Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Rings of Power Season 2, Episode 5.
The rings of power Season 2 offers an explanation for why 19 rings were made, and Oddly enough, it makes more sense than the one in JRR Tolkien’s books. The Lord of the Rings Opens with a brief history of the rings of power, explaining that 20 were forged before the one ring to rule them all: three for the elves, seven for the dwarves, and nine for men. Nineteen feels like a random number in Tolkien’s lore, and there may not be much reason behind how the rings of power are divided among the races of Middle-earth.
With seven dwarf lords in Middle-earth, it makes sense that Celebrimbor forges seven rings for the dwarves. However, it is a little perplexing that the smith only makes three rings of power for the elves. It is also not clear why Sauron only required nine rings for the people of Middle-earth. Sure, there are more kings and lords Sauron would want to control, but Tolkien’s writings don’t address his thought process. the rings of power, On the other hand, give a reasonable explanation That’s why the first 19 rings of power are distributed as they are.
The Rings of Power explains why 19 rings are needed
Celebrimbor & Annatar seek a balance with the three and the nine rings for men
The rings of power Season 2, episode 5 makes sense of the number of rings in Tolkien’s studyAnswer a question that dates back to the Lord of the Rings Books. While requesting rings for men, Annatar explains the power of the number three to Celebrimbor. He mentions “The perfection of the three,” insisting that they triple the number of Rings of Power for their third forge. When it comes to the elves’ rings and the rings for men, Annotar and Celebrimbor seem to seek balance. Given that Celebrimbor views the latter as atonement, it s sense to this.
The seven rings of power for the dwarves are explained with the same logic as Tolkien’s teachingWith Celebrimbor made one for each of the leaders of the seven clans. The rings of power Season 2, episode 5 sees King Durin III offer the rings to each of the dwarf lords, emphasizing this point. The catch is that he demands a price from the dwarf lords, the first sign that something is wrong with the dwarves’ rings. This flaw is also used to justify the nine rings of power for humans, because Celebrimbor wants to make up for the errors made.
As Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings story explains the ring numbers
His writings don’t dig too deep into the reasoning behind the numbers
Tolkien Lord of the Rings History does not dig too deep into the ring numbersBut readers can piece together explanations for those who go to the dwarves and the elves. While the dwarves’ rings of power have to do with their leadership, The three likely stem from the significance this number has for the elves. There are three houses of elves in Tolkien’s lore: Bëor, Hador and Haleth. There are also three clans of the Eldar: the Vaniar, Noldor and Teleri. The eleven Fëanor also made three Silmarils, which are also important in Tolkien’s word.
Tolkien does not speak for why the people of Middle-earth receive nine rings of power, and there does not seem to be a proper explanation that can be drawn from his texts.
in the silmarillion, Tolkien writes that the three elven rings represent three different elements: water, fire and air. This is the closest the author comes to explaining the number of rings directly, and it clarifies things almost as much as The rings of power. Tolkien does not speak for why the people of Middle-earth receive nine rings of power, and there does not seem to be a proper explanation that can be drawn from his texts. Nine is considered a magical number in certain faiths and cultures, so that may have something to do with it.
The ring number logic of the Rings of Power makes a lot of sense
It ties the decisions of Celebrimbor and Sauron together nicely
The rings of power Season 2’s number logic makes more sense than Tolkien’s, and It ties the decisions of Celebrimbor and Sauron together nicely. The fact that the dwarves’ rings were corrupted would make Celebrimbor think twice about forming more for the elves. Along with the talk about three and weight, this drives home why the three are the only elven rings. With Celebrimbor likely to discover the truth about Annatar before season 2 is over, he won’t have the time or desire to make more rings for the elves anyway.
The choice to make nine rings for men also makes more sense through the lens of atonement. It doesn’t just explain the number, though Sauron’s speech clears it up impressively. It also clarifies why Celebrimbor agrees to form rings of power for humans in the first place. By digging deeper into the second age, The rings of power Provides proper reasoning for the characters’ decisions and expands on Tolkien’s teaching. That’s exactly what an adaptation should do, and hopefully, it continues to add context to the source material.