Which finger for TC's ring?

[david10101963]

I recently read vol. 1 & 2 of the Last Chronicles and I'm sure I remember a passage that I understood to say that TC wore his ring on the middle finger of his right hand. It seemed weird at the time, but I didn't think about it further until I started re-reading Lord Foul's Bane afterwards. This early volume makes it clear that TC wore his ring on his left hand ring finger.

Now I'm confused and trying to find the passage that referred to his right hand, but I can't locate it. I'm certain that I didn't imagine it completely, but perhaps I just misunderstood it. Can anyone shed any light on this more me?

Thanks.

[wayfriend]

I can't quote you any passages, but there are times in the first Chronicles where TC had stuck his ring on his other hand, briefly, for various reasons. I think one was when he picked it up from the ground right before Dead Elena went after him with the Staff of Law.

[Lord of the Gyre]

I don't think it's always on one finger or another.

[blingdomepiece]

I believe he "normally" wore it on the ring finger of his left hand and transferred it to the middle finger of his half-hand at some point in Power that Preserves. Not sure about the second trilogy.

[thewormoftheworld'send]

Yes, found it. At the end of chapter 16 of TPTP:

When Bannor and Foamfollower stirred, groaned, began to regain consciousness, he made himself move. Carefully, deliberately, he took his ring from his wedding finger and placed it on the index finger of his halfhand, so that it would be less likely to slip off.

[Krazy Kat]

Yes, found it. At the end of chapter 16 of TPTP:

When Bannor and Foamfollower stirred, groaned, began to regain consciousness, he made himself move. Carefully, deliberately, he took his ring from his wedding finger and placed it on the index finger of his halfhand, so that it would be less likely to slip off.

It's really quite interesting to note that when Covenant faces the three-headed Warden at the entrance to Foul's Creche he points his finger straight at the monster, as if he might have figured out the way to evoke the wild magic.

At the battle of Soaring Woodhelvenin, when Covenant makes the decision to help Tamarantha and Variol, it says that his ring was on his wedding finger. It also says that he could not remember putting it there.

Could Covenant's ring have a will of it's own, somewhat similar to Frodo's ring? And if Covenant's ring sometimes slips from one finger to another without him being aware of this, then either he is doing it himself or some other power is at work.

Fascinating thread, BTW!

[david10101963]

Since originally posting this question I've finished re-reading Lord Foul's Bane, and there is also a reference in that volume to TC wearing the ring on the middle finger of his half hand (right). At the beginning of the novel he wears it on his left hand ring finger, but with Foamfollower's help he hides it completely using clingor before arriving at Revelstone. But some time later he temporarily moves it onto his right hand. But, as usual, I've forgotten exactly where it happens and I can't find the passage again.

I'm sure there must be some meaning in all this. It's not like he randomly moves it between fingers. It seems only ever to be two, as if the right hand middle finger is significant. Obviously there is personally significance to TC as to whether he wears it as a wedding ring or not, but I wonder if that is all? Does Lindon ever wear the ring on a finger? I don't remember this happening, but I'm not at all sure.

Thanks for the interesting comments.

[Krazy Kat]

As far as I know, Linden has always wore her white gold ring on a chain around her neck.

In the 1st Chronicles there are many times when Thomas Covenant notices the ring is loose on his finger. When this happens maybe he needs to put the ring on another finger so as not to lose it.

Other than that, I cannot say!

[david10101963]

In the second to last chapter of LFB, TC tries to give the ring to Lord Mhoram. Mhoram gives it back to him by forcing it onto the index finger of his right hand. So when he grabs the Staff of Law, with Bannor's help and thereby calls the fire lions it is using his crippled right hand.

Oddly enough, shortly after this the text implies some confusion because it says: "Pulling off his ring, he held it firmly in his half-fingerless hand, cocked his arm to throw the band off the cliff". After pulling the ring off his right hand wouldn't you expect it to be in his left? I guess he pulled it off with his left and then transferred it to his right?

