# LOTR: Did the Nazgul still wear the rings of power Sauron gave them? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** middle-earth, books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [August 29, 2021, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-did-the-nazgul-still-wear-the-rings-of-power-sauron-gave-them/949703 "2021-08-29T01:12:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-did-the-nazgul-still-wear-the-rings-of-power-sauron-gave-them/949703/1 "2021-08-29T01:12:54Z")
Title kinda says it all. I just wonder why Sauron didn’t take a ring or two away from some Ringwraiths and send those rings back out into the world to corrupt others? ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-did-the-nazgul-still-wear-the-rings-of-power-sauron-gave-them/949703/2 "2021-08-29T01:32:08Z")
I don’t have any cites, but I believe that the rings were how Sauron controlled the Ringwraiths. Without the rings, they would be powerful and corrupt, but they would not be under Sauron’s direct control. Whether the wraiths kept the rings or whether Sauron had them in his possession is an open question. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-did-the-nazgul-still-wear-the-rings-of-power-sauron-gave-them/949703/3 "2021-08-29T03:26:58Z")
There was a thread on this earlier this year. > [@What happened to the Nine Rings?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-nine-rings/939868): > > Ok, we know Sauron made them in the Second age. Sauron stole them and gave them to Nine Mortal men. They became Ringwraiths when they died. However, at the end of the 2nd age Eru drowned Númenor, which was removed from the physical world, and destroyed Sauron’s body, with his ability to appear beautiful. Where was the one Ring then? Where were the Nine? Then at the end of the War of the Last Alliance Isildur cut the One Ring from Sauron’s hand, vanquishing Sauron, and taking the One ring for… ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-did-the-nazgul-still-wear-the-rings-of-power-sauron-gave-them/949703/4 "2021-08-29T03:30:51Z")
I swear I did a search on this. The new board even pops-up threads it thinks may be similar. Totally missed this. Thanks for pointing it out. If the mods want to close this thread (or point it to the thread linked above by @hogarth ) I’m totally fine with that. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-did-the-nazgul-still-wear-the-rings-of-power-sauron-gave-them/949703/5 "2021-08-29T12:36:14Z")
For all things ring-related, check the wondrous [FAQ of the Rings](http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ringfaq.htm#Q79-Fate) early in your research. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-did-the-nazgul-still-wear-the-rings-of-power-sauron-gave-them/949703/6 "2021-08-29T12:42:56Z")
Thanks! So, according to that, Sauron had all nine rings in his possession and three of the Dwarven rings (the rest were destroyed). Tolkien said, “Three have passed away” which I take to be the Elven rings…whatever that means. I was going to ask about the Elven rings since they were not quite linked to Sauron but I guess we get whatever that is. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-did-the-nazgul-still-wear-the-rings-of-power-sauron-gave-them/949703/7 "2021-08-29T12:47:24Z")
Yeah, Gandalf, Galadriel, and Elrond took their rings with them when they sailed to Avallonë ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-did-the-nazgul-still-wear-the-rings-of-power-sauron-gave-them/949703/8 "2021-08-29T13:04:21Z")
Do we know if the Elven rings were diminished/de-powered by the One Ring’s demise? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-did-the-nazgul-still-wear-the-rings-of-power-sauron-gave-them/949703/9 "2021-08-29T13:07:28Z")
From FAQ of the Rings: " when the One was destroyed, the Three **lost all their powers**. How do we know this? The Three Rings (like [the Seven and the Nine](http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ringfaq.htm#H3-SevenNine)) were originally independent, but when Sauron created the One, [the others became subject to it](http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ringfaq.htm#Q1-BackDoor). Somehow the nature of all the other Rings was changed so that not only were they under the control of the One but their continued power depended on its continued existence: “Now the Elves made many rings; but secretly Sauron made One Ring to rule all the others, and their power was bound up with it, to be subject wholly to it and **to last only so long as it too should last**. [emphasis added]” [[Silm: Rings](http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ringfaq.htm#RefSilm) (287)] On the next page Tolkien underlines the fact that this included the Three: “the Three remained unsullied, for they were forged by Celebrimbor alone, and the hand of Sauron had never touched them; yet they also were subject to the One” [[Silm: Rings](http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ringfaq.htm#RefSilm) (288)]. It’s clear that the Three Rings lost all their power when the One was destroyed." ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-did-the-nazgul-still-wear-the-rings-of-power-sauron-gave-them/949703/10 "2021-08-29T13:48:20Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Yeah, Gandalf, Galadriel, and Elrond took their rings with them when they sailed to Avallonë How did Gandalf wind up with one of the Elven rings? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-did-the-nazgul-still-wear-the-rings-of-power-sauron-gave-them/949703/11 "2021-08-29T13:50:20Z")
Cirdan gave it to him when Gandalf arrived in ME. Cirdan was quite wise, and saw that Gandalf would need it more than he did. This pissed Saruman off but oh well. More details here: [DRAGON222: Daftar Situs Judi Slot Online Gacor Slot88 Terpercaya Indonesia](http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ringfaq.htm#Q3-Bearers) ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2021, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lotr-did-the-nazgul-still-wear-the-rings-of-power-sauron-gave-them/949703/12 "2021-08-29T13:55:46Z")
This is a pretty good, if brief(ish), history of the Elven rings: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/PAotdfBjv4I/maxresdefault.jpg "The History of the Three Elven Rings of Power (Why Are They Good?) Artifacts of Arda & ME Explained") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAotdfBjv4I)