Gandalf took years to determine Bilbo Baggins was in possession of the One Ring in The Lord of the Rings, however he has two good excuses to clarify the delay. Bilbo, after all, swipes his magic ring from Gollum throughout The Hobbit, and it would not take lengthy earlier than Gandalf learns about his pricey buddy’s treasured acquisition.
Alas, 77 years cross earlier than the wizard declares with certainty that the ring is, actually, the One Ring solid by Sauron. Gandalf harbors suspicions throughout The Hobbit, and these develop within the 60-year interval earlier than The Lord of the Rings, as Bilbo seems to age extra slowly in comparison with others within the Shire. Bilbo’s habits at his birthday celebration sparks additional alarm, and after investigating the matter in depth, Gandalf returns to the Shire, casts Bilbo’s ring into the fireplace, and instructs Frodo to get shifting.
The Doylist rationalization for Gandalf’s slowness is solely that J.R.R. Tolkien hadn’t but mapped out Center-earth’s full future whereas writing The Hobbit (nor exactly what Bilbo’s ring would change into). Certainly, Tolkien really rewrote The Hobbit‘s “Riddles within the Darkish” chapter post-publication as a result of the depiction of Gollum and the One Ring did not match with The Lord of the Rings.
The in-universe rationalization is slightly tougher to return by, however Gandalf’s lengthy highway to realization does make sense.
Cause #1: The “Different” Rings In Center-earth
The Lord of the Rings clearly spells out what number of Rings of Energy exist in Center-earth: the Three made by the Elves, the Seven gifted to the Dwarves, and the 9 given to Males. Between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, the Three are accounted for, the Seven are both destroyed or reclaimed by Sauron, and the 9 stay beneath the Darkish Lord’s purview.
The wizard additionally would’ve recognized about Sauron’s hand in making the Rings of Energy, so even when he suspected that Bilbo’s could possibly be one of many Seven miraculously recovered, he could not have allowed the hobbit to maintain it. If these have been the one rings in Center-earth, the primary sight of Bilbo having a “magic ring” needs to be an enormous reason for concern for Gandalf.
However Center-earth is definitely residence to so-called “lesser” rings that had been produced by the elves as “essays in craft.” Crucially, the plain design of Bilbo’s ring additionally gave the outward look of being a lower-ranking piece. Provided that the 19 main Rings of Energy are roughly accounted for at this level, Gandalf is actually introduced with two choices:
Both Bilbo has stumbled throughout essentially the most highly effective merchandise in Center-earth, or he’d discovered one of many many lesser rings languishing on the backside of a mountain – one expressly designed for turning the wearer invisible and pulling pranks. Fairly logically, Gandalf attracts the latter conclusion, but it surely speaks to the wizard’s mind that he stays alert to the ring’s presence and results nonetheless.
Cause #2: Saruman Lies About The One Ring
Gandalf might need been extra keen to entertain the thought of Bilbo Baggins discovering the One Ring have been it not for Saruman’s meddling. Shortly after The Hobbit, when Gandalf has a slight sense of unease concerning Bilbo, the White Council meets to debate Sauron’s return and the One Ring’s whereabouts. Saruman, who was broadly accepted as essentially the most discovered wizard in issues of ringcraft, assures his allies that the One Ring has fallen right into a river and been carried to sea, the place even Sauron’s minions can’t retrieve it.
Gandalf has completely no purpose to not belief Saruman. The White Wizard’s astuteness, authority, and information of the enemy have been considered unparalleled, and Gandalf could not have imagined the plan of betrayal forming in his fellow maia’s thoughts. Saruman’s plan is, after all, to mislead the council, discover the One Ring earlier than Sauron, and rise to energy. Have been it not for these deceptions, Gandalf would have taken a more in-depth take a look at Bilbo’s ring a lot sooner.
In the end, it’s Mordor’s determined pursuit of the One Ring, mixed with the knowledge he and Aragorn pull from Gollum, that lastly pushes Gandalf into severely contemplating that Bilbo Baggins has Sauron’s prized possession stashed away at Bag Finish. Solely then, a long time later, does The Lord of the Rings start.
- Created by
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J.R.R. Tolkien
- Forged
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Norman Fowl, Anthony Daniels, Elijah Wooden, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis, Brad Dourif, Karl City, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Tempo, Luke Evans, Morfydd Clark, Mike Wooden, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Charlie Vickers, Markella Kavenagh, Megan Richards, Sara Zwangobani, Daniel Weyman, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Lenny Henry, Brian Cox, Shaun Dooley, Miranda Otto, Bilal Hasna, Benjamin Wainwright, Luke Pasqualino, Christopher Guard, William Squire, Michael Scholes, John Harm
- Character(s)
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Frodo Baggins, Gandalf, Legolas, Boromir, Sauron, Gollum, Samwise Gamgee, Pippin Took, Celeborn, Aragorn, Galadriel, Bilbo Baggins, Saruman, Aldor, Wormtongue, Thorin Oakenshield, Balin Dwalin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Nori, Dori, Ori, Tauriel, King Thranduil, Smaug, Radagast, Arondir, Nori Brandyfoot, Poppy Proudfellow, Marigold Brandyfoot, Queen Regent Míriel, Sadoc Burrows