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{{Short description|Artefacts in Tolkien's legendarium}}
{{About|the fictional artefacts|the TV series|The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power|other uses|Power ring (disambiguation)}}
{{good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox fictional artifact
| name            = Rings of Power
| first           = [[The Hobbit]] {{noitalic|(1937: a magical ring)}}<br/>[[The Lord of the Rings]] {{noitalic|(1954–1955: Rings of Power)}}
| creator         = [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]
| genre           = Fantasy
| type            = [[Magic ring|Magical rings]]
}}
The '''Rings of Power''' are [[Magic in Middle-earth|magical arte<!--NOT a typo, British English-->facts]] in [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s [[Tolkien's legendarium|legendarium]], most prominently in his [[high fantasy]] novel ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. The [[One Ring]] first appeared as a [[plot device]], a [[magic ring]] in Tolkien's [[Juvenile fantasy|children's fantasy]] novel, ''[[The Hobbit]]''. Tolkien later gave it a backstory and much greater power: he added nineteen other Great Rings which also conferred powers such as invisibility, and which the One Ring could control. These were the Three Rings of the [[Elf (Tolkien)|Elves]], the Seven Rings for the [[Dwarf (Tolkien)|Dwarves]], and the Nine for [[Man (Tolkien)|Men]]. He stated that there were in addition many lesser rings with minor powers. A key story element in ''The Lord of the Rings'' is the [[Addiction to power in The Lord of the Rings|addictive power]] of the One Ring, made secretly by the Dark Lord [[Sauron]]; the Nine Rings enslave their bearers as the [[Nazgûl]] (Ringwraiths), Sauron's most deadly servants.

Proposed sources of inspiration for the Rings of Power range from Germanic legend with the ring [[Andvaranaut]] and eventually [[Richard Wagner]]'s ''[[Der Ring des Nibelungen]]'', to [[fairy tale]]s such as [[Snow White]], which features both a magic ring and seven dwarfs. One experience that may have been pivotal was Tolkien's professional work on a Latin inscription at the temple of [[Nodens]]; he was a god-hero linked to the Irish hero ''[[Nuada Airgetlám]]'', whose epithet is "Silver-Hand", or in Elvish "Celebrimbor", the name of the Elven-smith who made the Rings of Power. The inscription contained a curse upon a ring, and the site was called Dwarf's Hill.

The Rings of Power have been described as symbolising the way that power conflicts with moral behaviour; Tolkien explores the way that different characters, from the humble gardener [[Sam Gamgee]] to the powerful Elf ruler [[Galadriel]], the proud warrior [[Boromir]] to the Ring-addicted monster [[Gollum]], interact with the One Ring. Tolkien stated that ''The Lord of the Rings'' was an examination of "placing power in external objects".{{sfn|Bassham|Bronson|2013|pp=23–25}}

== Fictional history ==

{{see also|Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age}}
{{anchor|Narvi}}

{{Quote box
 |title  = [[Sauron|"Annatar"]] convinces [[Celebrimbor]] to forge the Rings of Power
 |quote  = "But wherefore should [[Middle-earth]] remain for ever desolate and dark, whereas the Elves could make it as fair as [[Tol Eressëa|Eressëa]], nay even as [[Valinor]]? And since you have not returned thither, as you might, I perceive that you love this Middle-earth, as do I. Is it not then our task to labour together for its enrichment, and for the raising of all the Elven-kindreds that wander here untaught to the height of that power and knowledge which those have who are beyond the Sea?"
 |author = — [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]
 |width  = 30%
 |source = ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', "The Rings of Power and the Third Age"
}}

The Rings of Power were forged by the [[Elf (Tolkien)|Elven]]-smiths of the [[Noldor]]in settlement of Eregion.<ref name="History of Galadriel and Celeborn" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1980|loc="The History of Galadriel and Celeborn"}}</ref> Best-known were the twenty Great Rings, which conferred powers including invisibility, but many lesser rings with minor powers were also created at that time. The smiths were led by [[Celebrimbor]], the grandson of [[Fëanor]], the greatest craftsman of the Noldor, working with Dwarves from [[Khazad-dûm]] (Moria) led by his friend Narvi. [[Sauron]], powerful and ambitious, but humiliated by the fall of his evil master [[Morgoth]] at the end of the [[First Age]], had evaded the summons of the godlike [[Vala (Middle-earth)|Valar]] to surrender and face judgment; he chose to remain in [[Middle-earth]] and seek dominion over its people.<ref name="Rings of Power and the Third Age" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1977|loc="Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"|p=298}}</ref> In the [[Second Age]], he arrived disguised as a handsome emissary of the Valar named Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, offering the knowledge to transform Middle-earth with the light of [[Valinor]], the home of the Valar.<ref name="History of Galadriel and Celeborn" group=T/> He was shunned by the Elven leaders [[Gil-galad]] and [[Elrond]] in [[Lindon (Middle-earth)|Lindon]], but managed to persuade the [[Noldor]]in Elves of Eregion.<ref name="Rings of Power and the Third Age" group=T/> With Sauron's help, they learnt to forge Rings of Power, first creating many lesser ring as an essay of their skill.<ref name="Shadow of the Past" group=T /> Then they created the Seven and the Nine, and Celebrimbor himself forged the Three Great Rings. In [[Mordor]] Sauron then invested much of his power in forging the [[One Ring]] in the fires of [[Mount Doom]], to serve as a master ring to control all the others.<ref name="History of Galadriel and Celeborn" group=T/>

When the One Ring was made using the [[Black Speech]], the Elves immediately became aware of Sauron's true motive to control the other Rings.<ref name="Rings of Power and the Third Age" group=T/> When Sauron set the completed One Ring upon his finger, the Elves quickly hid their rings.<ref name="Rings of Power and the Third Age" group=T/> Celebrimbor entrusted one of the Three to Galadriel and sent the other Two to Gil-galad and Círdan.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955|loc=Appendix B: "The Third Age"}}</ref><ref name="Three Rings 1" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1980|loc="The History of Galadriel and Celeborn"|ps=: The original published edition of ''The Lord of the Rings'' states that Gil-galad and Círdan each received a Ring of Power, though in his subsequent works Gil-galad received both and later gave one to Círdan.}}</ref> In an attempt to seize all the Rings of Power for himself, Sauron waged an assault upon the Elves.<ref name="Rings of Power and the Third Age" group=T/> He destroyed Eregion and captured the Nine. Under torture, Celebrimbor revealed where the Seven were, but refused to reveal the Three.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1980|loc="The History of Galadriel and Celeborn"|ps=: [[Christopher Tolkien]] notes that though it is implied that Sauron had taken possession of the Seven, there is no text detailing how those came into possession of the Dwarves, and the Dwarves of Moria maintained that their ring had come directly from Celebrimbor.}}</ref>

