# Becoming invisible in LOTR???



## beardedbroccoli (May 12, 2009)

Hello all
Just a question for the experts concerning the ability of beings in the lotr series to "disappear". I believe Gandalf mentions something about becoming invisible or disappearing as 'common magic' perhaps pertaining to the rings exceptional abilities in this field. 
My question is if any of you know what he's referring and if he's referring to members of other races besides the Maiar being able to become invisible or 'like invisible'. 
Is there any credence to this or am I just retarded?

Thanks so much! I'll continue looking in my Tolkien literature.


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## ltnjmy (May 12, 2009)

beardedbroccoli said:


> Hello all
> Just a question for the experts concerning the ability of beings in the lotr series to "disappear". I believe Gandalf mentions something about becoming invisible or disappearing as 'common magic' perhaps pertaining to the rings exceptional abilities in this field.
> My question is if any of you know what he's referring and if he's referring to members of other races besides the Maiar being able to become invisible or 'like invisible'.
> Is there any credence to this or am I just retarded?
> ...


 
Dear BeardedBroccoli,
I do recall reading in The Similarillion about the Valar/Maiar having the ability to walk unclad (i.e. invisible ?). Melkor (aka Morgoth) did that after he destroyed the Two Trees, I believe.
very sincerely, ltnjmy
ps - if anybody can expand on this, I would appreciate it as well


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## YayGollum (May 14, 2009)

I don't see where the evil torturer Gandalf was talking about anyone naturally able to go invisible. It looked as if he was merely talking about Rings Of Power. At the time, the evil torturer Gandalf wasn't so much of an expert on the things, and there was some unknown number of lesser rings that Tolkien never really gets into, so invisibility must not have seemed like such a difficult ability to affix to jewelry. 

Towards creepily magical beings with the ability to unfairly go invisible, yes, Ainur types were naturally invisible. They had to creepily as well as unfairly fashion physical forms out of nothingness to be politely visible. The only other naturally invisible thing that I can think of is the sickening race of elves, which fade after being around for a really long time.


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## Mr. Istari (May 14, 2009)

I don't know much on invisibility, but there seemed to be a good number of people of different races that could 'go unseen'. The hobbits for instance were very light on their feet and were fairly small compared to humans, so they were not exactly invisble, but they could go unseen or unnoticed if they wished. Elves, I believe, could do this to an even further extent - especially in woodlands.

Of course there is also the Ainur and anyone who wears the ring of power.

Although I don't know of any other instances of rings making people invisible, YayGollum makes a very good point. The fact that the ring could turn you invisible did not seem to stand out incredibly to Gandalf as a sign of the one ring. I would imagine that it would be likely that there would be other magical rings with the same ability.

I think it would help to know the context around what Gandalf was saying to clarify what he meant. If you could find the passage, I'm sure things could be cleared up.


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## HLGStrider (May 14, 2009)

Luthien has the related skill to turn herself and others into vampire bats and werewolves. I would think making oneself invisible wouldn't be much harder than this. 

Also, Bilbo eventually revealed to the Dwarves he was with that his ring was responsible for his stealth, and they didn't immediately fall on their faces trembling in fear at the might of a great ring of power.


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## Neumy (May 14, 2009)

You pose an interesting question BeardedBroccoli. I did a quick search and found a few sections dealing with invisibility/disappearance. Here are a few references I was able to find:



> Hobbit - CHAPTER 1
> There is little or no magic about them, except the ordinary everyday sort which helps them to disappear quietly and quickly when large stupid folk like you and me come blundering along, making a noise like elephants which they can hear a mile off.


 


> Fellowship of the Ring - CHAPTER 2
> 'In Eregion long ago many Elven-rings were made, magic rings as you call them, and they were, of course, of various kinds: some more potent and some less. The lesser rings were only essays in the craft before it was full-grown, and to the Elven-smiths they were but trifles - yet still to my mind dangerous for mortals. But the Great Rings, the Rings of Power, they were perilous.
> 'A mortal, Frodo, who keeps one of the Great Rings, does not die, but he does not grow or obtain more life, he merely continues, until at last every minute is a weariness. And if he often uses the Ring to make himself invisible, he "fades", he becomes in the end invisible permanently, and walks in the twilight under the eye of the dark power that rules the Rings. Yes, sooner or later - later, if he is strong or well-meaning to begin with, but neither strength nor good purpose will last - sooner or later the dark power will devour him.'


