Rings have existed for thousands of years, and though the earliest use of rings is debated, there is archaeological and literary proof that rings were common among people from ancient civilisations including Greeks and Egyptians.
Tokens of Love and Eternity
The ring is generally an emblem of fidelity in civil engagements. Wedding rings were often worn on the fourth finger of the left hand, because it was believed there was an artery there which went directly to the heart.
A ring denoted eternity among the Persians, Egyptians and Hindus; and Brahma, the creator of the world, bears a ring in his hand. The Egyptian priests in the temple of Phta represented the year under the form of a ring, made of a serpent having its tail in its mouth, forming a common shape of ancient rings.
In the Roman ritual there is a benediction of the ring and a prayer that she who wears it may continue in perfect love and fidelity to her husband and in fear of God for all her days. In fact, some married women are so superstitious that they never remove their wedding ring, extending the expression “till death do us part” even to the ring.
Emblems of Power
Among the Hebrews, “the finger of God” denoted his power, and it was the forefinger among the gods of Greece and Italy which wore the ring, a symbol of supremacy.
In early Eastern civilisations, people do not sign their names. Instead, they have seal-rings, in which their names and titles are engraved, and used to make an impression with thick ink. To give a person one’s seal-ring is to allow use of the authority of one’s own signature.
In Genesis 41:43, the Pharaoh bestowed his signet ring upon Joseph, giving authority to the documents to which it was affixed; and therefore delegating to Joseph the chief rule in Egypt.
Charms against Evil
As talismans or lucky charms, the potency of rings was directed against demons and witches, danger and disease, but more particularly the evil eye. The material by which the ring is made also contributes to its power, as do letters and incantations inscribed upon its circumference.
In the Eleusinian Mysteries for the cult of Demeter and Persephone, rings were given to the initiated as an amulet possessed of power to avert danger. This ancient Greek ritual was believed "to elevate man above the human sphere into the divine and to assure his redemption by making him a god and so conferring immortality upon him."
Symbols of Slavery
Punished for stealing fire from the gods, Prometheus was chained to the frosty Caucasus, where a vulture pecked out his liver all day in an endless cycle. Although Zeus sworn to keep him there eternally, eventually he forgave and instead commanded that Prometheus wear an iron ring, to which a small fragment of Caucasus is fastened, so in a certain sense Prometheus continued bound to the rock.
In JRR Tolkien’s classic trilogy Lord of the Rings, the Dark Lord Sauron uses rings to enslave power-hungry humans, with the immortal quote “One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them and in the darkness bind them”. The corrupting influence of the ring is also felt by Frodo on his journey to destroy it; as by the creature Gollum who has become warped by his need to possess the ring.
Whether used as ornaments or symbols, rings are indeed important cultural artefacts representing diverse themes and shedding insights into the psyche of the past.
References:
- Edwards, C. (1804) The History and Poetry of Finger-Rings. New York: John W. Lovell Company
- Nilsson, M. (1947) Greek Popular Religion "The Religion of Eleusis" New York: Columbia University Press
Cheryn Tan - Contradiction is a theme inherent in human life that has always fascinated me. Take, for example, the fact that I am a passionate lover of ...