Toward the end of the Second Age, the Númenóreans took Sauron prisoner.<ref name="Rings of Power and the Third Age" group=T/> Sauron however managed to corrupt the Men of Númenor, leading to [[Akallabêth|their civilisation's eventual downfall]].<ref name="Rings of Power and the Third Age" group=T/> The exiled Númenóreans who survived, led by [[Elendil]] and his sons [[Isildur]] and Anárion, established the realms of [[Arnor (Middle-earth)|Arnor]] and [[Gondor]].<ref name="Rings of Power and the Third Age" group=T/> Together with the Elves of Lindon, they formed the last alliance against Sauron and emerged victorious.<ref name="Rings of Power and the Third Age" group=T/> Isildur cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand and kept it, refusing to destroy it; he was later killed in an ambush, and the Ring was lost for centuries.<ref name="Shadow of the Past" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 1, ch. 2 "[[The Shadow of the Past]]"}}</ref> During this time, the Elves were able to use the Three Rings, while the Nine given to the leaders of Men corrupted their wearers and turned them into the [[Nazgûl]].<ref name="Council of Elrond" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 2, ch. 2 "[[The Council of Elrond]]"}}</ref> The Seven given to the Dwarves failed to subject them directly to Sauron's will but ignited a sense of avarice within them.<ref name="Rings of Power and the Third Age" group=T/> Over the years, Sauron sought to recapture the Rings, primarily the One, but was only successful in recovering the Nine and three of the Seven.<ref name="Shadow of the Past" group=T/> 

During the Third Age, the One Ring is discovered by [[Bilbo Baggins]] (in ''[[The Hobbit]]''). At the start of ''The Lord of the Rings'', the Wizard Gandalf explains the One Ring's history to Bilbo's heir [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]], and recites the [[Rhyme of the Rings]]. A [[The Fellowship of the Ring (characters)|Fellowship]] is formed to destroy it, led by Frodo.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937|loc=ch. 5 "Riddles in the Dark"}}</ref><ref name="Shadow of the Past" group=T/><ref name="Council of Elrond" group=T/> Following the successful destruction of the One Ring and the fall of Sauron, the power of the rings fades. While the Nine are destroyed, the Three are rendered powerless; their bearers leave Middle-earth for [[Valinor]] at the end of the Third Age, inaugurating the [[Dominion of Men]].{{sfn|Drout|2006|p=573}}<ref name="Grey Havens" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955|loc=book 6, ch. 9 "The Grey Havens"}}</ref><ref name="Rings of Power and the Third Age" group=T/>

==Description==

{{anchor|Ring Verse|Rhyme of the Rings}}

{{Quote box
 |title  = The Ring Verse
 |quote  = <poem>
''[[Three Rings]] for the [[Elf (Tolkien)|Elven]]-kings under the sky,''
''Seven for the [[Dwarf (Tolkien)|Dwarf]]-lords in their halls of stone,''
''Nine for Mortal [[Man (Tolkien)|Men]] doomed to die,''
''One for the [[Sauron|Dark Lord]] on his dark throne;''
''In the Land of [[Mordor]] where the Shadows lie.''
''One Ring to rule them all, one Ring to find them,''
''One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them;''
''In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.''
</poem>
 |author = — [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]
 |source = ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Epigraph (literature)|Epigraph]]
}}
As observed by [[Saruman]], each one of the Great Rings of Power, in contrast to the lesser rings, was adorned with its "proper gem", except for the One Ring, which was unadorned.<ref name="Council of Elrond" group=T/>

=== The One ===

{{main|One Ring}}

Unlike the other great rings, the One was created as an unadorned gold band similar in appearance to the lesser rings, though it bore Sauron's incantation, the Ring Verse, in the Black Speech; it became visible only when heated, whether by fire or by Sauron's hand.<ref name="Shadow of the Past" group=T/> As the other Rings were made under the influence of Sauron, the power of all the Rings depended on the One Ring's survival.{{sfn|Drout|2006|p=573}}<ref name="Grey Havens" group=T/> To make the One Ring, Sauron had to put almost all his power into it—when worn, it enhanced his power; unworn, it remained aligned to him unless another seized it and took control of it.<ref name="Letter 131" group=T>{{harvnb|Carpenter|2023|loc=Letter #131 to [[Milton Waldman]], late 1951 }}</ref> A prospective possessor could, if sufficiently strong, overthrow Sauron and usurp his place; but they would become as evil as he.<ref name="Letter 131" group=T/> As the One was made in the fires of Mount Doom, it could only be unmade there.<ref name="Council of Elrond" group=T/> Sauron, being evil, never imagined that anyone might try to destroy the One Ring, as he imagined that anyone bearing it would be corrupted by it.<ref name="Letter 131" group=T/>

=== The Three ===

{{Rings of Power|upright=2.5|caption=The Rings of Power, their stones, and their bearers,<ref name="Rings of Power and the Third Age" group=T/> with clickable links}}

Named after the three [[classical element|elements]] of fire, water, and air, the Three were the last to be made before Sauron's solo creation of the One. Although Celebrimbor forged the Three Rings alone in Eregion, they were moulded by Sauron's craft and were bound to the One.<ref name="History of Galadriel and Celeborn" group=T/> Only after Sauron's defeat, when the One Ring was cut from his finger at the end of the Second Age, did the [[Elves in Middle-earth|Elves]] begin to actively use the Three to ward off the decay brought by time. Even then, the Rings could be worn without being seen.<ref name="Rings of Power and the Third Age" group=T/> After the One Ring, they are the most powerful of the twenty Rings of Power.<ref group=T>{{harvp|Tolkien|1977|loc="Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age": "Now these were the Three that had last been made, and they possessed the greatest powers"}}</ref> They are:

