Quote:
Originally Posted by Inziladun
The Ring itself was only a container though, a vessel to house a piece of Sauron's essence. The writing was a physical part of the Ring, I think, though it could only be seen under certain conditions.
|
It's true that the writing is a physical aspect of the Ring, but, like in many other instances in the legendarium, the physical is but a reflection of the inner essence. I do not think the writing was there just for decoration (oooh, shiny letters!), so in my eyes it does decode its power and personality. And though its power is, as you say,
Sauron's power, the verse does not read "One
Lord to rule them all", it reads "One
Ring to rule them all". The Ring, while still being part of Sauron, gets a sort of independent status.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Inzil
I don't see the purpose behind the writing, though. That the inscription was a conscious act of Sauron's seems clear.
Again, he would not have considered though the possibility that any hand other than his own would ever touch the Ring, so to whom would the "message" from the Ring be addressed?
|
In my opinion he didn't just carve letters, but he defined the Ring's essence. And, when I imagine it, I don't see him carving at all - I see him saying, and I see him, for lack of better word, breathing in his power. The writing is a conscious act as much as the transfer of power is, but it's not a message to anybody. It's more of a statement of being.