Nenya
| Nenya | |
|---|---|
| Ring | |
 | |
| Nenya as conceived by The Noble Collection | |
| Pronunciation | Q, [ˈneɲa] |
| Other names | Ring of Adamant, Ring of Water, The White Ring |
| Location | Eregion, Lothlórien |
| Owner | Celebrimbor, Galadriel |
| Appearance | Made of mithril and set with a white stone[1] of adamant[2] |
| Creator | Celebrimbor Eregion, c. S.A. 1590[3] |
| Gallery | Images of Nenya |
Nenya was one of the Rings of Power; specifically, it was one of the Three Rings of the Elves of Middle-earth. Also known as the Ring of Adamant[4] and the Ring of Water,[2] it was made of mithril and set with a white stone[5] of adamant.[2]
History[edit]
Nenya was made by Celebrimbor of Eregion alone [2] between c. S.A. 1500 and c. 1590, along with the other two Elven Rings, Narya and Vilya.[3] After Celebrimbor discovered that Sauron had forged the One Ring in S.A. 1600,[3] he went to Lothlórien to seek the counsel of Galadriel. They were unwilling to destroy the Rings, so Galadriel advised Celebrimbor to keep them hidden, unused, and dispersed far from Eregion. Celebrimbor followed this counsel, first by giving Nenya to Galadriel. The power of this Ring strengthened and beautified the realm of Lothlórien, but it also increased Galadriel's desire for the Sea and return to the West.[6]
The ring wielded by Galadriel was not normally visible. On 14 February T.A. 3019,[7] Frodo Baggins saw Nenya on Galadriel's finger, for it could not be hidden from the Ring-bearer. Samwise Gamgee told Galadriel he only "saw a star through your fingers".[4][note 1]
Nenya's power was preservation, protection, and concealment from evil. After the destruction of the One Ring and the defeat of Sauron, its power faded along with the other Rings of Power. Galadriel bore Nenya on a ship from the Grey Havens into the West, accompanied by the other two Elven Rings and their bearers.[8] With Nenya gone, the magic and beauty of Lothlórien also faded and it was gradually depopulated, until by the time Arwen came there to die in Fo.A. 121, it was deserted and in ruins.[9]
Etymology[edit]
The name is Quenya from nén ("water")[10] + -ya (adjective suffix).
Notes
- ↑ This comment appeared in many editions of The Fellowship of the Ring as "finger"—which sounds more magical, since it suggests that her finger had somehow become transparent—but The Treason of Isengard, ch. 13, note 34, mentioned it as an error.
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Grey Havens"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Second Age"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "The Mirror of Galadriel"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Grey Havens"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", "Concerning Galadriel and Celeborn"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Great Years"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Grey Havens"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names", entry nen
| Rings of Power | |
| The One Ring | |
| Three Rings | |
| (Narya · Nenya · Vilya) | |
| Seven Rings | |
| (Ring of Thrór) | |
| Nine Rings | |