* {{Visible anchor|Narya}} (the Ring of Fire, the Red Ring), from  [[Quenya]] ''nár'', "fire",<ref group=T>{{harvp|Tolkien|1987|loc=entry "nar"}}</ref> was set with a ruby. Its metal is not stated. It gave its wielder resistance to the weariness of time, and evoked hope and courage in others. Its final bearer was the [[Wizards (Tolkien)|Wizard]] [[Gandalf]], who received it from Círdan at the Grey Havens during the Third Age.<ref name="Three Rings 1" group=T/>
* {{Visible anchor|Nenya}} (the Ring of Water, the White Ring, the Ring of Adamant), from Quenya ''nén'', "water",<ref group=T>{{harvp|Tolkien|1987|loc=entry "nen"}}</ref> was made of [[mithril]] and set with a "shimmering white stone". Galadriel used it to protect and preserve the realm of [[Lothlórien]].<ref name="Rings of Power and the Third Age" group=T/> "Adamant" means both [[Adamant|a type of stone]], usually a diamond, and "stubbornly resolute", a description that equally well suits the quality of Galadriel's resistance to Sauron.{{sfn|Hammond|Scull|2005|p=324}}
* {{Visible anchor|Vilya}} (the Ring of Air, the Blue Ring), from Quenya ''vilya'', "air",<ref group=T>{{harvp|Tolkien|1955|loc="Writing", "The Fëanorian Letters"}}</ref> was the mightiest of the Three. It was made of gold and set with a sapphire. Elrond inherited Vilya from Gil-galad and used it to safeguard [[Rivendell]].<ref name="Rings of Power and the Third Age" group=T/>

=== The Seven ===

{{redirect|Seven Rings|the Ariana Grande song|7 Rings}}

Sauron recovered the Seven Rings from information provided by Celebrimbor, and gave them to the leaders of the seven kindreds of the [[Dwarves in Middle-earth|Dwarves]]: Durin's Folk (Longbeards), Firebeards, Broadbeams, Ironfists, Stiffbeards, Blacklocks, and Stonefoots,{{sfn|Strachan|Moseley|2017|p=62}} though a tradition of Durin's Folk claimed that Durin received his ring from the Elven-smiths.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955|loc=Appendix A: III. "Durin's Folk"}}</ref><ref name="History of Galadriel and Celeborn" group=T/> Over the years, Sauron was able to recover only three of the Seven rings from the Dwarves. The last of the three was seized from [[Thráin II]] during his captivity in [[Dol Guldur]]. Gandalf recounts to Frodo that the remaining four were consumed by dragons.<ref name="Shadow of the Past" group=T/> Before the outbreak of the [[War of the Ring]], an envoy from Sauron attempted to bribe [[Dain II Ironfoot]] of the [[Lonely Mountain]] with the three surviving rings and the lost realm of [[Moria (Tolkien)|Moria]] in exchange for information leading to the recovery of the One Ring, but Dain refused.<ref name="Council of Elrond" group=T/>

=== The Nine ===

{{see|Nazgûl}}

Sauron gave Nine of the Rings of Power to leaders of [[Men in Middle-earth|Men]], who became "mighty in their day, kings, sorcerers, and warriors of old". They gained unending lifespans, and the ability to see things in worlds invisible to mortal Men.<ref name="Rings of Power and the Third Age" group=T/> One by one, the Men fell to the power of the One Ring; by the end of the Second Age, all nine had become invisible ring-wraiths – the [[Nazgûl]], Sauron's most terrible servants. In particular, they helped him search for the One Ring, to which they were powerfully attracted.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955|loc=Appendix B "The Tale of Years"}}</ref>

== Saruman's Ring ==
In the chapter ‘The Council of Elrond’, Gandalf had mentioned that during his conversation with Saruman, the White Wizard wore a ring on his finger and declared himself the 'Ring-maker'.<ref name="Council of Elrond" group=T/> Possibly, Saruman indeed forged a magical ring comparable in power to the lesser rings. If so, his ring most likely lost its power after the destruction of the One Ring too. Whatever the case, however, Saruman's ring was never mentioned again later in the book.

== Powers ==

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto;"
|+ Powers and effects of the Rings
|-
! Type of Ring !! Powers granted !! Effects on bearer
|-
| [[One Ring|Ruling Ring]] || Invisibility, extended lifespan, control, knowledge of all other Rings || Corruption to evil
|-
| Elven-Rings || To heal and preserve || Nostalgia, procrastination
|-
| Dwarf-Rings || To gain wealth || Greed, anger
|-
| [[Nazgûl|Rings for Men]] || Invisibility, extended lifespan, terror || Enslavement, fading to permanent invisibility
|}

The Rings of Power were made using the craft taught by Sauron to give their wearers "wealth and dominion over others". Each Ring enhances the "natural power" of its possessor, thus approaching its "magical aspect", which can be "easily corruptible to evil and lust of domination".<ref name="Letter 121" group=T>{{harvnb|Carpenter|2023|loc=Letter #121 to [[George Allen & Unwin|Allen & Unwin]], 13 July 1949 }}</ref> Gandalf explains that a Ring of Power is self-serving and can "look after itself": the One Ring, in particular, can "slip off treacherously" to return to its master Sauron, betraying its bearer when an opportunity arrives.<ref name="Shadow of the Past" group=T/> As the Ruling Ring, the One enables a sufficiently powerful bearer to perceive what is done using the other rings and to govern the thoughts of their bearers.<ref name="Rings of Power and the Third Age" group=T/> To use the One Ring to its full extent, the bearer needs to be strong and train their will to the domination of others.<ref name="Fellowship 3" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 2, ch. 7 "The Mirror of Galadriel"}}</ref>

A mortal Man or Hobbit who takes possession of a Ring of Power can manifest its power, becoming [[invisibility|invisible]] and able to see things that are normally invisible, as the bearer is partly transported into the [[Spirit world (Spiritualism)|spirit world]].<ref name="Shadow of the Past" group=T/><ref name="Bassham 1"/><ref name="Letter 121" group=T/> However, they also "fade"; the Rings unnaturally extend their life-spans, but gradually transform them into permanently invisible [[Ghost|wraiths]].<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1988|loc="Of Gollum and the Ring"|p=78}}</ref><ref name="Shadow of the Past" group=T/><ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 2, ch. 1 "Many Meetings"}}</ref> The Rings affect other beings differently. The Seven are used by their Dwarven bearers to increase their treasure hoards, but they do not gain invisibility, and Sauron was unable to bend the Dwarves to his will, instead only amplifying their greed and anger.<ref name="Rings of Power and the Third Age" group=T/> [[Tom Bombadil]], the only being unaffected by the power of the One Ring, could both see its wearer and remained visible when he wore it.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a|loc=book 1, ch. 7 "In the House of Tom Bombadil"}}</ref>

