Ethnologists believe that wearing jewelry is as old as humanity itself. Wearing rings is present in almost all civilizations, on different continents. Among the Romans, there were a series of legal provisions relating to wearing rings. Each emperor had his own signet ring, and the first ones allowed to wear gold rings were senators and consuls. The ring was thus a sign of belonging to a certain social class. During the time of Emperor Augustus, it was customary to donate a collection of rings to temples.
Different types of rings were worn on different occasions. Thus, we can talk about an engagement ring, a lawyer’s ring, a memorial ring, an astronomical ring… The memorial ring was popular in 17th and 18th century England, and it was worn in memory of a deceased person and usually had an engraved portrait of the deceased. The astronomical ring was made in Germany in the 16th and 17th centuries and consisted of four rings that formed a globe. One or more of them were engraved with z Findings of the zodiac and planets.
The ring once had a certain utility value. It was used as a seal, and in the 15th century, a ring with a diamond cut in the shape of an octahedron was popular, and it was used for writing on glass.
All of this speaks in favor of the fact that the ring served not only as a decoration, but that its meaning goes far beyond the mere satisfaction of aesthetic needs.
Ring – symbol
The symbolism of the ring is closely connected to its shape. The ring is a circle and as such, it symbolizes completeness, perfection, eternity. It is also a sign of authority, honor, and dignity. This was the meaning of the golden senatorial ring from the Roman period, which wearing was regulated by a special law – Ius anuli aurei. Kings or emperors wore rings as a sign of authority, but it also served as a seal.
The ring also signifies connectedness, thus appearing as a sign of alliance, vow, and shared destiny, for example, a fisherman’s ring or the Pope’s ring. Each new Pope at the consecration ceremony wears a new ring, indicating The groom receives a new ring on which his name will later be engraved. This ring is called a fishing ring because the image of St. Peter pulling a net is engraved on its crown. After the pope’s death, the ring is broken, or destroyed, marking the end of the connection. The symbol of the covenant is also present in the ring of the Venetian doge, which is thrown into the sea on the day of Holy Savior, signifying Venice’s marriage to the sea. A similar symbolism of marriage, but with Christ, is found in the ring received by nuns when they take their monastic vow.
Engagement and wedding rings, on the other hand, mark the connection between two people. We know the use of engagement and wedding rings from the late Roman period. Initially, engagement rings were made of iron, and later of gold with a motif of clasped hands, which symbolized trust between a man and a woman. It was used in such a form in the XII-XVIII centuries, with engraved love inscriptions.
Giving someone a ring meant promising oneself to that person, but above all it was a symbolic act representing love, fidelity, and commitment. a promise to oneself. Connecting with another person can only be achieved by connecting with oneself, which arises from self-improvement.
Finally, the ring symbolizes the connection between the soul and the body. For example, Roman, Celtic, and Germanic soldiers wore rings in the hope that this connection would be preserved even during battle. The ring was also attributed with magical healing powers and was therefore worn as a talisman, often made of a specific metal and a precious or semi-precious stone. Gold was the most commonly used metal, and great attention was paid to the choice of gemstone.
Today, gemstones primarily have aesthetic value, but in the past, humans attributed them with magical and miraculous properties. In all civilizations, kings and priests used extraordinary and complex gemstones, not only for their beauty but also for their symbolic value. For example, diamond was a symbol of perfection and invincible spiritual powers; sapphire was a symbol of divine justice in Christianity. and cleanliness; emerald was called the stone of prophets and renewal, while amethyst was the stone of moderation… It was believed that precious stones had the power to heal diseases, protect against spells, evoke noble qualities in people, but also bring bad luck if mishandled. Precious stones were also associated with certain planets. Fingers were also linked to the planets, so the thumb was associated with Venus, the index finger with Jupiter, the middle finger with Saturn, the ring finger, which was considered the best for wearing most rings, with the Sun, and the little finger with Mercury.
Finally, the ring was a symbol of power and gifts received from the heavens, indicating the spiritual and material superiority of its owner over other beings.
Ring throughout civilizations
Depending on the motifs and designs that appear on it, the ring speaks of the customs, philosophy, and religion of a particular time and place.
Among the Sumerians, the ring, along with the crown and scepter, was a symbol of royal dignity. It was also a divine attribute. Archaeological findings have In numerous seals depicting the god Marduk holding a staff and a ring. On the stela of the Babylonian king Hammurabi, Shamash, the god of the Sun, is depicted with a staff and a ring as symbols of divine justice.
In Zoroastrianism, the religion of ancient Persia, the winged symbol holding a ring is one of the representations of Ahura Mazda, the supreme principle of the Universe, the source and cause of all that is manifest. Here, the ring appears as a symbol of the Sun, which is the visible manifestation of Ahura Mazda in the sky.
In Egypt, numerous rings have been found as part of the funerary equipment of pharaohs. Examples from the 20th – 18th dynasties are mostly large, massive rings. However, the older and far more significant is the scarab ring, which is also found among the Phoenicians, Etruscans, and Greeks. Scarabs were made of precious or semi-precious stones and attached to the ring loop, which also served as a seal.
