Why there are no Hobbit Rings of Power | Tolkien Explained
Today, we cover Sauron's ORIGINAL plan for his Rings of Power, why Hobbits were never part of the plan - or offered rings, and what would happen to them if they did.
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The Elven Rings - Ralph Damiani
The Dwarf Lords - Ralph Damiani
Nazgul - Felix Englund
Sauron - WETA
Sauron - Jerry Vanderstelt
The Shire A View of Hobbiton From The Hill - Ted Nasmith
black riders in the shire - John Howe
summer in the shire - kuliszu
evening in the shire - kuliszu
Hobbit Farmer - Daniel Dougherty
celebrimbor and annatar - anotherstranger_me
sauron and the one ring - Sara Morello
the forging - Ralph Damiani
Celebrimbor - Angus McBride
Celebrimbor - anotherstranger_me
The Forging of the Ring - Alan Lee
celebrimbor - Jenny Dolfen
The One Ring - John Howe
The One Ring - Kinko White
Sauron - anotherstranger_me
Rings of Power collage - Ralph Damiani
Celebrimbor - YidanYuan
annatar and celebrimbor - anotherstranger_me
Sauron the Deceiver - Ralph Damiani
Annatar the Giver of Gifts - Sara M. Morello
Annatar - Soni Alcorn-Hender
Celebrimbor - MellorianJ
The Bliss of Valinor - Jenny Dolfen
Annatar, The Giver of Gifts - Sara M. Morello
The forging of the Rings - Alan Lee
sketch of sauron - mellorianj
Sauron - Kinko White
celebrimbor in the dungeons - anotherstranger_me
sauron the deceiver - skullb*st*rd
Celebrimbor's Death - Peter Xavier Price
Sauron in Second Age - Elrodimus Flash
The Great Eye - Ralph Damiani
Sauron before Ar-Pharazon - Anke Eissmann
Dwarf fighting fire - Matthew Stewart
Nazgul Bowing Before Sauron - Kip Rasmussen
dwarves of ered luin - Sam Mckinnon
dwarves - merlkir
Smaug over the Lonely Mountain - Anke Eissmann
Mountain realm dwarves - Felix Englund
Dwarves - Angus McBride
witch king - skullb*st*rd
numenor's legion of armenelos - Sam Mckinnon
the keeper of one of the nine_rings, nazgul - steamey
nazgul - anotherstranger_me
Witch King - John Howe
Witch-King - John Howe
ringwraith - Jerry Vanderstelt
The Nine, nazgul - Kinko White
The Nazgul - Ted Nasmith
Nazgul - Dzmitry Yakhouski
Hobbiton - Catherine Chmiel
Nazgul near Rivendell - Angus McBride
Hobbitish pony - Catherine Chmiel
sauron army - weta
The Shire illustration - Šárka Škorpíková
Hobbit portrait - Catherine Karina Chmiel
Samwise - Matt Stewart
Sam Enters Mordor Alone - Ted Nasmith
Cirith Ungol - Lída Holubová
Mount Doom - Lída Holubová
Sam's First View of Mordor - Darrell Sweet
The One Ring - John Howe
Mount Doom - Alan Lee
I will not say the day is done - Matt Stewart
Sam Gamgee - Anna Kulisz
The One Ring - in the land of shadow - Kinko White
sam in the garden - Tolman Cotton
Sam and Bill - Elrodimus Flash
sam and bill - Emily Austin
Nazgul and galadriel - Catherine Karina Chmiel
Anna Kulisz - Pippin
Sam Frodo Gollum - Elrodimus Flash
Gollum Frodo Sam - John Howe
celebrimbor and annatar - anotherstranger_me
the last king of the grey moutains - dracarysdrekkar
Battle of Eregion - Alan Lee
Sauron - Shadow of War
#lordoftherings #hobbits #tolkien
If you were to ask Sauron why he didn’t make rings for hobbits, his answer would have been “What the f-- is a hobbit?”
Absolutely!
But of course. The video's premise is goofy to begin with.
@bigguy7353 This guy is one of the worst LOTR content creators. It's all cheap thoughtless dribble that disrespects Tolkiens legacy and misses the point of LoTR.
@@toastedt140you literally missed the po8nt yourself lol. If you think the point was that elves dwarves wizards and such were all very serious stuff.
I came across hobbit porn in the wild one time, like a hundred clicks deep into ye Olde Palintir of Porn.... It was dope...
If Pippin had the ring of power, no one could have stopped him from getting second breakfast.
You know, if I had fantastic power over the entire world, getting some more food... that's not a bad idea, there. Sausages, tomahtoes, nice crispy bacon... You might be onto something.
Walt jr has entered the chat
You know, that's probably what at least some of the hypotehtical halfling ringbearing lords would do. Just get themselves more and more food. But as they age, nothing will fill the growing void inside them and the food tastes more and more like ash as they seek for even more extravagant meals and slowly they wither away into halfsized ringwraiths.
@@frigginjerk don't forget some onions and taters and a nice piece of fried fish.
Following this hypothesis, we’d end up with half-height yet double-width ringwraiths 💀💀💀💀💀
Sauron: Do you think anyone would take me seriously with hobbit ringwraiths?! They would ruin my reputation!
I'd say go for it, that's a hard flex.
It worked for the Tall Man from the Phantasm series.
He could use them as a secret police, sneak around and gather information, assassinate those who could be a threat. He could also put them in charge of farming and have them produce food for his armies.