Unlike the other Rings, the main purpose of the Three is to "heal and preserve", as when Galadriel used Nenya to preserve her realm of Lothlórien over long periods.{{sfn|Bassham|Bronson|2013|pp=23–25}} The Elves made the Three Rings to [[Lothlórien#Time|try to halt the passage of time]], or as Tolkien had [[Elrond]] say, "to preserve all things unstained". This was seen most clearly in [[Lothlórien]], which was free of both evil and the passage of time.<ref name="Aldrich 1988">{{cite journal |last=Aldrich |first=Kevin |title=The Sense of Time in J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings' |journal=[[Mythlore]] |date=1988 |volume=15 |issue=1 |location=article 1 |url=https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol15/iss1/1}}</ref><ref name="Brin 2008">{{cite book |last=Brin |first=David |title=Through Stranger Eyes: Reviews, Introductions, Tributes & Iconoclastic Essays |year=2008 |publisher=Nimble Books |isbn=978-1-934840-39-9 |page=37}}</ref>
The Three do not make their wearers invisible.<ref name="Fellowship 3" group=T/> The Three had other powers: Narya could rekindle hearts with its fire and inspire others to resist tyranny, domination, and despair; Nenya had a secret power in its water that protected from evil; while Vilya healed and preserved wisdom in its element of air.<ref name="Rings of Power and the Third Age" group=T/>

== Inspiration ==

=== Nodens ===

{{further|Philology and Middle-earth|Tolkien and the classical world}}

The Tolkien scholar [[Tom Shippey]] thought that Tolkien's work on a Latin inscription at a Roman temple at [[Lydney Park]] was a "pivotal" [[J. R. R. Tolkien's influences|influence]], combining as it did a god-hero, a ring, dwarves, and a silver hand. The god-hero was [[Nodens]], whom Tolkien traced to the Irish hero ''[[Nuada Airgetlám]]'', "Nuada of the Silver-Hand", and the inscription carried a curse on a stolen ring.<ref name="Tolkien" group=T>[[J. R. R. Tolkien|Tolkien, J. R. R.]], "The Name Nodens", Appendix to "Report on the excavation of the prehistoric, Roman and post-Roman site in [[Lydney Park]], Gloucestershire", ''Reports of the Research Committee of the Society of Antiquaries of London'', 1932; also in ''[[Tolkien Studies|Tolkien Studies: An Annual Scholarly Review]]'', Vol. 4, 2007</ref><ref name="Anger 2013">{{cite encyclopedia |last=Anger |first=Don N. |editor-last=Drout |editor-first=Michael D. C. |editor-link=Michael D. C. Drout |title=Report on the Excavation of the Prehistoric, Roman and Post-Roman Site in Lydney Park, Gloucestershire |encyclopedia=[[The J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia]] |year=2013 |orig-year=2007 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-0-415-86511-1 |pages=563–564}}</ref> "Silver-Hand" is the English translation of "Celebrimbor", the Elven-smith who made the Rings of Power, in association with the Dwarven-smith Narvi. The temple was at a place called Dwarf's Hill.<ref name="Anger 2013"/>{{sfn|Lyons|2004|p=63}}<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Armstrong |first1=Helen |title=And Have an Eye to That Dwarf |journal=[[Amon Hen (journal)|Amon Hen]]: The Bulletin of the Tolkien Society |date=May 1997 |issue=145 |pages=13–14}}</ref>{{sfn|Bowers|2019|pp=131–132}}

{{#tag:imagemap|
File:Nodens Temple influence on Tolkien.svg{{!}}thumb{{!}}upright=1.7{{!}}center{{!}}Imagemap with clickable links. Apparent influence of archaeological and philological work at Nodens' Temple on [[J. R. R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]'s [[Middle-earth]] legendarium<ref name="Anger 2013"/>

rect  10  10  300  180 [[Celebrimbor]] 

<!--rect 310  10  600  180 [[Rings of Power]]  pointless self-reference-->

rect 610  10  890  180 [[Dwarf (Middle-earth)]] 

rect 180 220  470  400 [[Nuada Airgetlám]]

rect 200 450  400  650 [[Nodens]] 

rect 410 450  800  650 [[Lydney Park]]

rect  10  10  900  675 [[commons:File:Nodens Temple influence on Tolkien.svg]]
}}

=== Ring of Gyges ===

{{see also|Tolkien and the classical world}}

Magical rings occur [[Tolkien and the classical world|in classical legend]], in the form of the [[Ring of Gyges]] in [[Plato]]'s ''[[Republic (Plato)|Republic]]''.<!--book 2--> It grants the power of invisibility to its wearer, creating a [[moral dilemma]], enabling people to commit injustices without fearing they would be caught.<ref name="de Armas 1994"/> In contrast, Tolkien's One Ring actively exerts an evil force that destroys the [[morality]] of the wearer.<ref name="Shadow of the Past" group=T/>

<gallery mode=packed heights=250 widths=250>
File:Der Ring des Gyges (Ferrara 16 Jh).jpg|The shepherd [[Gyges of Lydia|Gyges]] of [[Plato]]'s ''[[Republic (Plato)|Republic]]'' finds the [[Ring of Gyges|magic ring]], setting up a [[moral dilemma]].<ref name="de Armas 1994"/> [[Ferrara]], 16th century
</gallery>

Scholars including [[Frederick A. de Armas]] note parallels between Plato's and Tolkien's rings.<ref name="de Armas 1994"/><ref name="Neubauer 2021">{{cite book |last=Neubauer |first=Lukasz |title=Less Consciously at First but More Consciously in the Revision: Plato's Ring as a Putative Source of Inspiration for Tolkien's Ring of Power |pages=217–246}} in {{harvnb|Williams|2021}}</ref> De Armas suggests that both Bilbo and Gyges, going into deep dark places to find hidden treasure, may have "undergone a [[Catabasis]]", a psychological journey to the Underworld.<ref name="de Armas 1994">{{cite journal |last1=de Armas |first1=Frederick A. |title=Gyges' Ring: Invisibility in Plato, Tolkien and Lope de Vega |journal=[[Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts]] |date=1994 |volume=3 |issue=3/4 |pages=120–138 |jstor=43308203}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto;"
|+ Frederick A. de Armas's comparison of Plato's and Tolkien's rings<ref name="de Armas 1994"/>
|-
! Story element !! [[Plato]]'s ''[[Republic (Plato)|Republic]]'' !! Tolkien's [[Middle-earth]]
|-
| Ring's power || Invisibility || Invisibility, and corruption of the wearer
|-
| Discovery || [[Gyges of Lydia|Gyges]] finds ring in a deep chasm || [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo]] finds ring in a deep cave
|-
| First use || Gyges ravishes the Queen,<br/>kills the King,<br/>becomes King of Lydia (a bad purpose) || Bilbo puts ring on by accident,<br/>is surprised [[Gollum]] does not see him,<br/>uses it to escape danger (a good purpose)
|-
| Moral result || Total failure || Bilbo emerges strengthened
|}