The Viking ring with the Helm of Awe, which represents one of the most powerful symbols of protection, is also found. >From ancient times, Vikings have been fascinated by the symbols of ancient Egypt. One of the most famous symbols is the scarab beetle, which symbolized the student and their journey towards wisdom. Just like the scarab beetle transforms its excrement into a perfect ball to lay the seed of life in it, the student transforms their flaws and shortcomings into a perfect ball of virtues through wisdom.
The scarab beetle ring dominated in Greece from the 6th to the 4th century BC. The Greeks carved stones in the shape of scarab beetles, but with subtly depicted contours of its body. It was often attached to a ring with a wire and could be rotated, with the bottom side serving as a seal. The ring itself was shaped like the letter ‘u’. They engraved depictions of Aphrodite, Eros, Silenus, warriors, archers, horsemen, lions, bulls… Mythological motifs were favorites, especially the battle of heroes with monsters. In the Hellenistic period (323-30 BC), scarab beetles were replaced by polished gemstones. Cameos – reliefs made of stone – also appeared. Until then, drawings were mostly engraved on the surface of stones. The uLEARER was a so-called snake ring in the shape of a snake that spirals three times around the finger. An imitation of this ring was popular during the Renaissance.
According to findings in Etruscan tombs, we can see that the scarab ring was also common among them. Rings with embedded stones appear later, during the decline of the Etruscan civilization (transition from the 3rd to the 2nd century BC). Depictions of haruspices, who predicted the future through animal livers, were common on their rings because the Etruscans were known for their divination skills.
In Rome, wearing rings was legally regulated. During the Republic period, only iron rings were worn, and in the later Empire, a series of new regulations were introduced: Emperor Septimius Severus allowed Roman soldiers to wear rings; all free citizens could wear gold rings, freed slaves silver rings, and slaves iron rings. Rings with cameos dominated, depicting emperors, prominent figures, and mythological scenes.
A golden ring with a bronze Roman coin depicting Emperor Constantine. In ancient times, Vikings used the ring as a symbol of honor and loyalty. A king or noble would give rings to their warriors as a sign of gratitude for their loyalty and bravery. These rings were also buried with them. Often, a dragon holding a ring in its mouth appeared as a figure on the prow of their ships, symbolizing safe passage or navigation.
In the ancient pre-Columbian cultures of the Americas, rings with motifs of eagles and jaguars were dominant. The eagle was a symbol of the daytime sun, while the jaguar represented the nighttime. According to myth, the sun descended into the underworld after sunset and, in the form of a jaguar, battled the forces of darkness. After defeating them, it rose again at dawn in the form of an eagle or condor.
There are numerous stories and legends about rings. Greek mythical tradition mentions Prometheus’ ring as the first one. Plato writes about Gyges’ ring, and Herodotus about Polycrates’ ring. The quest for the ring is part of the ancient Germanic sagas that inspired Robert Wagner to create the opera “The Ring of the Nibelung”. Today, Tolkien’s story “The Lord of the Rings” is certainly the most well-known to us. In Plato’s work “The Republic,” he mentions the story of Gig’s ring. Between Glaucon and So A discussion about justice was taking place. For Socrates, justice is one of the most beautiful virtues, and if we want to be happy, we must love it for its own sake and for what it brings. Glaucon argues that just people are only just because they cannot commit injustice, therefore against their will. To prove his point, Glaucon tells the story of Gig’s ring.
Gig was a shepherd in the service of the Lydian king. One day, after a great storm and earthquake, the ground cracked open and a chasm appeared right where Gig’s flock was grazing. Gig descended and among the various wonders he saw, he spotted a bronze horse with small doors. When he peered through them, he saw a dead man with a golden ring on his finger. The shepherd took it off and put it on his own finger. Carrying it, he realized that the ring had the power to make its wearer invisible. This would happen every time the stone of the ring turned towards the palm. Gig took advantage of this and soon became the king’s envoy, the queen’s lover, and eventually entered I plotted a conspiracy against the king, killed him, and soon became the king myself…
Glaucon continues to tell the story: “If there were two such rings now, with one of them possessed by a just man and the other by an unjust man, I believe that there wouldn’t be a resolute and steadfast man who would remain just. Because it would be possible for him to take whatever he wanted in the market, to go into people’s homes, to seduce any woman…in short, to do whatever he pleased like a god. And if he were to act like this, he would actually be doing nothing different from what the unjust man does.”
The Lord of the Rings
Sauron forges the One Ring of Power with the desire to rule the world, spreading fear and hatred. The Ring falls into the hands of a Hobbit. The only hope for the people of Middle-earth is to destroy the Ring by throwing it into the fires of Mount Doom. This task is entrusted to the Fellowship of the Ring, composed of representatives from all the races of Middle-earth. The Hobbits are represented by Frodo, the bearer of the Ring, Sam, Merry, and Pippin. Humans are represented by Boromir and Aragorn, dwarves by Gimli, and elves by Legolas. They are led by the wizard Gandalf. Everyone embarked on a path with little hope for a happy ending. “But in the midst of despair, hope is born.” Each of them went through certain trials. They had to overcome their own fears and doubts. What gave them the strength to do so? Love and compassion for the people of Middle-earth. Because on this journey, there were no rewards and no conditions could be set. And in the end, everyone was different, better, and stronger. Thanks to that, Sauron’s ring was destroyed.