I can't help feeling that this is some meaning in the fact that he uses his broken right hand to unleash power in this way. Maybe the right hand symbolises power, and the fact that it is broken symbolises power's corruption? Whereas his left hand with the wedding band implies truth, commitment and purity.

[Krazy Kat]

I imagine that even SRD would say that small details of that sort are too negligible to the over all events of the story. But I like it all the same.

The Creator was very insistent that Covenant keep his ring. When you look at some of the elements of the story, like Lord Mhoram telling TC he is the white gold, what difference does the ring make in the long run. I mean if TC had entered the Land without his ring the Lords would have had to find another way for Covenant to evoke the Wild Magic.

I see other reasons for the importance of the ring than just a tool for calling up Wild Magic.

[SGuilfoyle1966]

I like the comment above, suggesting the ring slips from one nand to ther other.
Reminds me of The Naked Gun.
"Say, that's a honey of an ankle bracelet."
"Did that slip down there again?"

I think it goes over a lot of people's heads.
The ring often seems to hang loosely on Covenant's hands when he is trying to attempting to refine his soul by privation.
I haven't never engaged Donaldson in the GI or anything like that, but I've seen some things.
The comment above about him not putting much stock in the minor details, I don't quite hold with that. If someone was saying, "Hey, he had Atiaran's knife in the right hand, but the urvile wedge attacked from this direction, so he couldn't use the staff etc. etc. etc."
That kind of detail would seem to be a Trekkie kind of obsession that he might not get into. LIke the bombination of Kirk's safe in the Paradise Snare episode.
But which finger he has his ring on when he evokes power? I don't think that's minor. I haven't engaged in a study of it. But I think it's not irrelavent.

[pkfridley]

I always seemed to think it symbolized a gradual movement from wedding ring (left hand) to symbol of his own power (right hand), but that seems secondary to the practical consideration of TC's gauntness. Personally speaking, I was a lot heavier when I got married; once so far -- and probably again, soon -- I've had to have my ring resized to my thinner fingers. (By the by, only the Egyptian hieroglyph on my ring is white gold, so I'm not sure exactly what kind of power I could wield in the Land.) Moving his ring to the middle finger of his other hand, so it's safer and he's more consciously "aware" of it, just makes practical sense. The fact that you can sift symbolic meaning out of that is just one of the magical things about SRD in particular and good literature in general.

[thewormoftheworld'send]

I like the comment above, suggesting the ring slips from one nand to ther other.
Reminds me of The Naked Gun.
"Say, that's a honey of an ankle bracelet."
"Did that slip down there again?"

I think it goes over a lot of people's heads.
The ring often seems to hang loosely on Covenant's hands when he is trying to attempting to refine his soul by privation.
I haven't never engaged Donaldson in the GI or anything like that, but I've seen some things.
The comment above about him not putting much stock in the minor details, I don't quite hold with that. If someone was saying, "Hey, he had Atiaran's knife in the right hand, but the urvile wedge attacked from this direction, so he couldn't use the staff etc. etc. etc."
That kind of detail would seem to be a Trekkie kind of obsession that he might not get into. LIke the bombination of Kirk's safe in the Paradise Snare episode.
But which finger he has his ring on when he evokes power? I don't think that's minor. I haven't engaged in a study of it. But I think it's not irrelavent.

The Paradise Snare is a Star Wars book, not a Kirk universe.

[Savor Dam]

Won't offer specific spoilers in this forum...but there is strong symbolism in AATE concerning where Linden places the ring on her hands when she does not have it on the chain around her neck.

pkfridley may find them particularly significant. Further, deponent sayeth naught...

[pkfridley]

Thanks, SD! Of course I had "poster's regret" after posting and nitpicking my own argument last night -- I went so far as to wonder if a halfhand's number of fingers ( 8 ) was symbolic of anything ( 7+1? ).