Comment on Anon gains a superpower
Baggie@lemmy.zip 2 days agoIt definitely tells them what they want to hear, but I don’t think it’s lying. It could totally do everything it says. However it will just straight up yeet itself at the first opportunity to get back to Sauron.
JackbyDev@programming.dev 2 days ago
Is there textual evidence for it granting powers other than invisibility and immortality though? I see this topic come up every few years and my recollection is that it typically sort of comes back to “we aren’t sure.”
OpenPassageways@lemmy.zip 2 days ago
I think there’s something in the text that says you have to be powerful enough to utilize it which is why it is somewhat tempting for characters like Gandalf. Even though it would also corrupt him.
JackbyDev@programming.dev 2 days ago
But do we have reason to believe that it’s not just giving them lies to get them to touch it? Is it tempting because it can do things or is it tempting because it tells people it can do things?
thebestaquaman@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Some other comment mentiones how it makes Frodo more influential and intimidating as they approach Mordor, allowing him to control Gollum with just his presence and voice. This isn’t very well portrayed in the movies. There is also mention of how a bunch of Orcs are scared off at the sight of Sam’s shadow when he is carrying the ring, as it appears to them as the shadow of a powerful elf lord.
As with other magic in Tolkiens universe, it is very diffuse. It grants the user great power, but the details of how it does so are very hard to pin down. We only get subtle hints.