The Fantasy Review’s guide to the history of the Rings of Power in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
The Rings of Power are central to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. These rings played a crucial role in shaping the history of Middle-earth, influencing the fates of Elves, Dwarves, Men, and ultimately, the course of the entire world.
The Forging of the Rings
In the Second Age of Middle-earth, the Noldorin smiths of Eregion, led by Celebrimbor, were approached by Sauron in disguise. Under the name Annatar, the “Lord of Gifts”, Sauron taught them how to make the Rings of Power. Between SA 1500 and 1590, they forged three rings for the Elves, seven for the Dwarves, and nine for Men.
Ten years after the crafting of these rings, Sauron betrayed Celebrimbor and forged the One Ring to rule the others. The Elves escaped from this trap, and the Dwarves were uncontrollable, but the nine Men became the Nazgûl (“ringwraiths” in Black Speech).
Each ring was a band set with a single gem, except for the One Ring, which was a band with no gem. Once the One Ring was destroyed, all the others became powerless.
The Three Elven Rings
The Three Elven Rings of Power were crafted by Celebrimbor alone, without Sauron’s direct influence, so they were not tainted. This did not mean they could not still be used by Sauron with the One Ring.
The Three Elven Rings were:
- Narya, the Ring of Fire
- Nenya, the Ring of Water
- Vilya, the Ring of Air
These rings were primarily used to prevent decay and preserve the beauty of the Elven realms. They were hidden during the Second Age and used in secret during the Third.
The Seven Dwarf-Rings
The Seven Rings given to the Kings of each of the seven houses of the Dwarves were meant to enslave them. However, the Dwarves proved resistant to this domination, refusing to turn evil.
Instead, these rings increased the Dwarves’ greed for gold and precious metals. Over time, dragons consumed four of these rings, while the other three were reclaimed by Sauron who had grown to detest the Dwarves.
The most important ring is the Ring of Durin’s Folk. It was given to Durin III by the Elves, not Sauron, and was kept hidden until it was taken from Thráin II in about TA 2845.
The Nine Rings of Men
The Nine Rings given to Men were the most successful in terms of Sauron’s plans. The men who wore these rings became the Nazgûl, or Ringwraiths, entirely subservient to Sauron’s will. They became his loyal servants and terrified Sauron’s enemies during the War of the Ring.
These corrupted Men were preserved by their rings, but were totally dependent on the One Ring for their survival.
The Nine Rings were destroyed in Orodruin when the One Ring was destroyed. However, the greatest ring that was worn by the Lord of the Nazgûl might have been kept from destruction, although it was powerless after the One Ring’s destruction.
The One Ring and The War of the Last Alliance
The history of the Rings of Power comes to a near end in the War of the Last Alliance at the end of the Second Age. Sauron was defeated, and Isildur cut the One Ring from Sauron’s hand.
However, Isildur’s refusal to destroy the Ring allowed Sauron’s spirit to endure, setting the stage for the events of The Lord of the Rings, with the War of the Ring.
