How many times did Gandalf touch the One Ring in the books?

Question

Inspired by this question here, not sure about the LOTR novels (no copy of my books with me) but, in the movies Gandalf touches the Ring once after Bilbo drops it, and gets a vision immediately of Sauron's eye. And later when Frodo returns and after Gandalf throws the ring in the small fire, he uses tongs to take it out [see 0.46 seconds in vid] Does this happen in the novels or does Gandalf only touch it once as it is in the movie?

How many times did Gandalf touch the Ring in the novels then? Over at a Tolkien forum somewhere a user said Gandalf touched the Ring while changing its' chain in Rivendell in the novel--- is it true as well?

Answer 1

Twice.

1. He unfastened it and handed it slowly to the wizard. It felt suddenly very heavy, as if either it or Frodo himself was in some way reluctant for Gandalf to touch it. Gandalf held it up. It looked to be made of pure and solid gold.

2. For a moment the wizard stood looking at the fire; then he stooped and removed the ring to the hearth with the tongs, and at once picked it up. Frodo gasped.

Both incidents happen in The Shadow of the Past. And yes, Peter Jackson's version of Gandalf using tongs is accurate.

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Some (as you have stated) may argue that Gandalf touched it thrice: the last time being at Rivendell. However, there is no proof of this at all. In fact, we are not told who had changed the Ring's chain.

When he had dressed, Frodo found that while he slept the Ring had been hung about his neck on a new chain, light but strong. Slowly he drew it out. Bilbo put out his hand.

Answer 2

imho, Gandalf never touches the ring in either the movie nor in the books.

In the movie, Gandalf goes to pick up the ring off the floor after Bilbo drops it. He gets within about a centimetre of touching it, then gets the vision of the eye and pulls his hand away immediately without ever touching it. He leaves it on the floor, to be picked up by Frodo a few minutes later when he comes through the front door.

Then in the fire he uses tongs, not because the ring is hot (he drops it straight into Frodo's hands) but because he doesn't want to touch it.

In the books, I read it that he uses the tongs to move the ring to the hearth, then picks it up (also with the tongs). Then gives it to Frodo (also with the tongs) as in the movie.

Then later in the books, when Frodo unfastens the ring to give to Gandalf, the reason he unfastens it is because it is on a chain round his neck. Otherwise what is he unfastening? Gandalf holds up the ring by holding the chain, not touching the ring.

Gandalf makes it clear throughout both the books and the movie that he does not want to handle the ring.

Answer 3

This is why I tell my students not to use the word "it" without clear context.

Gandalf held it up

Could refer to the Ring, or the chain.

... he stopped and removed the ring to the hearth with the tongs, and at once picked it up. Frodo gasped. 'It is quite cool', said Gandalf.

Could refer to the tongs, but a stronger argument suggests that "it" is the Ring itself. Did he know it was cool from touching it, or from his prior research?

In the absence of authorial verification, I choose to believe that Gandalf never actually touched the Ring. But it's certainly ambiguous.

Bear in mind that the Red Book was written from memory after the fact, and rewritten by many Hobbits and Men before Tolkien translated the version he found. Who can say how closely any scene follows the actual events?