Excellent, excellent, we may still have to stay with this topic for quite a while, as with each thought, many new seem to arise!
The “Ring symbolizes the ultimate rejection of selflessness and, if we take the next logical step, the ultimate defiance of God’s (or in this case, Eru’s) will” (Underhillo).
A fundamentally true statement, and still one that can well be used for our theory, which admittedly takes LOTR one step further than textual immanence. For this is a basical point both in the simple, evident meaning behind the Rings, as well as their value as the symbols of the field women-marriage-female energy. Underhill introduced the excellent term
yin for the latter.
Forcefully claiming the energy of the Rings, or forging them, in Sauron’s case, is nothing else but the rejection of selflessness, already in the most simple understanding that is the forceful rejection of loneliness, of celibate ascesis, which is the virtue of the Saints. The Rings, in turn, pervert this principle; and stand, in this sense, for the negative side of mutual relations: denial, lust, greed, the first plains of hell.
The artificial indulgence of the Rings is ultimately blasphemous, and as it is hereby shown, on a level which goes beyond that of mere longing for power. The latter is basically extroverted; power is hardly existent if it cannot be, or is not, used. The Rings, however, show a more introverted, eventually purely selfish, function. Certainly this is the case with the Nine and Seven, and also still with the One, as the control over the others, were it was executed at all, was in the end only directed at the benevolence of its maker.
The Adam and Eve-analogy is again very sharply perceived. I would even consider taking that into the theory that Sauron’s sardonic twist of it does have some imagery hinted or elaborated on in the Old Testament, such as the prior existence of man, and the notion of the woman being subdued to man. Eventually, these are just two points, which I leave to others to comment on, admitting that examples may carry away, but that I cannot provide them for this very point.
Unfortunately, viewing women as “object[s] […] completely subject to […] [one’s] will” is something that can still be found more than several thousands after the events of the Second and Third Age; and sad though it is, it still shows that this apparently is one point of view that is rooted deeply in the
consciousness of evil, further proving the theory right.
In those very few cases where Tom Bombadil can be used as an example, he is an outstanding one. His personal nature may be a further reason for disinterest in the Ring. Actually, if we recall The Tales of Tom Bombadil, his marriage with Goldberry did have some more or less forceful aspects; it was a classical ‘winning’ of a wife and her love rather than complete harmony from the beginning. Could it be he already spent his aggressive potential there?
Whatever, it is clear that, like Underhill pointed out, he has no desire for the feminine call of the Ring. Probably this lies in his fulfilling marriage with Goldberry, maybe it also lies in his nature, i.e. that he, as an enigma, never had enough ‘yang’ to ever desire a balancing ‘yin’.
Again, I can only bow before the precise analysis of the case of Galadriel.
Apart from the projection of this complex of theories on the texts, it now seems important to me to legitimate the ideas propelled by Underhill and yours truly with the concrete sub-text provided especially in the Silmarillion.
At the heart of this stands the undeniable quote from the Valaquenta,
Quote:
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“But when they desire to clothe themselves the Valar take upon them forms some as of male and some as of female; for that difference of temper they had even from their beginning, and it is but bodied forth in the choice of each, not made by the choice” (Italics mine).
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Not only is hence our prior assumption of a division of psychic energy being divided into male and female proven correct once more, it also shows that indeed the genders are decided by the utter bipolar spiritual energy. The Valar did not create the genders after their own appearance, their own appearances
are the ultimate embodiments of the characteristics of the genders in Ėa.
Therefore, these very embodiments can be taken as paradigms for the characteristics of the genders in all Middle-Earth. They are, as a consequence of their own divinity, not prejudiced within its context. Whether, or to what degree, the author’s own system of values and morals influenced even the fundamental truths of his work, is a question which is not obligatory to be answered where the proofs can be provided by the immanence of the text alone already.
Consequently, the 14 Valar exemplify well the two different sides of (applied) male and female spiritual energy. Any doubts expressed towards the prior theory, which would ground upon a more balanced and equal view of these two sides, cannot stand before the examples of the Valar. The male side is indeed physical power (Tulkas, Oromė), potence (Manwė), destruction (Melkor), creation of inanimate things (Aulė). Those which are less concrete with that scheme, still oppose their female counterparts – Irmo cannot bring healing like Estė, Mandos does not weep like Nienna, and Ulmo does not even have the notion, or rather, emotion, to take a wife.
The Valier, in turn, fit into the scheme of the female energy standing more for emotions, and for “healing, nurturing, and protection” (Underhill). Varda possesses the compassion Manwė may lack on his lofty hight seat, Yavanna the love for the living things, and their protection, and wheras the male Valar seemed at times grim and fell, the Valier rather dance and let flowers bloom.
Gandalf may have been more able to resist the Ring because he, as a Maia, rarely took visible form, and in had turn remained longer in the spiritual plain, when he was still in Valinor (cf. UT). The sooner one takes permanent form, such as Melkor or Sauron, the harder the toil of remaining with one source of energy only becomes.
Apart from that, resisting the Ring obviously seemed easier when the spiritual balance between male and female was already completed by an Elven Ring – Elrond mustered the resolve to send the Fellowship to destroy it, although he had it in his house and in front of his eyes for weeks, Galadriel and Gandalf passed the tests with which Frodo confronted them.
Furthermore, the nature of the four main bearers of the Elven Rings is interesting. Mithrandir is a Maia, whom I have mentioned above; Galadriel, as explained by Underhill, had a great amount of male energy. If I recall correctly, UT emphasizes this aspect very much, too, with her delighting in many sports and armed games of the men, or something to that effect. On the other hand, we have Elrond, who practically became a widower in 2510 TA, and thereafter probably needed Vilya greatly because of that. Cķrdan, in turn, is not traditioned to ever have taken a wife at all.
Books have their fates, not only in the taking of the reader.