 


> Silmarillion - "OF THE RINGS OF POWER AND THE THIRD AGE"
> Now the Elves made many rings; but secretly Sauron made One Ring to rule all the others, and their power was bound up with it, to be subject wholly to it and to last only so long as it too should last. And much of the strength and will of Sauron passed into that One Ring; for the power of the Elven-rings was very great, and that which should govern them must be a thing of surpassing potency; and Sauron forged it in the Mountain of Fire in the Land of Shadow. *And while he wore the One Ring he could perceive all the things that were done by means of the lesser rings, and he could see and govern the very thoughts of those that wore them.*
> ...
> Men proved easier to ensnare. Those who used the Nine Rings became mighty in their day, kings, sorcerers, and warriors of old. They obtained glory and great wealth, yet it turned to their undoing. They had, as it seemed, unending life, yet life became unendurable to them. They could walk, if they would, unseen by all eyes in this world beneath the sun, and they could see things in worlds invisible to mortal men; but too often they beheld only the phantoms and delusions of Sauron. And one by one, sooner or later, according to their native strength and to the good or evil of their wills in the beginning, they fell under the thraldom of the ring that they bore and under the domination of the One, which was Sauron's. And they became for ever invisible save to him that wore the Ruling Ring, and they entered into the realm of shadows. The Nazgul were they, the Ringwraiths, the Enemy's most terrible servants; darkness went with them, and they cried with the voices of death.


 


> Unfinished Tales - THE HISTORY OF GALADRIEL AND CELEBORN
> There Sauron took the Nine Rings and other lesser works of the Mírdain; but the Seven and the Three he could not find.


 

From my quick search, there is very little to support "disappearing" to be a common occurrence in Middle-earth beyond that of the Rings. As YayGollum pointed out, some of the lesser rings _could_ have the ability to disappear, but the above references do not focus on any of the lesser-rings powers. It is interesting that in the Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales that the One Ring even controlled all the lesser-rings. I would suggest it is very probably that a few of the essay-rings would have been "powered" with invisibility.

Although I did not search for any of these references, I would also suggest that the Valar had the ability to walk "unseen". They are "angels" and have the typical supernatural powers. Sauron was of the Maiar and had the ability to appear very fair until his "death" on Numenor; after this, he was unable to take on any appearance pleasing to the good people of Middle-earth. The Istari (Gandalf and the five wizards) may also have had the ability to walk "unseen"; but when they came to Middle-earth, they took on the appearance of old men and willingly gave up most of their Maiar “powers” so they could not be turned to evil and become a new "Morgoth/Sauron". It is my belief, with the power of the One Ring, they could reclaim most of their old "power"; this is why Saruman so badly sought the ring and why Gandalf so viciously rejected it.

I suppose there could be other references to "disappearing" beyond what I found. I'd love to get some other's insight into this.


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## beardedbroccoli (May 21, 2009)

This is a great response and it generally answers my question. I think in the end and "disappearing" other than via a rings' power is a result of quick and silent feet (for the Arda races that is). I was thinking there might be something I missed beyond that but I suppose not. Thanks a lot!!

*Namárië*


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## Withywindle (Jul 17, 2009)

I'm not sure we should think of any beings as disappearing in the sense of a conjuror´s trick. Tolkien does hint at their being two planes of existence in Arda. It comes in one of those juicy tidbits he just throws out and then leaves us wondering without ever saying more on the subect: in Many Meetings when Frodo asks Gandalf why he could see Glorfindel as a shining figure of light whilst under the power of the wringwraiths. Gandalf simply answers that Frodo could see Glorfindel as he is "on the other side" as it were and hints that all of the Eldar simultaneously inhabit both planes of existence.

No mortal could perceive that other reality except while wearing a ring of power or having been corrupted by the Nazgúl. The Ainur presumanbly principally inhabited that other world and only appeared in the mortal world when they chose. 

What is not clear is whether all Evles, as immortal beings, could perceive both worlds or only Elves raised in Valinor where the light of the Two Trees appears to have imbued them with special qualities. Certainly Legolas, born and bred in ME, was not affected in any way by the Dead of Dunharrow and seems to have seen them more clearly than the others, suggesting that he perceived them as they were "on the other side" and therefore found nothing frightenenig in their appearence.


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