The seven Rings of Power for Dwarves appear in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2. However, problems for Khazad-dûm may continue.
King Durin III (Peter Mullan) puts on his ring for the first time. With this ring, he solves the sunlight issue in the show and finds many veins of gold deep under the mountain.
But these veins might be too deep. Before this, Dwarves found such treasures by using stone-singing, an ancient practice of singing to the mountain. Can Durin the Elder’s Ring of Power be safer and more effective than this centuries-old method?
Stone-Singing Connects Dwarves to the Mountain
We first see stone-singing in The Rings of Power Season 1, Episode 4, titled “The Great Wave.”
In this episode, Elrond (Robert Aramayo) seeks help from the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm to build Celebrimbor’s (Charles Edwards) new forge in Eregion.
This project will lead to the creation of the three Elven Rings of Power. Elrond, a skilled diplomat, visits his friend, Prince Durin IV (Owain Arthur).
He is surprised by Durin’s attitude because they have not spoken for twenty years. As an Elf, Elrond feels time differently and misses many important events in Durin’s life, including his wedding to Disa (Sophia Nomvete).
Disa, a caring and sensitive wife, invites Elrond to watch her stone-singing ritual. This ritual shows how powerful the Dwarves’ connection to the mountain is.
Disa explains that stone-singing involves singing to the mountain. Also known as “resonating,” this practice helps Dwarves find hidden objects in the mountain, such as ore and tunnel routes.
Disa calls this process a “mutual respect.” It helps them recognize areas of the mountain that should remain “untouched.” For example, mining mithril can be dangerous, so the Dwarves take their time to produce small amounts.
Interestingly, stone-singing is a new idea in The Rings of Power. J.R.R. Tolkien’s original lore provides little detail about Dwarven culture, leaving many gaps.
However, the connection between people and nature is an important theme in Tolkien’s works, making stone-singing feel like something he would have created. Mining resources can become violent towards nature, but resonating allows both people and nature to work together.
Darkness Affects Stone-Singing in Season 2
In Season 2, darkness spreads across Middle-earth. The Elves may have found a way to keep the Light of the Eldar from fading. Still, Sauron (Charlie Vickers) grows stronger, and figures like Adar (Sam Hazeldine) pose dangers to peaceful peoples.
At the end of Season 1, Adar causes the eruption of Orodruin, also known as Mount Doom. This event changes the Southlands into the land known as Mordor. Although this happens far from Khazad-dûm, it affects all of Middle-earth.
In Episode 2, “Where the Stars Are Strange,” Narvi (Kevin Eldon) explains that the eruption sent waves through the land and rocks. These waves collapse the sun-shafts of Khazad-dûm, leaving the great Dwarven realm in darkness.
Disa and the stone-singers suggest singing to the mountain again to reopen the sun-shafts through their vibrations. King Durin the Elder allows them to try, but it does not work. Instead of reopening the shafts, the mountain collapses the small holes that still let in light.
Disa works harder than usual, but she still cannot reach the mountain. Durin the Elder praises the stone-singers, who have supported Khazad-dûm for nine centuries. Now, the bond between them and the mountain seems broken, and he notes that “the hand of darkness has closed around Khazad-dûm.”
In the next episode, “The Eagle and the Scepter,” Celebrimbor and Annatar (who is actually Sauron in disguise) reveal to Prince Durin the Younger and Disa their project for the seven Dwarven Rings of Power. This project may offer a solution for Khazad-dûm, though it may not be safe.
King Durin’s Use of the Ring Contrasts with Disa’s Stone-Singing
Desperate times lead to desperate measures, and Khazad-dûm is in a dire situation.
In “Halls of Stone,” King Durin the Elder receives his Ring of Power and immediately uses it to solve the sun-shaft issue. In an unnatural way, he spots places to dig tunnels and create new sun-shafts.
He also begins planning deeper digs to mine gold and other treasures, abandoning safety measures he had established long ago. He believes the ring has given him the ability to “see the mountain.”
The problem is that while stone-singing offers a safe method to dig in harmony with the mountain, the ring’s power does not.
Even though Durin the Elder can see through the mountain while wearing his ring, the lure of endless wealth often outweighs the risks of digging too deep.
The Rings of Power impact the Dwarves in this way. While they may resist Sauron’s direct influence, his malice still corrupts the ring, making its users extremely greedy. Stone-singing respects the mountain and its needs, while the ring encourages violations.
In “Halls of Stone,” Disa buys a tuning crystal, a round gem that helps her adjust her voice to its vibrations.
She quickly loses the crystal but finds it in a pond inside the mountain. When she sings to locate it, she hears the growl of the Balrog lurking deep in the mines.
Meanwhile, Durin the Elder ignores his son’s warnings and tells Narvi to dig deeper for gold and other precious ores.
Thus, the ring not only provides an unnatural way to show the mountain but also risks awakening ancient evil.
Season 2 of The Rings of Power is available for streaming on Prime Video in the U.S. New episodes air weekly on Thursdays.
