What Powered The Three?

[Zigûr]

I think the "thing of surpassing potency" description of the Ring is not mutually exclusive with the common "built-in vulnerability" theory which argues that Sauron's contribution to the Ring-lore which made the Three involved making them in a way that would be vulnerable.

It may have worked like this:
1. The built-in vulnerability aspect allowed the One to influence or control the Three and their bearers.
2. The "surpassing potency" of the One allowed the One to control the works wrought with the Three.

This, however, does not seem consistent with the notion that Sauron would not have needed the One to overthrow the defences of Lórien had he come there in person.

[Belegorn]

Tolkien mentioned in a letter that even if he was not wearing the Ring, Sauron was in rapport with its power. He would not be diminished.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

@Inziladun - I wonder why the Ring of Fire went to a water harbour. It's such a contrast isn't it.

Celebrimbor secreted the Three with the three senior Eldar of the Second Age: Gil-Galad, Galadriel and Cirdan. Maybe they chose based on color coordination- GG's shield was blue, Galadriel preferred to wear white, and red looks pretty sharp with grey.

[Mithadan]

Regarding the Silmarils, I think they were "powered" by the light of the two Trees. I do not have access to my books, but I seem to recall that in HoME, it is stated that Elvish "magic" is a function of their own nature and inherent power, so the act of creation requires that some of the maker's essence be poured into the item created. But their light had an outside source.

Regarding the Three Rings, and presumably the Seven and the Nine, some portion of their makers' essence would have been instilled into their creations. Some of Sauron's power would have been placed in the Seven and the Nine as he assisted in their creation. Some of the power of Celebrimbor and his smiths would have been placed in the Three. But the power of the Three to act may have been drawn from other sources. Pitchwife discusses their nature above and their links to the elements, air, water and fire. Their power may come from those elements to some extent.

The role of Elves in Middle Earth was, in part to heal the damage caused by Morgoth and do what they could to fix Arda Marred. They are described as being far more linked to nature and their surroundings than Men. This may have been part of the nature and purpose of the Three. Healing, preservation and staying the effects of time on their wearers and their people.

Has anyone ever considered the nature and intricacy of Sauron's plot? He spent decades or centuries instructing the Elves of Hollin and assisting them in the making of the Great Rings, with the intent to create the One in order to dominate the bearers of the various Rings and their people.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Mithadan

Regarding the Three Rings, and presumably the Seven and the Nine, some portion of their makers' essence would have been instilled into their creations. Some of Sauron's power would have been placed in the Seven and the Nine as he assisted in their creation. Some of the power of Celebrimbor and his smiths would have been placed in the Three. But the power of the Three to act may have been drawn from other sources. Pitchwife discusses their nature above and their links to the elements, air, water and fire. Their power may come from those elements to some extent.

It was said Feanor captured the light of the two trees when imbuing the Silmarils; certainly, a part of him went into his ultimate creation, but the act - or the art, really - of collecting the essence of a thing to create another is most likely what occurred when his grandson, Celebrimbor, and the other Hollin smiths created the three. If you actually consider the Silmarils from an essential standpoint, it is stated that at the end of the world Feanor will release the light trapped in his gems and with their light Yavanna will revive the Two Trees - such is the efficacy of Elvish craft.

I think the logical conclusion is that the scion of the Feanorions would imbue his great art in the same manner as his ancestor, so that the three elements air, fire and water (the earth being beneath the haughty Elves and a place fit for only dwarves ) were imbued into the rings so that the preservative powers of each element was present in an essential manner.

Originally Posted by Mithadan

Has anyone ever considered the nature and intricacy of Sauron's plot? He spent decades or centuries instructing the Elves of Hollin and assisting them in the making of the Great Rings, with the intent to create the One in order to dominate the bearers of the various Rings and their people.

But even with Sauron's input, the Three remained unsullied by his black hand. Proof of this is that Sauron never gained dominion over them (while he wielded the One), and it seems the Dark Lord never quite figured out where they were. He may have guessed but it doesn't appear he knew for sure.

The plot itself was quite intricate, but for the greater part of its intent, it was a failure. Only Man succumbed to the lure of the Rings. It failed against the Elves utterly, and the success against the dwarves was so limited that Sauron ended up taking back the ones not eaten up by dragons.

[Zigûr]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

(the earth being beneath the haughty Elves and a place fit for only dwarves )

Haven't we sufficiently established that the Elves didn't consider the earth to figuratively be beneath them? On a more serious note, surely the Classical Elements of the Greek philosophers would have been disdained by Professor Tolkien, who preferred his ancient sources Germanic. The air/water/fire thing is difficult to ignore, however. I wonder how important he thought it was.

Originally Posted by Morthoron

Proof of this is that Sauron never gained dominion over them (while he wielded the One)

I always thought that the reason for that was simply because the bearers of the Three literally took them off their hands when they heard Sauron incanting the Ring-inscription as he placed the One upon his finger.

Originally Posted by Morthoron

The plot itself was quite intricate, but for the greater part of its intent, it was a failure. Only Man succumbed to the lure of the Rings. It failed against the Elves utterly, and the success against the dwarves was so limited that Sauron ended up taking back the ones not eaten up by dragons.

Which was characteristic of Sauron the whole way through: "he that strikes the first blow, if he strikes it hard enough, may need to strike no more. [...] Wise fool."

[Aiwendil]

Originally Posted by Zigur

On a more serious note, surely the Classical Elements of the Greek philosophers would have been disdained by Professor Tolkien, who preferred his ancient sources Germanic.

I'm not aware of any evidence that Tolkien "disdained" Classical Greek (or Roman) culture or literature. That he was more interested in other traditions (not only Germanic but also Celtic and Finnish), even that he thought those traditions were unfairly neglected in favour of the Classics, does not imply disdain.

[Gothmog, LoB]

Originally Posted by Zigûr

I always thought that the reason for that was simply because the bearers of the Three literally took them off their hands when they heard Sauron incanting the Ring-inscription as he placed the One upon his finger.

Yeah, that's the best take on that. Sauron had no hand in the creation of the Three and did thus have no clue what exactly Celebrimbor did with them. Presumably the guy had some intriguing ideas how to expand on Annatar's general 'Ring of Power' concept Sauron himself never thought about.

Sauron certainly would have figured out what the Three could do and how to use them for his own ends but nothing came of that when Celebrimbor literally took of the Three - and I actually think he literally wore the Three on his fingers when he heard Sauron speak/think those words about the purpose of the One Ring. In his hubris Celebrimbor could easily have intended to use the Three all for himself to make his Eregion the greatest paradise (and himself the most powerful Noldo) this side of the ocean.

Whether the Three - or the Rings of Power aside from the One Ring - had any power source in a conventional sense I don't know. But I doubt it. They weren't engines, after all. Even in the case of the One I'd not say that Sauron had to put parts of himself in there to keep the thing working but rather that this was an integral part of his wish/spell to control both the other rings and their bearers.