Middle-earth Connections: Lore of the Rings

It is possible to infer that Elrond's description of the Rings' powers is intended to deflect further inquiry by presenting only examples of their powers. The true nature of the Rings, to hold back the effects of Time, is reflected only in Elrond's brief statement: "So much only in this hour of doubt I may now say. They are not idle." Indeed, Elrond and Galadriel (unwisely) used their Rings of Power throughout the Third Age to preserve Elven realms. Galadriel's history is unclear, but she probably did not live in Lorien throughout the Third Age. Rather, when it became clear that Amroth's people would all depart from Lorien if nothing were done, she and Celeborn went to live among the Silvan Elves who had not yet departed. Galadriel took with her Nenya, the Ring of Adamant, and she may have used its power to induce the Silvan Elves to stay in Lorien. We don't know if she actually used the Ring before then (1981 or shortly thereafter). Tolkien says only that "the [One] Ring is lost [at the beginning of the Third Age], for ever it is hoped; and the Three Rings of the Elves, wielded by secret guardians, are operative in preserving the memory of the beauty of old, maintaining enchanted enclaves of peace where Time seems to stand still and decay is restrained, a semblance of the bliss of the True West." (Ibid.) The departure of Amroth, who had been a stalwart defender of the West throughout the second millennium of the Third Age, may have spurred the Elves into action unlike any they had taken before. It may indeed be that Elrond and Galadriel at last decided to actively use their Rings of Power to forestall a mass exodus of Elves from Middle-earth. If so, they were only delaying the inevitable, which was the purpose intended for the Rings anyway. Point 2: The Elves cannot stay in Middle-earth The Elves had been departing Middle-earth for ages. The catastrophe for them in the Third Age was quite different from those of the previous ages. When the Eldar originally sailed over Sea it was at the invitation of the Valar, who had found the Elves in their homeland of Cuivienen. But the Elves were troubled by Melkor, who was then de facto ruler of the majority of Arda. The Valar waged a terrible war against Melkor and his Maiaric servants and bred creatures, and they took

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