The Rings of Power | Magic in Middle-earth

[@leejonesFTW]

Your analysis regarding the effect of Rings on Dwarves is so so good and I couldn’t agree more. Thanks for this video.

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thank you! I found researching the Dwarven rings way more intriguing than I first thought. Dwarven metaphysics is a whole nother animal 😆

[@williambillhuggins7690]

It is rare that I bother commenting on KZbin, but I have a feeling that it would be unfair not to do so. Take this as a comment for all the brilliant content you have produced. The most unique thing about your content is how you are able to walk through the fine line between creating something new and staying faithful to canon. That degree of control, without straying to either side is simply astounding. You neither repeat the age old knowledge available nor come up with baseless wild theories. You simply are without a peer. Waiting for your next middle earth romances video with excitement, whichever couple you are going to cover.

[@GirlNextGondor]

Top marks for an excellent pseudonym, Bill Huggins - and I really appreciate the comment 🥰 That balance between known facts and pure surmise is something I'm always having to pay attention to, or else I end up in some very silly places - and this is one reason I haven't yet dared to tackle the subject of Tom Bombadil. The plan is to proceed chronologically with the romances, so that means Beren and Luthien are slated to go next, and while I'm looking forward to it I'm also a little nervous to tackle The Big One.

[@muenchhausenmusic]

I wholeheartedly agree! GNG is by far the best Tolkien channel out there. But don't let it get to you head, GNG ;)

[@Enerdhil]

Very well put. Lexi is special for sure.

[@mrmacura3421]

@Williambillhuggins I could not have said that better myself

[@genemcgeehan9435]

Hear hear. Your analysis is deep and insightful. It’s not just a recap, but shows a knowledge of the source material that other KZbinrs do not offer. Each video adds to my understanding of Middle Earth.

[@awl61]

Huh, I never thought of the rings as being "technology" in the symbolic sense. Makes a very good point considering Tolkien's view on technology

[@fabianheinrich3930]

I cannot get over just how damn good this series is. Huge respect.

[@GirlNextGondor]

Appreciate it 🥰thanks, and I'm glad you're finding it useful!

[@beanosbeanos956]

If I recall correctly Gollum describes Sauron’s physical body as still missing the finger that the ring was cut from, if he does physically have the Nazgûl’s rings I would like to imagine him actually wearing them on each of his remaining 9 fingers (even if putting 2 on his thumbs would be really awkward)

[@ecthelion1735]

Easily the most underrated Tolkien channel. Absolutely excellent, GNG!

[@brendanmooney7607]

Imma hammer that like button the way an evil Maia hammers out one ring to rule them all! Also: thank you for making the effort to reply to so many of the comments on your videos... At the rate this channel is growing, it's inevitable that sooner or later the volume of comments will be too high for this to be possible, so I'll continue to appreciate it while it lasts!

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thanks man 😄I'm kind of in the same boat; I've really loved being able to connect with almost everyone who leaves a comment and recognizing frequent viewers; I know that time is probably coming to an end so I'm enjoying the opportunity while I have it.

[@beatleblev]

Well...that was amazing. Thank you for pulling all of that Ring lore in to one amazing video! Random thoughts on Rings: 1, Golf claps to Sauron the Deceiver for finding common interest with the Noldor, and exploiting that interest to induce the Gwaith-i-Mirdain to craft the collars of their own enslavement. Bravo! Wrapped around your finger indeed! Sauron is the master at getting people to make horrible decisions that seem like great ideas on the surface. He should really stick to that. 2. None of the Ringmaker Conspirators should have been in Middle Earth in the first place. Sauron should be apologizing to everyone he hurt in the Halls of Mandos and saying a google, "Hail Varda's," and the Noldor should be back in Valinor to face the music for killing their kin and stealing their boats and the whirlwind of chaos and violence that followed. But, nope, the Noldor opted for Plan B: Make Middle Earth into a Blessed Realm (or at least the Elven realms). 3. I think of the Rings of Power as soft magic analogs to the Angreal of Wheel of Time's hard magic system in their enhancement ability. However, instead of just enhancing your ability to wield the One Power or sub-creative will, the Rings might also increase your ability to compose music, make things (of course), make inspiring speeches, etc. I agree with you that the Elven Rings have an elemental affinity and that they enhance the wearer's abilities with that element. 4. I concur that Sauron's nine fingers bear nine Rings of Power. I think this is the mechanism Sauron uses to enhance the Morgul Lord during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. I wonder when Sauron took back the Rings from the Nazgul? Was the Witch King allowed to keep his Ring during his reign in Angmar? He was the face of the Shadow for two thirds of the Third Age. This is one of my favorite topics. Fascinating!

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thank you so much ☺️it was a really cool topic to research! To your points: 1) I agree; Sauron is clearly at his 'best' when working behind the scenes to corrupt others. He's great in a crisis or when coming back from behind; his cleverest plans seem to come about spontaneously or involve improvisation. It's when he goes Full Morgoth and becomes a brooding darkness in an impregnable tower, micromanaging everything down to the last detail, that he starts getting stuck. 2) I see what you're saying but: imagine a 'penitent' Sauron paroled to Tol Eressea after serving his hard time, finding Celebrimbor hard at work along with *even more* Noldor (and probably significantly more disaffected Sindar.) Yes, avoiding fading would no longer be a strong motive, but some kind of second fall was probably inevitable.... Maybe best that they all stayed away from Valinor after all. 3) I can't much speak to the Wheel of Time parallels, unfortunately. But I think I see how the ideas relate: the Rings fundamentally increase a person's overall power/potential - their but between a person's innate tendencies, the needs of the moment, and the specific Ring itself, I think you would see variances in how that would be expressed. Which suggests that certain Rings might be more or less well-matched to certain bearers. For instance, maybe Cirdan, being strongly affiliated with water, living on the very edges of Middle-earth, and being oriented toward refuge and escape, knew that Narya was a much better fit for someone like Gandalf. 4) My suspicion is the apparently-indestructable 'foundations of Barad-dur' had some vaults and treasuries, and with the siege going so badly Sauron would have been smart enough to lock up the Nine before going out to battle. This would have made it extra important for the Nazgul to find a way to get back into Mordor - and maybe accounts for their greater apparent independence during the middle of the 3rd Age; without the One or the Nine physically in his possession, maybe Sauron lacked the degree of granular control over the Nine he later demonstrated.... All of these are really intriguing questions and conjectures to explore - I might need to revisit the subject in the future!

[@jonathanferguson7791]

Also, about 17 minutes in... YOU'RE SO FREAKIN' KNOWLEDGEABLE!!!! I admire your intricate and skillfully accrued understanding of the lore.

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thank you, I appreciate that!

[@cuetoluis]

The witch king dying.. I rewinded it four times, crying from laughter throughout.. wow, Disintegrated via his alpha male vibes being challenged.. Ha..! You’re the best..! .lol.

[@GirlNextGondor]

😂 thank you; re-reading that scene it seemed so clear to me that what REALLY did him in was not knowing how to react when someone failed to cower in abject fear before his 'might.'