The Tolkien scholar Eric Katz writes that "Plato ''argues'' that such [moral] corruption will occur, but Tolkien ''shows'' us this corruption through the thoughts and actions of his characters".<ref name="Katz 2003"/> Plato argues that immoral life is no good as it corrupts one's soul. So, Katz states, according to Plato a moral person has peace and happiness, and would not use a Ring of Power.<ref name="Katz 2003"/> In Katz's view, Tolkien's story "demonstrate[s] various responses to the question posed by Plato: would a just person be corrupted by the possibility of almost unlimited power?"<ref name="Katz 2003"/> The question is answered in different ways: the monster [[Gollum]] is weak, quickly corrupted, and finally destroyed; [[Boromir]], son of the [[Steward of Gondor]], begins virtuous but like Plato's Gyges is corrupted "by the temptation of power"<ref name="Katz 2003"/> from the Ring, even if he wants to use it for good, but redeems himself by defending the hobbits to his own death; the "strong and virtuous"<ref name="Katz 2003"/> [[Galadriel]], who sees clearly what she would become if she accepted the ring, and rejects it; the immortal [[Tom Bombadil]], exempt from the Ring's corrupting power and from its gift of invisibility; [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]] who in a moment of need faithfully uses the ring, but is not seduced by its vision of "Samwise the Strong, Hero of the Age"; and finally [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] who is gradually corrupted, but is saved by his earlier mercy to Gollum, and Gollum's desperation for the Ring. Katz concludes that Tolkien's answer to Plato's "Why be moral?" is "to be yourself".<ref name="Katz 2003">{{cite book |last=Katz |first=Eric |title=The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy: One Book to Rule Them All |publisher=Open Court |year=2003 |isbn=978-0-8126-9545-8 |editor-last=Bassham |editor-first=Gregory |pages=5–20 |chapter=The Rings of Tolkien and Plato: Lessons in Power, Choice, and Morality |oclc=863158193 |editor-last2=Bronson |editor-first2=Eric |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dw-NAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA5}}</ref>

=== Germanic legend and fairy tale ===

Tolkien was certainly influenced by the Germanic legend: [[Andvaranaut]] is a magical ring that can give its wielder wealth, while [[Draupnir]] is a self-multiplying ring that holds dominion over all the rings it creates. [[Richard Wagner]]'s opera series ''[[Der Ring des Nibelungen]]'' adapted Norse mythology to provide a magical but cursed golden ring.<ref>{{harvnb|Simek|2005|pp=165, 173}}</ref> Tolkien denied any connection, but scholars agreed that Wagner's ''Ring'' powerfully influenced Tolkien.<ref name="Arvidsson 2010"/> The scholar of religion Stefan Arvidsson writes that Tolkien's ring differs from Wagner's in being concerned with power for its own sake and that he turned one ring into many, an echo of the self-multiplying ring.<ref name="Arvidsson 2010">{{cite journal |last=Arvidsson |first=Stefan |year=2010 |title=Greed and the Nature of Evil: Tolkien versus Wagner |journal=Journal of Religion and Popular Culture |volume=22 |issue=2 |at=article 7 |doi=10.3138/jrpc.22.2.007 |url=https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:349219/FULLTEXT01.pdf<!--full text, not redundant to DOI-->}}</ref>

"Magic rings are a frequent motif in [[fairy tale]]s; they confer powers such as invisibility or flight; they can summon wish-granting [[djinn]]s and dwarves", writes the Tolkien and feminist scholar Melanie Rawls. She adds that they "identify the enchanted princess, hold the tiny golden key to the secret room, give one the power to transform oneself into any form — animal, vegetable, or mineral: duck, lake, rock or tree on a plain, and so escape the ogre."<ref name="Rawls 1984">{{cite journal |last=Rawls |first=Melanie |year=1984 |title=The Rings of Power |journal=[[Mythlore]] |volume=11 |issue=2 |at=Article 5 |url=https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol11/iss2/5}}</ref> As Tolkien was well acquainted with fairy tales like The [[Brothers Grimm]]'s [[Snow White|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]],  Jeanette White from ''[[Comic Book Resources]]'' suggested that his choice "to gift seven rings of power to the Dwarf Lords of the seven kingdoms is probably no accident".<ref name="CBR">{{cite web|last=White |first=Jeannette |title=Are Lord of the Rings and Disney's Snow White Part of the Same Universe? |date=20 February 2021 |publisher=[[Comic Book Resources|CBR]] |url=https://www.cbr.com/lotr-snow-white-same-universe/ |access-date=31 March 2021}}</ref><ref name="Atlas">{{Cite web |url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/tolkien-cs-lewis-disney-snow-white-narnia-hobbit-dwarves |title=The Movie Date That Solidified J.R.R. Tolkien's Dislike of Walt Disney|date=25 April 2017 |first=Eric |last=Grundhauser |publisher=[[Atlas Obscura]]|access-date=31 March 2021}}</ref> 

The nine rings for Mortal Men match the number of the Nazgûl. Edward Pettit, in ''[[Mallorn (journal)|Mallorn]]'', states that nine is "the commonest 'mystic' number in Germanic lore". He quotes the "[[Nine Herbs Charm]]" from the ''[[Lacnunga]]'', an Old English book of spells, suggesting that Tolkien may have made multiple uses of such spells to derive attributes of the Nazgûl:<ref name="Pettit 2002">{{cite journal |last1=Pettit |first1=Edward |title=J.R.R. Tolkien's use of an Old English charm |journal=Mallorn |date=2002 |issue=40 |pages=39-44 |url=https://journals.tolkiensociety.org/mallorn/article/download/132/126}}</ref>

{{blockquote|<poem>
against venom and vile things
and all the loathly ones,
that through the land rove, 
...
against nine fugitives from glory, 
against nine poisons and 
against nine flying diseases.</poem>}}

