Boromir's Ring

[Maedhros]

What would have happened if Frodo would have given Boromir the ring:
Boromir got up and walked about impatiently. 'So you go on,' he cried. 'Gandalf, Elrond - all these folk have taught you to say so. For themselves they may be right. These elves and half-elves and wizards, they would come to grief perhaps. Yet often I doubt if they are wise and not merely timid. But each to his own kind. True-hearted Men, they will not be corrupted. We of Minas Tirith have been staunch through long years of trial. We do not desire the power of wizard-lords, only strength to defend ourselves, strength in a just cause. And behold! in our need chance brings to light the -Ring of Power. It is a gift, I say; a gift to the foes of Mordor. It is mad not to use it, to use the power of the Enemy against him. The fearless, the ruthless, these alone will achieve victory. What could not a warrior do in this hour, a great leader? What could not Aragorn do? Or if he refuses, why not Boromir? The Ring would give me power of Command. How I would drive the hosts of Mordor, and all men would flock to my banner!'
He says that the ring would have given him the power of Command. What does he mean by that and would he have been able to defeat the nazgul and Sauron.

[Khamûl]

I think that Boromir would have used the power of the Ring against Mordor. He would have become more powerful than Sauron and overthrown the Dark Lord. The only thing is that he would ultimately be corrupted by the Ring and become the new Dark Lord.

"Indeed he [Sauron] is in great fear, not knowing what mighty one may suddenly appear, wielding the Ring, and assailing him with war, seeking to cast him down and take his place." - Gandalf

[Maedhros]

Hmmmmmm. I wonder how would Boromir would have used the Ring. If he used it in battle (wearing it), he would be "invisible" and his men would not be able to see him.
He would have to bend it to his will. Yet, if Isildur couldn't do it, what hope did Boromir had in it?
From Unfinished Tales: The Disaster Of The Gladden Fields
Isildur speaking to his son Elendur:
I cannot use it. I dread the pain of touching it. And I have not yet found the strength to bend it to my will. It needs one greater than I now know myself to be. My pride has fallen. It should go to the Keepers of the Three
My guess is that Boromir would have been slained and Sauron would have gotten the ring back.

[Ñólendil]

Khamûl, I doubt Boromir had the strength to overthrow Sauron with the Ring. I don't think he had the power of mind, or the time needed to gain mastery over the Ring. He would have been found and killed before he gained that precious time, as Isildur was. Or so say I.

[markedel]

Boromir certainly could not have wielded it. Aragorn might have been able to wield it-but I doubt it. In fact I think only Gandalf (and Saruman I suppose) could have really wielded the ring. I doubt the elf-lords could wield it.

[crickhollow]

Boromir certainly could not have wielded it. Aragorn might have been able to wield it-but I doubt it. In fact I think only Gandalf (and Saruman I suppose) could have really wielded the ring. I doubt the elf-lords could wield it.

even Galadriel?

[Beleg Strongbow]

In my opinion only the Keepers of the Three could have used it. No one could have truly bent it to their will, and anyone weaker than the Keepers would have been destroyed by Sauron before they overthrew him.

Saruman wanted the Ring to use against Sauron [Gandalf: But Isengard cannot fight Mordor, unless Saruman first obtains the Ring.]. But Saruman and Isengard, in my opinion, would have lost that fight even with the Ring. So would Aragorn or Boromir and Gondor.

Elrond, Galadriel, Gandalf, (and perhaps Cirdan) now, they could have overthrown the Sauron with the Ring. But the Ring would have been no good for their purposes. It would have turned them into Dark Lords and they sought to destroy all Dark Lords.

[Sister Golden Hair]

It was only in Boromir's mind that he believed he could weild the One Ring. He had that "It won't happen [corrupt] me attitude. The ring was made by Sauron, for Sauron and was altogether evil, and nomatter who weilded it, they would become evil. This is why people like Gandalf and Galadriel did not take it when it was offered to them.

[Finglas]

Originally posted by markedel
Boromir certainly could not have wielded it. Aragorn might have been able to wield it-but I doubt it. In fact I think only Gandalf (and Saruman I suppose) could have really wielded the ring. I doubt the elf-lords could wield it. I'm with mark on this one. The ring was made by one of the Maiar, so it seems to make sense that only another Maia could use it. None of the Elves were as powerful as the Istari... or were they? Correct me if I'm wrong.

[Beleg Strongbow]

*hoom, hoom* (thinks.)
Good point.

Galadriel and Elrond were considered, at least in some respects, to be stronger than Saruman in terms of mental powers.

