]

Unfortunately, many of these videos contain inaccurate or just false information. Viewer beware.

[@oldenvye6432]

So Gandalf was wearing one of the elven rings in Dol Guldur, imprisoned and Sauron never knew?

[@riftbandit223]

In the extended Edition of the Hobbit the Orc you can see that after Gandalf was released from his cage - the Orc needed his ring and the orc proceeds to place Gandalfs hand on a rock and is about to cut his hand off - than Galadriel comes up and saves him.

[@oldenvye6432]

I've still yet to see the third film fully.

[@MenoftheWest]

oldenvye6432 That's something I'm still not quite sure about, whether the Movies took liberties with the hidden Elven Rings or if they were also revealed in the lore. I could be wrong, but I don't think Sauron knew Gandalf had it at the time. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@oldenvye6432]

I see. You're welcome. Keep it up.

[@giulioaprati338]

No one knew until he came to the grey heavens in 4th age

[@JimmyPoodle1]

You should do a video about what happened when Gandalf, Frodo, Galadriel etc reached the undying lands.

[@MenoftheWest]

Jimmy Poodle Very good suggestion! I'm not sure if we are ever exactly told, but I'll do some research and speculation on my own part. Thank you very much!

[@myinboxes]

The lore only speaks of the green land Frodo saw as he approached the undying land. Anything else is conjecture. In time, Legolas and Gimli may have joined them, as we know Sam did in his old age.

[@LetsTalkOnePiece]

they arrived in valinor and the hobbits (bilbo, frodo and sam whom arrived later) and gimli lived out there very very very very long lives there.

[@strykereureka455]

Men of the west please do a video as he suggested on what happened after gandalf and others reached valinor

[@jdlech]

Well, we know that Bilbo could only be healed there.

[@akaste9]

Your positive attitude and engagement with your community is delightful and appreciated! I always look forward to your videos and learn more about the Tolkien legendarium.

[@Strifegar]

I really appreciate the lessons and meanings you give at the end of your videos and how positive they are. I really feel like you understand the subject matter in a way that others might easily miss in this day of negativity and evil. Thanks for that, it gives me hope that there are others out there that want to leave happiness and goodness in their wake. Please keep doing these videos.

[@tommycross9294]

I love how appreciative you are of your viewers.

[@mattyoung8010]

Good explanation. Especially well organized.

[@MenoftheWest]

Matt Young Thank you so much! :)

[@matthewmann8969]

Amazing how much of the Rings had there elements, purposes, meanings, sayings, and more.

[@KKumokun]

I've read all of the books and these videos are still a good learning experience. Thank you for your time.

[@huckleberries9027]

This helps my understanding more on the Rings of Power series. Thank you!

[@stoneryan69]

Yoystan, I appreciate your videos beyond comparison. keep on keeping on🤘

[@assadarlingtoni]

My favorite is Nenya Because i love Water and it looks the most beautiful 😍 And ofc i love Galadriel

[@VivaCubaRoja]

You've done an excellent job with all of these videos, as well as the page as a whole. It's quite enjoyable to sit back and watch videos back to back, while I puff my pipe. With the quantity and quality of Tolkien's lore: languages, thousands of years of history, all manner of beings, et cetera, it's no small task to put so much information together and in order. Not to mention the artwork in the videos. Well done, I'm much obliged. I look forward to seeing more.

[@mystictimewarp9831]

I love this channel when I dont feel good these videos cheer me up you have a really relaxing vibe

[@gamingisfuniloveit8526]

Can you PLEASE do a video about Galadriel? How powerful was she really compared to other forces of Arda? In The Hobbit (movie) we see her banish the nine ring wraiths and even Sauron himself! (Though it was a weaker version of him of course.)

[@MenoftheWest]

Gaming Is Fun I Love It I would love to make that! I'll add it to the video to-so list. Thank you so much!

[@tar-maironlordofgifts5702]

In book, Saruman kicked Sauron away from Dol Guldur

[@jamief1263]

It was the combination of the white council that banished Sauron, but even this was a faint, Sauron was more powerful without the ring than all of the council put together. Saruman would of been the most powerful of the council, at the time of the hobbit, even without a ring of power, but this was also his downfall, the Istari were meant to be banned from matching power directly with Sauron, they could only aid and inspire the people of middle-earth to accomplish great things. Gandalf was the only member of the Istari to stick to this task and eventually succeed, breaking or bending some rules along the way.

