Lúthien Tinúviel & the Istari

[Mnemosyne]

Originally Posted by Mugwump

I suppose ring bearers, when not wearing their rings openly, carried them on chains around their necks as Frodo did his.

The problem with this theory is that, in that case, they would not have been able to make use of them (simply having the Ring around his neck did not give Frodo any more powers except Improved Angst). But Galadriel says that the power of Nenya helps keep Lorien hidden, and Gandalf is able to raise spirits during the Siege of Gondor simply by passing people by.

[Mugwump]

Originally Posted by Mnemosyne

The problem with this theory is that, in that case, they would not have been able to make use of them (simply having the Ring around his neck did not give Frodo any more powers except Improved Angst).

Presumably they would not have to be constantly using their rings and so would not have to have them on their fingers all the time. We have seen that the rings, when used, have lasting effects that do not require the ring to stay on the finger. The sustaining power in particular of the rings can be effective merely by possession of the ring, without using it. For example, the text is clear that Frodo never put the ring on his finger in the 16 years between the time Bilbo left it to him after his 111th birthday party, and Frodo's departure for Rivendell. However, the text is equally clear that in those 16 years it became apparent that Frodo had somehow "inherited" Bilbo's unnatural ability to keep from physically aging.

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

The case of Frodo, Bilbo, and even Gollum is not the same as the Elves, as they were all Mortals and the Elves were not. Frodo was specifically told that a Mortal who wears a Ring of Power is not affected by it in the same way. I rather suspect that, aside from Hobbit toughness, the reason Gollum did not turn into a Ringwraith was because he had the master ring, not one that had been specifically designed to turn its wearer into a thrall, as in the case of the nine and the seven (and we know that the seven didn't work because of the nature of the Dwarves). It is also said that when Sauron put on the One, the owners of the Three took off their rings, knowing they had been betrayed. To me, the implication here is that unless Sauron has the One in his possession, it's safe for the keepers of the Three to wear and use their Rings. Given the purposes for which they were made (and especially the fact that of the Three Keepers during the time of LotR, only Gandalf was an extensive traveler), I can't see that any purpose would be served by putting it on and taking it off all the time; indeed, for Lothlorien and Rivendell, it would seem wiser if those who were using the rings to help protect their lands kept them on as much as possible.

To me, the incident at Galadriel's mirror, in which Frodo sees her ring and Sam doesn't, is a very clear statement that the rings can remain hidden while on the owner's hand, unless the owner wishes otherwise, or the person looking has a greater ring in their possession. When Tolkien said that Gandalf wore Narya "openly," I don't believe he was implying that Gandalf had taken it out of his secret pocket or off the chain around his neck; he had merely stopped exerting his will to keep it from being seen by the eyes of others.

Now, if this method of concealment was effective with Saruman, I suspect it would have given Saruman even greater reason to hate Gandalf and think that he was trying to usurp his position. But that's another kettle of fish.