The mystery of Sauron's lost finger

[Nimrothiel]

Frodo gave him a half-off coupon for a manicure at "Hard as Nails."

[Elennar Starfire]

The finger remained where it had fallen. It lay unnoticed by orcs, for when the ring was removed it became invisible. (you see, the ring had the opposite effect on Sauron. Instead of making him invisible, it made him visible. This is the reason the ring was created in the first place, Sauron grew tired of being sat upon.) When Sauron returned, all he could find of his body was the finger. As it was much too small (not to mention lacking arms, legs, and other convenient parts) he could not reinhabit the finger, so he had the orcs build a tower to look like the finger. This tower was Barad-Dur. He put the finger in a glass case in the heart of the tower. This confused the orcs, seeing only a seemingly empty glass case, but they dared not question their great master. So there the finger remained. When Barad-Dur collapsed after the destruction of the ring, the finger was buried under the rubble. Over thousands of years, the rubble was covered with dirt, and more dirt, and became a mountain. Under this mountain, the finger of Sauron remains today.

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

Originally Posted by Bombadil

Then over time she developed the stockholm syndrome and fell in love with Tom.

So it should have been named "Old Forest" syndrome...hmmm...

Originally Posted by Eomer of the Rohirrim

I presume then, that Tom Bombadil was destroyed when the One Ring went into the fire.

I think otherwise. Sauron was not truly destroyed when the Ring was destroyed. He was reduced to a powerless spirit. Bombadil, perhaps, received the pardon of the Valar - maybe Gandalf himself delivered the message - and was permitted to stay in Middle-earth while the rest of Sauron was deported to the Void.

Sauron, of course, complained of a mssing finger while playing "Rock, Paper, Scissor" with Morgoth.

Or perhaps, with the One Ring undone, he returned to his original form and startled Goldberry, who threw him into some river. Gandalf came and saw Goldberry single again, and they lived happily ever after.

No, wait Gandalf returned to Valinor. Middle-earth is full of such sadness.

[Nimrothiel]

*Or perhaps, with the One Ring undone, he returned to his original form and startled Goldberry, who threw him into some river. Gandalf came and saw Goldberry single again, and they lived happily ever after.

No, wait Gandalf returned to Valinor. Middle-earth is full of such sadness.*

So he turned her into a newt and snuck her along in his pocket...pouch...carrying-thing. Once they got to Valinor she got better and after a long discussion with the Valar she was allowed to remain with Gandalf on the condition that she remain amphibious and must submerge herself in water for eight hours a day. She agreed, and they lived happily ever after; the end.

[Bombadil]

Ah yes, I believe you are most correct, except it is unknown what particular animal she was turned into by Gandalf. Some say it was a baby Iguana, other speculations are that is was a toad. But yes, there is a significant amount of evidence that she was in fact turned into a newt. There are numerous classes developing in Universities across the world, and some of the best research at Oxford.

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

Interesting, Nimrothiel.

Going back to Kransha's theory and Cirith Knukol...how then could a hobbit-destroying - or devouring - finger turn into Bombadil? Is it because, during the course of the hobbits' digestion, the Finger grew in size and assimilated the life-force - for lack of better words - of the hobbits, thus gaining their jolly disposition and rotund belly? I would find such an act unforgivable, despite the acts of kindness done later to Frodo's company.

Or perhaps the hobbits also experienced Stockholm syndrome...nah!

[Silmiel of Imladris]

Hmmm... reminds me of a poem called the Orc Marching Chant

Sauron made some rings and they were very usefu things,
And he only wanted one to keep,
But Isildur took the one just to have a little fun,
Sauron's finger was inside, What a creep!

So according to this Isildur took the ring along with the finger. The finger was probably lost with the ring but unlike the ring it was never found. Maybe if Degol had let the fish put him a little farther he would have picked up a finger instead of the ring.

[Osse]

I have a theory... not on what happened to the finger, but on why it was chopped off...


Now imagine... Sauron has just killed Elendil, and Isildur is peeved. He sits there and Sauron comes up to him. With the shards of Narsil in one hand, he grits his teeth and gives Sauron the "Bird". Whereupon Sauron bends down, and clenching his fingers to expose the middle one, returns the kind gesture. Unfortunately for him, this was a cunning ploy on the part of Isildur, who jumps up and chops it off!!