[@TheVergile]

well - that is just a thing in the movies. The Silmarillon and other source material describes this quite in depth. First off you have to realize she is one of the eldest beings in middle earth at this point. She is part of one of the very first generation of elves born under the light of the two trees. The way the elven "magic" works is never clearly laid out in any of the literature Tolkien left, three factors seem to be clear: Having seen the light of the trees made elves somehow more powerful. So did age and beauty. In a sense being beautiful seems somehow more of an expression of their inner strength than just a physical characteristic. In all these regards Galadriel is one of the most powerful elves that is still left in Middle-Earth. We know the elves of the old days were able to take on balrogs and other ancient evils in a direct fight (for example during the fall of gondolin). In addition to that she is a ring bearer. Elven rings were not made as weapons of war, but still they granted some amount of power to their wearer. So, how strong is she compared to other beings like Gandalf or Sauron? Here we run into a bit of a problem. One of the strengths of the children of illuvatar seems to be their ability to be strong when they need it and overcoming stronger adversaries if their fate calls. But this is the crux - especially the elves always seem bound to some kind of fate. No elve living during the third age was a match for Sauron, even in his weakened state. Even back in the days the ones that might have been you can count on one hand (examples: Luthien, Fingolfin, maybe Feanor). (You also have to consider that we barely ever see "magic" used in a fight inside the book material). I highly doubt Galadriel alone would be able to fend of the nine all on her own. It is reasonable to say that any ring bearer of that time (Elrond, Gandalf, Cirdan, Galadriel) could defend a ringwraith or maybe a few. But their leader was a different caliber. And Sauron by all accounts would not fear any of them.

[@TheVergile]

yeah, no. Not really.

[@TheDeathmail]

I kinda like how good, created and connected to evil eventually broke apart. That sometimes, because of the good, we could ignore the wrong, but that can break apart.

[@tatianabeastmode6573]

I found this video very touching and inspiring. Thank you! The purity and sheer goodness that is shown so much in Tolkien's writing definitely does and should inspire us to do likewise.

[@Kanaima30]

thank you so much for this video! The cadence of your voice is awesome, friendly, warming and perfect for all of tolkien lore. REALLY loved it

[@calebjones6766]

Never knew Gandalf had a ring lol learn something new every day awesome vid man keep it up really injoy them

[@AdinaIspas]

He had a ring, and he also had a lover whom at first he couldn't accept as such. When he finally does, the battle is won. Their story is somewhat like you see depicted in Brandon Flowers's video "Crossfire" - Gandalf keeps having to be rescued from imprisonment and it puts a strain on their relationship, which for this reason began to be perceived as too troublesome and heavy. But when they both accept each other, it's like "Hey you're light as a feather, and I will carry you wherever you want - lay it on me babe!" (one of the most romantic overlooked moments ever).

[@metalgearsolidsnake6978]

how do you know it now?

[@lidiane3291]

@@AdinaIspas Who was Gandalf's lover?

[@Yusa_Beach]

@@lidiane3291 probably galadrial

[@kristopherbarker3282]

What if someone had all of the rings of power?

[@MenoftheWest]

kristopher barker Phew..... that is a good question haha. I think that either they would be a super-conductor of power and energy, or just as powerful as Sauron and not more so. Due to the fact that Sauron put his power into all these rings, I don't think the wearer could become more powerful than Sauron, but just as powerful. It's just speculation on my part, as I'm not entirely sure. That's a great question, and I thank you for it!

[@adamsloan9616]

I'm asking out of complete ignorance, but wouldn't the wearers own power be added to the power given by the rings? So, someone like Gandalf or Saruman would potentially be far more powerful?

[@vysearcadia522]

What if the power of the One Ring relied on the other rings or that its power was, in part, shared to the other rings? Would this mean that if you were Sauron and you had all the other rings that destroying the other rings would give back some power to the One Ring or would he find minions to wear the rings to retain the power and spread his influence through direct control? The questions are endless!

[@peredhilh3444]

Firstly yes, the rings give additional powers to the wearers. The three aren't offensive weapons, but they can give resistance to weariness and ward off the effects of time. At best they give extra strength and stamina to the wielder, as well as augment their healing powers. But their main power was to recreate the timeless aura of Valinor, allowing the wielder to set enchantments upon a chosen land. This his how Elrond gained power over natural elements such as the river. Meanwhile, the One Ring is certainly tied to the other rings, but destroying one of the lesser rings does not strengthen it or weaken it. Gandalf remarks that three of the Dwarf rings are already destroyed, there's no direct effect on the One Ring because it contains a large amount of Sauron's innate strength.

[@server333]

well there is a ring -power cap because you only have 10 fingers^^

[@RoxyAshNightwing]

This explains a hell of a lot because I was having an conversation with my dad about the rings and thank you for also explaining it

[@kurisucosmo7954]

This is the only video of yours I've seen so far, but you've earned a subscriber! It's extremely hard to find someone who speaks so in depth and knows so much history of Middle-Earth on KZbin. And I love that your goal is to keep Middle Earth and its lore alive in people's minds with very useful information. I've been passionate about Tolkien for a long time, but have gotten kind of used to being seen as "old-fashioned" or boring or "nerdy" in my tastes in the fantasy relm. Most people can't seem to comprehend that I prefer Tolkien over Harry Potter, but that is because they have no idea the depth this man poured into his world and characters. Thank you so much for the work you do. Only 2 other channels besides yours really makes me this grateful that it exists :)

[@robertneal4244]

"This is Nenya, the ring of Adamant...and I am its keeper."

