Would the One Ring work if it was worn on the toe instead of the finger?

Question

Would the One Ring work if it was worn on someone’s toe instead of their finger?

You are opening up all sorts of possibilities with this question! — Gusdor, Sep 29 '16 at 15:12
Well, there is a Jack Black and Sarah Michelle Geller parody video where the One Ring was worn...elsewhere. — Thunderforge, Sep 29 '16 at 16:39
I think this question should be clarified that it means "make you invisible", not all the other "influences" that it has on you, which happen even if you aren't wearing it on an appendage. — GreenAsJade, Sep 30 '16 at 00:22
@Thunderforge I imagine it'd be horrible when the Ring became heavier or tighter — thegreatjedi, Mar 12 '17 at 03:19

score 41 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 29 '16 at 07:54

41

Depends what you mean by work.

The ring has power even when not being worn.

In The Lord of the Rings orcs are scared by the presence of the ring

It stopped short aghast. For what it saw was not a small frightened hobbit trying to hold a steady sword: it saw a great silent shape, cloaked in a grey shadow, looming against the wavering light behind; in one hand it held a sword, the very light of which was a bitter pain, the other was clutched at its breast, but held concealed some nameless menace of power and doom.

Later Sam has a vision of the power the ring holds while being worn around Frodo's neck.

Then suddenly, as before under the eaves of the Emyn Muil, Sam saw these two rivals with other vision. A crouching shape, scarcely more than the shadow of a living thing, a creature now wholly ruined and defeated, yet filled with a hideous lust and rage; and before it stood stern, untouchable now by pity, a figure robed in white, but at its breast it held a wheel of fire. Out of the fire there spoke a commanding voice. ‘Begone, and trouble me no more! If you touch me ever again, you shall be cast yourself into the Fire of Doom.’ The crouching shape backed away, terror in its blinking eyes, and yet at the same time insatiable desire.

If you mean "would you turn invisible if you put it on your toe (or other appendage)¹" the answer is probably yes, but we can't be sure as we never see a Toe-ring of power

Possibly outside the remit of this site

answered Sep 29 '16 at 07:54

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+1 for the parenthesis about earrings and nose-rings. – user14111 Sep 29 '16 at 08:00
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Ah, but we DO see it worn elsewhere in the MTV video awards of...1998 I think it was, with Jack Black and Sarah Michelle Geller. It was unquestionably worn, and he was unquestionably visible. – Broklynite Sep 29 '16 at 11:20
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I would say that since the Ring has control over things like its own size, you wouldn't be able to wear it anywhere other than your finger because it wouldn't let you. – DisturbedNeo Sep 29 '16 at 12:28
@DisturbedNeo hopefully the wearer would discover it's shrinking powers before putting it on – Sep 29 '16 at 12:35
"Wait, what are you doing? Where are you...... oh no you don't!" https://kidsdontgetit.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/determined_gollum.jpg – DisturbedNeo Sep 29 '16 at 12:37
@Broklynite That was the first thing that came to my mind as well :-) – Tonny Sep 29 '16 at 12:41
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@Broklynite Seeing as how LOTR came out in 2001, this spoof being in the 1998 MTV Movie awards would have been an impressive feat – Kevin Sep 29 '16 at 15:54
@Broklynite Here is the Jack Black and Sarah Michelle Geller parody video that you're thinking of where the One Ring was worn...elsewhere. – Thunderforge Sep 29 '16 at 16:41
@Kevin Very forward thinking, those MTV writers. So what you're saying is that Peter Jackson stole MTV's nerd culture idea. Diabolical. – Broklynite Sep 29 '16 at 18:09

score 8 · Answer 2 · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:43

I say yes.

There was nothing to suggest that the ring's power was limited to working when it was on someones finger.

Being that ring can change in size to suit the bearer

Though he had found out that the thing needed looking after; it did not seem always of the same size or weight; it shrank or expanded in an odd way, and might suddenly slip off a finger where it had been tight.’

So , if one were to put it on their toe, you could only assume that it would change size to fit the toe.

As for it working while being worn on the toe, a toe an appendage just like a finger and there is nothing to show in the LOTR that it shouldn't.

score 8 · Answer 3 · answered Sep 29 '16 at 15:06

8

Yes.

Tolkien mentions in a letter that a fish eating the ring would be overcome with desires to take over the world... and would die floundering on the shores of the river. If eating the thing affects the eater then wearing it on a different appendage would be a lesser change. However all this is based on a reading of a letter on a blog about 7 years ago...

answered Sep 29 '16 at 15:06

Ben

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That would be interesting because it would I guess also have to give the fish an idea of what the world was in order to also make the fish to want to take it over. Or does it? Great thought experiment! – coblr Sep 29 '16 at 20:41
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Assuming this is correct, this would be an excellent answer if you can actually cite the letter. – jpmc26 Sep 30 '16 at 04:48
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But would that fish be turned invisible? – mbomb007 Sep 30 '16 at 15:32

score 4 · Answer 4 · answered Sep 29 '16 at 07:46

4

Well, Frodo does have it only around his neck most of the time and you can clearly see the ring is eating him up, so I would say yes.

answered Sep 29 '16 at 07:46

Meerkat

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But he's not invisible, so the ring does not work in the true sense. – Nov 24 '17 at 23:09
One wonders if it only needs to be worn because a naive user expects that it must be worn. – chepner Jun 02 '19 at 22:34

Would the One Ring work if it was worn on the toe instead of the finger?

4 Answers4

I say yes.