Just a thought provoking theory

[Lilmizflashythang]

Well, I know that Gandalf and others in the book, referred to Sauron as the Lord of the Rings, but what if that's not the case.

Remember when Gollum tries to grab the ring from Frodo, and the Ring says that Gollum will be thrown into the cracks of Doom if he lays a hand on it again? What if the Ring didn't want a lord over it, but wanted to lord over others?

I do believe that the True Lord of the Rings is The One Ring. After all, all of Sauron's might, strength, and life were wrapped up in it. Why wouldn't it be sentient?

 

[TheTomG]

It surely was - it was explicitly mentioned that it chose to change size to slip off fingers (or fit fingers), that it "wanted" to be found, and more.

 

[BetaWolf]

Some artifacts created in the Tolkienverse (is that the term?) do have a mind of their own it seems. Hurin's sword for one. The One Ring. The Silmarils IIRC? So I don't think you're off base there.

 

[Lilmizflashythang]

Sometimes I wonder if the Ring wanted to catch Galadriel. What do you think?

 

[paranoid marvin]

Remember that the Ring needed a user; it couldn't operate independently. It corrupted the user, it didn't control them. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, and this is precisely what it did to anyone who wore it.

It is clear that the Ring would often betray it's user, but only in order to find it's way back to it's master. It didn't want to stay with Isildur and it certainly didn't want to stay with Smeagol or the Hobbits. Sauron forged the Ring and he put much of himself into it; in essence Sauron was the Ring.

As Gandalf said, the Lord of the Rings was Sauron; it was his property and was meant for no-one else. Although the Ring could be used for good initially, no person in Middle Earth (with the possible exception of Tom Bombadil) was strong or pure enough to not ultimately be corrupted by it.

 

[River Boy]

Bilbo mentioned he thought it was trying to get lost again. Clearly the ability to slip off the finger is there but Gollum only fails to notice it because he's strangling a goblin, it's not like the ring can jump about or anything.