[@AndyZaturno]

Amazing video and explanation.

[@greglemieux9809]

This is probably my favorite episode so far. Great job.

[@gildedfinch2845]

I can't believe how fast this channel has grown! It was so small when I subscribed but the quality was just as good back then as it is now. Glad to see so many others liking what you're doing!

[@ThePandamonster29]

I've always wondered why Gil-Galad gave Vilya to Elrond when he did, and if he hadn't if he and Elendil might have survived their duel with Sauron during the Siege of Barad-dur. Even without Vilya, and Sauron having the One, Tolkien still notes that though they were killed, Gil-Galad and Elendil 'defeated' Sauron, and Isildur only cut the ring from the Dark Lord's finger (instead of attempting to fight him as in the prologue to Jackson's Fellowship adaptation). Maybe that one decision changed everything since the Ring would have almost certainly been destroyed if Elendil or Gil-Galad had taken it instead of Isildur...

[@ThePandamonster29]

Sure, Sauron had the Master Ring so perhaps wearing Vilya would have allowed him to dominate Gil-Galad as he did the Nazgul BUT I'm not sure that's entirely straight forward. 1) The Dwarves were made greedy by their rings but were never dominated by Sauron as the nine were - the Nazgul are more a specific product of the weakness of men to power. Elves are generally more resistant and like the Dwarves may not become wraiths. 2) It's unclear (as far as I know) how the One Ring worked as the master of all others - did Sauron have to know of a ring's existence to gain power over it? Would Celebrimbor's forging of the Three in SECRET make any difference, especially since Sauron (as Annatar) was not present to directly influence their forging as he had all others? 3) The powers of the Three are mostly passive in nature - healing, fortitude, preservation, etc. - would this have any impact? How do you corrupt rings whose powers seem implicitly good and unselfish? 4) Maintaining secrecy is not always paramount as a reason for not wearing the rings - Galadriel wears Nenya when banishing the 'Necromancer' from Mirkwood (though admittedly this is when Sauron is weakened and without the One).

[@MenoftheWest]

ThePandamonster29 I know that ultimately they weren't able to wear the Elven Rings while Sauron had his because all they would've made with them, and all that could be done would've been seen and tainted by Sauron. Gil-Galad probably gave it to Elrond when he did for safekeeping as Elrond was his herald and he was the last High King of the Noldor. It was probably for safety reasons if he were to fall and it was kept at Rivendell. That would be my guess, because if Sauron won the war, Rivendell would be hidden for a time at least. Thanks for watching, great question!

[@Jerminator1984]

Men of the West ThePandamonster29 I was wondering the same kinds of things about how the three were still corrupted. My only guess would be because maybe the same techniques used in the crafting itself somehow had the ability to imbue it with evil, even if dormant? And, is it possible that maybe the curse of Fëanor never really ended, and carried on through Celebrimbor?

[@Erik-um1zn]

Well, since Elrond (and Cirdan) were there in the final conflict with Gil-Galad, this is a moot point. Elrond tells us that by Elendil stood Isuldur, and by Gil-Galad stood he a Cirdan, so it was a five on one brawl as far we know. The Three did not give advantage in battle, and whether Elrond & Cirdan had the Rings with them is beside the point, as they could not use them while Sauron had the One.

[@Erik-um1zn]

It isn't a question of 'imbuing with evil', making the Rings to begin with was a type of Fall or sin for the elves, as they wanted to arrest time and change. The Three were made by the same craft and principles as the others, making them subject to the One, and therefore very dangerous to use while Sauron had the One in his possession.

[@majkus]

Even the Three, though, were a trap set by Sauron. Not only because of his attempt to capture the Elves by forging the One Ring, but also because it tempted the Elves to try to stop time. They disliked the changefulness of the mortal lands, and in Lorien and Rivendell, there is no change (Sam says that nothing _happens_ in Lorien), like a little piece of the Undying Lands in Middle-earth. "To preserve all things unstained," as Elrond says. But this is as unnatural as, and in a way similar to, the trap of the Nine for the mortals who cannot bear their own mortality. As Elrond said, "It would be better if the Three had never been. That is his purpose."

[@SonofSethoitae]

Although without them, the Fellowship wouldn't have had the shelter of Rivendell or Lothlorian, which may have caused them to fail.

[@rick9977015]

When that track starts"Get your Ticket " its so BITTER SWEET. I know the vid is over but that song is so soothing.

[@Rutaraki]

I absolutely am saddened that i haven't known of this channel until recently. I think this is a wonderful way to get deeper into the rich lore of the world. Only one real suggestion I have, and not even a gripe, just an idea. I think it would be really neat to have a few people that read the quotes in voices similar to the spirit of the original speakers. I think it could really add a level of detail that could intensely grab attention. Other than that, I love what you're doing here and cant wait to finish my binge. thank you for what you do

[@chrishall3847]

amazing video :D especially yourwords at the end.