[@sethrivers5303]

@@GirlNextGondor I lost it at 'disembodied peacocking' the first time and on my third re-watch/listen, it's still cracking me up. But you're very right about his inability to adjust to an unexpected reaction. The first comparison that springs to my mind is Mr. Gryle, weird as that might sound. It's that tendency to assume (correctly) that everyone who faces you will be terrified and (incorrectly) that their reaction will always play to your strengths. Like Pratchett said in another book, the problem with cornering small, furry, squeaking animals is that sometimes that animal turns out to be a mongoose. (Or a con-man turned postmaster. Or a shield-maiden of the Éothéod and a Hobbit.)

[@IlluminaudioOG]

I love information dense lore videos like this. Keep up the great work! ❤️

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thank you! Will do!

[@DavidWesley]

Great work as always!

[@smillee1957]

I've been anxiously awaiting this. Wow! You put so much work and research into each one of these videos that you make. Great job as usual!

[@GirlNextGondor]

❤ thank you. It's so nice to get it out!

[@grazareth]

The minute I saw this I was excited to get home and watch. I've thought so (obsessively) much about Tolkien's "magic system", especially in relation to the Rings, I'm super stoked to listen to your analyses now. Thanks for all the hard work, it really is appreciated! 👍

[@GirlNextGondor]

Aw, thank you! I love hearing that. I'm quite sure Tolkien didn't intend to present a coherent system of 'magic' and very deliberately left some things mysterious - but I'm equally certain that he did have SOME idea of how it all worked, in his own mind at least,' and trying to work backward to uncover what his First Principles are is a very fun (and sometimes unexpectedly enlightening) process!

[@geir8849]

I enjoyed this video immensely. Very interesting perspectives on the topic of rings. I have not heard the explanation of these rings with such complexity and depth. Making me better understand the storytelling of Tolkien, the powers of the ring and a better understanding of the different races that wears them. The way you point out the strenghts and limitations of the dwarves is full of insight, and by contrast the potensial and weaknesess of men. I think you do it well to use use your own interpreration based on the novels, letters and what Tolkine is influenced by. 10 out of 10:) Thanks!

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thank you so much, I really appreciate hearing that! I've been finding that even researching a simple topic gives me new perspectives on Tolkien's fiction (and a renewed sense of awe at how many elements he was able to seamlessly weave together). I'm always excited to share that research so others can get some new ideas too!

[@shehassee]

What is your take on why glorfindel was not given one of the three rings? It would seem he is exceptionally blessed, noble, and powerful even among the powerful,having been given power almost equal to that of the Maia.

[@Glorfindel_117]

Dont put all your eggs in one basket.

[@GirlNextGondor]

The 'serious' answer would be that Glorfindel may not have been around when the Rings were first distributed, and he may have been more valuable as a knight-errant than a Ringbearer. Other possibilities, less likely but more amusing, include: his unaided power was too great to risk Sauron corrupting him should he regain the One; he declined because Asfaloth wasn't offered a Ring too; and he only wears green stones to enhance the sparkle of his eyes.

[@sophiejones3554]

He is also described as “guileless”: i.e. naive, trusting. While this is in general a virtue, it’s not a good trait in a Ringbearer for obvious reasons.

[@shehassee]

@@sophiejones3554 I think Frodo and Sam were guileless.

[@LINKSTORMCROW_teamrock-it6598]

It seems there was reasoning for the rings ending up at precisely where they were even the conflict and strife caused by gifting the ring Fire of Anor to Gandalf and the corruption that it inspired in Saruman, all of these things had their parts to play in this grand song.

[@Helletirme]

Finally! I'm so happy I can watch it ❤️ Quality as high as always

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thank you, I hope you enjoy it!

[@casualsleepingdragon8501]

Shire folk: so how'd you get the ring from gollum? Bilbo: huh?! *stammering* uh? H-he just gave to me bc I'm just so smart! Yeah, that's it! Shire folk: *writing that down* uh-huh.

[@thebrotherskrynn]

Such a detailed analysis! Great job GnG, though I will disagree with one point here; I don't think Sauron exerted his will to dominate the 9 immediately as it was once stated that they slowly faded. Their lives extended and with these individuals going about their own way in their lifetime until at last they became wraiths and were wholly dominated. With it a slow-growing domination as Sauron was a subtle being by nature in some ways, preferring to slowly weave together a web of evil. Outside this one nitpicky point, I can't argue with your usual brilliance. I've always thought of the rings as symbols of the wickedness of an individual, such as their great sin. Something that they are addicted to so to speak, but that they know is wrong and yet they can't wholly change within themselves. Such as Galadriel's vanity, Isildur's ego or Gollum's greed, Boromir's impulsive nature, Frodo's anger towards the end of the story. Yes the Ring promises things but it plays upon the person's biggest flaw and what they hold dearest to themselves of all their flaws in a way. Therefore it is in a way a nuclear bomb but one that detonates the person's spirit, destroying them from within completely. It is addictive because we all have our vices that we do tend to humour in regards to ourselves. Some may have a lazy side, or enjoy eating too much with the Ring exciting the main 'flaw' so as to encourage the person to do increasingly cruel or selfish things so that the bearer's flaw multiplies threefold and so that there the number of flaws multiply thus giving the Ring more options to choose from in the corrupting of the individual. In a way to put it in obtusely it is the devil on one's shoulder. What do you think of this thought?

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thank you very much! I do believe that the Nazgul were corrupted slowly over time - I figured this was simply a choice on Sauron's part, to play it safe and let the Rings do the work for him. I suppose I assumed he had the *option* to overpower them with the One the whole time, but knew he wouldn't need to. But maybe the Rings work best when given time to corrupt the bearer's personality. As to your thought on the Rings, I agree that the way they work seems to be by leveraging any psychological weaknesses of the bearer, which can be anything from fear and hatred to 'good' but misguided impulses like pity or curiosity. They turn what is good, bad; and make what is bad, worse. In that way they remind me a lot of how Morgoth seems to have influenced Turin and his family.

[@thebrotherskrynn]

@@GirlNextGondor Ah okay, I should have known better than to try to match wits with you, hahaha of course you thought of it taking time. It sounded in the video as though the control of Sauron was instant and here you are correcting me. As to them needing time to better corrupt, yes that must certainly be the case! X) And I never thought to connect the Ring's influence to Morgoth's malignant influence over Hurin and his family but that actually makes some degree of sense... hmm this calls for a re-read soon. As always you're an inspiration and a joy to converse with GnG, now off to enjoy your other videos all over again.

[@joseraulcapablanca8564]

This was great stuff GNG. I think especially the bit about rings enhancing innate poweres, perhaps bilbo disappears with the ring because, "the only magic hobbits possess is the ability to hide." Gollum is a nasty little sneak who likes fiah and stealing, he becomes an even sneakier fisher analmost a shadow. You did a good job of identifying important influences for the creation of the ring. I myslef might have metnioned how Tolkien felt that evne the Father Christmas letters found themselves being slowly drawn into the legendarium, how much more was this inevitable with our friendly and comical little hobbits. Thanks and keep up the good work.

