# Rings for Hobbits? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies, books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [February 21, 2023, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rings-for-hobbits/980120 "2023-02-21T02:57:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2023, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rings-for-hobbits/980120/1 "2023-02-21T02:57:16Z")
I’m rereading Lord of the Rings. It’s been about twenty years since I had last read it. I’ve been thinking about the Greater Rings of Power. The Nine for men fed their thirst for power over others, which allowed Sauron to gain power over them. The seven for the Dwarves fed their greed, which Sauron could not capitalize on. The Three were untouched by The One. Had Sauron known about Hobbits, would he have made Rings for them, too? What trait would they take advantage of? Hobbits are simple folk. What would tempt them that Sauron could take advantage of? ---
**Author:** ![up2eleven](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/up2eleven/32/13432_2.png) [@up2eleven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up2eleven)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2023, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rings-for-hobbits/980120/2 "2023-02-21T03:00:50Z")
They’d have neighbor wars about who has the best garden. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2023, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rings-for-hobbits/980120/3 "2023-02-21T03:05:30Z")
“Honey, the short Ringwraiths are back!” "Yes, but the lawn looks _terrific_! ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2023, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rings-for-hobbits/980120/4 "2023-02-21T03:09:49Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > Had Sauron known about Hobbits, would he have made Rings for them, too? The impression I get is that would have thought they weren’t worth trying to control. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2023, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rings-for-hobbits/980120/5 "2023-02-21T03:09:52Z")
> [@Mollie\_Magill](#): > > What trait would they take advantage of? Hobbits prefer isolation but they’re not xenophobes. They’re gourmands but not gluttons. They love comfort but they’re not indolent. Our hobbit rings would presumably amplify those qualities for the worse, for what good it would do Sauron. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2023, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rings-for-hobbits/980120/6 "2023-02-21T03:15:52Z")
Nah, I agree with Thudlow\_Boink that Sauron would probably not have bothered with Rings for Hobbits, any more than he made Rings for the Drug/Druadan or other “lesser” mortal peoples. His goal was to get the powerful and wealthy elites of Middle-earth under his sway. That means world-recognized royalty among major-player peoples, namely Elves and Dwarves and (Numenorean) Men. I think he would have considered a bunch of little farmers taking on trappings of even minor Ringlords to be a travesty of the mightiness and terror of his imperial domination. ---
**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:** [February 21, 2023, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rings-for-hobbits/980120/7 "2023-02-21T03:18:32Z")
Sauron had actually hoped to ensnare elves with those rings. When they didn’t fall for it, he then gave them out to powerful mortal men. ---
**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:** [February 21, 2023, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rings-for-hobbits/980120/8 "2023-02-21T03:20:46Z")
I thought Celebrimbor made the Elven rings in secret? To the OP: I doubt Sauron would have deemed the Hobbits worth the effort. Especially since they were so resistant (not sure he would know that though). ---
**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:** [February 21, 2023, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rings-for-hobbits/980120/9 "2023-02-21T03:22:57Z")
Celebrimbor did those 3 elven rings separately and secretly, and specifically for the elves. Sauron forged the 9 with the intent of subduing the elves. But when Sauron put on the One, the elves wearing the elven rings were aware of him and took their rings off, knowing they were betrayed. They spread the word that Sauron meant to subdue them, and hence elves refused the ‘gift’ of the rings that Sauron had forged. ---
**Author:** ![up2eleven](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/up2eleven/32/13432_2.png) [@up2eleven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up2eleven)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2023, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rings-for-hobbits/980120/10 "2023-02-21T03:29:22Z")
One thought that just popped into mind…if Sauron twisted the Hobbits the way he twisted the elves and made mini, somewhat magic-resistant stealth orcs, they could be useful. Recon, theft, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2023, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rings-for-hobbits/980120/11 "2023-02-21T03:30:47Z")
Gollum was sort of a hobbit himself. He, Bilbo, Frodo, and (briefly) Sam collectively held onto the One Ring for many years with some signs of corruption, to be sure, but not all that much. If the One Ring couldn’t get to them, it’s hard to imagine what any lesser rings could do to them. ---
**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:** [February 21, 2023, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rings-for-hobbits/980120/12 "2023-02-21T03:32:00Z")
Technically it is Melkor/Morgoth that corrupted the elves so, presumably, he’d have been the one to corrupt the hobbits. But I getcha…could be fun for a D&D game. ---
**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:** [February 21, 2023, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rings-for-hobbits/980120/13 "2023-02-21T03:34:04Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Technically it is Melkor/Morgoth that corrupted the elves Well, JRRT was always trying to rewrite his canon so the elves were not corrupted so much by Melkor as by the fact that Melkor corrupted all of Arda with his discord. JRRT wanted to re-write the origin of the orcs so they weren’t corrupted elves anymore, but didn’t get to it before dying. ---
**Author:** ![up2eleven](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/up2eleven/32/13432_2.png) [@up2eleven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up2eleven)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2023, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rings-for-hobbits/980120/14 "2023-02-21T03:37:54Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > But I getcha…could be fun for a D&D game. Halfling wraiths…'Lingwraiths ---
**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:** [February 21, 2023, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rings-for-hobbits/980120/15 "2023-02-21T03:40:19Z")
::hijack Is there is proper way to refer to Melkor as Melkor or Morgoth? I never know how to properly refer to him in threads like this. /hijack (if there is no simple answer then let me know and I will make a new thread…really not meant as a hijack) ---
**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:** [February 21, 2023, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rings-for-hobbits/980120/16 "2023-02-21T03:44:30Z")
Melkor (He who arises in might) is his actual name, he was given the epithet of Morgoth Bauglir (dark foe & constrainer) by Fëanor after he slew Finwë. ---
**Author:** ![up2eleven](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/up2eleven/32/13432_2.png) [@up2eleven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up2eleven)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2023, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rings-for-hobbits/980120/17 "2023-02-21T03:53:47Z")
I wish I could help, but try as I might, I could never get through The Silmarillion. ---
**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:** [February 21, 2023, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rings-for-hobbits/980120/18 "2023-02-21T04:57:23Z")
Try skipping the first third or so. Get to the story of Beren and Luthien and it gets better. The first third (quarter?) is a bit much to muddle through. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2023, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rings-for-hobbits/980120/19 "2023-02-21T05:40:16Z")
in this weeks episode of Cast Iron Chef… ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2023, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rings-for-hobbits/980120/20 "2023-02-21T06:40:24Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Get to the story of Beren and Luthien and it gets better. Yeah, it picks up after that, and that is also my favorite story in the book. I mean, they’re fighting werewolves and vampires, I’d love to see someone turn _that_ story into a film or series. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rings-for-hobbits/980120.md?page=2)