Misc. Questions

[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

You can find that answer in The Lord of the Rings without too much trouble.

'Behold Tol Brandir!' said Aragorn, pointing south to the tall peak. 'Upon the left stands Amon Lhaw, and upon the right is Amon Hen, the Hills of Hearing and of Sight. In the days of the great kings there were high seats upon them, and watch was kept there.

The Fellowship of the Ring, p.410

Then later.

He was sitting upon the Seat of Seeing, on Amon Hen, the Hill of the Eye of the Men of Númenor.

The Fellowship of the Ring, p.416

An earlier draft of this passage is more obvious in its meaning:

But also he sat now upon the seat of Sight which the men of Númenor had made.

HoME VII: The Treason of Isengard, p.374

From what Frodo experiences of its powers in The Fellowship of the Ring, I would guess that the seat simply allows one who sits in it to see widely, but probably not in the same way as the Palantíri. I seems as though the seat of Seeing simply makes the world seem smaller rather than allowing one to view distant events in detail or communicate over large distances. There is also a suggestion that the Ring enhances the seat's powers, which could account for the similarity.

The reference to a watch being kept on Amon Lhaw and Amon Hen suggests that on the two hills one sentry would listen and another look for danger to the Númenorean realms in exile, which I would guess is the reason for the properties described in FotR. Don't forget that the Númenoreans, with whom Tolkien associates the two seats, were almost as skilled as the Elves in such work.

[Lalaith]

I believe, although I don't have the texts to hand, that the three rings were made, and presumably used and worn, before the Alliance. The making of the Three seemed to coincide with the unmasking of Sauron by Celebrimbor at Eregion.
As for this:

On foot even Glorfindel and Aragorn together could not with stand all the Nine at once

I think we cannot read too many "power comparisons" in to this comment, between the various elves in LotR - it must be taken in the context of what the reader does and does not know at this point in the narrative.
At the point in the story that Gandalf says this, we have not yet met Galadriel and know very little of Cirdan. Elrond is clearly not going to leave Rivendell and so there is no question of him confronting the Nine on the road.

[Joy]

Also, on the comment of Glorfindel's strenght, I am sure that given the timing of this narative, he wouldn't show his full strenght.

Like Gandalf, being a maiar, had been given restraints concerning the amount of power that he could show forth - maybe Glorfindel had some of these restraints given to him.

[Gorthaur the Cruel]

I believe, although I don't have the texts to hand, that the three rings were made, and presumably used and worn, before the Alliance. The making of the Three seemed to coincide with the unmasking of Sauron by Celebrimbor at Eregion.

I've always wondered the same thing. It was hundreds of years before the One could be completed & the Three have already been completed. Who bore the Three before Gil-Galad & Galadriel? Or perhaps Celebrimbor hoarded it.

[Legolas]

Who bore the Three before Gil-Galad & Galadriel?

No one.

[Gorthaur the Cruel]

Originally Posted by Legolas

No one.

That's impossible. It specifically says that when Sauron chanted the incantations (i.e. One Ring to rule them all...), the Elves (who were these "elves") became aware of him & took their rings off. Surely that would imply that somebody held the Three before Gil-Galad & Galadriel. Galadriel was in Lorinand & Gil-Galad was in Lindon.

[Joy]

Celebrimbor made the 3 rings and gave them to Gil-galad, Cirdan, and to Galadriel.

At the time that Sauron had made his ring, even though they were apart, they could sense the power of his and took theirs off. They also had means of Osanwe Kenta. They could have spoken this way.

[Marky Lazer]

Were the Nazgul immortal?

[Marky Lazer]

Maybe it's interesting for anyone, but to provide you with the answer to my own question:

I can't think of any point where this is addressed directly, but I think it's possible to have a fairly good guess at the answer.

In Tolkien's universe, mortality is a special gift from Eru, and it's outside the power even of the Valar to remove that gift. If the Valar can't achieve this, then certainly it should be impossible for Sauron to make a mortal being into an immortal one. This ties in, I think, with Bilbo's comments about the long life granted him by the Ring - 'Why, I feel all thin, sort of stretched, if you know what I mean: like butter that has been scraped over too much bread.' (The Fellowship of the Ring I 1). In other words, his mortal lifespan has been unnaturally extended, but he's still a mortal being (as stated explicitly in Tolkien's letters).

I think the same effect must apply to the Nazgûl, too (and also Gollum, of course). The Rings of Power clearly granted a greatly extended lifespan to those under their power, but they seem to have remained essentially mortal.

I hope that's of some help.

Kind regards
Mark Fisher

Could the watchers that sam saw may have been the two blue wizards

[The 1,000 Reader]

Possibly, but not likely. Tolkien would have mentioned something about them if they were.