[@GirlNextGondor]

The way the Ring plays off the different personalities of the people who cross its path would be an interesting topic in itself. Isildur's grief and rage and misplaced sense of destiny, Gollum's slyness and covetousness, Bilbo's desire to just be left *alone*, and Frodo's potential for great nobility conflicting with his essential humility - it all affects the Ring's operations. And I agree that Tolkien should maybe have known better than to think he could write The Hobbit in the evenings and the Lay of Beren and Luthien at night and keep the two worlds separate. As you say, even the man's annual Santa letters ended up with an alphabet and mythology (and Goblin battles).

[@TolkienLorePodcast]

Phenomenal analysis combined with really important reminders about things we tend to forget. I feel like my whole take on the Rings just got overhauled!

[@GirlNextGondor]

🥰 Thank you, Josh!! I entered the research phase of this video with a lot of preconceptions that were almost all in tatters by the end of my first script draft 😂 it was a real eye-opener and no mistake.

[@jaytucker7873]

Wow, "sneak up behind it and throttle it like it gave you a lousy birthday present"?! That's brutal! But today I think I'll crush that like button like Beorn in bear form crushing the skull of Bolg! Like button banter aside, this video is nearing a Magnum opus of Tolkien magic lore. You really outdid yourself. Thank you for all the hard work and have a "blessed by the valar" kind of day!

[@GirlNextGondor]

Appreciate it as always! I didn't have very high hopes for this topic at first, but there was a lot more material to investigate than I expected 😅 and I really enjoyed piecing it all together. Glad to hear you found it useful!

[@mikedonohue9927]

incredibly well done!

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thank you Michael!

[@jamiecampbell8855]

Along with the red book, you have the best KZbin channel on tolkein. Rather than simple plot recount, you engage in deep thematic analysis, as an author of tolkein's complexity so clearly deserves.

[@alexv3357]

46:59 "The more the bearer rationally understands the Ring, the greater his capacity to make use of it, which results in greater susceptibility to its temptations." This line has real "they were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should" energy, which is probably no accident

[@dragonofthewest9186]

We need more of your magic in middle-earth videos. All of your videos are fun and engaging on a philosophical and theological level. Not to mention very well made from the art to the music reflecting the themes.

[@Helletirme]

Btw I love the music you put in your videos, it really fits the content and makes a vibe.

[@gundamofspitara7583]

If the 3 become visible the more one is connected to a ring, then why did the Nazgul not notice Gandalf’s ring when fighting on Weathertop, or is it that the One has that power alone, which explains why Frodo sees Galadriel’s ring?

[@vishishify]

Ive always struggled with starting LOTR. Its a massive series and Ive seen the movies. But after a few of your videos I immediately ordered all of them. Im going through them now and I finally get it. I get why so many people love this series. Thank you

[@Erik-um1zn]

Excellent video. You're doing a great job! Thanks for the content. It is telling to note that, without the Ring, Sauron took over a thousand years to 'take shape' again, whereas he was able to do so rather quickly after the destruction of Numenor. I might quibble on some issues, as it seems that there were at least a few candidates that could wield the Ring fully enough to overthrow Sauron; Gandalf emphasizes the point that the real danger of using the Ring was replacing Sauron with a new Dark Lord.

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thank you so much! You made two great observations that I do have some extra thoughts on: one is the degradation of Sauron's personal power over time that sometimes makes it hard to tell what loss of power is due to his access to the Ring versus what is just unavoidable. In particular, incarnation seems to become harder for him with each successive loss of his body. Like you I imagine the Ring is pretty efficient at rebuilding or preserving bodies (that seems to be part of what Rings do generally) - but even with the Ring, it seems reembodiment would be harder each time he had to do it. Personally, I would also expect that Galadriel or Elrond would be able to kick Sauron out of his own Ring - Tolkien, though, says that he'd only expect Gandalf or another Maia to be capable of this. I think Galadriel or Elrond would end up by becoming 'Dark Lords' in their own right, perhaps over the course of thousands of years - but I think the distinction is that Sauron would continue to be able to draw on the power he placed in the Ring, and that he would *eventually* be able to reassert control. Again, this is based on my read of Tolkien's own speculations - in an unfinished draft of a private letter, as I recall - and sometimes he envisioned scenarios that he later backtracked on, or that didn't fit well with the existing lore 🤣 it would be interesting to see whether he'd adjust his views later, if given the chance.

[@Telcontar86]

Sauron was able to reform a body relatively quickly after Numenor by using the Ruling Ring, but he was still "confounded by the catastrophe" and hadn't regained his strength or dominion when he was attacked by Gil-Galad and Elendil (paraphrasing Tolkien in a letter). So theoretically even though he rebuilt his strength more slowly in the 3rd Age (and was weaker than even during the War of the Last Alliance) his power was probably more... stable? than at the end of the Second Age. Even with that, one on one confrontation with him, in person, was never considered an option. A Ring wielding Gandalf vs Sauron was stated by the professor to be a "very close thing" so even if he's diminished Sauron is very dangerous

[@HonkIfYouLoveBeer]

“A distraction from behind and a sword through the face from the first woman to threaten his alpha vibe in all his 4000 years of disembodied peacocking” 😂😂😂 I'm dyin here

[@GirlNextGondor]

🤣 poor Witch-king, rejected so hard it unmade his form....

[@maxpiemuse9584]

Great video. Your best yet! Don't shy away from longer videos - we love them! Like LotR, they are too short! On the subject of rings, I'm really glad you addressed the lesser rings and Saruman's ring. Most people gloss over those. Also, most people seem to assume that the 9 and 7 are all the same and Sauron could have, for example, given men 12 and dwarves 4. I'm not certain that's the case. Or that all 16 are identical. I'd love to know your thoughts on this.

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thank you so much! I enjoy making some longer videos for sure, but it's important to balance that out with uploading regularly 😉 otherwise I'd probably end up putting out 5 2-hour videos a year. I think there's a few approaches you can take with the Great Rings: film adaptations and pop culture references tend to envision them as being made/meant for their respective peoples from the get-go, and the books don't really support that. So another way to look at it, that jives better with the descriptions in LotR/the Silmarillion, is that the Elves created all the Rings as 'Elven' rings; that they were all basically the same and it was only Sauron's arbitrary decision that led to 7 and 9 being given to Dwarves and Men respectively. The 7/9 division could be due to there being 7 main Dwarven lines or houses, so Sauron tried one on each, and then divided the remaining nine evenly between the 3 human peoples he was already working with, since supposedly 3 went to Numenoreans, 3 to Easterlings, and 3 to Haradrim. However, there is that tradition that Durin's Ring was a gift from Celebrimbor, which suggests that at least one ring might have been made, or at least selected, with a Dwarven bearer in mind. The lesser Rings are described as if they had varying powers, and no one seems to know even how many there were or what they could do. And I mentioned that the Elven Rings are associated with specific elements and seem to have slightly different tendencies or 'flavors' associated with those elements. So my personal belief is that the other Rings of Power, while made by the Elves, all sharing mostly the same properties, and not divided into 7 and 9 from the get-go, similarly had their own individual associations and strengths (to go along with their individual jewels presumably!), and that Sauron may well have selected ones that best fit the proclivities and weaknesses of his intended recipients.

