The One Ring.
The One Ring is the greatest of the Rings of Power and the most powerful artifact in Middle-earth. The Ring was created by the Dark Lord Sauron in the Cracks of Doom in Mount Doom sometime during the Second Age. It was created with the purpose of focusing and enlarging Sauron's power, which would allow him to become the overlord of Middle-earth. The One Ring could be used to control the wearers of the other nineteen Rings of Power, which were made by the Elf Celebrimbor and his people with the assistance of Sauron himself.
The One Ring was also known as Ruling Ring, the Master Ring, the Doom of Man, the One Ring, the Ring of Power, and Isildur's Bane.
History
Sauron disguised himself as Annatar, or "Lord of Gifts", and aided the Elven smiths of Eregion and their lord Celebrimbor in the making of the Rings of Power. He then forged the One Ring himself in the fires of Mount Doom. But creating the ring simultaneously strengthened and weakened Sauron's power. On the one hand, as long as Sauron had the ring, he could control the power of all other Rings of Power, and thus he was significantly more powerful. On the other hand, by binding his power within the Ring, Sauron became dependent on it. Without it his power was significantly diminished.
Inscription
The One Ring's inscription.
The words of the Ring-inscription are in Black Speech, a language devised by Sauron and used in the land of Mordor. The inscription reflects the One Ring's power to control the other Rings of Power. The writing uses Elvish letters, in a mode adapted to the Black Speech.
Normally the One Ring appeared perfectly plain and featureless, but when heated its inscription appeared in fiery letters. A drawing of the inscription and a translation provided by Gandalf appears in Book I, Chapter 2 of The Fellowship of the Ring, "The Shadow of the Past".
Gandalf speaks the words in Black Speech in Book II, Chapter 2, "The Council of Elrond":
Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,
Ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul.
Translated, the words mean:
One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them,
One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.
Trivia
- When Sauron captured Celebrimbor, he makes him refine the Ring to conceal its power. Celebrimbor, however, not only does this but also gives the Ring a will of its own. He then steals it from Sauron and uses it to try and defeat him and rescue his family. This attempt ultimately fails, resulting in his and his family's death, and causing him to become a wraith bound to Mordor.
- In The Bright Lord DLC, the game reveals further details about the One Ring when Celembrimbor use it to brand Uruks, ghûls, caragors, and Graugs which explains how the One Ring rules them all.
