From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Three Rings of the Elves of Eregion are fictional magical artifacts in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. They are the most powerful (save the One) of the twenty Rings of Power.

The Three Rings were created by Celebrimbor after Sauron, in the guise of Annatar, had left Eregion. These Rings of Power were free of Sauron's influence, as he did not have a hand in their making, however they were still forged by Celebrimbor via the arts taught to him by Sauron and thus were still bound to the One Ring. Upon perceiving Sauron's true intent, the Elves hid the three from him. They were carried out of Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age, after the destruction of the One Ring.

The Three Rings as seen in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. From left to right: Narya, Nenya, and Vilya.

Narya, also named the Ring of Fire or Red Ring, is one of the Three Rings.

According to Unfinished Tales, at the start of the War of the Elves and Sauron, Celebrimbor gave Narya together with the Ring Vilya to Gil-galad, High King of the Noldor. Gil-galad entrusted Narya to his lieutenant Círdan, Lord of the Havens of Mithlond, who kept it after Gil-galad's death. According to The Lord of the Rings, Gil-galad receives only Vilya, while Círdan receives Narya from the very beginning along with Galadriel receiving Nenya from the start. In the Third Age Círdan, recognizing Gandalf's true nature as one of the Maiar from Valinor, gave him the ring to aid him in his labours. It is described as having the power to inspire others to resist tyranny, domination and despair (in other words, evoking hope from others around the wielder), as well as giving resistance to the weariness of time: '"Take now this Ring," he said; "for thy labours and thy cares will be heavy, but in all it will support thee and defend thee from weariness. For this is the Ring of Fire, and herewith, maybe, thou shalt rekindle hearts to the valour of old in a world that grows chill."' - Círdan the Shipwright. Narya was worn by Gandalf at the Grey Havens.

Nenya, also named the Ring of Adamant and the Ring of Water, is one of the Three Rings. The name is derived from the Quenya nén meaning water.

Nenya is described as being made of mithril and set with a "white stone", presumably a diamond (this is never stated explicitly, although the usage of the word "adamant", an old synonym, is strongly suggestive). The ring is wielded by Galadriel formerly known as Alatariel of Lórien, and possessing radiance that matches that of the stars; while Frodo Baggins can see it by virtue of being a Ring-bearer, Sam Gamgee tells Galadriel he only "saw a star through your fingers" (This appears in many editions as "finger" — which sounds more magical, since it suggests that her finger has somehow become transparent — but The Treason of Isengard, ch. 13, note 34, mentions it as an error.)

Nenya's power was preservation, protection, and possibly concealment from evil (which seems a bit unusual considering the fact that Sauron and his orcs have intruded upon Lothlórien before; though this could be explained as that Sauron knows where Lothlórien is, but it makes finding a way inside the forest impossible). It was said that, protected as it was by Nenya, Lothlórien would not have fallen unless Sauron had personally come to attack it. Galadriel used these powers to create and sustain Lothlórien, but it also increased in her the longing for the Sea and her desire to return to the Undying Lands. After the destruction of the One Ring and the defeat of Sauron, its power faded along with the other Rings of Power. Galadriel bore Nenya on a ship from the Grey Havens into the West, accompanied by the other two Elven Rings and their bearers. With the ring gone, the magic and beauty of Lórien also faded along with the extraordinary mallorn trees that lived for centuries and it was gradually depopulated, until by the time Arwen came there to die in F.A. 121 it was deserted and in ruin.

Vilya, the Ring of Air or Ring of Sapphire is one of the Three Rings.

When Sauron laid waste to Eregion, Vilya was sent to the Elven-King Gil-galad far away in Lindon, where it was later given to Elrond, who bore it through the later years of the Second Age and all of the Third. As Gil-galad was the High King of the Noldor elves at the time of the rings distribution it was thought that he was best fit to care for the most powerful of the three elven rings.

Like the other two Rings of the Elves, Vilya was jewelled: it contained a great blue stone set in a gold band, which contributed to its title as the Ring of Sapphire. Less common titles of Vilya was the Ring of Air, signifying its preeminence even over the other Rings of the Elves, and the Blue Ring; it is generally considered that Vilya was the mightiest of these three bands (as mentioned in the ending chapter in the Return of the King). The exact power of Vilya is not mentioned; however it is reasonable to speculate that it also possesses the power to heal and to preserve (it is mentioned in the Silmarillion that Celebrimbor had forged the Three in order to heal and to preserve, rather than to enhance the strengths of each individual bearers as the Seven, Nine, and the lesser rings did). There is some speculation that the ring controlled minor elements, considering the event where Elrond had summoned a torrent of water as the Nazgûl attempted to invade Rivendell. The shape of which the water appeared as (a group of horses) is actually the work of Gandalf either for more damage or just for decoration.

Upon Sauron's destruction, the power of Vilya faded and it was taken over the sea along by Elrond at the end of the Third Age.