Frodo was well on his way to being a wraith (ringwraith?) after being stabbed by the Morgul blade on Amon Sul...
They'd be great burglars.
Prediction: Sauron’s ridiculously spiky and huge plate mail prevents him from bending at the waist and sharply limits his visibility. He just couldn’t look down far enough to spot them.
as he extends his vulnerable fingers to the sharpest of broken blades....
Lol
I like how this statement can be taken literally and figuratively.
@@shadowclaw7210 And brings into focus what I think is the underlying reason why Sauron ultimately failed--his absolute conviction that he is superior in all ways. He thought that greatness and strength only comes with and manifests as power (whether the might of an army or the power of a "wizard"), and because he considers himself superior in his own power as well (of course), he would never have considered any "non-powerful" being a threat. Since he didn't consider Hobbits a threat, they weren't a threat, and he refused to consider he might have been wrong, right up until the end. I wonder if he still denied it as the Ring was being destroyed, thinking something else must be responsible.
What happens when you are deaf to feedback
It's poetic justice that the same traits which caused Sauron to overlook the hobbits (their insignificance and lack of ambition) are the same traits that made Bilbo and Frodo the perfect ring bearers to defeat him.
But they weren't perfect. They only succeeded because Eru cheated and shoved Gollum down the volcano.
@@shiroamakusa8075 It wasn't cheating. It was a reward for Frodo and Sam's estel and their faith and their work. Frodo succeeded as much as any being could have.
That thought occurred to me as well. Gandalf specifically noted at several pints that the hobbits were very, very, VERY resistant to the influence of the Ring.
@@shiroamakusa8075The guy already wrote a song about everything that would happen, before it happened. I don't think it's cheating when he's the one who wrote all the rules and all possible moves.
@@shiroamakusa8075Gollum swore on the ring that he would help Frodo, then bit his finger off trying to take the one ring from him. He broke his promise, and Eru punished him for it.
Can you imagine the beer and pie they could make with one
😂 love this 👍🏼
The Shire would be a forest of tobacco plants
Lol
ROFL! /m/,
One pie to rule them all, and in the fullness of their bellies, binds them. 🥧
Because the hobbits would likely just take the rings, boil them, mash them, and stick them in a stew.
PO-TAE-TOES!
The hobbit rings were just onion rings
I know what video I'm watching for the rest of the day
Even you wouldn't say no to that.
Here's a theory: Iluvatar made Hobbits for Yavanna, to nurture the things the Ents wouldn't protect. Ents protect the trees. Hobbits love gardening and tending plants and crops.
Not a bad theory. Perhaps Yavanna saw the stout hearts of Aule's dwarves and wished for a second race, much like Illuvatar's Secondborn. A love for the natural world and the small hands to tend to nature, where Ents cannot reach.
I don't think Yavanna would have approved of them cutting down trees to make fires and buildings...
Hobbits are a replacement for Entwives?
It's far more likely that Hobbits just were. No God or higher being made them, they just were there. We see this with creatures like the Unknowable Things, and even possibly the Rohirram. Some things just kind of exist.
@@Darkstar-se6wc Tolkien have no origin text about the Hobbits. They just simply appeared out of nowhere. Elves, Dwarves, Men, and even the creatures twisted by Melkor have all origins. The Hobbits is an oddity but most theory points out of them relating to Men, some have undergone a different line of breed at some point in time.
You know we technically do see a hobbit ring wraith with Gollum. A sad soul who's life was stretched out well beyond its limit with eyes that pierce the darkness, stealth almost unrivaled and deadly efficient.
He was on the way, but he wasn't a full-blown wraith. He still lived in the physical world.
@@Swiftbow Gollum lived far beyond the mortal life of a Hobbit due to the power of the One ring, in fact it affected Bilbo also during his tenure and then Frodo although Frodo having been stabbed by the Morgul blade felt the effect of that long after the healing he was given by Galadriel and Elrond so the malice of the ring affects the wearer in relation to their own desires which it exploits. It can be argued that the Hobbits would have fallen to the rings power and become wraiths but bearing in mind Gollum had the ring for 500 years thwhile Gandalf does mention how the Hobbits have born the affects of it long after it would have claimed the souls of men.
@@darreng745 As I mentioned in another post, the big reason Gollum lasted so long was that he stopped wearing/carrying the Ring regularly. He mostly left it on his island because it was causing him pain to bear it.
@@darreng745 Yes, as Gandalf said, he never faded.
Wasn't Gollum not exactly a hobbit? I thought he was like a riverfolk version of a hobbit that wasn't a shire native race.
Imagine the horrors that Farmer Maggot and Lobelia Sackville Baggins are going to unleash if they're given a Ring of Power.
The silverware of all Middle Earth would not be safe. and the umbrellas!
Farmer Maggot is actually quite a stand-up guy in the books. Ngl the movies did him dirty haha
@@paulmalinoski5951 yep, he helped the four young hobbits a lot
@@paulmalinoski5951 yeah, he was just mad that 2 20 somethings kept stealing his mushrooms while they were drunk and high as all hell. He was mad at them because they were regularly stealing from him.
Those were probably magic mushrooms, anyway. After the 4+1 hobbits ate them (gift from Mrs. Maggot), the whole part of travelling to Bree reads like a psychedelic trip turned badly. (thorns, Old Man Willow, drowning, suffocation, singing Tom Bombadil, Goldberry, fog, barrow-wights...) They come to their senses in Bree and go to The Prancing Pony to chill out.@@swimmingmide
I love the mental image of Sauron the Poet returning home from his campaign devastating Eregion, sitting at his desk, and thinking "nuts, now I need to add a couple new verses"
Usurped from others, of course.
