Number 9

[Shanamir Duntak]

What is it about the number 9. Tolkien seems to have a preference for this number. Nine rings, nine Nazguls, nine walkers, Frodo nine-fingers...

I was just wondering if there is more to that than coincidence...

[bmilder]

1 Ring to Rule them All
9 Rings for Mortal Men
7 Rings for Dwarves
3 Rings for the Elven Kings

= 1973, the year Tolkien died. Clearly he was a prophet :p (Yes I know this was posted on this forum awhile ago)

[Fat middle]

well, i think that 9 nazgul follows inmediatly to 9 rings for mortal men. the number of the walkers of the Fellowship was also taken from the 9 nazgul that were seeking the ring.

may it have some intent that Frodo ended with 9 fingers like Sauron?

[RKittle]

I'd say 7 was his favorite number.
7 Rings
7 walls of Minas Tirith
7 Fathers of Dwarves
7 Lords of the Valar
7 Queens of the Valar
7 hours of glory for each of the Two Trees
7 stars in the Valacirca
7 sons of Fëanor
Ossiriand, the land of Seven Rivers
7 Gates to pass to reach Gondolin
Fingolfin struck Morgoth 7 times

I can go on and on.

Nine fingers is just ten minus one.

[mythicoria]

Let's not forget that there were 9 Companions on the quest.

[webwizard333]

One for each of the nine Nazgul.

[IronParrot]

Platform 9.

And three-quarters.

Oh wait, wrong book...

[Darth Tater]

I recently had a conversation with someone who said that the bible says three is the holiest number, because it occurs in teh bible the most. Fact is it doesn't, neither does seven. I forget what number it is, I think it's something in the fourties. Nine only occurs multiple times in LOTR because the fellowship had to match the nazgul.

[guardiangi]

uhm btw souron didnt have 9 fingers about 3 or 4 fingers got cut of his hand...
so another nine dead^^
oh and dont think im stipit i know this forum died 6 years ago lets give it back life again^^

[Rían]

Hi guardiangi! Welcome to Entmoot :)

I think you're confusing the book and the movie. It was multiple fingers in the movie. In the book, it says that Sauron had 9 fingers because Isildur cut the ring (and finger) off after Sauron had fallen, and Gollum mentions that Sauron has 9 fingers.

I'd have to agree about all the 9's - it was 9 rings, therefore it had to be 9 nazgul, etc., and the walkers were chosen to correspond to the riders (Nazgul).