[The Saucepan Man]

I think that the effect of prolonging the lives of mortal bearers probably came from the Elves. Remember, it was the Elves themselves who forged the Rings, not Sauron. He taught them how to do it, and probably helped them, but he didn't do it himself.

Quite possibly, although Sauron did forge the One Ring himself. As you say, Sauron had a hand in the making of the Rings of Power. Perhaps his counsels were received so gladly by the Elves because he was able to show them how to imbue these Rings with the power to preserve. This theory might be supported by the following passage from Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age:

It was in Eregion that the counsels of Sauron were most gladly received, for in that land the Noldor desried ever to increase the skill and subtelty of their works. Moreover they were not at peace in their hearts, since they desired both to stay in Middle-earth, which indeed they loved, and yet to enjoy the bliss of those that had departed. Therefore they hearkened to Sauron, and they learned of him many things, for his knowledge was great. In those days the smiths of Ost-in-Edhil surpassed all that they had contrived before; and they took thought, and they made the Rings of Power. But Sauron guided their labours, and he was aware of all that they did; for his desire was to set a bond upon the Elves and to bring them under his vigilance.

In this passage, the Noldor's desire to capture the timelessness of the Undying Lands in ME is linked to their acceptance of Sauron's counsels and the guidance that he offered them in the crafting of the Rings of Power. Possibly, therefore, knowing of their desire to preserve ME in a timeless state, he offered them the power to imbue their works with this power so as to gain their trust, with the aim of enslaving them through the Rings of Power. And, as a result, the Rings not only allowed the Elves to embalm their habitats in the desired timeless state, but also conferred great longetivity on mortals who bore them.

As for the state of the being of the Nazgul, I find the extract that you quoted from Morgoth's Ring very interesting, Amarië:

..if his fëa were strong, it would leave the hröa. Then one of two things would happen: either this would be accomplished only in hate, by violence, and the hröa, in full life would be rent and die in sudden agony; or else the fëa would in loathing and without pity desert the hröa, and it would live on, a witless body, nor even a beast but a monster, a very work of Melkor

If indeed the result of the 'blessing of Aman' was being accorded to Men is analagous to the effect of the Nine Rings on the Nazgul, then this passage suggests that, while their souls were subjugated to Sauron's will, their bodies did remain in existence, albeit confined to the wraith world (contrary to my earlier speculation). And on reflection, I do tend to agree with this. In The Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Merry's attack on the Witch-King is described as follows:

Merry's sword had stabbed him from behind, shearing through the black mantle, and passing up beneath the hauberk had pierced the sinew behind his mighty knee.

Similarly, it is said later in the same chapter (of Merry's sword):

No other blade, not though mightier hands had wielded it, would have dealt that foe a wound so bitter, cleaving the undead flesh, breaking the spell that knit his unseen sinews to his will.

So, the Witch-King was composed of flesh and sinew, and therefore did have a physical body, albeit undead and unseen. And the spell that bound this body to his will, thus allowing it to remain in existence well beyond its natural expiry date, was presumably part of the preserving power of the Ring that he bore. Merry's Westernesse blade was able to break that spell, enabling Eowyn to deal the fatal blow.

In Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age the transformation of the Nine Kings of Men into the Nine Ringwraiths is described as follows:

And they became for ever invisible save to him that wore the Ruling Ring, and they entered the realm of shadows.

So, while their physical bodies remained intact, they entered into the wraith world and became for ever trapped there.

This passage also links their invisibility with their existence in the realm of shadows. The Nine Rings at first conferred upon them the power to enter the wraith world at will and thus "walk, if they would, unseen by all eyes in this world beneath the sun". But, once they "fell under the thralldom of the ring that they bore", they became forever trapped in that world and so became permamently invisible.

I see the invisibility of the One Ring as working in much the same way. On wearing the Ring, the bearer entered the shadow world and therefore became invisible. So, while wearing the Ring, Frodo was in the same realm as the Nazgul and was therefore able to see them in their true form.

[ July 01, 2003: Message edited by: The Saucepan Man ]