== Analysis ==

=== Plot device to core element ===

The One Ring first appeared in Tolkien's [[Juvenile fantasy|children's fantasy]] ''The Hobbit'' in 1937 as a [[plot device]], a mysterious [[magic ring]] that the titular character had stumbled upon, but its origin was left unexplained.{{sfn|Köberl|2006|p=4|ref=Köberl 2006}} Following the novel's success, Tolkien was persuaded by his publishers [[Allen & Unwin]] to write a sequel.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Carpenter|2023|loc=Letter #19 to [[Stanley Unwin (publisher)|Stanley Unwin]], 16 December 1937 }}</ref>{{sfn|Köberl|2006|p=1|ref=Köberl 2006}} Intending to give Bilbo another adventure, he instead devised a background story around the Ring with its power of [[invisibility]], forming a framework for the new work.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Carpenter|2023|loc=Letter #21 to Allen & Unwin, 1 February 1938 }}</ref> He tied the Ring to mythical elements from the unfinished manuscripts for ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' to create an [[impression of depth in The Lord of the Rings|impression of depth in ''The Lord of the Rings'']].{{sfn|Rérolle |2012|ref=Rérolle 2012}} Gollum's characterisation in ''The Hobbit'' was revised for the second edition to bring it into line with his portrayal in ''The Lord of the Rings'' as a being [[Addiction to power in The Lord of the Rings|addicted to the One Ring]].<ref name="The Hobbit 1" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1937|ps=: In the first published edition of ''The Hobbit'', Gollum is portrayed as less obsessed with the One Ring, even offering it as a prize to Bilbo Baggins.}}</ref>

Tolkien's conception of Ring-lore was closely linked to his development of the One Ring.{{sfn|Drout|2006|p=572}} He initially made Sauron instrumental in forging the Rings.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1989|p=155}}</ref> He then briefly considered having Fëanor, creator of the [[Silmaril]]s, forge the Rings of Power, under the influence of [[Morgoth]], the first Dark Lord. He settled on Celebrimbor, a descendant of Fëanor, as the Ring's principal maker, under the tutelage of Sauron, Morgoth's chief servant.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1989|p=255}}</ref> While writing the lore behind the One Ring, Tolkien struggled with giving the Elven rings a "special status" – somehow linked to the One, and thus endangered by it, but also "unsullied", having no direct connection with Sauron.<ref name="Köberl 1">{{harvnb|Köberl|2006|p=16|ref=Köberl 2006}}</ref> By the time he was writing the chapter "The Mirror of Galadriel", Tolkien had decided that the Seven and the Nine were made by the Elven-smiths of Eregion under Sauron's guidance and that the Three were made by Celebrimbor alone.<ref name="Köberl 1"/> He considered setting the Three free from the One when it was destroyed but dropped the idea.<ref name="Köberl 1"/> Tolkien's posthumous works, including ''The Silmarillion'', ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'' and ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'' offer further glimpses of the creation of the Rings.<ref name="History of Galadriel and Celeborn" group=T/><ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1988|loc=ch. 3 "Of Gollum and the Ring"}}</ref><ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1989|loc=chs. 6, 7 "The Council of Elrond" (parts 1 & 2)}}</ref>

[[Jason Fisher]], writing in ''[[Tolkien Studies]]'', notes that Tolkien developed the names, descriptions and powers of the Three Rings late and slowly through many drafts of his narratives. In Fisher's view, Tolkien found it difficult to work these Rings both into the existing story of the [[One Ring]], and into the enormous but Ring-free [[Tolkien's legendarium|legendarium]].<ref name="Fisher 2008">{{cite journal |last=Fisher |first=Jason |author-link=Jason Fisher |title=Three Rings for—Whom Exactly? And Why?: Justifying the Disposition of the Three Elven Rings |journal=[[Tolkien Studies]] |date=2008 |volume=5 |pages=99–108 |doi=10.1353/tks.0.0015 |s2cid=171012566 |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/239841/summary|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Some of the descriptions, such as that Vilya was the mightiest of the Three, and that Narya was called "The Great", were added at the [[galley proof]] stage, just before printing.<ref name="Fisher 2008"/>{{sfn|Hammond|Scull|2005|pp=670–676}} The Rings had earlier been named Kemen, Ëar, and Menel, meaning the Rings of Earth, Sea, and Heaven.{{sfn|Hammond|Scull|2005|pp=670–671}}

According to Johann Köberl, Tolkien struggled with the notion of a "special status" for the Elven-Rings, and considered having The Three set free when the One Ring was destroyed.<ref name="Köberl 1"/> In an unused draft by Tolkien, Galadriel counselled Celebrimbor to destroy all the Rings when Sauron's deception was revealed, but when he could not bear to ruin them, she suggested that the Three be hidden.<ref name="Three Rings 1" group=T/><ref name="Unfinished Tales 1" group=T>{{harvp|Tolkien|1980|loc=The History of Galadriel and Celeborn}}</ref> According to ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'', at the start of the War of the Elves and Sauron, Celebrimbor gave both Narya and Vilya to [[Gil-galad]], High King of the [[Noldor]]. Gil-galad later entrusted Vilya to his lieutenant [[Elrond]], and Narya to [[Círdan]] the Shipwright, Lord of the Havens of Mithlond and leader of the Falathrim or "People of the Shore".<ref name="Dickerson 2013">{{cite encyclopedia |last=Dickerson |first=Matthew |author-link=Matthew Dickerson |editor-last=Drout |editor-first=Michael D. C. |editor-link=Michael D. C. Drout |title=Elves: Kindreds and Migrations |encyclopedia=[[J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia]] |year=2013 |orig-year=2007 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-0-415-86511-1 |pages=152–154}}</ref> Tolkien suggested that Sauron did not discover where the Three were hidden, though he guessed that they were given to Gil-galad and Galadriel.<ref name="Unfinished Tales 1" group=T/> In the published ''The Lord of the Rings'', Gil-galad received only Vilya, while Círdan was the direct recipient of Narya from Celebrimbor. 

Tolkien noted in his letters that the primary power of the Three was to "the prevention and slowing of ''decay''", which appealed to the Elves in their pursuit of preserving what they loved in Middle-earth.{{sfn|Bassham|Bronson|2013|pp=23–25}}<ref name="Tolkien 1" group=T>{{harvnb|Carpenter|2023|loc=Letter #121 to [[Allen & Unwin]], 13 July 1949 }}</ref> As changeless beings in a changing world, the Elves who remained in Middle-earth relied on the Three to delay the inevitable rise of the [[Dominion of Men]].{{sfn|Bassham|Bronson|2013|pp=23–25}}<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Carpenter|2023|loc=Letter #154 to [[Naomi Mitchison]], 25 September 1954 }}</ref><ref name="Fellowship 3" group=T/> Tolkien explained that the Elves can only be immortal as long as the world endures, leading them to be concerned with burdens of deathlessness in time and change. Since they wanted the bliss and perfect memory of [[Valinor]], yet to remain in Middle-earth with their prestige as the fairest, as opposed to being at the bottom of the hierarchy in the [[Undying Lands]], they became obsessed with "[[Elf (Middle-earth)#Second and Third Ages|fading]]".<ref group="T" name="Letter 131" />

