Quote:
Originally Posted by Boromir88
Interesting question about the 3 elven rings. Even after the one was destroyed, the 3 supposedly lost their power, but Elrond, Galadriel, and Gandalf all keep them. That doesn't necessarily mean an addiction to their rings, but the Elves weakness was their inability to change. They wanted to preserve the way things were, and stay unchanged...the Elven Rings (at least for Elrond and Galadriel) did this. When the One is destroyed, I wonder if with the loss of power in their Rings, the fading of Lothlorien and Rivendell, if the trip to the Undying Lands was part of the Elves inability to accept change? And in the ability of the Elven Rings to protect, preserve, and even slow time and decay, if that is what the Elves were addicted to?
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Another possible reason why the three were taken by their owners to the grey havens may have been as a safeguard. Elrond says the three "will fail", when asked by Frodo post adventures. I tend to interpret this as mein that as of the moment he was talking the three hadn't failed
yet i.e. the rings power would wane gradually like a dying battery. By the time of the sailing the Three were likey dimished in power, but diminished isn't the same thing as "dead". Even with lessened and failing power the Three may have just been too dangerous to be left on ME, and run the risk of falling into less ethical or wise hands than those which had held them when they were at full strength. Even in thier weakened state I would imagine an inexperianced hand could do a lot of damage with them; it was just safer that they go beyond the reach of anyone.