The ring is from a 19th century opera. It is where Tolkien derived a great deal of inspiration for his "Lord of the Rings" saga. In the opera the ring represents, essentially, the seductive nature of power and the evil that results from it.To be honest, I felt like the ring didn't fit well within the realm of the story and I appreciate your question.
However, it represented the point I was trying to make and was also somewhat obscure. Which is what I was wanting. I have considered changing the ring to something else that would also represent the same principle, but is more so in the realm of Jewish/Early Christian history.
Especially, considering now the source of the opera is Richard Wagner....I will likely do some beard scratching until I come up with something that would better suit the story. More so than the ring does. Thank you for your compliment and input on the story.