[@mandos1139]

Very fascinating video, you made a lot observations that I never even thought of in regards to Ring lore. 👍

[@therealpatagonianpancakes]

19:32 Gandalf does pop in and out of existence all throughout The Hobbit, though its not really a ring power

[@GirlNextGondor]

🤣 Very true!

[@sainiharika]

Powerful Elves Ainur & Bombadils lol 😂 at 26:30

[@markus-hermannkoch1740]

14:14 I wouldn't put it past Saruman to craft his own ring. Like Sauron, he was a gifted disciple of Aule's, and long engaged in the lore of their making. As keeper of Orthanc (that had been granted him), he certainly was elegible for other formidable scientific resources, as Gandalf hints at during Elrond's council, stating Saruman was partaking in all that was shared. If his form appeared frail, that is due to his appointed rule as one of the Istari, for whom 'understatement' was part of the strategy chosen for them by the Valar.

[@shanenolan8252]

I believe in ancient history ( rome , Greece ect ) they used to give soldiers or officers rings like an academy ring in modern world. It was like you were married to the army or a cause ( defense of your country for example) you actually couldn't get married to a woman without special dispensation ( for an infantry soldier) or legionnaires. Rings have always been a potent symbol. Or with nobility a singet or signature ring . As a form of identity and a personal stamp on letters. I remember queen Elizabeth the first wore a wedding ring ( i am married to England)

[@GirlNextGondor]

YES - great points. One could probably write, not just a video, but a book on the symbolism of rings. The identity/authority angle as with a signet ring is a particularly good one to tie into the Rings of Power. The idea of an eternal bond seems to be common to most of them.

[@shanenolan8252]

@@GirlNextGondor agreed

[@saeedshahbazian9889]

This is quality content! Well done Lexi

[@Archgeek0]

An altogether excellent exploration and analysis! Also, I cannot cease cracking up at the end-card featuring Feanor and Pals' Big Beach Party. The cutesy artwork contrasts hilariously with the enormity of the actions (and those known to precede them). XD

[@ryanratchford2530]

Amazing video and you covered so much. There is one weird thing though about the One Ring you didn’t mention. It’s said that the fortress Barradur was also tied to the fate of the ring and could be brought down while the ring existed. Maybe Sauron tied Baradur to his power like Morgoth did to Arda? Actually there is also Morgoth’s ring and Melion’s Gerdal (where Mayar and Valar put some of their power into physical things therefore tying them closer to the physical world and tying their fates together)

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thank you! The topics you mentioned are definitely ones I want to explore - the different parallels between Sauron's Ring and Morgoth's marring of the world, the way the Valar generally seem to expend their power into the world the way Morgoth does (at a much slower rate and with better motives), the idea that certain elements (like gold!) are more susceptible to holding Concentrated Levels of Morgoth, and finally the question of the physical fading of the Elves, which the Rings were meant to stave off - but at a cost. It's going to be really fun to explore those connections - but as you say, this video already covered a lot and I didn't think it was wise to try to squeeze in any more. Regarding Barad-dur, Tolkien mentions a couple of times that its foundations could not be destroyed while the One Ring existed because Sauron had used its power to lay them. So I think your proposal is basically correct - Barad-dur's foundations are somehow infused with Sauron's power, probably in a similar way that Morgoth infused his will into Arda.

[@ryanratchford2530]

@@GirlNextGondor oh wow I never thought of that! That the power of the rings can hold of the fading of the world, which we know is caused by Morgoth’s marring. We know Sauron concentrated his power into his ring whereas Morgoth diluted his power into Arda to corrupt it & cause effects like fading of elves. So maybe this concentration of power is why it can hold off the fading of a realm because it’s sort of the same mechanism as to Morgoth’s marring but in reverse? I’m just spit balling. Although it’s never mentioned, I have a bit of a head cannon that says a lot of the Valar who helped create the 2 trees (& purred a lot of their essence into it so much they could never replicate it again) would also become physically weaker after the trees were destroyed.

[@eluthiccgol4715]

I just noticed the nyan cat. Well placed, madam.

[@stnylan]

Another superlative video. Nearly fifty minutes, and not a second that feels wasted. I am glad I set aside the time to listen to this properly, rather than whilst doing something else. I chuckled at your rendition of the Witch-King's demise, as I am sure many have done. And I love the idea linking Sauron's struggle to perceive hobbits to their natural ability to hide. That just fits so well. There is that little passage in Lothlorien, just after the mirror-viewing - which you reference - where Galadriel tells Frodo that to fully use the Ring he would have to "train your will to the domination of others". As I listen through to Andy Serkis' narration of the story (I do recommend, it is excellent) I have been struck but just how opposite the essential nature of hobbitfolk is to Sauron. If I remember aright part of Sauron's own corruption was the desire for order - itself a form of domination. But hobbits - and I include Smeagol - seem to basically desire no dominion at all. Oh they have their wants - Smeagol likes secrets and finding things out - but rulership and lordship? These are most uncommon qualities in hobbitry, even amongst their few aristocrats. I can't help but think that this somewhat buffed their "defence" stats against the Ring - their nature was too alien for Sauron's malice to easily comprehend. Also I just love the little passage of the Ring's temptation of Sam. And I think one reason the Ring struggles so is that Sam defines himself as a servant, and happily so. The Ring, whose nature is in part domination, just doesn't get it. Even so it sends temptations of Samwise the Strong, Hero of the Age, turning Gorgoroth into a garden. And yet ... Samwise proves himself strong - literally in carrying Frodo despite being on the edge of exhaustion himself. He is the steadfast hero, Tolkien's own "hero" as I recall. And Galadriel told him when she gave him her gift "Though you should find all barrren and laid waste, there will be few gardens in all Middle-Earth that bloom like your garden." Well when they return they find the Shire Scourged, and Sam even remarks that it reminds him of Morder - of Gorgoroth. And the only other person present with memory of Mordor concurs. And Sam's response is not to hoard the precious Earth for his garden - for that would have been another form of domination - but to share, to make of his Garden the entire Shire, and whilst I admit it may be a stretch in doing so, symbolically, he greens the grey of Gorgoroth too. I hope the going through of former videos is not proving too onerous, though I suspect alas it probably is.

