#rings of power

Listen….. It wasn’t that hard.

tolkienianos:

tolkienianos:

Melkor “incarnated himself” (as Morgoth) permanently. He did this so as to control the hroa, the “flesh” or physical matter, of Arda. He attempted to identify himself with it. A vaster, and more perilous, procedure, though of similar sort to the operation of Sauron with the Rings. Thus, outside the Blessed Realm, all “matter” was likely to have a “Melkor ingredient”, and those who had bodies, nourished by the hora of Arda, had as it were a tendency, small or great, towards Melkor: they were none of them wholly free of him in their incarnate form, and their bodies had an effect upon their spirits. But in this way Morgoth lost (or exchanged, or transmuted) the greater part of his original “angelic” powers, of mind and spirit, while gaining a terrible grip upon the physical world. For this reason he had to be fought, mainly by physical force, and enormous material ruin was a probable consequence of any direct combat with him, victorious or otherwise.
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This is the chief explanation of the constant reluctance of the Valar to come into open battle against Morgoth. Manwë’s task and problem was much more difficult than Gandalf’s. Sauron’s, relatively smaller, power was concentrated; Morgoth’s vast power was disseminated. The whole of “Middle-earth” was Morgoth’s Ring, though temporarily his attention was mainly upon the North-west. Unless swiftly successful, War against him might well end in reducing all Middle-earth to chaos, possibly even all Arda.
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It is easy to say: “It was the task and function of the Elder King to govern Arda and make it possible for the Children of Eru to live in it unmolested.” But the dilemma of the Valar was this: Arda could only be liberated by a physical battle; but a probable result of such a battle was the irretrievable ruin of Arda. Moreover, the final eradication of Sauron (as a power directing evil) was achievable by the destruction of the Ring. No such eradication of Morgoth was possible, since this required the complete disintegration of the “matter” of Arda.

Morgoth’s Ring - The History of Middle-Earth - J.R.R. Tolkien

In the first [account of the Second Age (The Rings of Power)] we see a sort of second fall or at least ‘error’ of the Elves. There was nothing wrong essentially in their lingering against counsel, still sadly with the mortal lands of their old heroic deeds. But they wanted to have their cake without eating it. They wanted peace and bliss and perfect memory of 'The West’, and yet remain on the ordinary earth where their prestige as the highest people, above wild Elves, dwarves, and Men, was greater than at the bottom of the hierarchy of Valinor. They thus became obsessed with 'fading’, the mode in which the changes of time (the law of the world under the sun) was perceived by them. They became sad, and their art (shall we say) antiquarian, and their efforts all really a kind of embalming–even though they also retained the old motive of their kind, the adornment of earth, and the healing of its hurts. … There arose a friendship between the usually hostile folk (of Elves and Dwarves) for the first and only time, and smithcraft reached its highest development. But many of the Elves listened to Sauron. He was still fair in that early time, and his motives and those of the Elves seemed to go partly together: the healing of the desolate lands. Sauron found their weak point in suggesting that, helping one another, they could make Western Middle-earth as beautiful as Valinor. It was really a veiled attack on the gods, an incitement to try and make a separate independent paradise. Gilgalad repulsed all such overtures, as also did Elrond. But at Eregion great work began–and the Elves came their nearest to falling to ’magic’ and machinery. With the aid of Sauron’s lore they made the Rings of Power….

–J.R.R. Tolkien, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, 131 (Art by Angus McBride)

There [the Ring] dwelt, until even in the year of the assault upon Dol Guldur it was found again, by a wayfarer, fleeing into the depths of the earth from the pursuit of the Orcs… ~ The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power  

…and by its finder [the Ring] was brought beyond search into dark hiding under the roots of the mountains. ~ The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power (Art: “Precious Dreams” by JakeMurray on deviantART)

For [the One Ring] had been taken from Anduin long ere they sought for it, being found by one of the small fisher-folk that dwelt by the River, ere the Kings failed in Gondor… ~ The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power (Art: “Smeagol and the Ring of Power” by drkay85 on deviantART)

Then in the midst of gathering fear and the rumour of war the foreboding of Elrond was proved true, and the One Ring was indeed found again, by a chance more strange than even Mithrandir had foreseen; and it was hidden from Curunír and from Sauron. ~ The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power (Art: “Smeagol und Deagol” by WilliWeissfuss on deviantART)

Orcs were mustering, and far to the east and the south the wild peoples were arming. ~ The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power (Art by Ralph Horsley)

And in that year the White Council met for the last time, and Curunír withdrew to Isengard, and took counsel with none save himself. ~ The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power (Art: “Saruman the White”)

Therefore [Sauron’s] flight was but a feint, and he soon returned, and ere the Wise could prevent him he re-entered his kingdom in Mordor and reared once again the dark towers of Barad-dûr. ~ The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power (Art: “Approaching Barad-dur” by flatcapart on DeviantART)

But [the White Council’s] stroke was too late. For the Dark Lord had foreseen it, and he had long prepared all his movements; and the Úlairi, his Nine Servants, had gone before him to make ready for his coming. ~ The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power (Art: “Fathomage Cover art” by Silvana-Massa-Art on DeviantART)

[White Council cont.] To this Curunír now assented, desiring that Sauron should be thrust from Dol Guldur, which was nigh to the River, and should have leisure to search there no longer. ~ The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power (Art: “Saruman vs. Gandalf” by DiscoveringArtWorld on DeviantArt) #Tolkien 

Therefore at last the Council was again summoned and the lore of the Rings was much debated; but Mithrandir spoke to the Council, saying: ‘It is not needed that the Ring should be found, for while it abides on earth and is not unmade, still the power that it holds will live, and Sauron will grow and have hope. The might of the Elves and the Elf-friends is less now than of old. ~ The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power

But ever the shadow in Mirkwood grew deeper, and to Dol Guldur evil things repaired out of all the dark places of the world; and they were united again under one will, and their malice was directed against the Elves and the survivors of Númenor. ~ The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power (Art: “Dol Guldur” by AndrewRyanArt on DeviantArt)

[Curunír] gathered a great host of spies, and many of these were birds; for Radagast lent him his aid, divining naught of his treachery, and deeming that this was but part of the watch upon the Enemy. ~ The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power (Art: “Radagast the Young” by Miandelam on DeviantArt)

But [Curunír] spoke of none of this to the Council, hoping still that he might be the first to hear news of the Ring. ~ The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power (Art: “Of Gandalf and Saruman” by Mieronna on DeviantArt)

Then [Curunír] perceived that Sauron also had learned of the manner of Isildur’s end, and he grew afraid and withdrew to Isengard and fortified it; and ever he probed deeper into the lore of the Rings of Power and the art of their forging. ~ The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power