The One Ring, it is said, would not be allowed in Valinor, but the three rings, Narya, Nenya and Vilya, crafted by Celebrimbor (who learned the skill from Sauron) were allowed to travel West. All went West with their bearers Gandalf, Galadriel and Elrond. Why were these rings, which were bound to the One Ring and a product of Middle-earth, allowed to go west into the Undying Land?
-
21By the time they went to Valinor, Sauron was dead and the three rings were just jewelry. There was nothing magic about them any more. They were just metal and stone.– Wad CheberFeb 23, 2016 at 23:12
-
8@WadCheber I hear what you're saying and not to get nitpicky but a Maia can't die.– MorganFeb 23, 2016 at 23:18
-
2Where do you see the claim that the ring wouldn't be allowed in Valinor? I don't remember any edicts about objects, just people.– Avner Shahar-KashtanFeb 24, 2016 at 5:44
-
2Elrond's Council. scifi.stackexchange.com/a/64472/1924– chxFeb 24, 2016 at 15:52
-
3@Morgan - That is what death is in Tolkien's universe. Death of the hröar. One's fëa can never die. This is true by elves, humans, and maiar. The only difference is how easy it is to get a new hröa. (This is talked about in HoME X.)– ibidFeb 25, 2016 at 1:34
|
Show 2 more comments
3 Answers
quote from The Silmarillion From the Chapter headed: Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age:
"...they were given unto the hands of the Wise, who concealed them and never again used them openly while Sauron kept the Ruling Ring. Therefore the three remained unsullied, for they were forged by Celibrimbor alone, and the hand of Sauron had never touched them; yet they were subject to the one."
also:
"...yet after the fall of Sauron their power was ever at work, and where they abode mirth also dwelt and all things were unstained..."
Once the One Ring was destroyed, it no longer had power over The Three.
Added:
And the last paragraph of the Silmarillion:
"...and then it was made plain, that the power of the Three Rings had ended, and to the Firstborn the world grew old and grey."
They passed unsullied and powerless to the Ancient West.
answered Feb 23, 2016 at 23:25
Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_
3,4131 gold badge17 silver badges36 bronze badges
-
4Good first answer. I'm holding off my upvote until tomorrow, however, so that you can get even more rep. :) (I feel like I'm talking to myself.)– MithicalFeb 24, 2016 at 10:26
-
2Indeed a good answer. I would speculate that the 3 bearers could only bring them to the West AFTER the Ruling Ring was destroyed– user001Feb 24, 2016 at 11:13
-
4@thegreatjedi That quote refers to the fall of Sauron at the end of the Second Age, not the Third.– chepnerFeb 24, 2016 at 14:14
-
2The key difference was that bringing the One Ring to Valinor would have been a way of hiding the ring and avoiding the problem of dealing with Sauron once and for all. Bringing the Three was simply a matter of bringing a few mementos of their struggle with Sauron.– chepnerFeb 24, 2016 at 14:15
-
16@Mithrandir upvoting Gandalf? Don't we have rules against upvoting yourself from other accounts? :)– reirabFeb 24, 2016 at 16:20
“And they who dwell beyond the Sea would not receive it: for good or ill it belongs to Middle-earth; it is for us who still dwell here to deal with it.”
This can have two interpretations:
1. The ring belongs to Middle-earth so we can't bring it to Valinor. Therefore we have to deal with it here
2. As the ring belongs to Middle-earth, we are responsible for dealing with all the problems it's causing it; we can't hide it in Valinor.
I am in favour of the second interpretation: the problem is not the characteristics of the ring, if it's powerful or corrupting, the problem is that Sauron wants it and bringing it to Valinor will (eventually) cause conflict as Sauron will scheme (maybe send Saruman as a spy?) to get it back. And They don't want conflict, that's why Valinor was hidden in the First Age.
Additionally, it fits the theme of leaving Middle-Earth alone and letting people handle the problems (e.g. by imposing restrictions on what the wizards can do); allowing the Ring in Valinor would contradict this completely.
On the other hand, nobody (powerful) desires the Three (especially if they've lost their power) so allowing them in Valinor will not bring any more conflict than bringing a sword.
-
-
@Mithrandir not sure to be honest (but didn't Sam go to Valinor anyway?). I mentioned Sting because it's a somewhat famous named sword but I see how it can be misleading; I replaced it with just
a swordas the point is not that String "got in".– falsedotFeb 25, 2016 at 12:35 -
@Mithrandir After Rose's death, Sam met Elanor one last time, left her the Red Book and it is said that he reached the Grey Havens and crossed the sea (Appendix B, The Tale of Years, year 1482 S.R.).– lfuriniFeb 25, 2016 at 18:12
-
@lfurini Really? From the end of RotK, it seems like he would stay in Middle-Earth. :/– MithicalFeb 25, 2016 at 18:22
-
@Mithrandir Yes, but the end of The return of the king is not the end of the book, the appendixes add a lot to the story! :-) (more than 60 years pass from Frodo's departure to Sam's one)– lfuriniFeb 25, 2016 at 18:33
Well, you see, the Elves made a bunch of stuff in Middle Earth (probably) before ending up at Valinor in the first place; so why not a bunch of rings? If the Silmarlis could be on Valinor, I don't see why the rings shouldn't. And as for skill learned from Mairon - he had been a Maya of Aule, after all; I bet there's plenty of things on Valinor made with some kind of contribution from him.
answered Feb 24, 2016 at 22:13
-
7
-
-
-
@einpoklum Inspired lust and hubris, yes, until the end of the first age when two were lost to the earth and the sea, and Earendil ascended with the last to the heavens. Feb 25, 2016 at 13:13
-
1@KorvinStarmast: The point is that the Valar had such objects on Valinor before, they could have them there again. Feb 25, 2016 at 13:49