Quote:
Originally Posted by William Cloud Hicklin
Words have power in Middle-earth.
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I would add that also the
written words have power in Middle-earth.
This is, I think, particularly relevant with respect to physical items. Some kind of markings seems to have been a part of many of the more powerful items in Middle-earth (one notable exception being jewels and gems). See for instance both Andúril itself and the sheath Galadriel gives Aragorn for the sword. About Andúril we're told that
Quote:
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Originally Posted by LotR, II,3
on its blade was traced a device of seven stars set between the crescent Moon and the rayed Sun, and about them was written many runes; for Aragorn son of Arathorn was going to war upon the marches of Mordor.
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The runes are there
because Aragorn is going to fight Mordor — the runes, mind ... the magical secrets for which Odin hung in the holy ash tree as a sacrifice to himself for nine days and nine nights.
This does, of course, not invalidate Galadriel55's excellent points about the symbolic meaning of the fiery letters on the Master Ring: it is just that the symbolism exists at the level of
The Lord of the Rings seen as literature, while the letters as a part of the magic of the Master Ring exist at the level of Middle-earth as a real place, within the sub-creation, so to speak.