Ring of fire, Ring of Air, Ring of ?

[Hookbill the Goomba]

Originally Posted by Gordis

There are not four elements found in most philosophies, but five: Earth, Water, Air, Fire +

Slight correction;





Back to the matter in hand;

This matter did niggle me once upon a time. I had thought that the One Ring was very much the 'earth ring', as it were. (Given wheat Gordis has said, I'm more inclined to agree with him, but I feel it nice to explain this theory as well)...
Sauron's desire was to rule Middle Earth. He wanted it to bend to his will. Looking at the land of Mordor we can see that this extended even to the ruin of the earth itself. Not simply ruling the things living on it, but the land itself. It struck me that perhaps it was his intention to use the power of the ring to 'wither all woods'. Thus the Ring would give him power over the earth itself and therefore, you may say, was the Ring of earth.

Another line of thinking is that Tolkien thought; wind, fire, water and earth was cliché .