Five for the Hobbit Lords in their Hobbit Holes.
I feel that Hobbit Nazgul would be useful to play a supportive role in Sauron's war effort. Hobbits are all about farming. At the end of the day the servants of Mordor need to eat. Also think about this, The Hobbits made pipe weed a relaxing substance. I can imagine a Nazgul hobbit making a Stimulant from cultivated crops. The free folk are lucky that they never faced orcs pumped up on middle earth cocaine.
That is a truly scary thought actually.
Also hobbits were pretty scary combatants on their own, too - the Hobbit literally opens with description of hobbit army that destroyed goblin one and golf/polo joke about throwing heads of killed enemies into a hole which gave start to game, they were absolutely not some sort of inept pacifist hippies on drugs dumb people here imagine...
@@KuK137 For the most part they were kind good folk but like us there is a darker part of the psych that can make em vicious and even those who resist that are often very far from being push overs.
Answering your video title question before watching, my impression is that the baddies didn't know hobbits existed until Gollum told Sauron about Bilbo.
And after watching, I agree with you that Sauron would have nothing to gain by elevating hobbit "lords" with a ring. He'd just enslave the whole race.
Matt Need Harry Potter Channel.?🙏🙏🙏
My initial thought is that there was no hobbit kingdom. Sure they had some settlements, but no kings.
Actually, all the Rings of Power were intended to be given to Elves. There were no “Elvish Rings” or “Dwarvish Rings”. When they say “Dwarvish Rings” it’s because those rings ended up being given to Dwarves.
One thing to consider is the innate character of the figures bearing the rings. The Nazgul were all leader or kings, who even with the best of intentions do covet power to rule their kingdoms. Gollum was by nature duplicitous, and the ring amplified that nature to have him kill Deagol and flee the riverfold. Also remember that Gandalf chose Bilbo because he was at heart NOT a typical hobbit. The atypical nature, to me, is what kept the ring's corruption from him, as well as the halfling fortitude. And Bilbo states that of all his numerous relations, Frodo is most like him. Not the typical hobbit. To me, the typical hobbit, who coveted food and comfort, would likely become a sloth or glutton, eating to excess and working less with a ring of power. Also, Tolkien's religious history would likely favor the deadly sin of gluttony for hobbits. This posits that the Nazgul might be wrath, the elves could be pride, and the Dwarves being greed. Sorry for the rambling nature of this post, but I think the video missed the mark a bit, and could have expounded on this aspect of Tolkien that made him such a writer of depth. Layers upon layers! Thank you for the stimulating thought and excellent video!
Tolkien spent years trying to tell people that there were no religious aspects with the LOTR due to people perceiving Eru as being a creator like figure in the model of God, and while that could be true Tolkein's own Catholicism would have been a bar to him creating a true God like creator of the world as we understand it within the context of the expanded Akallabêth and also the LOTR. Tolkien was not adverse to taking elements from within Scandanavian mythology and also Anglo Saxon writings as the basis for the LOTR especially the description of Meduseld which is taken from Beowulf, it can be argued that a lot of the description for the creation of Arda comes from the myths of creation found within Finnish mythology.
very true i forgot about gluttony
DO YOU THINK OTHERS MAY HAVE THE OTHER 3 SINS? CAN THE OTHER 3 BE USEFULL FOR SOMETHING?
True I did just eat trail mix bag once in blue moon.
Mostly just vegetables.
I appreciate the ability to make an interesting and informative video out of a question that can be answered with a simple “they didn’t exist”.
I think the Hobbits ability to go unnoticed would have made them quite formidable assassins.
if they had it in them to kill anything that is
@@luckymuddypaw smeagol like 😶
@@luckymuddypaw Bilbo slaughtering an army of spiders: Merry de-limbing multiple orcs (and potentially uruk-hai):
What would a Hobbit do with a Ring of Power? Use it to command others to work their farms and fields?
See you're short sighted much like Sauron. Imagine a vast supply line of endless food, drink and pipe weed to fuel your armies in the upcoming battles? Produced by happily ignorant hobbits thinking they were the most successful and wealthy farmers of middle earth and loving every moment of it. Toiling day and night while singing songs. 😆 All grown under the noses of your enemies. A missed opportunity in my opinion.
If Gollum is any indicator, they would just want to hunt Orcses and fishes.
@@MrBottlecapBillPretty good point. The orcs certainly wouldn't ever have to miss second breakfast if they had the hobbits on their side.
@MrBottlecapBill The weak link in your scenario is the part about fueling their armies in the upcoming battles. Why would hobbits even bother with armies and battles? They are perfectly happy with their gardens and second breakfasts and occasional festive celebrations. Yes, they did find certain of their kind willing to voluntarily guard the Shire’s boundaries. That’s all they needed and wanted. Part of my mission where I live is to encourage the humans in our fertile, small-farm-filled valley to follow the template of the Shire. Wish me well.
😂
Hey Matt, I was wondering if you could do a theory: What if Arnor never fell. ?
I think a good starting point for this would be if Isildur survived but still loses the ring. I think if he was still alive, Arnor and Gondor at the very least still woulda been united under a high king.
