The Man of the West welcomes people who fanboy… about Sara, the Shield-maiden of Rohan, as we answer listener questions in our 26th Questions After Nightfall! From Dr. Brown’s TED talk to Alan’s improving sarcasm, from creation mythologies to the frat bros of the Valar, our listeners remind us we can always go lower. Alan guesses wrong, we apply the Prime Directive to the Valar, and decide that we don’t talk about Túrin, no no no.
Recommended Reading
The Return of the King: Being the Third Part of the Lord of the Rings
Tolkien, J. R. R. (Mariner Books, paperback)
The Silmarillion
Tolkien, J. R. R. (Christopher Tolkien, ed.) (Mariner Books, paperback)
The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings
Tolkien, J. R. R. (Mariner Books, paperback)
The Two Towers: Being the Second Part of The Lord of the Rings
Tolkien, J. R. R. (Mariner Books, paperback)
Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth
Tolkien, J. R. R. (Christopher Tolkien, ed.) (Mariner Books, paperback)
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Carpenter, Humphrey ed. (William Morrow, paperback)
The Lord of the Rings: A Reader’s Companion
Scull, Christina & Wayne Hammond (William Morrow, hardcover)
The question of how Sauron was seen while wearing the Ring was discussed. I have always felt that invisibility was not a granted power. The ability to seen was a stolen power. Cirdan, Galadriel, Gil-Galad, (later Elrond, Galadriel, and Gandalf) and Sauron all had control of their Rings. This allowed them to be seen while wearing them. (I am unsure if those wearing Elven Rings could be seen while Sauron wore his ring.)
The dwarves and Tom Bombadil neither controlled their rings nor were mastered by them. I believe that they were all visible.
The nine human kings, Isildur, Smeagol/Gollum, Bilbo. Frodo, and Sam were not able to control the Ring and were able to be mastered by it. The rings stole from these wearers the ability to be seen. The nine human kings wore their rings so often that they were totally controlled. They lost the ability to be seen even while not wearing their rings.