[@MenoftheWest]

Chris Hal Thank you so much :)

[@TheJmlew11]

Anyone else here after the Rings of Power finale?

[@wyattmaniscalco3090]

Yep 🙋🏼‍♂️

[@smallspace7]

I needed to know the original 👍👍

[@charlottelynn9469]

Thanks for another great storytelling-style explanation. You do an amazing job making hours and hours of research seem like you just took a quick break to tell a story to a friend.

[@adrianoliva888]

Loved hearing an explanation on topics I've always been a fan of!! Cheers

[@happywheeler4268]

This was great, I have a favor to ask though and it might take you some time and effort. Could you do an explanation of Dorwinion in the Third Age and maybe how that might be connected to Bladorthin's kingdom. Also a background of Bladorthin and his history might be cool as well. It would be a shorter video, but it might be cool and informative.

[@fenzirulfr]

Please do a video on an the Valar and the Maiar

[@MenoftheWest]

I'll add it to the video list, I'd love to make those videos! Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@rksu747]

Subscribed simply because your words at the end of this video were so sweet! Thanks for the cool information.

[@bartlankheet9026]

this deserves a subscription! amazing videos, theres not that many channels who cover this content. keep it up!

[@islayreptilianhybrids8947]

i want a lore video on the ring maker

[@bartlankheet9026]

could you make a video over where all the rings have been in what part of the story? that would be really great

[@Emily_Travels]

That's actually a pretty dope idea.

[@TankNode]

Bless you for sourcing the art! It means a lot to digital artists with the the stress that many youtubers just steal shit

[@nealsandy8464]

Hey man, thanks so much for doing these LoTR lore videos. I have been a huge fan of lore videos for Star Wars channels for sometime now and have been looking for some good vids about Middle Earth! Keep up the good work!

[@MenoftheWest]

Why are the Elven Rings of Power good, while the other Rings of Power are considered Evil? Find out in this video! I hope you all enjoy it, let me know what you all think! Also, I turned up the audio on my voice in this video. Let me know if you think it is too much or not enough. Also, I have learned that the Secret Fire of Ilúvatar is the Power of Creation in which Eru gave life! Thanks everyone!

[@riftbandit223]

Appreciate the Video bro I just got home from the night shift and get to nerd out before I play Mount and Blade The last days for my Tolkien Fix, I know I already suggest Bilbo taking the ring to Mordor, may I also sugget What if Thrain Son of Thror and Father of Thorin Retook Moria after Erebor fell

[@peredhilh3444]

This was fun to watch, nice to see the full history of the rings. Only thing I would have added is that these rings could set boundary spells but you already covered it with the flood on the Bruinen.

[@MenoftheWest]

Thank you all so much! :)

[@wyattmyers4172]

You had a fact wrong towards the beginning of the vid (:57). It was a comment written into the vid. Here is an excerpt from the silmaillion, "now the Elves made many rings; but secretly Sauron made One Ring to rule the others, and their power was bound up with it, to be wholly to it and to last only so long as it too should last. And much of the strength and will of Sauron passed into that One Ring; for the power of the Elven-rings was great, and that which should govern them must be a thing of surpassing potency;"

[@wyattmyers4172]

Here is another excerpt that is just before the other in the book, "In those days the smiths of Ost-in-Edhil surpassed all that they had contrived before; and they took thought, and they made Rings of Power. But Sauron guided their labours, and he was aware of all that they did; for his desire was to set a bond upon the Elves and to bring them under his vigilance." Here is one last excerpt, "But he, finding that he was betrayed and that the Elves were not Deceived, was filled with wrath; and he came against them with open war, demanding that all the rings should be delivered to him, since the Elven-smiths could not have attained to their making without his lore and counsel. But the Elves fled from him; and three of their rings they saved, and bore them away, and hid them." So I should say that I didn't get all the way through the video and don't know if you covered what I said but I saw that comment you made in the video and wanted to correct it. I do want to applauded you on your video on the wizards. I new some of their origins and their relations to Manwe and his group but I didn't know a great portion of the other lore of their origins.

[@regierocket]

thank you

[@MenoftheWest]

Regie Florentino Thank you for watching! I'm happy you enjoyed it!

[@regierocket]

yes sir.. always am ^_^ thank you

[@cafebrianna]

I just found your channel and I love how you expand on these theories. I like hearing more about the lore of the series

[@tessi233]

OMG wow! I'm speechless! This is amazing! Absolutely great video!

[@neoprower777]

You should also do a video about what would happen if Thorin took the heart of the mountain stone :)

[@MenoftheWest]

therrsn ehgehdbde Sounds like fun, I'll add it to the video list! Thanks for the suggestion!

