What 'The Rings Of Power' Title Sequence Actually Means
Image Source: YouTube
At just four episodes, the new Amazon series The Rings of Power has fans hooked. Viewers spend time between episodes pondering the show’s many mysteries. Who is the mysterious stranger that fell from the sky? What is Halbrand’s true identity? When will we see Sauron? But one mystery still eludes viewers.
The opening sequence for The Rings of Power shows gold sand particles vibrating on a flat surface in time with Howard Shore’s main title theme. The gold particles form various symbols related to Middle-earth but are interrupted by a wave of black particles, which disrupts the harmonious formation. Many fans, myself included, thought this was meant to symbolize the forging of the rings. However, there is much more behind this opening sequence.
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According to Plains of Yonder, the team that created the sequence, the opening is meant to represent J. R. R. Tolkien’s creation story in The Silmarillion. In Tolkien’s work, angelic beings known as the Ainur joined Eru Illúvatar in a song to create the world. But an Ainur known as Melkor decided to break from the harmony and caused discord. Illúvatar tried to stop Melkor’s rebellion twice with different themes, but Melkor remained stubborn. Illúvatar’s music with the Anuir led to the creation of Middle-earth while Melkor’s discord gave birth to evil.
The Rings of Power’s opening sequence adapts this story with a technique called cymatics, a technique that makes sound visible to the eye. As the particles vibrate in response to Shore’s title theme, they create strange shapes. The first symbol that appears is a pair of trees, most likely a reference to the two trees of Valinor. The trees were destroyed by Morgoth and the spider Ungoliant. The light from the trees went on to become the sun and moon.
Image Source: TheOneRing.net
The next symbol shows three circles in a round shape while symmetrical shapes appear on either side. The shape in the middle may be a reference to the three elven rings, which will be worn by Galadriel, Elrond, and Gandalf. Two of these ring bearers are already established characters in The Rings of Power, and Gandalf may already be present in an unrecognizable form. The following symbols are just geometrical shapes, but bear a striking resemblance to spider webs. The next symbol is unique but looks closely related to the triskele, an ancient Celtic symbol meant to represent the spiritual, physical, and celestial worlds. This symbol remains for a split second before being replaced by a single diamond that splits into two paths.
The next symbol appears just before the arrival of the dark particles and looks similar to Sauron’s mark. Then, the black particles snake their way through the gold flashing through various symbols until it settles into an eye shape reminiscent of the Eye of Sauron. The gold particles fall through the center of the shape and reveal the show’s title.
Image Source: Buzzfeed
Take a minute to see what symbols you can recognize when you stream the next episode of The Rings of Power. A new episode drops every Thursday night in the United States, and Friday morning in the United Kingdom on Amazon Prime Video.
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Source(s): Plains of Yonder, The One Ring, Tolkien Gateway