[ElanorGamgee]

I went to a lecture on campus concerning Christianity and The Lord of the Rings, and the speaker mentioned that she believes the title actually refers to Eru, the true master of all, including the Rings of Power. I believe she also said that the choice of the plural word "Rings" rather than the singular "Ring" in the title supports her claim because it goes beyond the One Ring that receives most of the attention in the novel. The three Elvish rings were not under the control of Sauron in the book, and the keepers of these Rings certainly did not control the others. Many of the lesser rings had been lost. Who is left to be lord of them all, when no one entity seems to control them? It also fits well with the theme with a great, good, sovereign Power (Eru) doing His will ("Behind that there was something else at work, beyond the design of the Ring-maker. I can put it no plainer than by saying that Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, and not by its maker. In which case you also were meant to have it. And that may be an encouraging thought." "Even the very wise cannot see all ends...My heart tells me that he has some part to play yet, for good or ill..."). Personally, I rather like this theory. (By the way, the speaker is a professor at a college and teaches a class on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. If only A&M students were so fortunate...)

[ December 09, 2002: Message edited by: ElanorGamgee ]