Saruman Ring-maker

[Vanya]

Saruman Ring-maker

I would like to ask for your opinion on this subject, since this is one of milestones in quite a serious study that one of my Serbian forum collegues is doing.
At the Council of Elrond, Gandalf tells us about his meeting with Saruman at Orthanc, after Radagast summond him:

" But I rode to the foot of Orthanc, and came to the stair of Saruman; and there he met me and led me up to his high chamber. He wore a ring on his finger"

And later on:

" For I am Saruman the Wise, Saruman Ring maker, Saruman of Many Colours."

Some of crutial questions to be answered are:

1.Since the ring making is significant, how come that it is not mentioned at all afterwards? If it was not important, why did author put it in the story? Is it possible that he deserted this idea, but left it unedited by mistake?

2. If Saruman forged this ring, what was the purpose of it, and how powerful was it?

3. Was it subordinated to the One, since it was forged afterwards?

4 Could it be one of the lesser rings, made before 9+7+3+1 were made?

5. Since Saruman used to tell lies, is it possible that this was just an attempt to intimidate Gandalf, and that this ring didn't have any power at all?

[Selmo]

I'll vote for option 5.

[Tuor of Gondolin]

Here is some interesting speculation by Michael Martinez. He seems to favor options 2 and 3 above.
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/tolkien/35612

"In the book, Gandalf reported to the Council of Elrond that Saruman wore a ring on his finger, and that he named himself "Saruman Ring-maker". If Saruman indeed had made a Ring of Power, he would have been using it to enhance his own native strength (and he would have had to put a part of that strength into his ring). Was it as great as the One Ring? No. We can be sure that Saruman's ring failed when all the others failed. When Gandalf, the hobbits, and the Elves of Rivendell and Lorien overtook him in Dunland after Sauron had been defeated, he told the Elves, "I did not spend long study on these matters for naught. You have doomed yourselves, and you know it. And it will afford me some comfort as I wander to think that you pulled down your own house when you destroyed mine." "

[Encaitare]

It's anyone's guess, really, since it's not explained further in the trilogy, the Silmarillion, or UT; it is possible that Tolkien mentions it further in his letters, but I don't know.

My guess is that Saruman, in his quest for more power, tried his hand at making his own Ring of Power, but that it wasn't all that he had hoped for. If it was indeed such a Ring, it probably failed when the One was destroyed, hence Saruman being reduced to little more than a beggar.

[Boromir88]

It is a definate fact Saruman did make a ring. In his study of Sauron, and Saruman himself was a great studier in the 3 elven-rings. He did make a ring in an attempt to create a ring of power, like the 9-7-3-or 1.

We have no evidence supporting whether this ring had a lot of power or not. If you ask me it didn't help him get thrown out of the council, didn't help him in anything good with the Shire, so it definately wasn't as powerful as the other rings of power, but it still could have had some power in it, who knows.

[Lachwen]

Actually, I found an article (sort of...) about this on the Tolkien Crackpot Theories Page:

Saruman, who was a Maia of Aule just as Sauron once was, became learned in Ring-lore as he studied Sauron's evil works. Too well learned, as it turned out; for Saruman gradually turned to evil himself, emulating Sauron's works. Saruman also experimented with the making of a Ring of his own. Here's part of Gandalf's account to the Council of Elrond (Fellowship of the Ring, pp. 271-2 hardback, italics mine):

"'...and there he [Saruman] met me and led me up to his high chamber. He wore a ring on his finger...
"'..."For I am Saruman the Wise, Saruman Ring-maker, Saruman of Many Colours!"'"

But if Saruman were to experiment with making Rings of Power, he wouldn't make only one, would he? No; I think he'd make at least one other, and try to get his ring to exert an influence over the wearer of the other. And who would he give such a ring to?

Grima Wormtongue seems the obvious answer, since he was so completely under Saruman's control.

...Kind of helps you see Saruman in a new light, doesn't it? Sure, Sauron may have had the Nazgul, the Ringwraiths; but perhaps Saruman in his turn had Grima, the Ringworm!



...a lot of research and discussion for a very bad pun, no?