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thank you for the excellent observations - I definitely agree that there's something about hobbits in particular that does not naturally tend toward domination. Interestingly, though, hobbits are concerned with 'order' - maybe moreso than other Mannish tribes, certainly more than Elves - and Sauron's original motivation was partly a desire for order. But the hobbitish ideal is order achieved with minimum necessary intervention, order in the service of other good things like liberty, peace, and prosperity, not pursued for its own ends. Sam as a gardener is a great embodiment of this: a garden is tended, it's not just a free-for-all or wilderness, but it's tended so that plants may grow, and gardeners know better than most that you can't *make* living things conform exactly to your will - all you can do is provide the right conditions. (Lacking any Lorien soil I am currently trying, with mixed success, to keep my houseplants alive, and finding this principle to be very evident.) Thus even the Ring's temptation of Sam held the seeds (pun intended) of its own failure: the idea of turning Mordor into a garden by using force and domination is self-contradictory. The review of past videos proceeds somewhat slower than I would like, but it is still moving in the right direction. 😉

[@anonymussicarius8899]

Only a vanishingly low chance of getting turned into a wraith? Well, sorry, but I can´t fulfill you wish that I may strangle the like button to death. For law enforcement here in my corner of Middle Earth is very strict, and also counts attacks directed towards inanimated and virtual objects as attempted murderer, so only the wraith treatment could have saved me from a totally unfounded prosecution... I only can express my enjoyment of your deep dive into the ring lore by this comment. ;)

[@GirlNextGondor]

Alas, that pesky like button will continue to plague me. I shall have to take more direct action against it. Perhaps disguising it as a Silmaril will prompt some Elves to try and snatch it? Glad you enjoyed the deep dive 😁

[@agatainventio9464]

I just found this channel and I love it super impressive work, this is one of top 3 Tolkien yt sources ✨👌

[@jarrodcarver9001]

Excellent video as always!

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@sainiharika]

Omg the ring lore truly. ♥️♥️ gifted

[@Dunybrook]

Fantastic video. I don't think Frodo or Sam or Bilbo or Gollum would have become wraiths simply because they didn't have the power to use the ring to that level but living forever would have eventually become very burdensome to them.

[@smuu1996]

This type of video is just like 50 minutes of me being a happy 8yo. Fun stuff.

[@GirlNextGondor]

Always a good feeling when it's a nice meaty video you can take some time with 😄

[@skippyboxford]

Did sauron even need to make the ring if he could conqueror just with force? I know he wanted to dominate the world not destroy it like morgoth, and would the wise actually b able to control the 1 ring if they had it which is what he seems to b so scared of in the war of the ring, he could of taken his time to destroy everyone instead of rushing cos of the ring being on his mind, seems easy victory if he just went with strength of arms in the first place

[@GirlNextGondor]

I think you're right, and it's an example of Tolkien's idea that evil tends to be self-defeating: We know Sauron started out with somewhat good intentions, trying to reform and reorganize the chaos of Middle-earth, and presumably he had some success with that project, but the problems began when he got impatient. He wanted a shortcut, and he wanted more direct control - which the Ring gave him, but it also created a vulnerability he didn't anticipate. For all that the Ring is evil and powerful, it's also the thing that allowed Sauron to be defeated (without needing to destroy the entire continent, again, to do so.) So ironically it's kind of lucky for the good guys that he decided to make the Ring, instead of just conquering everyone the old-fashioned way.

[@muddlewait8844]

Thank you! Easily the best analysis of these story elements I’ve seen. The way I’ve best been able to understand Tolkien’s magic, at least as far as ring-lore goes, is by comparing it forces at work in my own real life. A phone is a sort of ring, or at least a palantir, these days. As a user, you surrender more and more of yourself to it, allow it access to your data, infuse it with your preferences, let it see what you do even as it gives you access to an unseen world, and sometimes even as it provides a shield of ostensible anonymity in your interactions. As it serves you, it also, via, say, algorithms, location monitoring and marketing, exerts the influence of other, greater forces controlling it and the infrastructure behind it on you in turn. You can, with effort and will, resist those for a while and use it for your own ends, but over time the forces that power it will exert steady pressure on you to become less of what you intended to be and more of what they find most useful. Even a job can become a sort of ring, offering rewards as you increasingly become defined by that job and the tasks given to you by your masters, until you become utterly dependent on it. The infrastructures that power these various kinds of rings have their own interests ultimately at heart; they seek to turn people into vessels of their owners’ wills. And the power they provide may only be breakable by sacrificing almost all of what they’ve given to you-save, perhaps, a few salvaged grains of soil and a silver nut to pass on to the next generation. Just my .02. Thanks again!

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thank you for the kind words! While writing these magic-focused videos, I sometimes try to look at modern technologies as if I were trying to describe them to, say, a hobbit, and I ended up in much the same place you did: smartphones, the Internet in general, and ‘smart-home’ devices like Alexa have a *lot* in common with how Rings work. It really brings home Tolkien’s connection between technology/machinery and magic/sorcery. I don’t necessarily think Bezos is Sauron 🤣 but I do suspect that any large, human-run corporation with that kind of power at its disposal will develop some Saruman-like tendencies.

[@RonnieNichols]

Your thoughts on the Ring's "thoughts" and "will" in regard to how sentient it actually is reminds me of a similar sort of magic artifact from Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere: the Awakened sword Nightblood. It is one of the most dangerous, deadliest, and effective weapons in all of the cosmere, and it is also alive. While Nightblood very clearly has a personality and something at least approximating a soul, unlike the ring, the logic it follows seems very similar to the "short-sighted" nature of the One Ring's desire to reunite with Sauron. Nightblood was Awakened with the command "Destroy Evil" but, as a sword, doesn't really comprehend what "evil" actually is, and approximates this by putting out an aura of temptation to use it to do harm, which many typically evil people will do, but people unwilling to harm others feel great nausea in its presence, and more if they touch it. When someone picks up Nightblood and goes to draw it from its sheath (barely getting to unclasp it), it possesses them and enhances their strength, before using the wielder's body to kill everyone around them and themself. This (theoretically) accomplishes some of its goal, but leaves it unable to be used until an accustomed wielder (who can resist its effects) finds it or some other poor soul discovers it. There's a lot more, but the similarities make me wonder if Nightblood's tempting effects and the way it operates is inspired by the One Ring and the idea it brings that an inanimate object might have a will of it's own, but not be very good at acting on it.

[@reflectiverambling1148]

Okay trying to catch up. I didn't not know that the ring was the element that came as a connector as an afterthought! I remember that he didn't intend to extend/connect the two at the beginning, but very interesting. I really love that he considered that overpowering a character can really dampen the quality of a narrative. I too love that the fallibility of humans which is such a strong theme in itself really works into the power of the rings-- that makes all magic by default 'gray' in that it depends so much on the wielder. I do love your theory of hte soul's existence being in connection to how corruptible a species is. ALso the element of having a 'right'. I hadn't considered that part of the Witch king's story until this! VERY nice way to compare the language of life used for the rings. I can only imagine the problem that type of talk of molecules caused to a brain like yours back in the day. So here's another question. Is the magic of the rings bestowed during the process of the forging or are they bestowed with power afterwards? Does that make smiths low-key (ish) sorcerers? And if it's about the process, though this is clearly not part of the narrative, could there be minor magics being held by those who are unknowing? Thanks again as always!