The way my dad explained why Hobbits aren't really tainted by the ring is because their wants and needs are already met. They don't want anything else that the ring can proide
They are easily contented people 😊
1. Hobbits are of the Race of Men. 2. Sauron was unaware of them, hence why it took him so long to even figure out what and where The Shire was.
One thought that always makes me laugh is if Frodo had succumbed to his wound from the Witch King's Morgul blade. They'd have had another half-squat wraith riding around with them XD
Sauron's most feared servants... the 9 and a Half.
Nah… they would just have tortured Frodo for the rest of his newer ending ”life” to have some fun!
Giving it some actual thought here I. Think Frodo would be the wraiths assasin hobbits are natururally stealthy and quiet so imagine a faith small enough to slip through any gap and with a less pronounced effect on animals slipping into your house knife in hand
Little hobbit Nazgûl… that would be hilarious! 😂
I like the idea that Hobbits are kind of just like normal people. They're "We don't get involved in that sort of thing" people. Apart from Bandobras Took who, if he was born in the second age, would have probably been invited to get a ring of his own, but would have refused via using his wooden club to beat Sauron in the head with.
Hobbits are men this whole debate is moot.
@@jackmehoff915 short men with little to no ambition other than food.
one of the reasons I liked Tolkien's universe is that his works seem to tell you "even the smallest and most insignificant are capable of much more then you can immagine, so don't undervalue yourself and never think that you are nothing"
I imagine that if he had made rings for halflings, we'd see minor effects: In The Scouring of the Shire, Saruman was able to give the Wealthiest Hobbits control as puppet leaders, until he of course, killed Lotho Sackville-Baggins. Greed is something we see, just like with Dwarves. I imagine Sauron would more likely have used a messenger to manipulate the leadership of Hobbiton, or just use them as slave labor for his plans to rule all of Middle-Earth.
2:36 Among other reasons, hobbits do not possess the ambition that was the original target of Sauron. He preyed upon the elves desire which the hobbits lacked. Love the channel. Thank you.
Hobbits are men that's it
You know on the topic of rings, one thing I've always wondered is What would happen if just some random orc or goblin actually picked up the One Ring? Given their connection to Sauron and corrupted nature, would the Ring be able to simply take them over completely? Like when the Ring 'abandoned' Gollum, what if there was no Bilbo and the Ring wound up getting picked up by one of the many goblins that populated the surrounding caves?
They'd just bring it to Sauron, as they lack the will to do anything else. Actually, it was Sauron's hope that an Orc would stumble upon it, which is why he had them dispersed all over northern Middle Earth.
I don't think we know for certain what an orc would do with the Ring, but it was made pretty plain that the Ring wanted to be found by an orc... that's why it slipped off Gollum's finger when he was hunting goblins. It's possible that was just it's only move left, though, as it had been stuck a VERY long time with Gollum and was quite frustrated. I would think, though, that an orc using the Ring for his own purposes would VERY quickly be spotted by Sauron, even if that orc tried to keep it secret. Simply because any given orc would have little compunction in using the Ring outright and using it to dominate others, which turns the Ring into something of a flare gun.
Gandalf at one point broadly hints that was literally Divine Providence that Bilbo picked up the Ring rather than an Orc (which was doubtlessly what the Ring had been angling for)@@Swiftbow
@@ChrisMattern-oh6wx He does, but that certainly wasn't what the Ring had in mind when it slipped off. The Ring does NOT slip off accidentally.
I liked your little bit about Sauron's poetry review. The chronology of that poem and how some lines of it ended up on the One Ring has always puzzled me slightly. If the whole poem was written by Sauron though, where did he publish it for it to be later considered part of Elven lore?
I always assumed that the Elves knew of the Ring’s inscription by hearing Sauron utter these words in their minds, and later constructed the poem around that inscription / initial verse. So the entire poem was created part by Sauron, part by the Elves. Am I wrong?
Three Rings for the Elven Kings under the Sky, Seven for the Dwarf Lords in their Halls of Stone, 9 for Mortal Men doomed to die, 1 for the Dark Lord on his Dark Throne, and None for Gretchen Wieners.
Four for you Glen Coco! You go Glen Coco!
Biggest reason is probably because the Rings were originally intended for Elves, likely exclusively. The pivot to the attempt to enslave the rulers of the other Free Races came later & Sauron was oblivious to the existence of Halflings
Next video: What if Shadowfax had the One Ring?
😮😮 where would he wear that?! 😅😅
You mean the prince Albert piercing… I see…
@@floodkevin4716well we know the ring can change its size depending on the bearer... A horse cock ring, there I said it.
@@haukionkannel 😂😂
He will ride Gandalf like a horse
The real question is why did Sauron and the elves for that matter STOP making rings of power? They certainly worked.........especially the three.
Their source of power seems to be Sauron himself. Even the Elven Three, made without Sauron's knowledge, could only be used while The One (which was basically Sauron's soul put into an object) was masterless. And they lost their power when Sauron's soul was destroyed. So without Sauron, there are no Rings.
I kinda figured the elves wouldn't dare. The three worked, because they did it for the best of intentions, but if they made them to fight Sauron, that's no longer the best of intentions and, even if they could make copies of the three, any additional ones would just open the elves up to Sauron's control if he ever got the one ring back. Sauron I don't think could on his own after making the one ring then losing it. He poured so much of his own power into it, that once he was without it, he no longer had the magical juice to make more of them. But if he ever got the one ring back, he might have.
Well the Gwaith-i-Mirdain were killed by Sauron in his war against Celebrimbor, weren't they? I'm not sure if anyone else knew how to make them. Also they were aware that Sauron could influence those who wore them
I agree Sauron would have influenced the Hobbits to create vast food supplies for his armies.
