# Does the One Ring change size?



## Marcus the Grey (Aug 22, 2002)

Please excuse this question if it is total nonesense but....

A co-worker and I were discussing the FOTR and we were stumped on this. I would seem that Sauron was much larger in physical size than a human or hobbit. The ring fit his finger before it was cut off, right? Yet it fit Frodo's, Bilbo's, etc. fingers just fine later. confused: 

So, does the ring change it's size to fit the wearer?

Thanks,

Marcus


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## Lady_of_Gondor (Aug 22, 2002)

I am really not the right person to be answering this questions because I am not really a vast supply of tolkien lore like some of the more learnèd members of this forum. However, I do think I remember this comming up in a thread and I believe that the conclusion was, yes, the one ring does change size to fit the finger of the bearer. Hopefully someone with more knowledge about this will post and help us out! Excellent question!


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## Ynhockey (Aug 22, 2002)

Hmm, is it just me or did it mention that the ring change size at least 3 times in LOTR? I guess i should look for the exact places where it was said...


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## Confusticated (Aug 22, 2002)

FOTR 'the shadow of the past'



> 'Bilbo knew no more than he told you, I am sure,' said Gandalf. 'He would certainly never have passed on to you anything that he thought would be a danger, even though I promised to look after you. He thought the ring was very beautiful, and very useful at need; and if anything was wrong or queer it was himself. He said it was "growing on his mind". and he was always worrying about it; but he did not suspect that the ring itself was to blame. Though he had found out that the thing needed looking after; it did not seem always of the same size or weight; it shrank or expanded in an odd way, and might suddenly slip off a finger where it once had been tight.'



May have been my imagination but in the movie when Isildur first picks it up, I think I saw it shrink.


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## Marcus the Grey (Aug 22, 2002)

*Thanks Confusticated*

That was just what I was looking for!


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## Daniel Button (Aug 22, 2002)

*the changing sizes of the great ring*

I don't know very much on this subject but it would appear to me thatthe ring changes sizes to fit it's current bearer.


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## Grond (Aug 22, 2002)

> _from The Fellowship of the Ring, The Council of Elrond - Gandalf is quoting from a scroll written by Isildur_
> It was hot when I first took it, hot as a glede, and my hand was
> scorched, so that I doubt if ever again I shall be free of the pain of it.
> *Yet even as I write it is cooled, and it seemeth to shrink, though it loseth neither its beauty nor its shape.* Already the writing upon it, which at first was as clear as red flame, fadeth and is now only barely to be read. It is fashioned in an elven-script of Eregion, for they have no letters in Mordor for such subtle work; but the language is unknown to me. I deem it to be a tongue of the Black Land, since it is foul and uncouth. What evil it saith I do not know; but I trace here a copy of it, lest it fade beyond recall. The Ring misseth, maybe, the heat of Sauron's hand, which was black and yet burned like fire, and so Gil-galad was destroyed; and maybe were the gold made hot again, the writing would be refreshed. gut for my part I will risk no hurt to this thing: of all the works of Sauron the only fair. It is precious to me, though I buy it with great pain.


Isildur thought is shrank in size. 

And Confusticated.... we are in the book section..... the movie portrayal is irrelevant here.


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## Confusticated (Aug 22, 2002)

That is true Grond, but the reason I mentioned is that I thought perhaps the person who created the thread had not read the book; since they didn't know about the Ring's ability to shrink...so I figured they were basing it on the movie...so i thought it relevant to point out the possibility of the ring's ability to change sized being shown in the movie.


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## Grond (Aug 22, 2002)

And I humbly agree with your assessment Confusicated.  My bad.


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## Marcus the Grey (Aug 23, 2002)

*Well, here's the scoop*

I've read the books, but it has been 18 years or so. I've regained my interest due to the movie and am currently re-reading them. 

BTW, where do you guys get the quoted text from the books? 

Cheers,

Marcus


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## Niniel (Aug 23, 2002)

That's because many people here know half (or whole) of the books by heart, and if they need anything they know (approximately) where it is in the book, so they can share the text. Or did you mean 'do they type it out'? Well, I do if I quote something, but maybe others don't.


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## Gamil Zirak (Aug 23, 2002)

*Re: Well, here's the scoop*



> _Originally posted by Marcus the Grey _
> *BTW, where do you guys get the quoted text from the books?*


They type it from the book itself (although I think Grond might have an e-book of LoTR). To get it to show up in a quoted format, click on the quote button above the box you type your post. A new window will pop up and you can type in what you want to be quoted. Click ok and it will appear in the text of your reply.


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## Grond (Aug 23, 2002)

*Re: Re: Well, here's the scoop*



> _Originally posted by Gamil Zirak _
> *
> ...(although I think Grond might have an e-book of LoTR).,,*


I'll never tell!!


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## Marcus the Grey (Aug 23, 2002)

Wow! you guys actually type the text out. I was hoping that there was a site that had it published (against all copy write laws no less). That way I could read while I'm at work!


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## LadyGaladriel (Aug 23, 2002)

If you have a file sharing program then you could download it or you could just take the whole trilogy and notes everyday to work 


Welcome to the Forum Btw 


To add to your previous answers being a bit of a crafty ring it can betray people for example it "grew" as such and slipped off Gollums fingers then it was picked up by the most unlikely person of all ..... Bilbo Baggins


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## Ancalagon (Aug 23, 2002)

Yes, but more importantly Marcus, you qualify for membership of the Guild of Ost-in-Edhil which is really where you need to be

http://www.thetolkienforum.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=52


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## Gamil Zirak (Aug 23, 2002)

Anc, Anc, Anc. When will the shameless plugging ever end (oh wait it just started).


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## Marcus the Grey (Aug 23, 2002)

Thanks for the welcome LadyGaladriel.  

Ancalagon, are you trying to say that I am over the edhil?  

I'm just a young buck in Hobbit years!


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## Lantarion (Aug 23, 2002)

> _Last posted by Marcus the Grey_
> Ancalagon, are you trying to say that I am over the edhil?


LOL, wise cracks are just what this forum needs. Thanks. 
Welcome to the forum!

I often know which part of the book(s) I need to look at to find a quote, but it still takes a me a while! If I get the wrong page I start reading it, and I might read on for half an hour without noticing it! And if it's a really long quote it's a real pain to type it out.. But I do it anyway.


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