Har någon någonsin haft ringen i deras besittning under en längre tid än de fyra bokstäverna som nämns i titeln?
Långt nog, att det började påverka dem mentalt eller fysiskt, hur länge det skulle ta - ett år eller längre, år eller årtionden möjligen.
Isildur , trots att han bara hade det för en relativt kort tidsperiod (endast två år), hade Isild det tillräckligt länge för att bli starkt påverkad av Ringens beroendeframkallande egenskaper , kursiv är Tolkiens):
'Alas! yes,' said Elrond. 'Isildur took it, as should not have been. It should have been cast then into Orodruin's fire nigh at hand where it was made. But few marked what Isildur did. He alone stood by his father in that last mortal contest; and by Gil-galad only Círdan stood, and I. But Isildur would not listen to our counsel.
'"This I will have as weregild for my father, and my brother," he said; and therefore whether we would or no, he took it to treasure it. But soon he was betrayed by it to his death; and so it is named in the North Isildur's Bane. Yet death maybe was better than what else might have befallen him.
[...]
The Great Ring shall go now to be an heirloom of the North Kingdom; but records of it shall be left in Gondor, where also dwell the heirs of Elendil, lest a time come when the memory of these great matters shall grow dim.
'Och efter dessa ord beskrev Isildur Ringen, som han fann den.
It was hot when I first took it, hot as a glede, and my hand was scorched, so that I doubt if ever again I shall be free of the pain of it. Yet even as I write it is cooled, and it seemeth to shrink, though it loseth neither its beauty nor its shape. Already the writing upon it, which at first was as clear as red flame, fadeth and is now only barely to be read. It is fashioned in an elven-script of Eregion, for they have no letters in Mordor for such subtle work; but the language is unknown to me. I deem it to be a tongue of the Black Land, since it is foul and uncouth. What evil it saith I do not know; but I trace here a copy of it, lest it fade beyond recall. The Ring misseth, maybe, the heat of Sauron's hand, which was black and yet burned like fire, and so Gil-galad was destroyed; and maybe were the gold made hot again, the writing would be refreshed. But for my part I will risk no hurt to this thing: of all the works of Sauron the only fair. It is precious to me, though I buy it with great pain.
Riksförbundet Bok II Kapitel 2: "Elrondrådet"
Sam Det har hävdats på den här webbplatsen innan (särskilt i Tony Meyers svar på ) som trots som bara hade Ring för en dag eller två, hade Sam börjat falla under dess inflytande. Jag argumenterar i ett svar på en liknande fråga att om Sam faktiskt påverkas av ringen är tvetydig i texten. Jag tror att du kan göra ett ärende för det, men så innehåller jag det
Nej. De andra ringbärarna (Tom Bombadil och Isildur och Sam) hade inte så länge ringen.
Isildur kommer nära och skulle bli ett "ja" så småningom om han inte dödades (jag kommer att använda en del av citatet av @Jason Bakers svar att motbevisa sin slutsats):
Yet death maybe was better than what else might have befallen him.
(Fellowship of the Ring Book II Chapter 2: "The Council of Elrond")
Följande inlägg har en fantastisk grafik som visar alla ringbärare och tidslinjerna.
Läs andra frågor om taggar tolkiens-legendarium the-one-ring Kärlek och kompatibilitet Skor Gear 12 Stjärntecken Grunderna