5 months late, but I am consistently blown away by LOTR youtubers ability to speak the black tongue and elvish and all that. Absolutely nailed it, and that's crazy, bur really cool
This was really a frequent question in the comments? It wouldn't have occurred to me any more than "Was one of the Ringwraiths a Drúedain?"
This Was so well done Matt! I enjoyed it so much! I also really enjoyed that last comment, "Not afraid to revisit his Poems" haha. That was great!
I love the illustration, and you explained it so well ❤
As a writer myself, I think Tolkien intended the Hobbits to be ones Eru chose to bring Sauron down. I also think Sauron did knew the race of the hobbits, but vaguely, I think he simply paid them no mind, just as you said, he was after the elves. I also think you’re right about Sauron when you say he didn’t had to make rings for them. I think he thought that he would just simply dominate them, to him they were just stones on his shoes. That would prove to be his biggest mistake though.
Canonically, it is indicated that Sauron didn't know about Hobbits until he captured Gollum. At which point his minions spent nearly 20 YEARS looking for the Shire. That stretches credulity a little bit, I think... but maybe they thought it was in proto-Asia (ie, the Far East) or Haradrim. Those areas would certainly be easier places for his minions to search.
Now that i think about it, "WHY DID" Sauron want to get rid of the elves?...I think my answer to that is that Sauron himself was an Elf and something between the elf people happened that made him wanna get revenge on them specifically......What that reason might be it is unknown.
@@sephirothcrescent5768 Why Sauron hated elves is detailed in the Silmarillion. He is not an elf, but a Maia, an angelic being. He was corrupted by Morgoth, an even more powerful being, and served as Morgoth's chief lieutenant during the First Age. The elves took it upon themselves to defeat Morgoth and fought numerous protracted and devastating wars during that time. Sauron was also a participant in many of those events, and his hatred and resentment of the elves only grew, culminating in his defeat, and basically losing his whole purpose when Morgoth was beaten. They had been the greatest threat in the past and so he intended to eliminate that obstacle when he sought to take Morgoth's place during the Second Age.
Something this video didn't take into a large consideration, but I think if Sauron or his servants had known of Hobbits' existence, and had given some rings of power to hobbits, it would have gone much like Smeagol and Deagol. The powerful among them would have probably been given them (more out of spite than anything, as you say Sauron would not have thought it profitable save to just ensure complete order and that there was nothing against him however trivial). But any among those powerful who were good would almost certainly have lost the rings post-haste to any less-nice hobbits or those easily tempted by the ring (Say, like Smeagol, or Lotho Sackville-Baggins, or Ted Sandiman). They would not expect sudden swift treachery and possibly even murder by people they knew any more than Deagol would. These evil hobbits would possibly have hoarded away their rings just as Gollum did, and been driven out by the honorable ones. They would have become wraiths eventually, but it would have taken more than a thousand years more than likely since Gollum/Smeagol resisted all that time and hadn't shown signs of becoming a wraith even yet. It seems highly unlikely any hobbit would use one for anything other than crops and simple things. Like what was happening to Bilbo, the need to possess the ring would be all that drove them. Not a need to dominate others.
So happy to see your subscribers getting closer and closer to your goal. I just want to let you know how much I look forward to your videos. I feel like I could (and probably will) dig deep into your channel and watch/rewatch in chronological order as if they were a series. I think it would be fascinating to continue these "what if" type of videos. So many things could have changed the course of the future.
This was an EXCELLENT video. Thank you so much!
Three Rings for the Elven Kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf Lords in their halls of stone, Five for Hobbit Kind who dwell in their holes, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne, In the land of Mordor where the shadows lie.
As always NOTR, splendid❤
Even though i did knew the answer, it's always a pleasure to listen to your explantions, thanks
I think that if Hobbits were given rings of power, we would likely see a number of Golum-like creatures, though beings deeper into the shadows like the Nazgul. While the Nazgul would be the greatest warriors, and powerful champions of Sauron, the turned Hobbits would be his greatest spies. It sounds crazy to say this outload, but I think if Sauron had known of the Hobbits and gave them rings of power, his power would be significantly greater, and his tendrils borne deeper into the other realms.
I feel like Hobbits in general have little interest in power or control over others. A few were able to be lead, by Saruman, but even with his vast powers of persuasion, he still needed Men to subdue the majority of them. They only needed a little help to eject the evil Men, and Saruman himself, and then they put everything back the way it was. They value family and friendship and good food and fun above domination and hoarded gold. That's why Bilbo was never corrupted, and why even Smeagol kept some of his memories of light.
Thank you for 3 yrs of work. It makes a difference in my life. THANK YOU for what you do.🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Been watching this channel for a couple years now, video have been great. High quality.
08:11 A set of five rings were indeed made, but Sauron realised they were simply too corrupt even for him, and buried them deep under Barad-dûr. Many thousands of years later they were accidentally unearthed and given to a global sports organisation.
No... not the Olympics!
I only lift for fun.
I was expecting a short answer since Hobbits seem to be small humans. As far as we know they were not separately created or awakened. But the original purpose of the Rings is so much better, especially Annatar's chilling appeals to the Elves' motivations. I wouldn't have minded if Sam's temptation by the Ring was given a cinematic cutaway in the movie of Sam swinging a mighty mattock, orcs fleeing, dirt and rocks flying, then a pan out to Sam smoking his pipe in the Best Garden Ever. And then awkward silence between Sam and the Ring.