[@marcelsteigerwald3781]

Men of the West you're welcome :)

[@fantasywind3923]

Arkenstone the Heart of the Mountain really did not have any power. It was a white large gem, at least larger than a fist, though it did seem to shine of it's own, but also amplified light that fell on it: "The great jewel shone before his feet of its own inner light, and yet, cut and fashioned by the dwarves, who had dug it from the heart of the mountain long ago, it took all light that fell upon it and changed it into ten thousand sparks of white radiance shot with glints of the rainbow." In The Hobbit book it was a prized possession of dwarven kings and so became a bargaining chip. Bilbo decided it could resolve matter peacefully so he gave it to Elvenking Thranduil and Bard Bowman so they had arguments for negotiations with Thorin who seized by greed and his own pride and long held frustration (and a bit by "dragon-sickness": "But also he did not reckon with the power that gold has upon which a dragon has long brooded, nor with dwarvish hearts. Long hours in the past days Thorin had spent in the treasury, and the lust of it was heavy on him."). Even without it he was a king, even in exile, but movie gave it some sort of political significance, kind of weird especially since kings of Durin's Folk were not kings over other of seven kindreds of Dwarves, each of those seven 'clans' or tribes had it's own rulers of other Houses, descendants of the Seven Fathers. House of Durin were merely descendants of Durin I the Deathless, royal family ruling over the Longbeards, also known as Durin's Folk.

[@DRAWDAILYchannel]

therrsn ehgehdbde Soo all the rings summon a great evil. Consume. And Destroy but also grant great power.

[@JonyTony2018]

Great vid! Try doing what if Glorfindel took place of Merry and Pippin in the fellowship.

[@simonberggren1195]

Thank you so much for your videos! It's pretty much thanks to you i'm now reading "tales from middle earth" and ofcourse the greatest volume of all "Silmarillion"!

[@m3lv1n19]

I love J R R Tolkien's Middle-Earth and you have opened my eyes to so much more hidden in the stories. For that I thank you. Keep up the excellent work.

[@4ll3sb4n4n3]

Great video! Amazing to see how much Tolkien was able to convey in those three books when they are about as big as vol. 3: "Storm of Swords" of "A Song of Ice and Fire".

[@MenoftheWest]

4ll3sb4n4n3 Thank you! I'm right there with you, it is amazing how Tolkien did it. It's an entire life's work that will be cherished for many generations.

[@fangiscool1]

Most of the lore is in the Silmarillion, so your 3 book statement isn't exactly correct

[@4ll3sb4n4n3]

You can leave out the Silmarillion and still have a complex three-parter. You don't always need explanations for everything, that's what keeps people talking (i.e. Tom Bombadil). I only heard about the Silmarillion a few years ago and before that I had my own theories what everything meant. There is just so much to explore, even if you don't get official answers for everything.

[@JCResDoc94]

Dont be afraid to throw yourself into the characters you are performing completely. This is what you do now. ^_^. It is really gr8. Look to Comicstorian. There is the slightest hesitation remaining. But youre good, I wouldnt worry about it, had I your skill w/the lore.

[@MenoftheWest]

Thank you so much, I'll put everything I have into it! Comments like these always inspire me to become better. Have a great day!

[@JCResDoc94]

@@MenoftheWest beautiful! half a decade ago - cray. im here in part for the RoP adventure, for whatever it is, & i am getting my family versions of these rings. artistically altered (ill go to the text). but a fine entry. hope you can find enough joy in RoP. (... plus, if not, HOTD is holding up. so far.) -JC

[@scrumptiousbumptious1071]

Keep up the great work! I just found you today and I must’ve watched at least 10 videos already! You’re amazing

[@nox8876]

I'm so glad I found that channel! Brb, watching all the videos now, thanks for the great content!

[@kylelang1815]

These stories should be made in to a movie 😎 😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎

[@gunslinger1824]

Why didn’t Galadriel help purge the dark taint from Mirkwood?

[@masamune2984]

I love that your single video here just connected the ENTIRE saga of”The Silmarillion” and “The Lord of the Rings” for me. Feanor created something so beautiful and powerful (with the light of the Two Trees), that even the Valar coveted them.”, and it turned most to selfishness and greediness, and even evil. The fact that Feanor’s grandson, Celebrimbor, originally both selfishly and foolishly to a degree helped Annatar/Sauron make the rings are his “sins of the (grand)father.” And yet he died never having betrayed their location, or making a foolish oath. Galadriel resisted the power of the One Ring, despite already bearing a Ring of Power. Gil-Galad gave his up upon his imminent death to a worthy successor. Cirdan simply gave his up to a worthy bearer. They all decided they had to stop using the Three Elven Rings when Sauron reappeared, lest they fall to his will, despite that it meant their gradual decay. And they even supported Sauron’s over-throw, because as far beyond any redemption as he was, and a threat to all, destroying him meant their literal end of their time in Middle Earth. And in the end, all bearer’s were content with sacrificing all that power, letting the Three rings fade into nothing but trinkets, and returning with them to Valinor...something NOONE (save perhaps Beren or Luthien) was capable of doing with the three Silmarils. So basically...I finally just realized the connection...the Silmarils in “The Silmarillion” depicted power beyond measure to the wielder, or at least ensured greed and want, just like the One Ring...but the depowering of the Three Elven Rings, ESPECIALLY given the bearers lasts and cultural history, represent an utter REJECTION of the temptation of not just the One Ring, not just the Three Elven Rings, but the sins of their fathers..the Three Silmarils. Talk about a saga-connecting redemption story for the ages...thank you, apologies to the many who probably realized all of this FAR before I did, and thank you again for making me realize this through your amazing video! 🙂

