XPost: rec.arts.books.tolkien   
   From: mmikeda@erols.com   
      
   Thomas Koenig  wrote in   
   news:kgtndp$fem$1@newsreader4.netcologne.de:   
      
   > Geza Giedke  schrieb:   
   >   
   >> but as it is it seems that Sauron knows a good deal less about   
   >> the Ring than Elrond and Gandalf do. This surprises me (at   
   >> least in Elrond's case) but if is correct and Sauron did not   
   >> know that destroying the Ring was a danger to him many pieces   
   >> of the story (the lack of guard at Orodruin, the rather   
   >> restrained intensity of the hunt for the Ring) become much more   
   >> plausible.   
   >   
   > I don't think anybody else knew at the time either.  IIRC, at   
   > the Council of Elrond, this was not mentioned at all.  The aim   
   > there was to deny Sauron a weapon, and to make sure the wielders   
   > of the Three did not fall under the domination of the One.   
   >   
   > Gandalf only knew that Sauron would fall when the Ring would be   
   > destroyed when returning as Gandalf the White.  I don't think   
   > Frodo knew until after the Ring's destruction.   
      
   There is close to an outright statement that the Wise think that   
   the destruction of the Ring would deal a permanently fatal blow to   
   Sauron's power.   
      
   From "The Council of Elrond".   
      
   (Gloin has just asked what would happen to the Three Rings if the   
   One Ring was destroyed and Elrond has responded that there are   
   different opinions but his belief is that the Three will fail.)   
      
   Glorfindel then adds "Yet all the Elves are willing to endure this   
   chance, if by it the power of Sauron may be broken and the fear of   
   his dominion be taken away forever."   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)