Three Rings for—Whom Exactly? And Why?: Justifying the Disposition of the Three Elven Rings (original) (raw)

"What have I got in my pocket?" -Tolkien and the Tradition of the Rings of Power

Journal of Tolkien Research 13.1 (article 1), 2021

The question of where Tolkien found his inspiration for the One Ring has occupied fans and scholars alike for decades, and many rings real, fictional or legendary have been proposed. My paper takes a fresh look at the evidence and provides an overview of possible sources of inspiration from contemporary literature and archaeology. My research suggests that there was not one single source of inspiration but rather three rings that served as models, each of which contributed an important element to Tolkien’s concept of his One Ring. These models are: The Ring of Gyges, the Ring of Charlemagne, and Wagner’s Ring. The last of these is of central importance since Tolkien seems to have developed his One Ring in opposition to and as a critical ‘re-write’ of Wagner’s Ring of Power. See also: https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol13/iss1/1

From the Flame Imperishable to the Silmarils: The dimming of lights in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion

Estrema, 2024

In J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion, Light permeates the world from its prime to its dimmest hues. Authors such as Lisa Coutras, Verlyn Flieger, and Reno E. Lauro have expertly explored the role of light in Ëa, and, in this essay, I draw on their theories to investigate the way light and darkness are portrayed from the beginning of creation to the making of the Silmarils. Recalling Lauro’s allusion to medieval theories of light, I suggest a look at Eä as a world built on refractions of a pure, all-encompassing light that grows progressively dimmer, until its encapsulation in three jewels, going from a source of wonder to an object of desire. Light, in The Silmarillion, is synonymous with good, beauty, and truth, but it scorches and punishes those who misuse it. Furthermore, in this essay I corroborate the theories that darkness − not the primeval darkness, but Morgoth’s evil, consuming darkness − is a deformation of the light that gave shape and life to Ilúvatar’s creation. As such, I aim to briefly examine Arda’s initial lights and their waning as not only a reflection of the increasing separation from their primary principle, but also a result of both the entrance of evil in the world, and Fëanor’s hybris, which sealed the Elves of his house’s fate.

The Name of the Ring; or, There and Back Again

In Middle-earth, even evil suffers a steady decline from the cosmic to the petty over the course of “the long defeat” of Arda. In this paper I will use terms from Northrop Frye’s The Great Code—metaphoric, metonymic, demotic, and ricorso—to examine the path of the Ring/power/naming complex through its long diminution as the Ring moves from metaphor, to magic, to degradation and destruction—from Morgoth’s Ring of all Arda, through Sauron’s Ruling Ring, to Saruman’s pale imitation of Sauron, and Gollum’s struggle for mere subsistence. The hobbit Ringbearers—Bilbo, Frodo, Sam—are a coda to the Ring’s diminishment, aborting the attempted ricorso and bringing about its ultimate end.

Rings from the Forbidden Forest Appendix, Catalogue and Supplemental Material

Journal of Roman Archaeology, 2023

This consists of the catalogue, appendix and supplemental material to our JRA article on the Wareswald rings group. It includes a discussion of Roman ring typologies, the catalogue of the rings, gems and bracelet, discussions of similar types of rings and the glass nicolo gems from other sites, and the arguments for dating.

Evil and Power. The symbolism of the One Ring in " The Lord of the Rings "

Ciberteologia, 2006

This article deals with the symbolism of the One Ring, basic point in The Lord of the Rings, by J. R.R. Tolkien. From the dialogue with Saint Augustine, through the categories of iniancy and free-will, and Paul Ricoeur, through the categories of myth and symbol, the One Ring is understood as lust for power over men, lands, and knowledge. In this sense, Tolkien´s historical reality and his Augustinian view favor an analysis of the symbol's three functions, proposed by Ricoeur: the cosmic, oneiric, and poetic functions.