Narya (i.e. the "Ring of Fire") was one of the three Rings of Power made originally for the Elves.
Description
Narya is described as having the power to inspire others to resist tyranny, domination and despair, as well as having the power (in common with the other Three Rings) to hide the wielder from remote observation (except by the wielder of the One) and giving resistance to the weariness of time. It is also thought to have magical properties and fire powers, as when fighting Durin's Bane, Gandalf claims to wield the Flame of Anor.
History
Second Age
Created by Celebrimbor in the Second Age, along with Nenya and Vilya, after Sauron disguised as the mysterious Annatar and left Eregion, Narya was free of his influence, having been crafted only by Celebrimbor himself and later hidden from Annatar's grasp - but it still was bound to the One Ring. According to the Unfinished Tales, at the start of the War of the Elves and Sauron, Celebrimbor gave Narya together with the Ring Vilya to Gil-galad, High King of the Ñoldor. Gil-galad entrusted Narya to his lieutenant Círdan, Lord of the Havens of Mithlond, who kept it after Gil-galad's death.
Third Age
Gandalf wearing Narya in The Return of the King
Upon the arrival of Gandalf in Middle-earth on TA 1000, Círdan, knowing Gandalf's true nature and duty, gave him Narya to aid him in his labours.[1]
None save Elrond, Galadriel and Cirdan knew that Gandalf bore it through the Third Age. It is unknown how or where Gandalf used it, but during the siege of Minas Tirith he inspires hope and courage in men wherever he passes. This may be one example of Narya's influence. It is unknown if the ring enhanced Gandalf's power over fire. Elrond firmly stated that while the Three Rings are not idle they were not made as weapons of war. They were made to preserve and heal. As they were made to ward off the effects of time, at best the rings could give the wielder extra stamina and endurance, as Cirdan stated when he gave Narya to Gandalf. The ring was revealed on Gandalf's finger at the Grey Havens, where he bore it back to the Undying Lands and presumably kept it as a relic.
Portrayal in adaptations
Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy
In The Hobbit Extended Edition, specifically in the The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, an additional scene includes Gandalf being questioned about Narya at Dol Guldur. True to the books, Narya itself is invisible, but reveals itself on Gandalf's hand when questioned.
Narya is also visible on Gandalf's hand at the end of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King during the Grey Havens scene.
The Fellowship of the Ring
While fighting Durin's Bane, Gandalf claims to be the wielder of the flame of Anor and servant of the Secret Fire. Although it is unlikely that Gandalf would reveal his ownership of Narya to an enemy. It could be that Gandalf was simply trying to scare the Balrog into fleeing by announcing him as a servant of the Valar and through them Eru Ilúvatar, who possesses the Flame Imperishable within himself.
Etymology
In Quenya, Narya means "Fiery red", from narwa ("fiery red").[2]
Translations around the world
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
|---|---|
| Amharic | ኛርያ |
| Armenian | Նարյա |
| Belarusian | Нарыа |
| Bosnian | Narja |
| Bulgarian | Нария |
| Chinese ? | 納亞 |
| Dari | ناریا |
| Georgian | ნარია |
| Greek | Ναρυα |
| Gujarati | ણર્ય |
| Hebrew | נריה |
| Hindi | णर्य ? |
| Japanese | ナルヤ |
| Kazakh | Наря |
| Kurdish | ناریا |
| Kyrgyz | Наря |
| Macedonian | Нарија |
| Mongolian | Нарыа |
| Nepali | णर्य |
| Pashto | ناریا |
| Persian | ناریا |
| Russian | Нарья |
| Sanskrit | णर्य |
| Serbian | Нариа (Cyrillic) Naria (Latinised) |
| Siamese (Thai) | นาร์ยา |
| Sinhala | ණර්ය |
| Slovenian | Narja |
| Syriac | ܢܐܪܝܐ |
| Tamil | ணர்ய |
| Telugu | ణర్య |
| Tibetan | ནརྱ |
| Tigrinya | ኛርያ |
| Turkish | Narya |
| Ukrainian | Нариа |
| Urdu | ںاریا |
| Uyghur | ناريا |
| Uzbek | Наря (Cyrillic) Narya (Latinised) |
| Yiddish | נאַריאַ |
References
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B: The Tale of Years (Chronology of the Westlands), "The Third Age"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 5: The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies"
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