[Lalwendë]

I’m pleased to see so much discussion here, I wasn’t sure it would be a topic with great ‘appeal’, but obviously there are a fair few who have been lucky enough to have read Osanwe-kenta. And also the quotes from HoME have been useful to add another perspective.

Originally Posted by Maedhros

How could Sauron control minds of Elves that not even Morgoth could? How could Sauron control the minds of others if that is an impossibility? Only Eru can open a closed mind?

I think that the answer to this question might lie in the deception Sauron carried out during the creation of the Rings. As one part of sanwe is unwill, i.e. the ability to close the mind to perception from outside, then he would have needed to carry out some deception in order to prevent those barriers being put up; he would have needed to get the Elves’ trust. Although, there is another possibility in the following line from The Sil:

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

Perhaps Sauron needed to put an immense amount of power into the creation of the One Ring in order to overcome the power of the Elven rings; an amount of power sufficient to make it so that the destruction of the One Ring would be his own downfall? Looking at the Osanwe-kenta, it may also be possible that Sauron had more inherent power of sanwe than did the Elves. This may be dependent upon whether and how much he is perceived as an ‘Incarnate’.

Strengthening can be by affinity, by urgency, or by authority.

As to when and how the Elves perceived that Sauron was intending to have control over their minds, I think the following explains that they became aware once he wore the One Ring, and that they removed their own rings as soon as they became aware. This would mean that there was somewhat of a time gap where Sauron would ‘see’ their own rings, thus explaining the need to conceal them and not use them.

As soon as Sauron set the One Ring upon his finger they were aware of him; and they knew him, and perceived that he would be the master of them, and of all that they wrought. Then in anger and fear they took off their rings.

Finally, I have another interesting thought to add about the nature of the One Ring on mortal ringbearers. Each of Gollum, Bilbo and Frodo experienced bodily decline from wearing the Ring, so each of them saw their hroa diminish and hence the ‘mantle’ which protected their thoughts. If the fea is united to the hroa in incarnates then wouldn’t this also diminish, thus explaining the mental anguish of each? What intrigues me is how Sauron was able to ‘see’ into their minds. Was this due to the fact that much of his power was invested in the One Ring, or could it be that the Palantiri were in some way created for purposes of osanwe?

* sorry about the seemingly ‘wrong’ words, but I can’t find the umlauts on this version of Word.