[@GirlNextGondor]

I also have some catching up to do lol, but I will not leave a Reflective Rambling comment languishing! Watching Tolkien struggle through the early stages of LotR in some of the middle HoME volumes is very therapeutic to me as a chronic starter of narratives that go nowhere because I can't Plot - especially with Chris T.'s always-insightful commentary, which in these volumes amounts to "I have no idea what he was thinking here and thank goodness he changed it" 🤣 I think with all the "Lord of the Rings is a black-and-white story of good vs. evil!" rhetoric out there, it's very important to note that Tolkien outright stated in a couple letters that there was no such thing as 'good' or 'bad' magic, just different techniques that were more or less amenable to good or evil ends. So even those naughty, naughty Nine Rings had some potential to be wielded for at least not-wholly-corrupt ends. I was blessed with some very patient teachers in my youth, who recognized that my talent for contextualizing was in fact a double-edged sword. 😅 I have to believe that the forging of the Rings is where they were imbued with their powers, and that the forgers would necessarily have to impart some of their energy/intent/essence into them - that seems to be one of the few stated 'Principles of Magic' in Middle-earth, and one that holds true in a bunch of cases (Gurthang, the Silmarils, the Elessar, etc.) But I also think the Rings may have been a bit like 'vessels' that would gain their particular characters and tendencies as a result of being *used* by their bearers. So it's not just the forging but the use of the Ring that determines its effects; this also ties in with the idea that by 'using' a Ring you surrender some of your power to it. Otherwise, it would have been Celebrimbor and the rest of the G-i-M that would have become wraiths... which is a terrifying, if awesome, prospect.

[@keithknerr3452]

Just to add to what I see as great observations, Bilbo was able to understand the spiders when he put on the ring in Mirkwood. I think this adds to the "Ring gives Tongues" theory, perhaps though to only those that speak a sort of black speech, or perhaps anything with prepensity towards "evil", and thus "Controlable" by the power of the Ring. Just a thought.

[@hugotharador4898]

Saruman was also possessed the teachings of the valar with concern to rings. Admittedly less than Sauron, but possibly similar if not slightly less notably, but still comparable to Celebrimbor.

[@MatthewCiaccio-t4i]

I'm not much of a KZbin watcher but love lord of the rings you do a fantastic breakdown and I like how you keep in touch with how Tolkien intentionally kept lots of lore vague to add to the mystic of the world. Good job.

[@BJETNT]

First off the background art you display is phenomenal!!

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thanks! I definitely encourage you to check the description for links to the pages of any artists you particularly liked; most of them have tons of really cool work posted. They've all very generously allowed me to use their art, and when viewers are able to connect with new artists after enjoying my videos it's a win-win-win 😁

[@ryanmckeon1134]

Another rad video as always!

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thank you good sir!

[@PatrickLongblkwhtrbbt]

Lol @ the ring trying to manipulate Sam by promising him a giant garden that spreads the entire world lmao

[@GirlNextGondor]

It just makes zero sense as a concept 😅 which I think is why Sam so easily recognizes it as the action of the Ring and shrugs it off. It's not the kind of thought he would have at all. Sauron should have spent more time with his old master's wife, maybe then he'd have more insight into gardeners.

[@PatrickLongblkwhtrbbt]

@@GirlNextGondor Maybe would have had more success if he had shown Sam the image of Saruman's goons tearing down the party tree, and promising him the power to protect it. That might have been effective

[@frankhancock2881]

Very insightful and knowledgeable. I shared this video with my Tolkien loving family

[@witchhazel4135]

I would most like a ring that made me invisible to mosquitoes. On a more serious note, I really enjoy your channel for the info but more for listening to your soothing and pleasant voice. I have you on while I do my chores. 😊

[@hormonowicz163]

How this channel of power eluded me is beyond my comprehension. Perhaps it exists exclusively in the spirit realm.

[@goncaloferreira6429]

Power: the ability to bring change to the world acording to one´s will. The rings of power enhance the power of the their bearers. are they magical? what magic was achieved via the rings? are they placebos that increase a person´s belief in themselves?

[@bigsarge2085]

Amazing you've united all this incredible lore for us!

[@ewen666]

You’ve got a new subscriber, fantastic and very well thought out stuff!

[@NoNo-or2wj]

Cannot overstate how nice it is to find LOTR discussion that isn't a dudebro just regurgitating information without insight.

[@siriondil4739]

Woo, 50 whole minutes. I’m so excited to dive in

[@GirlNextGondor]

'It's just focused on the rings, it'll probably go pretty quick.' -- me, three weeks ago, before reading letter 264 and appendix a section iii

[@larrykuenning5754]

@@GirlNextGondor Now I want to know which letter you really meant -- 264 is just a note to Allen & Unwin about proofreading an American edition of _Tree and Leaf_. Maybe 246, which speculates about scenes like a repentant Gollum getting the Ring or Frodo with the Ring facing off against the Eight (Nine minus Witch-king)?

[@wiskeeamazingdancer4964]

for the almighty algorithm.

[@istari0]

Oh wonderful, you're back! More comments to follow.

[@GirlNextGondor]

Looking forward to them 😁

[@awl61]

Ah, just what the professor ordered

[@TheDanEdwards]

Thank you for doing this. Rings are very interesting in human life, from societal implications to personal treasures. Rings have represented so many things in culture, but I do get a feeling about them as sort of coming from a different paradigm than other elements of Tolkien's work, such as the monsters and different kinds of sentient beings.

[@GirlNextGondor]

Glad you enjoyed it! I think it's neat how both within the context of Middle-earth's history and in looking at Tolkien's composition, they do seem to be a new element that appears, rather than a concept that's existed since the beginning.

[@juniusluriuscatalus6606]

I stumbled to your channel by happy accident, I've been listening quite a few and I'm impressed. Oh, and even though I do mostly listen while doing other stuff, the artwork is mostly amazing. Even when it isn't amazing, it fits and deserves a praise. There's only one minor issue with the tempo of your speech, but that is most likely me working on my second language, that makes it a little bit challenging to follow and it is only really minor and easy fix is just going a bit back and listening again and pausing when needed time to digest. Yeah, I think I'll be listening more and it seems there's a lot to listen! And in rare occasions I have disagreed, not worth mentioning any examples, it is still thought provoking and just a matter of perspective or opinion and thus welcome.

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thanks, glad you're liking them! I'm working on speaking at a more measured pace, so hopefully the more recent stuff will be a little easier to follow😁 And feel free to throw any differences of opinion in the comments, I know there's usually more than one way to interpret something and I love seeing other people's takes!

[@juniusluriuscatalus6606]

@@GirlNextGondor as I tried to say, it's a minor issue, nothing big! Will be listening more!

[@CrimznRaven]

Glad I found your content. Really enjoyed the script you wrote for this. Pleasant change from what KZbin usually suggests.

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thank you, glad to hear it! 🥰

[@AndrewWhite_Arts_and_Projects]

I'm loving this. Thank you so much for making these videos

[@DavetheNord]

Worth the wait! :) Brilliant video.

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thanks so much! I wanted to do the subject justice!

[@jmooreftw]

This video is fantastic and it is criminal you don't have more views and subs.

[@Demortixx]

and here I thought he wrote lord of the rings cause he wanted to. Not cause he was asked for a sequel

[@oldmangranny5oldmangranny56]

The ring could of slipped off Sam's finger in Mordor, then the orcs could have taken it. And Sauron would have had it again.

[@GirlNextGondor]

Yeah, I'm still struggling with the Ring's ability to 'betray' its bearers; obviously it's limited in some way because there's numerous points at which 'escaping' would bring it closer to Sauron. That seems to suggest that the Ring doesn't really have a fully-fledged 'awareness' or human-level intellect... but it's still unclear what powers it *does* have.