=== Power and morality ===

{{further|Addiction to power in The Lord of the Rings}}

According to the scholars of philosophy Gregory Bassham and Eric Bronson, the Rings of Power can be seen as a modern representation of the relationship between [[Power (social and political)|power]] and [[morality]], since it portrays an idea that "absolute power is in conflict with behaviour that respects the wishes and needs of others".<ref name="Bassham 1">{{harvnb|Bassham|Bronson|2013|p=6-7}}</ref> They also observed that several of Tolkien's characters have responded in different ways when faced with the possibility of possessing the One Ring—characters such as [[Samwise Gamgee]] and [[Galadriel]] have rejected it; [[Boromir]] and [[Gollum]], were seduced by its power; and [[Frodo Baggins]], though in limited use, ultimately succumbs to it; while [[Tom Bombadil]] can transcend its power entirely.<ref name="Bassham 1"/> They also noted that for Tolkien, the crucial moment of each character in the story is the moment in which they are tempted to use a Ring, a choice that will determine their fate.{{sfn|Bassham|Bronson|2013|p=10}} The [[science fiction]] author [[Isaac Asimov]] described the Rings of Power as symbols of [[industrial technology]].{{sfn|Asimov|1996|loc=Concerning Tolkien|p=155}}{{sfn|Bassham|Bronson|2013|p=21}} While Tolkien denied that ''The Lord of the Rings'' was an [[allegory]], he stated that it could be applied to situations and described it as an examination of "placing power in external objects".{{sfn|Bassham|Bronson|2013|pp=23–25}}

=== Catholicism ===

Gwyneth Hood, writing in ''[[Mythlore]]'', explores two [[Christianity in Middle-earth|Catholic elements in the story]] of the Three Rings: the [[angel]]ic and [[Sacrifice|sacrificial]] aspects of the Elves in the War of the Ring. To the Hobbits of the [[Fellowship of the Ring (characters)|Fellowship of the Ring]], the bearers of the Elven-Rings appear as angelic messengers, offering wise counsel. To save Middle-earth, they have to accept the plan to destroy the One Ring, and with it, the power of the Three Rings, which embody much of their own power. Hood notes that while Gandalf, as one of the supernatural [[Maiar]] sent from [[Valinor]], is "remarkably unlike an elf",<ref name="Hood 1993"/> he is the character who most closely combines the angelic and the sacrificial among the wielders of the Three Rings.<ref name="Hood 1993">{{cite journal |last1=Hood |first1=Gwyneth |title=Nature and Technology: Angelic and Sacrificial Strategies in Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings' |journal=[[Mythlore]] |date=1993 |volume=19 |issue=4 |location=article 2 |url=https://dc.swosu.edu/mythlore/vol19/iss4/2}}</ref> The poet [[W. H. Auden]], an early supporter of ''Lord of the Rings'', wrote in the ''[[Tolkien Journal]]'' that good triumphs over [[evil]] in the War of the Ring, but the Three Rings lose their power, as Galadriel had [[Prophecy|prophesied]]: "Yet if you succeed, then our power is diminished, and Lothlórien will fade, and the tides of time will sweep it away".<ref name="Auden 1967">{{cite journal |last=Auden |first=W. H. |author-link=W. H. Auden |title=Good and Evil in 'The Lord of the Rings' |journal=Tolkien Journal |volume=3 |issue=1 |year=1967 |pages=5–8 |jstor=26807102 }}</ref> Hood further writes that Tolkien was suggesting [[technology]], such as the making of Rings of Power, is in itself neither good nor evil; both the Elves and Sauron (with his armies of [[orc]]s) use that technology, as they also both make and wear [[sword]]s and [[chain mail|mail armour]], and shoot with [[Bow (archery)|bows]].<ref name="Hood 1993"/>

==In adaptations==
[[File:Rings of Power adaptation.jpg|thumb|Rings of Power and their wearers as depicted in Peter Jackson's ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring|The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' (<small>above, from left</small>)—The Three Rings being worn by the Elves [[Gil-galad]], [[Círdan]] (<small>middle</small>) and [[Galadriel]]; The Dwarves raising their Seven Rings; (<small>below</small>) The [[Nazgûl|Nine Kings of Men]] wielding their Rings]]

[[Ralph Bakshi]]'s 1978 [[animated film]] ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1978 film)|The Lord of the Rings]]'' begins with the forging of the Rings of Power and the events of the War of the Last Alliance against Sauron, all of which are animated in a silhouette against a red background using [[rotoscoping]].{{sfn|Gilkeson|2018|ref=Gilkeson 2018}}

The forging of the Rings of Power opens the prologue of [[Peter Jackson]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|The Lord of the Rings]]'' film series in the 2001 ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring|The Fellowship of the Ring]]''. The Three Elven Rings are shown being cast using a [[cuttlebone]] mould, an ancient casting technique. These were given to Gil-galad (portrayed by [[Mark Ferguson (actor)|Mark Ferguson]]), Círdan (Michael Elsworth), and Galadriel ([[Cate Blanchett]]).<ref name="Looper 1"/> The Tolkien illustrator [[Alan Lee (illustrator)|Alan Lee]], employed as a conceptual designer for the films, had a cameo as one of the nine human Ring-bearers who later became the Nazgûl. Sauron ([[Sala Baker]]) is seen forging the One Ring at the chamber of Mount Doom.<ref name="The Book Report 1"/> The One Ring was shown to have the ability to adjust in size to the finger of its wearer, such as when it became smaller to fit Isildur ([[Harry Sinclair]]). In the extended version, Galadriel properly introduces Nenya, the Ring of Adamant, to Frodo. In the concluding film, ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]'' (2003), the final wearers of the Three Rings—Gandalf ([[Ian McKellen]]), Elrond ([[Hugo Weaving]]), and Galadriel, appear openly at the Grey Havens wearing the Three, with Galadriel proclaiming the end of its power and the beginning of the Dominion of Men.<ref name="Screen Rant 1"/>

Four Rings of Power appeared in Jackson's ''[[The Hobbit (film series)|The Hobbit]]'' film series. In ''[[The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey|An Unexpected Journey]]'' (2012), the One Ring was found by Bilbo Baggins (portrayed by [[Martin Freeman]]).<ref name="CraveOnline 1"/> In the extended version of the succeeding film ''[[The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug|The Desolation of Smaug]]'' (2013), Gandalf discovers that Sauron took the Ring of Thrór (a Dwarf-Lord) from Thráin ([[Antony Sher]]), who revealed in a flashback scene his possession of the Ring during a siege of Moria.<ref name="TheOneRing.net 1"/> In the concluding film ''[[The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies|The Battle of the Five Armies]]'' (2014), Galadriel (Blanchett) reveals Nenya in rescuing Gandalf (McKellen) from Sauron ([[Benedict Cumberbatch]]), aided by Saruman ([[Christopher Lee]]) and Elrond (Weaving), who is wearing Vilya, the Ring of Air.<ref name="Smithsonian 1"/>