[@lalexarockyyoheart1516]

This channel is a Gift! :3 i love to keep learning and to remember again and again why i love LOTR.

[@marionbaggins]

Hey Mellon Love All Your Videos!!! I Have To Say You Make It Sound Like A Story......A History And Love That About You Videos!!! It Makes It Easier To Understand!!! Thx Marion Baggins P.s Even Though I Don't Have Facebook Account! I Saw The Poll & I Say........ Samwise Gamgee Epic Character History Please!!! Thanks Again Marion Baggins

[@MenoftheWest]

Marion Baggins Thank you as always! It means a lot! And I'll record your vote!

[@marionbaggins]

*#VOTESAMWISE*

[@TheMimiSard]

I feel like you were using the word "Ainur" wrongly in this, as it sounds like you were using it to mean spirit/soul. The better word there would be "fëa" or "fëar". "Ainur" is more "spirit" in the sense of "Powerful spirit being" and is basically the name of the race that Sauron, the Wizards, and even the balrog come from.

[@ericabbott9053]

Sauron, the Wizards and the balrogs are all Maiar

[@cool06alt]

@@ericabbott9053 Maiar and Valar are Ainur that descent to Arda, there is nothing wrong with the statement Sauron and the Wizards belong to Ainur

[@sampowell1649]

Ainur are the beings created by eru illuvitar and aren’t spirts of everyone but just those created by eru illuvitar, the Ainur that descended into Arda were then separated into Maiar and Valar

[@charleslmichael26]

Great video. I already new most of it, but it was nice to see a video that filled in the gaps.

[@angelsmilkyway4352]

You came up in my mentions. I thoroughly enjoyed this video. I wish you much success

[@ink7548]

The elves are no Ainur, that's the race of the Maiar and Valar. You're talking about their Fëa.

[@NotDumbassable]

Cool Video, through you‘ve made a little factual mistake. Ainur is a term describing both Maiar and Valar, whose spirits are called ëalar. The children of Illuvatar, Elves and Men, have a fëar, their soul, and a hröa, their flesh. Also, concerning the effects of the Dwarven Rings, whilst Sauron wasn’t able to dominate their minds as with the Rings of the Nazgûl, he had in their creation facilitated what Tolkien called the Morgoth factor. This is the very essence of Morgoth that is omnipresent in the “flesh“ of Arda since its marring and is especially concentrated in gold, which may have been the cause of the corruption of their minds.

[@wolflordshaitan]

Love this channel so much! Keep up all the good work man.

[@charliejose7134]

Thank you for your videos. I'm a D&D gamer when I was young. Highly appreciate what you've done and will be doing.

[@lukestepien4633]

The ring of fire was given to the shipwright? A night on the mead could be fairly catastrophic.

[@pedrocastaneda5398]

What if Gil Galad never died in the battle of the last alliance? Also thanks for the last response

[@brianbettwy6904]

Thank you for doing these videos!

[@lauraschroeder8177]

Great explanation and clear. You have a wonderful narrative voice.

[@kayagoksoy]

50 more subs in one day, nice :)

[@MenoftheWest]

Çağlayan Göksoy Thank you! Couldn't do it without you guys!

[@calebklingerman7902]

These rings are actually not as good as they seem. While they were crafted free from Sauron's hand, they were still crafted with the knowledge and power he gave to Celebrimbor. This means that, while not inherently bad, the fact that they were so powerful meant it would be tempting to their owners to misuse them, which Galadriel and Elrond certainly did. While they did many good things with them, such as healing Frodo and shielding free peoples from enemy eyes, they were also used selfishly. The greatest theme in Tolkien's books is the evil of trying to hinder the passing of time. Men yearn for the future, since they are mortal and know they will never see it. The greatest example of this is the Numenoreans, who attempted to assault Valinor in an attempt to reach immortality. That is why when a mortal wears a ring of power, his life is prolonged (though not the same as being immortal, because the ring will eventually ruin him and he will become a wraith). Gollum, Bilbo, and the Ringwraiths all lived longer than they should have due to their use of Rings. This is because the Rings granted them a sort of power over time, to put off their inevitable deaths. However, the elves are already immortal so this temptation is not attractive to them. Their flaw is to dwell in the past. Since they live so long, they remember the way things used to be and long for those days once more. So, the fact that Galadriel and Elrond used their rings to preserve their realms and suspend them in their "hayday" is a selfish misuse of the rings.