[@samueldimmock694]

@@GirlNextGondor It could be another example of Bilbo possibly hiding himself from Sauron's gaze, where wielders still in possession of much of their will can use the Ring for certain purposes. Sam took the Ring specifically to keep it away from the orcs, and he was very much in control of himself, so perhaps the Ring couldn't betray him whether it 'wanted' to or not. Similarly, for the entire time that Frodo had the Ring, he fully intended not to lose it until he had completed his mission--and also had it on a chain most or all of the time, making 'escape' physically impossible.

[@2cold2touch17]

Thank you for this. Top tier M-E content dives.

[@SquirrelASMR]

Ooooooo yay yay yay yay I'm caillou! Edit I'm not actually caillou, he was just on my mind and I am excited for this video

[@GirlNextGondor]

The Ballad of Celebrimbor (To the theme of 'Caillou'): 🎶I'm learned in Ring-lore, Each day I make some more Ooops, here comes Sauron We're alllll screwed...🎶

[@SquirrelASMR]

@@GirlNextGondor omg 🤣

[@RicB17]

Your content is amazing. Consider perhaps doing a video on the nature of Sauron’s control of the Nazgul. We see in UT that the Witch King has his own thoughts and feelings and makes his own decisions, at least in the every day sense.

[@oidkqw]

It seems to me like you are hinting at a comprehensive understanding of the mechanism behind ring-magic. They seem to be about pulling from or into "the unseen". The different relations between the souls and bodies of elves, men, and dwarves, point in this direction. It also seems to explain the timelessness in Lorien, and the inability of Gollum, the Nazgul, and even Bilbo, Frodo and Sam to die, even after no longer having rings. Some sort of tying of matter into the unseen, perhaps. The idea has merit, I think, and deserves developing. There's also the point of what was the special know-how that Sauron revealed to the Elves. Him being a maiar of both Aulë and Morgoth might be key. Saruman also had the Aulë background, but was known to be missing some key knowledge in his quest to make a ring of his own. Something relating to that mysterious "Morgoth element" that was so present in gold and in Mount Doom, perhaps. I feel like Tolkien left behind significant philosophical-theological hints like that about this.

[@GirlNextGondor]

You very perceptively picked up on exactly the topic I was trying to avoid launching into. 😅 The deeper I delved, the more the relationship between the Seen and Unseen emerged as central to not just the Rings, but a lot of 'unexplained' magic. I knew this video was long enough without diving into that topic extensively, and from what I know of Tolkien's philosophical influences (which is not nearly enough) I'm going to have to do a spot of research on things like Dualism and Neo-platonism to have a clue what I'm talking about. The big conundrum seems to be that while Seen and Unseen are separate, they are certainly related - and it's difficult to argue that one is wholly 'material' while the other is 'immaterial;' the distinction seems more complex than that. Rest assured, I'm not just going to leave such a rich vein unmined 😉

[@oidkqw]

@@GirlNextGondor Cool! I am now resting much more assuredly.

[@sayagarapan1686]

I don't smile because I don't feel anything but when I saw your post it made me smile to know we are getting another great video. I didn't feel anything, a curious sensation to be sure, but it made my face smile and I'll take it. 😊

[@GirlNextGondor]

Well, I do hope you can eventually feel emotions, but in the meantime I'm glad I made your face do a thing 🥰It's good to be back!

[@sayagarapan1686]

@@GirlNextGondor Sorry, just kind of talking it out. I think it's a start that I've become aware. It began the other day when I found a half a chocolate milkshake in the freezer. How does that even happen? What amazing good fortune! Of course, I'm the one that put it there, but who knew? So my face cracked a smile, but when I tried to feel it nothing happened. It felt Iike walking through an alley and finding a hat box in the dumpster with a cake in it, only it hasn't got any frosting on top. Meh. But I count myself fortunate. It could be worse, like my friend. I wrote a song about her- And now she moves Like a cold spring rain To dance like the lady In a music box Her smile blooms full At the onset of pain Making her appear Just a touch insane... I don't think even chocolate covered Hobbits could make her smile.

[@bundayeti]

Could someone explain what happened to this channel? I wanted to show a mate the Legolas video and found that the whole channel has only 4 videos left on it. Did somebody claim or ban all the videos before Finrod and Andreth? I was greatly saddened by how severely crippled my favourite channel has become.

[@eluthiccgol4715]

Check out her latest community post. Basically, she only wants to use artwork in her videos that have direct permission from the artist or complies with the stated guidelines of the copyright owner (like Fantasy Flight Games), so she is editing most of her videos to adhere to this standard and will reupload.

[@GirlNextGondor]

Don't worry, I'll be getting them all back up in the coming months and I'll keep everyone updated on the status!

[@bundayeti]

Ah, thanks, now I understand. I just thought it would only apply to the Andreth video.

[@IanHeins]

Nice work

[@zeusnitch]

Yay, the GirlNextGondor is back! ...though I don't have 48 minutes worth of laundry-folding to attend to. "We've had first laundry load, yes. What about second laundry?"

[@GirlNextGondor]

I can mail you some if you need more; we have plenty of folding to do in my house after this past week 🤣

[@denislemenoir]

Love your videos! My question about the one ring in particular is this. Tolkien wrote that if Gandalf took the ring he’d become a terrible and more powerful version of himself, and so it seems like the one ring doesn’t just enhance Sauron when Sauron wears it but in fact anyone. A part of Sauron’s power becomes Gandalf’s. This begs the question, what if Saruman succeeded in crafting another one ring, pouring his own power into that second ring. If Gandalf took that too, he’d now absorb the power of two Maia plus his own inherent power. Essentially he’s worth 3 Maia now. You see where I’m going… this implies that the smartest plan would be for Sauron to enslave powerful Elves and his Balrogs to forge rings, each of them releasing part of their power into their rings. Sauron never makes a ring, he just takes theirs, thereby increasing his power exponentially. This seems like a within canon mechanism for Sauron to eventually challenge the Valar themselves. What do you think?

[@EriktheRed2023]

It's an interesting thought! 😃 There's a lot going on I can comment on. One is that the only individual who seems to hoard Rings of Power is Sauron, and he quickly starts handing them out after he gets hold of them. Everyone else seems to spread rings out too, one inidividual per ring. Now, that may simply be to prevent all the Three falling into Sauron's hands in one go, or to prevent extra power going to someone's head. That happens a lot in Tolkien, after all. But it may also point to an inability to wield two or more rings simultaneously, like owning a helicopter and a submarine - both powerful tools, but hard to combine. Or perhaps that there is some diminhing returns at work. My guess would be that 'mastering a ring means being mastered by it' - so you can only master one ring. As for challenging the Valar, I think Sauron leaned his lesson on that on from Morgoth. Though, in time and with pride swelling from multiple Maiar's worth of potency, perhaps he would have tried if that were possible. At which point the Valar would probably go the same way they did when Ar-Pharazôn over-stepped, and Eru would have stepped in and put a stop to it. Fascinating line of thinking, thank you for sharing it!

