Did the Ring Shrink?

[ohtatyaro]

It was changing its size as it's bearers changed. I mean, hobbits fingers must be smaller, right? But it fitted Bilbo, and it fitted Isildur

It would not have shrinked itself away if Sauron never got it. But it's influence was not pwerful when Sauron was weak. I mean, Gollum had it for 5 centuries and was not completely bad

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

About a year and a half ago, in all my newbie glory, I started a Ring-based thread and put forward a rather naive suggestion. There was one Downer who replied simply; The Ring is very powerful, it's not just some cheap magic trick.

Or words to that effect. That statement is relevant here. The Ring has brains, so to speak, and is capable of all sorts.

[ninlaith]

Yes the ring does shrink. Or more like the person that holds the ring imagines the ring shrinking so they can have control. But really it has control over them. And as Eomer pointed out the ring does speak. It has a voice for every person tempted by the ring. For example Aragorn, the ring calls him Elessar...a name of power and truth... the ring has a very sweet seductive tongue when it speaks to him. With Frodo it's more of a disheartening black speech that wishes to overtake the naive young hobbit...and it knew it could easily in time. Then Boromir...a very menacing voice of black speech....a voice of brutal, hideous power....almost as if saying to him "You could have this power...take the ring!!" PJ does a little explanation about the voice and the rings "shrinking" on the extended edition.

[elronds_daughter]

hmmmm.... I would be inclined to say yes. The Ring has a mind of its own.

it did not seem always of the same size or weight it shrank or expanded in an odd way.

and

in the book it said it would fall loose from a finger where it was just tight

The Ring expands and shrinks as it will--to betray Isildur and get him killed; to abandon Gollum and find a new bearer. Listen to Eomer of the Rohirrim:

The Ring is very powerful, it's not just some cheap magic trick.

[Imladris]

it [the ring] seemed to have become thicker and heavier than ever.

...but the Ring slipped from his finger as he swam.

It may slip off treacherously

It seemed to grow larger as it lay for a moment on his big brown skinned hand.

I think those quotes settle the matter...if it hasn't already been settled...


I would like to point out that I don't remember the Ring speaking at all in the books...Also the bit about the Ring calling out to Elessar is a PJ invention as Aragorn never had close contact with the Ring or Frodo at the end of FotR.

[elronds_daughter]

I would like to point out that I don't remember the Ring speaking at all in the books...Also the bit about the Ring calling out to Elessar is a PJ invention as Aragorn never had close contact with the Ring or Frodo at the end of FotR.

very true. though that scene did add an element of suspence.




oh, by the way.....

Did all that settle the question for you, Perky? You can't refute what the book says, after all.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

I wouldn't say the Ring had a mind of its own. The 'mind' in question was Sauron's.

[elronds_daughter]

ah, yes. True. I stand corrected.