Shhh! It's a secret ring!: Re: Re: Rings of Power

» Niggle - Re: Re: Rings of Power

In response to message posted by Michael_Martinez:

There are one or two inconsistencies that have always intrigued me:

Two lines from the Ring Verse are engraved on the one ring. The characters are elvish, but the language is that of Mordor.

Early in the Two Towers Aragorn says that Sauron does not use the Elf runes or permit them to be used.

Also if the two lines were engraved on the Ring wouldn't that point to Sauron as the author of the verse? (it does have a rather bleak and foreboding incantatory flavour - not Elvish at all, surely). I favour Sauron as the author, perhaps the words were his incantation - intended to bind all the other rings when he put on the one. Doesn't Gandalf say "out of the black years come the words that the Elven-smiths of Eregion heard, and knew they had been betrayed" (forgive errors - I don't have my copy with me) before he speaks the two lines in the original black speech at the council of Elrond.

I am surprised Gildor got off so lightly - I can imagine his debrief by Elrond when he let slip that Frodo was astray bearing a great burden without guidance, and he had not thought it his business to go with him to Rivendell. Irresponsible I call it - particularly since the whole problem with the rings is largely the Elves fault anyway.

Finally, and totally off the subject - what about some speculation on education in the Shire in Bilbo/Frodo's time? Bilbo, Frodo, Merry, Pippin are all literate. Sam has been taught to read by Bilbo (interesting element of class creeping in there) Since the Shire was largely a reflection of elements of English country life around the early twentieth century, one imagines that Frodo, Merry and Pippin had probably been to school (in fact doesn't Gandalf refer to Merry and Pippin playing truant?) Sam and his father would probably have had little or no formal education, but I imagine the "important" and wealthier families (including the Sackville-Baggins) probably had a formal eduction of some sort. However, I doubt that the same sort of education was available in Gondor or Rohan, which are in many ways less "modern" than the Shire.

-- posted by Niggle