I've wondered this for years. Thank you NOTR, finally an answer.
Love it. Sam's wisdom is always encouraging and heart-warming.
Hobbits probably went about their lives hidden while the greater events of the world were occurring. They ONLY come into the story the moment they encounter the ring accidentally.
From what we know of Hobbits they’re very resilient, atleast when it comes to corruption. I wonder what rings they would have had if they did.
Smeagol: Resilient? PRECIOUS someone is lying to my face!
@@rogueascendant6611 Smeagol was already corrupt when he came by it; he killed to get it. From the beginning, he spyed, lied and manipulated others with it. From the lore, it seems that corrution was rare among hobbits, as compared to humans.
"Why is there no ring of power for hobbits?" Sauron: What the fuck's a hobbit?
Great video bro this was really creative love it !!
I was wondering about a certain theory for a while now and I figured that your channel might be able to give a plausible scenario seeing the detail you put into your Videos and your other What If Videos. What if: The fellowship split up at Parth Galen according to Aragorn´s plan instead of breaking up. (Frodo and Sam are accompanied by Aragorn and Gimli while Boromir is accompanied by Legolas, Merry and Pippin on his way to Minas Tirith [Assuming that they split before the interaction of Boromir and Frodo and the Uruk-Hai Attack])
Was that Aragorn's plan? As I recall, he was pretty torn about which way to go. But I haven't read Fellowship for a long time.
@@Swiftbow When Frodo had left the group to make his decision one of the members of the fellowship asked Aragorn what he thinks they should do, or what he would advise Frodo to do. And that was his reply to that, so maybe not an official Plan but definitely an idea he had.
Aragorn would have captured or killed Gollum, so he wouldn't help them get into Mordor because it was Frodo's kindness and pity that caused that. Probably with his skill and experience they could have successfully navigated Emyn Muil and the Dead Marshes, but infiltrating Mordor via the Black Gate would still have been impossible, and only Gollum knew about the secret path through Shelob's tunnels. Probably, they would have been captured trying to get in, killed in a fierce battle, and Sauron gets the Ring. Possibly you can imagine a scenario where Aragorn and Gimli are able to distract the orcs at the Gate enough to let Sam and Frodo slip through unnoticed, at the cost of their lives. In which case they would get to Mt. Doom a few weeks quicker, but Frodo would still fall to the Ring's temptation at the precipice and without Gollum to bite his finger off would go prancing outside invisible and wearing it... to immediately get captured by a Nazgul. Sauron still gets the Ring.
@@Yonkage-ik5qb The issue with killing or capturing Gollum tho is that Gollum probably wouldn´t try to ambush Frodo and Sam or would just overall keep a bigger distance to them when they have much more dangerous looking people at their side. While he did attempt to get the Ring on the Boats that was because he was confident in his abilities to escape via the water, which he did. And I doubt that Aragorn would try to actively go after Gollum since he knows how difficult it is to hunt him and that it would take too much time. And I honestly can´t see Aragorn just heading straight into a hopeless Battle at the Black Gate. So I doubt that they would even attempt it. My thoughts would be that either Aragorn would try to impersonate some of the Easterlings to get through the Gate, that he will look for an alternative route on his own either through Ithilien or the northern Borders of Mordor or that he will suggest going to Minas Tirith to find a potential Entrance there through the library.
@@Yonkage-ik5qb I think Aragorn might have attempted a more circuitous route... perhaps around the backside (though that would have taken months), or straight over the northern range. The mountains are REALLY sheer, but mountains are more an obstacle for armies than they are for small parties of people. The hobbits weren't equipped for rock climbing, but I daresay Aragorn had experience. So... the quest may still have failed, but I don't think there's much chance they would have attempted to enter via the main gate.
I feel you still failed to address what a Ring that forces Hobbits to become Wraiths would do. You only used Gollum, which had the 1 ring that allows for some kind of independence without a ruler/One Ring on Sauron's hand. I imagine Hobbits stealth, strength, and dexterous hands would allow them to sneak up on their kin, playing games on them, planting larger crops, and eventually turning to some level of power over what gardens to plant. Once twisted into their dark versions, the "5 Hobbit Lords", they would corrupt the people with food, drink, and narcotics above all to let Hobbit-kind become slothful. Once they were weakened by 'good leaf', stronger drinks, and rotting food. The Hobbit Lords would then use these goods as leverage to get Hobbits to do dirty deeds. Work hard, get little food and drink. Steal from others and kill? Get lots of good food and strong drink. Hobbits and their passions for the simple things in life become their crutch, if the lands are owned by these "Lords" who have eyes and ears every where as Hobbits are stealthy, growing your own crops becomes taboo. Finally, after years of indoctrination and selling goods to other lands, stealing, and murdering to acquire wealth, which is all used to buy even more land and expand. The Lords when commanded by Sauron would use their burrows and homes to spawn Goblins in secret to attack nearby nations, who may see Hobbits as 'good natured, but ragged' people until it is to late. As stealth is a key element to how nobody, not even Sauron, knew of their existence in the early days. This would weaken all nearby lands in due time, making it easier to conquer Middle Earth. The biggest problem for this plan are the Rangers/Dunedain who may keep careful watch over the Hobbit nations, and could eventually tell other nations of what is happening. Unless the Hobbit Assassins get them first with their knowledge of nature and stealth which covers their tracks well. The only hobbits who are tracked are the ones who want to be found, which can also lead to ambushes. Again, I feel you under played what this theory could've become. It would've gone the route of Sarumon as Sharkey, where ruffians and stealthy assassins would rule the Shire and expand to control more territory.