[@bradleywoods3742]

I know this comment is a bit late but the reason the numenorians even considered attacking valinor was mostly due to the corruption of sauron (in his imprisonment)

[@rakkatytam]

I don't think the word selfish is appropriate though, maybe self centered is a better way to describe it.

[@doc-uzziel-holiday6250]

I enjoyed your comment, but please allow me to respectfully disagree with you on saying that the elves that used the three rings of the elves, Elrond and Galadirel did so selfishly. Think for a moment about living for eternity. We humans live , in modern times, maybe into one hundred years, or maybe into a few more beyond that, in rare cases. Now, elves live forever. They saw the creation of middle earth and they were intimate and connected with their world, and all life within in, in a way only Native Americans or all Native human beings in our modern world, know of it. To say that the elves were somehow "selfish" in their use of the rings to preserve their world is a bit off base, in my opinion. When human beings achieve immortality, through the Lord Jesus Christ, then , perhaps, some of them shall begin to understand the elves and their use of rings of power to preserve both all life, but also their memories to keep them from becoming overwhelmed with sorrow, in the face of the evil in their world, with the evil that began to destroy it all. Their world knew no such evil, yet they endured through it all, preserved as much as they could of all life, and once evil was defeated, headed to the undying lands, to know such destruction, no more. Enough said.

[@KenS1267]

You neglect Cirdan who bore Narya for centuries and did not attempt to maintain Lindon but allowed the elves of the north to leave and retreated to the Havens and simply facilitated the building of ships so those elves who wished to leave could escape Middle Earth when Gandalf arrived with the other Istari he handed over Narya to Gandalf so that it would support him in his work to come. The Elven rings are untainted by evil as Sauron had no hand in their making. That much is made clear repeatedly in the texts by Tolkien.

[@thehighguarduk4820]

Fantastic video! Really well explained and discussed. Keep up the great work!

[@joelnenadovich8141]

There's some beautiful images and artwork in this video. Good work.

[@Roro-dv6le]

What if Saruman got the one ring

[@MenoftheWest]

R. V I'll add it to the list of video ideas! That would be a fun theory to do! Thank you so much!

[@Roro-dv6le]

Men of the West nice

[@mrsparkle001]

I love to think about that. Didn't he forge his own ring? It wasn't anywhere near as powerful because he was still experimenting but he wanted to be the new Lord. People seem to think Saruman was Sauron's lieutenant or something but that's not true. Saruman wanted to emulate and surpass Sauron, starting with breeding a superior race of orcs. Saruman and Sauron are both Maiar but Saruman came to Middle Earth highly diminished in power so I wonder if he would have had the will to dominate the ring or if the ring would have dominated him. He's a Maiar after all, so there is a chance he could possibly have dominated it (while it corrupted him). Gandalf said something similar. The ring may not have made it's way back to Sauron if a Maiar possessed it but that Maiar would have become a new Dark Lord. Any other race would eventually have seen the ring delivered back to Sauron, even Gollum or a hobbit eventually. That's my opinion.

[@mrsparkle001]

Actually Gandalf wasn't classes below him. Cirdan perceived he was in fact the stronger, but it wasn't a strength of craft, like Saruman, but of spirit. That's the difference. Gandalf as the new Dark Lord probably would have brought everyone to despair in the way he brought everyone hope as himself, and Saruman probably would have enslaved everyone in some industrial hell that saw the forests and wilderness of the world replaced by machinery and industrialization.

[@barkley8285]

Pixel Fyxe don't know what the hell your talking about. Gandalf is a pretty powerful Maiar. Compared to all the maiar Saruman isn't that powerful, Gandalf the grey is below him both Gandalf the white is more powerful than him.

[@FoxieShay]

Please tell me you've seen the fan made movies of The Hunt for Gollum and Born of Hope!

[@MenoftheWest]

Molly Shay Oh I love those movies! Those artists truly made those incredible pieces!

[@FoxieShay]

Men of the West they are oh my gosh!

[@giulioaprati338]

are there other fan made middle earth movies along with those 2?

[@MenoftheWest]

giulio aprati Not that I know of. I would love to see more of those but I'm pretty sure those two are it currently.

[@stoneryoda9377]

Molly Shay Born of hope I haven't seen that one I'm getting one lol

[@PleaseNThankYou]

I so wish i would have had the sense to search out this channel. I'm 60 in a few months and although i watched the movies as they came out, I really had not given much thought to study of the story line. The Hobbit and LOTR tril. we're the first real books my parents have me. I think they were looking for anything that might strike my fancy! And they did. I reread Hobbit but life got busy and I read through LOTR only once I my life. The movies were a real treat for me!! Although things didn't seem right with them according to my memory, I assumed that artistic license and necessity prevailed. They are still dear to me. I've also read much of Silmarillion and The Book of Lost Tales (i wonder is this the same as Unfinished Tales?). Anyway, you do more than just work, it's so enlightening to me after all these years. To understand the history makes the story so much more personal. I look forward to watching your videos as long as i can.