[@michaelhart7569]

Great stuff. What intrigues me, however, is how the North-Kingdom sword from the barrow mound that Merry used against the Witch King worked. We are generally led to believe that ordinary swords and arrows wielded by mortals have little or no effect on a ring wraith. But we are told that: "So passed the sword of the Barrow-downs, work of Westernesse. But glad would he have been to know its fate who wrought it slowly long ago in the North-kingdom when the Dûnedain were young, and chief among their foes was the dread realm of Angmar and its sorcerer king. No other blade, not though mightier hands had wielded it, would have dealt that foe a wound so bitter, cleaving the undead flesh, breaking the spell that knit his unseen sinews to his will." What was it that allowed men, a long time after much of the wisdom and knowledge of Numenor was forgotten, to make a sword capable of breaking the power of one of Sauron's rings? Was it just a temporary effect that allowed Eowyn to finish him off?

[@EriktheRed2023]

I think you have it right that it was a temporary thing. But that could be good enough. In the mid Third Age, Sauron was not around to bring back any Nazgûl struck by these weapons. The smiths were trying to save their kingdoms from the nation of Angmar, which might collapse without its king.

[@TarMody]

This Celebrimbor revealed, because neither the Seven nor the Nine did he value as he valued the Three; the Seven and the Nine were made with Sauron's aid, whereas the Three were made by Celebrimbor alone, with a different power and purpose. (Unfinished Tales - The History of Galadriel and Celeborn) In this passage, it is stated that the Nine and the Seven were made with a different power and purpose than the Three. First of all, the purpose of making rings of power (mainly the Three) can be explained in detail from a broader perspective (as expressed in Letter No.131), but for the sake of clarity, I will simplify and express this purpose here in terms of "preventing the phenomenon of fading". The fact that the Nine and the Seven were made for a different purpose than the Three does not seem to fit with the motivation of the Noldor of Eregion, manipulated by Annatar, to make the rings of power on the basis of "preventing the phenomenon of fading". For what purpose could the Noldor have made the Nine and the Seven, unless a purpose consistent with this motivation was adopted? How can it be explained that Sauron, who came to Eregion in the form of Annatar with the claim of helping to prevent the fading of the elves, found a response among the elves in forming the Nine and the Seven for a different purpose, incompatible with the motivations of the elves around this need?

[@EriktheRed2023]

Good question! My immediate thought as to an answer is that the different purposes could all be different ways to prevent fading. By that line of thinking, it seems Elrond's way to prevent fading is by remembering lore. Perhaps that points to Vilya's power. Gandalf uses Narya to keep people hopeful and courageous, a guard against emotional or spiritual fading, perhaps. Lórien seems to be almost outside the normal flow of time. I assume Nenya has something to do with that. Another thought could be that Rings of Power can have multiple purposes and abilities. They can all be used to prevent or reduce fading, but the Three have additional abilities - or maybe the Seven and the Nine also have additional (if lesser) functionality. But I don't know. Thanks for making me think about it!

[@zmsays]

I'm only about 15 videos deep into your channel (after stumbling across maybe 3 days ago) but I'm LOVING IT

[@GirlNextGondor]

Glad you like them!

[@jonathanferguson7791]

Just pausing at the very beginning here to acknowledge another grand reason I love a lot of Tolkien's works and why it can compete with so many modern series. He didn't want to invalidate Bilbo's development or cheapen the events of the Hobbit. God, if I had a nickel for every sequel where I have to look at a magically, suddenly underdeveloped main character for the sake of familiarity or ease of writing... I'd have a lot of nickels. I understand modern creativity in many fronts has been crammed into formulas to meet the algorithms of success. If they didn't though, there could be so many more striking series or even new dimensions to old ones that give birth to new characters and situations that many would fall in love with. /endrant

[@GirlNextGondor]

Yes! Even though Tolkien was put in the position of being pressured to write something for the sake of profit and what was 'selling' despite his heart not being in it, he still took the time to make sure it would honor his earlier work and be a worthwhile endeavor. He could have just slapped something together in a year and gotten some much-needed fast money, but instead he tried to write something he could at least be proud of, and it resulted in a crowning achievement. A few recent examples of this DO exist, but the counterexamples are of course innumerable....

[@Valdagast]

"he couldn't just resurrect Smaug because that would make the events of the Hobbit seem pointless..." Can someone tell the guys in charge of Star Wars this? So we won't see undead Palpatine in the next trilogy? Edit: What happened to the dwarven rings Sauron took back? I like to think that he consumed them to enhance his diminished power.

[@GirlNextGondor]

This just in, the Prime series plans to resurrect Morgoth in Season 3 🤣 Didn't he offer some Rings back to the Dwarves of Erebor if they ratted out Bilbo? I mean, he could have been lying, but maybe he just had them in cold storage?

[@ladyalaina42]

Almost skipped this confused with Amazons crap. Happily I started listening anyway. Great analysis!!

[@GirlNextGondor]

That's funny 😅 I was hoping the similarity to the Amazon series would draw more people in. I'm glad you gave it a try and enjoyed it!

[@joshuapatrick682]

I am a huge fan of Tolkien, inarguably my favorite fantasy author and possibly favorite author period but I have to say that the Three losing their power when Sauron is vanquished makes no sense from a continuity standpoint knowing that he had no part in their making and never touched them.

[@EriktheRed2023]

The Three were made with the techniques that Sauron helped to develop. They tap into power in the same way. Maybe a bit like a series of water mills being built along the same river. Once someone dams the river at its source, all the water mills are equally affected, whether they were built with or without the help of the one who made the dam.

[@patrickw711]

Careful, GNG. It is perilous to study too deeply the arts of the Enemy, for good or for ill……Oh crap, you have an orc army now, don’t you.

[@GirlNextGondor]

I can neither confirm nor deny this possibility.

[@IanHeins]

I really like your video's thanks

[@keyrtan]

I thought the 3 were FINISHED without Sauron but not made entirely without him. Otherwise there would have been no connection between those rings and Sauron so he would not be able to connect to them and they certainly wouldn't lose their power on his death.

[@GirlNextGondor]

The account in The Silmarillion/Of the Rings of Power says Sauron's hand never touched them, which is backed up by the claim Sauron makes - not that the Rings are his because he helped make them, but because the Elves could never had made them without his *advice* - suggesting that the Elves did indeed make Rings without his direct involvement, but using his ideas. (Why the 3 are untainted enough to use, but still vulnerable to and dependant on the One, is not made very clear.)

[@TheHeroRises]

Another FANTASTIC and insightful video! Thanks!!!

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thank you! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it!

[@Gigasius]

This has to be the best and most comprehensive video made on the rings that I have ever seen. Really good stuff!

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thank you so much!

[@dreadelectric7745]

Great video. Really, really awesome. Words cannot express how impressed I am..

[@GirlNextGondor]

Thank you so much 😀 glad you enjoyed it!

[@TheHeroRises]

By the pot-bellied mount of King Dáin! Another amazing video!

[@GirlNextGondor]

Lol, thank you! 🐗