The Ents did not know of Hobbits. They had to add their name to the list.
Nice work dude thanks
What if, Sauron was able to dominate the dwarves with the rings of power 0.0 could be a good video?
@@derekmiller6091 Way to be creative.
So when Sauron ‚helped‘ the Elves in forging the Rings of Power he actually incorporated a Trojan Horse into those Rings?
Yeah pretty much. My understanding is the rings were his magic. So with the 16 he was there to put more of his influence into them. The 3 elven rings were made when he went back to Mordor. So he didn’t have as much influence over them but if the elves were to continue to wear them when Sauron was wearing the one they would eventually fall under his influence and he would be able to see their thoughts. I’m actually kinda confused. Because they say that the elves heard Sauron say the inscription on his ring which pretty much casts the spell. So they had time to take them off and hide them. But who was wearing the rings? And what rings were worn? Celembrimbor had the 3 elven rings and the 16 at the time. So I wonder was it only him who heard it. Did any elves have any of the 16 on? We’re any wearing the 3? Because he didn’t give the 3 to Galadriel, Gil Gilad and Cirdan until after he found out he was tricked. I guess i should read the book but that’s a lot of work. Lol.
@@forfun6273 thx. I am also confused about what Sauron heard and when. Maybe the Nerd will hear us and speak to us …
Asking this question is a textbook "Tell me you have not read the books without telling me" moment.
Awesome video as always
Somehow it never occurred to me that Sauron himself must have coined the ring verse, giving there was no reason for it be before it was engraved, and he did that in secret. Kind of challenges the idea that a being so evil can't create, although as poetry goes it's very to the point, yet still effective. It still could have been others of the wise who added the new verses - I love how you compared him with Tolkien though, hehe.
My understanding is that it was basically his spell. Like after forging the one to rule them all he recited it’s inscription and put it on. Which if it went as planned he would have then gained power and influence over the other rings. But yeah because the 3 elven rings weren’t as corrupted as the 16. The elves heard him reciting the inscription and were able to take the rings off before they fell under his control. I’m just wondering who if anyone was wearing the 3 elven rings and the 16. Because Celebrimbor didn’t give them away until after he found out it was Sauron. And if it was only the 3 elven rings that were able to resist Sauron temporarily. Then did they have to forcibly remove any of the 16 from elves who were wearing them?
I would like to see a video titled "what if elves took the rings of power?". Your videos are so good and I would like you to speculate what would happen if let's say 3 mighty elves took rings from sauron's 16 rings and became enslaved. He'd maybe work with that? Or still enslave men? I don't know. Thank you for your content. It's awesome.
If sauron would work on lower elves, not the mightiest, if he would use that discrepancy to fuel their ambition and envy, he'd probably get some of them to take rings of power. Moreover, why would those that bear the 3 rings take them off as soon as sauron wears his own? They perceived the treachery. What does that mean? Why are they not trying to compete, why are they not trying to wrestle with sauron in their minds, how do they know that it would be futile? Even denethor was proud enough to wrestle or communicate with sauron through the palantir, and saruman likewise. Why are the elves so much wiser, where does that experience come from?
Have really enjoyed your channel since I stumbled on it a few years ago. Is a history of Barad-Dur an option for a future video?
Hi Matt - I love that you keep on coming up with more theories about things that may or may not have happened in Middle Earth of which this is a prime example. I think Bilbo came as close as it is possible to come without secoming to the power of the ring. How did he put it ‘I feel stretched Gandalf like too much butter over bread’. I guess that Gollum must have felt the same had it been possible to have had a sensible conversation with him. I’d be interested to know your thoughts on what would have happened if Smaug would have taken the one ring - I’m guessing that even his great flame would not have been able to melt it - but I can only imagine how powerful and terrible he would have become and Sauron would have been afraid of him.
The inscription was already on the Ring when Isildur took custody of it, so that part of the poetry was already in existence. It may be that it was the elves, and not Sauron, which later composed the earlier part of the verse, adding it to the words of the inscription. While the Ring inscription alone was in the language of Mordor, the whole verse was in Elvish language. For a problem with the explanation that Sauron either originally composed the whole verse or rewrote it at a later time is how would the elves ever have heard it? They heard, at most, the Ring inscription being said out loud by Sauron as he forged and put on the Ring.
As you seem to suggest, Gollum was as near a Hobbit for all practical purposes and look where he ended up with the One ring...in a cave eating fish. Seems reasonable to suppose such would be the fate of Hobbits with rings of power. Not as scary as a Nazgul by far. Just some local stories telling hobbits to avoid caves with fish and that's that.
He was basically a Stoor Hobbit.
my wife and i come for every episode and love your videos please never stop thanking debbie
before i watched this video, i thought 'I'm probably going to know everything on this already' but I'm always pleasantly surprised that you bring up stuff I had no idea about and it's super interesting!
I wonder if Sauron was really so clever though, would it not be effective to give however many rings he could to what Dragons were still around in his day? They'd be a far more formidable immortal servant. They're not exactly a race on the same level as Men, Elves and Dwarves, but Gandalf, a Maiar, thought he himself could be corrupted. I'm not certain this could work though - do the rings change in size like the one ring does in the movie? Maybe it's not something a dragon could adorn himself - Smaug does have a waistcoat of jewels though, and simply carrying the one has some effects. Tolkien does say that Dragon's "consumed" some of the Dwarven rings, I'm not sure if he means they ate them or immolated them, and I'm not sure what drove the dragons to do this, but the dragons didn't become immortal and I presume the rings were destroyed.