[@SJSnaps]

Hey great job man love the videos! The Hobbit was the very first book I ever read when I was a kid and I always wanted to know more about the lore of Middle Earth. I am so glad that you put these up ✌️😀

[@Kyrw]

Sugestion: Let the comemtary text that apear on your video hang for more, time as they are hard to read and pay attention to what you are saying

[@greyeyes9454]

I posted a comment (this comment, explains the 'Edited' mark) if my comment underneath you Gandalf fanfic video inspired this video before watching this video the whole way through, now I know, I didn't haven enough patience >_< Seeing Shadow of Mordor art and screenshots being used in this video, I'd like to ask you if you have played the game and if so, what do you think about the inaccuracies in the game compared to the by Tolkien created lore?

[@MenoftheWest]

Grey Eyes Yep it did inspire the video haha! I was hoping someone would ask me what I think of SoM. Personally, I like the game mechanics and things like that, but it is really held back by how much it goes against Tolkien lore. It makes no sense being in the same universe as the rest of the legendarium, but that's just what I think. They could've done a much better job with it and tying things together, like they did with Lord of the Rings Online. Thank you once again Grey Eyes. Your support has really helped this channel!

[@greyeyes9454]

I liked SoM's story but it's soo incomplete, partly because of WB (I believe) not having the rights to the Silmarillion. One big thing I dislike is that Celebrimbor's character background is changed big time and that he is able to interact with the living while being dead. No problem for helping. I enjoy your videos a lot so support comes naturally I guess. Keep doing what you're doing ;)

[@michaelheliotis5279]

I wouldn't say they went "against" Tolkien's lore. They were just creating their own lore to fill in the unwieldy gaps that Tolkien left littered all over the place. Games have different narrative requirements than video games, so they needed to fully flesh out things that Tolkien glossed over or barely touched on. And given that, I think they did a pretty good job of making their invented lore fit in with the canon. Obviously some things were a bit superficially 'gamey', such as Celebrimbor having roamed the world building Eregion towers as monuments to his dead family, which is clearly motivated by the game's need to have Assassin's Creed-style viewpoints scattered around the map, but Tolkien certainly left enough room in his world that it's not to hard to imagine most of their invented lore as be something you might find in _Unfinished Tales Vol. II_ or some such.

[@WhiteWolf-di2nh]

@@greyeyes9454 also what i dont like is Celebrimbor turns out to be the bad guy in the games... which he is not. i played both SoM and SoW and that just triggers me a lot !

[@philipbarrick4149]

Nice to depiction of the three rings of tokens never really knew it Thanks

[@deathknight0481]

Just found your channel tonight going to be going through most of you videos. I love the content

[@crazyrussianbot8012]

Did Thranduil have any kind of magic ring? I play minecraft with Lotr-mod, and the server-owner added rings for eg. Thranduil, which is probably not in Lore.

[@xDarkestDemonx]

Nope, he never possessed one. That's also why the darkness of Dol Guldur could enter his realm (in the movies ond the book depicted with the spiders and ghosts) and why the forest seemed to be "ill". The elves of the woodland realm didn't have the same perserving powers that the other elven kindoms had. Which makes his whole stance of mistrust and skepsis even more understandable.

[@adityabhalekar3506]

no

[@Mg95a]

I know this might be a daft question, but what if the One Ring remained lost at the bottom of the river and was never found by Deagol?

[@Aldiraider]

After many years the Nazgul would have found it. Funny Thing is that the Ring attracts evil creatures.

[@XPolarisXx]

Gandalf says in the books that it was the will of the ring to be found

[@thefunder1]

Sauron would eventually conquer ME no matter what, he doesn't need the One to do that.

[@Terminalsanity]

Sauron would have subjugated and dominated middle earth, there was no other way to stop him save through its destruction.

[@ryantempleton49]

I’m a bit late to this channel but loving the content! Excellent video 👏

[@DeanNoble14748]

The Light of Elendil. May it shine for you in the darkest places.

[@colleenross8752]

The light of Earendil

[@gwyndolin1536]

What exactly happened to the Dwarven rings/if Sauron got them, how?

[@jasonbolding3481]

All but three of the seven rings were destroy by dragon fire. Sauron hunted down and reclaimed those three, the last from Thráin oakenshield who was kidnapped and taken to Dol Goldur pre-*the hobbit*

[@a2pabmb2]

Elrond == Agent Smith, confirmed.

[@warriorsofcamelotlotro3347]

Great lore deep dive, thank you so much for this one!!!

[@duncansutherland47]

Once again, well done!