Aragorn: "... few in Middle Earth would be safe if left alone to speak with him [Saruman]. Gandalf, Galadriel, and Elrond perhaps,..."

[Finrod Felagund]

Galadriel definitly!
She held Sauron at bay for ages with just Nenya!

[Finglas]

Actually, none of the Elven rings were used openly from the time of the One Ring's forging until it was taken from Sauron by Isildur. If they had been, they would have been discovered and become subject to the rule of the One.

[Maedhros]

It is interesting to note that Gandalf was the only one in ME who could master the One Ring.
From The Letters of JRRT: 246
Of the others only Gandalf might be expected to master him – being an emissary of the Powers and a creature of the same order, an immortal spirit taking a visible physical form. In the 'Mirror of Galadriel', 1381, it appears that Galadriel conceived of herself as capable of wielding the Ring and supplanting the Dark Lord. If so, so also were the other guardians of the Three, especially Elrond. But this is another matter. It was part of the essential deceit of the Ring to fill minds with imaginations of supreme power. But this the Great had well considered and had rejected, as is seen in Elrond's words at the Council. Galadriel's rejection of the temptation was founded upon previous thought and resolve. In any case Elrond or Galadriel would have proceeded in the policy now adopted by Sauron: they would have built up an empire with great and absolutely subservient generals and armies and engines of war, until they could challenge Sauron and destroy him by force. Confrontation of Sauron alone, unaided, self to self was not contemplated. One can imagine the scene in which Gandalf, say, was placed in such a position. It would be a delicate balance. On one side the true allegiance of the Ring to Sauron; on the other superior strength because Sauron was not actually in possession, and perhaps also because he was weakened by long corruption and expenditure of will in dominating inferiors. If Gandalf proved the victor, the result would have been for Sauron the same as the destruction of the Ring; for him it would have been destroyed, taken from him for ever. But the Ring and all its works would have endured. It would have been the master in the end.
Gandalf as Ring-Lord would have been far worse than Sauron. He would have remained 'righteous', but self-righteous. He would have continued to rule and order things for 'good', and the benefit of his subjects according to his wisdom (which was and would have remained great).
Gandalf would have been worse than Saruron, intersting.

[Elenna]

So .... forgive me for being late to the party. I'm always late.

All the Rings were made my the Miar? (forgive my spelling of that, I think it's wrong) I thought they were made by the elves and by Sauron himself .... but then I prolly just missed something along the way.

And as for the actual topic at hand, I think that disasster would have befallen all of ME under Boromirs wielding of the Ring. And I do think that Galadriel or Gandalf could have wielded it, but that it would also have ended in tragedy.

Just my three scents worth, Elenna

[Keith K]

If someone other than Sauron were to master the ring, would that person also be master of the ringwraiths?

[Artanis]

Originally posted by Maedhros
Gandalf would have been worse than Saruron, intersting. I think I remember this letter. The reason that Gandalf would have become worse than Sauron was, if I recall this right, that evil would no longer be clearly distinguished from good.
Now that is something to think about.

[Beleg Strongbow]

Originally posted by Keith K
If someone other than Sauron were to master the ring, would that person also be master of the ringwraiths?

probably. The Nine were bound to the One.

[scott100]

Somehow, great warrior though he was, I don't think Boromir would have long withstood the ring's power before becoming corrupted. He was semi-corrupted by just being in the ring's and Frodo's presence. He certainly would not have withstood its powers long enough to challenge Sauron. Aragorn might have been a different matter, but I guess we'll never know.

[Celebrian]

I definitley think that Borimir couldn't have used the ring. He probably would have been captured by the Nazgul very soon after taking the One Ring. I do think Galadriel could use the ring, she does say something like that when Frodo offers her the ring in Lothlorien.

[Lefty Scaevola]

Originally posted by Keith K
If someone other than Sauron were to master the ring, would that person also be master of the ringwraiths?
In Ufinished tales, in the section 'The Hunt for the Ring" The Nazgul pass by Othanic to question Sauruman before going towards the Shire and Bree. They ask where the Shire is and he responds:
"It is not a land that you look for. I know what you seek though you do not name it. I have it not, as surely its servabts percieve without telling; for if I had it, then you would bow before me and call me lord."

[Lief Erikson]

I also think that Elrond, Saruman, Gandalf or Galadriel could have wielded the One Ring. Galadriel I don't think was much stronger than Elrond, and to me they're basically equal powers. Saruman and Gandalf are of a different genre, but I think it's quite definite that they had the strength and power to effectively wield the Ring as well.

Meanwhile, about the wraiths . . . I really don't know. They might have ended up serving the new master of the Ring, but I really don't know.