The One Ring can definitely change size... it's how it escapes masters it doesn't like. The ability of the other rings to do that is no discussed, but I would venture towards yes. And I love this idea... it's one I've been percolating on myself as a fan sequel. Because yeah... there's no way the dragons would destroy the Rings. They would hoard them at the very least. And maybe more. Smaug was by no means the last dragon, either. He was just the greatest of his day that made himself known.
What a bummer that the Amazon show butchered the creation of the rings. I would have loved to watch Sauron manipulate the elves, using their care and love of the world against them.
What an amazing question. Thanks for this answer
It's legitimately wild to me this even needs to be addressed, as the answer is legit pretty much said in both the movies and especially books but thanks for addressing it anyway. Love the channel
Let's be honest. The Hobbit ring of power, would just be used to grow 12 pound potatoes and carrots a foot long.
Why didnt the Ents get them either?
Or the eagles?
Celebrimbor : we planned to forge rings for men, elves, and dwarves. Seems i forgot someone Annatar : if you forget it. Then they must be not important Celebrimbor : hmm.......... yeah you're right *meanwhile the hobbit still waiting in rain*
No One knew about the Hobbits until 3rd Age.
Great video as usual ❤❤
I mean, the hobbits are pretty useless. It’s the same reason no one made a ferret ring. “And four rings for the ferrets.”
Useless, I think not. It’s that underestimating that they were the backbone to beating Sauron.
Because they'd probably have picked onion rings instead, if offered.
Another great video!
The transition at 08:00 is just beautiful and so meaningful!
Question for future video: where did the wizards staves originate? And how was Galadriel able to find, make one for the resurrected Gandalf?
Three rings for elven kings, under the sky. Seven for the dwarf lords, in their halls of stone. Nine rings for mortal men, doomed to die. One for hobbits to destroy alone, In the land of Mordor, where the shadows lie.
That end nod to Tolkien was excellent. He was definitely in the middle of some of the more egregious acts of violence being committed by Textual Critics, Stematic folks and New Critics at the time and was distinctly aware of the dangers associated with leaving multiple authorial texts.
Noice, another video from my fav channel 😌 i feel like gollum finding a fish
So the question would be, did Gollum possess the One Ring longer than anyone else?
Hobbits count as Men - they're just a short kind of Man according to Tolkien
Hobbits are halflings.
@@miltonbates6425 So would it be a dwarf men and human women or bearded dwarf women and human men? 😅
That's not true at all. Hobbits have no connection to Dwarves at all. They're a different Race. Hobbits are related to Mortal Men.
@@miltonbates6425”halfling” isn’t a separate race in Tolkien’s legendarium.
I love your content. Can you do a video or series on The Kinslaying?
The Hobbits were under the influence of the Pipes of Power, of weed, of opium. Alas, Sauron had already learned that Gandalf was Lord of the Pipes!🤣
It is hard to imagine hobbits with power levels equel to Galadriel.
Galadriel (or maybe it's Gandalf? I need to double-check) tells Frodo pretty straight out that he wouldn't be able to do that, even with the One. (That attempting to use the One for it's intended purpose (not just invisibility) would destroy him.) Though it's possible she's wrong, as Frodo DOES use the Ring's power to cow Gollum. And Sam uses it to terrify orcs.
In the lost chapters of The Silmarillion, there were indeed 5 rings for the Halflings forged in Eregion by the Lords of the Rings. Sauron gave them in secret to 5 Halfling lords. The halfling lords, all Stoors, became very very powerful. Their appetites grew to extremes and they were the ones in history to first adopt 2nd breakfast and 2nd Midnight suppers into the hobbit cultures . It is said, that when Sauron called upon the Hobbit overlords to do his bidding, the hobbits could not even leave their hobbit holes because they had become fat beyond measure. Sauron later slaughtered the halfling lords and scraped the rings because they couldn't be fitted to any other race in middle-earth.
Lmfao good one!
You're so full of it lol 😅
Good question i cant think of why i never thought if this 🤔
The books explicitly state that hobbits are humans ("Men" in Tolkien's words), and Sauron DID make rings for humans.
Short version: they didn't ge the rights Lore accurate version: they never even showed up significantly history until The Hobbit.
This vid doesn't have anything to do with the show. Just talking book lore here.
The motivation for creating rings of power in the first place is specific to elves. This does not apply to humans, dwarves, and other races. All rings of power were originally created for elves. Since those famous lines were composed in a period following the distribution of the rings by Sauron, humans and dwarves find a place in those lines as a race. These verses are a later addition to the end of the verses written on the One Ring. Sauron was not even aware of the existence of that race at the time the rings of power were created. Even if he were aware, due to his character, he would see them as an insignificant entity and would not distribute rings to them. Considering the opposite, the situation would not be different, and since Sauron predicted that these beings could not be corrupted by power, he would think that it was unnecessary to distribute rings of power to them and would not distribute them.
8:32 @Nerd of the Rings: what is the music playing here in the background?
The answer to the question could just be: Gollum. The fact that Smeagol finds the ring and that that is something Sauron did not intend, shows he wouldnt have intended to give rings to Hobbits, had he known of them.