The central objects in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are famous among fans of The Lord of the Ringswith Sauron’s famous poem and his even more infamous “One Ring” now being pop culture icons. Despite this fact, the details of the jewelry, the methods used to create it, and the actual “power” it holds are a complete mystery to most. But ScreenRants The Rings of Power Podcast seems to solve this problem for all Tolkien fans, experts and newbies.

The first season of The Rings of Power covered the story that led to the actual forging of the Rings faster than most expected, and wrote the Lord of the rings timeline to create the three Elven Rings first, without Sauron. But why does it matter that he wasn’t present? Did Sauron have to touch them to take control? Does he have to touch the others? How does the magic in the Rings of Power even work? These questions are all answered (along with Mithril as the show’s possible answer) in the latest episode of The Rings of Power Podcast: “How do the Rings of Power (and the One Ring) actually work?” embedded below:

Hosts Andrew Dyce and Stephen Colbert delve deep into the existing lore, ideas and potential stories that JRR Tolkien wrote or discussed throughout his life, and where the Rings of Power Writers have room to fill out their own fiction. But when he tried to define or explain the actual magic or power at work in Sauron’s famous rings, from their creation to how they actually prevent the decay of the elves, Tolkien didn’t give a clear answer. But his broader mythology gives fans a chance to understand it if they’re willing to do their homework.

The Rings of Power are links to the “invisible world” of Tolkien’s lore

Tolkien’s use of “magic” was limited, but The Unseen World is everywhere at once

The full podcast episode delves deeply into the subject of Tolkien’s Invisible World, from the first draft of The Companions. In these first pages, the author described Ringwraiths as people who had “passed through” their rings, meaning they no longer had a physical form in the normal world and were now completely controlled by the “Lord of the Rings” (then the Necromancer, later Sauron). To keep it simple for the modern television audience, the ‘Upside-Down’ presented in Netflix Stranger Things is possibly the most accessible analogue.

While humans, hobbits and most living creatures exist in the normal world, divine beings such as the Valar who created them or the Maiar who serve them, such as Sauron, Gandalf or the Balrogs, exist in both the seen and unseen worlds simultaneously. While these beings can perform “magic” as a result, actually endowing objects with a path to that power is something else entirely. Viewers can expect The Rings of PowerFuture seasons will provide more answers, but suffice it to say that when Sauron finally found a way to manipulate his connection to the Unseen World, he nearly tore Middle-earth to pieces.

The show’s new Mithtril origin actually makes a lot of sense

Tolkien’s magical metal was used in the actual rings, so they are an easy solution

The Rings of PowerThe new Silmaril origin for mithril caused excitement or anger among some diehard Tolkien fans, revealing how the showrunners hoped to explain several difficult-to-explain concepts to a wide audience. When High King Gil-galad introduced “The Song of the Roots of Hithaeglir,” the magical metal mithril was given an origin it had never had before. Previously Only two things were known about Mithril: it was used in the creation of a Ring of Power (which is no surprise given its impossible properties) and Sauron coveted it for reasons also unknown.It seems that the writers of the television series saw this not as a mystery, but as an opportunity.

The full episode of the Rings of Power podcast embedded above explores the new origin of mithril in detail, but it’s hard to argue with the solution it provides. Mithril is important, but Tolkien never explained where it came from or why it seemed magical. The Rings of Power are magical, but Tolkien never explained how they actually became imbued with power or worn by a wearer. Could one mystery answer the other? Suggest that Sauron used the inherent “magic” of Mithril to channel the Unseen World, and fans can followinstead of asking questions that Tolkien himself never answered.

For the full conversation and debate on this and all other topics related to the TV show, visit The Rings of Power Podcast on your favorite podcast app and stay tuned to ScreenRant for all the coverage of season two and beyond.

The Rings of Power Podcast

Tolkien enthusiasts Andrew Dyce and Stephen Colbert host this ScreenRant podcast about the ongoing Prime Video series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Each episode explores questions, criticisms, and theories about the Middle-earth-set series.