In the 2014 video game ''[[Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor]]'', the wraith-like spirit of Celebrimbor (fused with the body of the Ranger Talion) recalls how Sauron had deceived him into forging the Rings of Power.<ref name="Mashable 1"/> In the sequel, ''[[Middle-earth: Shadow of War]]'', Celebrimbor forges a new Ring of Power unsullied by Sauron's influence.<ref name="Forbes 1"/>

The 2022 television series ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power]]'' depicts the forging of the Rings of Power.<ref name="Title">{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/lord-of-the-rings-rings-of-power-amazon-series-1235156784/ |author=Joe Otterson |title='Lord of the Rings' Amazon Series Reveals Full Title in New Video |date=19 January 2022 |website=Variety}}</ref>

== See also ==

* The [[Palantír]]i: indestructible crystal stones that enable their users to communicate with users of the other stones
* The [[Silmaril]]s: three jewels containing the light of the [[Two Trees of Valinor]] and the chief objects of ''[[The Silmarillion]]''

== References ==

=== Primary ===

{{reflist|group=T}}

=== Secondary ===

<references>
<ref name="Screen Rant 1">{{cite web |last1=Elvy |first1=Craig |title=Lord Of The Rings: What Happened To The OTHER Rings Of Power |url=https://screenrant.com/lord-rings-power-elves-dwarves-men-what-happened/ |website=[[Screen Rant]] |access-date=2 December 2019 |date=8 November 2019}}</ref>
<ref name="Looper 1">{{cite web |last1=Pak |first1=Jaron |title=The most powerful elves in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings |url=https://www.looper.com/159684/the-most-powerful-elves-in-peter-jacksons-lord-of-the-rings/ |website=Looper.com |date=24 July 2019 |access-date=2 December 2019}}</ref>
<ref name="The Book Report 1">{{cite web |title=Interview: December 16, 2005 |url=https://www.bookreporter.com/authors/alan-lee/news/interview-121605 |publisher=The Book Report, Inc. |access-date=2 December 2019 |date=16 December 2005}}</ref>
<ref name="Smithsonian 1">{{cite web |last1=Nuwer |first1=Rachel |author-link=Rachel Nuwer |title=The Tolkien Nerd's Guide to "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/tolkien-nerds-guide-hobbit-battle-five-armies-180953681/ |publisher=[[Smithsonian Institution]] |access-date=2 December 2019 |date=19 December 2014}}</ref>
<ref name="TheOneRing.net 1">{{cite web |title=The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Extended Edition Scene Guide |url=https://www.theonering.net/torwp/2014/10/21/93175-the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug-extended-edition-scene-guide/3/ |publisher=[[TheOneRing.net]] |access-date=2 December 2019 |date=21 October 2014}}</ref>
<ref name="CraveOnline 1">{{cite web |title=Gollum and Bilbo Meet in New Clip From The Hobbit |url=https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/97991-gollum-and-bilbo-meet-in-new-clip-from-the-hobbit |publisher=[[CraveOnline]] |access-date=2 December 2019 |date=12 December 2012}}</ref>
<ref name="Mashable 1">{{cite web |last1=Beck |first1=Kellen |title=There's a new ring of power in Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' universe |url=https://mashable.com/2017/06/08/shadow-of-mordor-story-trailer/ |website=[[Mashable]] |access-date=2 December 2019 |date=9 June 2017}}</ref>
<ref name="Forbes 1">{{cite web |last1=Kain |first1=Erik |title=New Ring Of Power Probably A Bad Idea In 'Middle-earth: Shadow of War' |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2017/02/27/new-ring-of-power-probably-a-bad-idea-in-middle-earth-shadow-of-war/#5c2405bf3b4a |website=[[Forbes]] |access-date=2 December 2019 |date=27 February 2017}}</ref>
</references>

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* {{cite news |last=Rérolle |first=Raphaëlle |url=http://www.worldcrunch.com/culture-society/my-father-039-s-quot-eviscerated-quot-work-son-of-hobbit-scribe-j.r.r.-tolkien-finally-speaks-out/hobbit-silmarillion-lord-of-rings/c3s10299/ |title=My Father's 'Eviscerated' Work – Son Of Hobbit Scribe J.R.R. Tolkien Finally Speaks Out |work=[[Le Monde]]/Worldcrunch |date=5 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130210205838/http://www.worldcrunch.com/culture-society/my-father-039-s-quot-eviscerated-quot-work-son-of-hobbit-scribe-j.r.r.-tolkien-finally-speaks-out/hobbit-silmarillion-lord-of-rings/c3s10299/ |archive-date=10 February 2013 |url-status=dead |ref=Rérolle 2012}}
* {{cite book |last=Simek |first=Rudolf |author-link=Rudolf Simek |title=Mittelerde: Tolkien und die germanische Mythologie |trans-title=Middle-earth: Tolkien and the Germanic Mythology |language=de |publisher=[[C. H. Beck]] |year=2005 |isbn=978-3406528378}}
* {{cite book |last1=Strachan |first1=Jackie |last2=Moseley |first2=Jane |title=The Order of Things: How hierarchies help us make sense of the world |date=2017 |publisher=[[Hachette (publisher)|Hachette]] |location=United Kingdom |isbn=978-1-472-13991-7}}
* {{ME-ref|TH}}
* {{ME-ref|FotR}}
* {{ME-ref|RotK}}
* {{ME-ref|Silm}}
* {{ME-ref|ToI}}
* {{ME-ref|RotS}}
* {{ME-ref|UT}}
* {{ME-ref|LROW|Part 3: "[[The Etymologies (Tolkien)|The Etymologies]]"}}  <!--1987-->
* {{cite book |editor-last=Williams |editor-first=Hamish |editor-link=Hamish Williams |title=Tolkien and the Classical World |title-link=Tolkien and the Classical World (book) |publication-place=Zurich |publisher=[[Walking Tree Publishers]] |date=2021 |isbn=978-3-905703-45-0 |oclc=1237352408 }}
{{refend}}

{{Middle-earth}}
{{The Lord of the Rings}}

[[Category:Fictional elements introduced in 1954]]
[[Category:Middle-earth rings and jewels]]
[[Category:Magic rings]]