A total aside here (maybe) but let's look at this issue of "winning it in battle."
Does "winning something in battle" make it "yours" ???
Isildur and
the ring are, in this respect, similar to
Smaug and the
Dwarves' treasure.
Smaug legitimately 'won' their treasure in battle. Yet the Dwarves still considered it their own, and went to reclaim it.
In our 'real world' (caution needed talking on this subject) are we any different? If someone overpowers us, and takes our country, they naturally assume all 'right and ownership' to all the spoils they have 'won'. Yet - the "loser" in a battle always continues to consider what was taken "theirs".
An interesting point for discussion, no?
Isildur's cutting the ring finger from
Sauron was pure "luck" some would say - providence others would say.
I'll do some research, but are we certain he knew nothing of its power? The
Elves certainly knew, and were in the battle at that time with them, yes? Why would they have withheld the information? And he certainly knew, by the time he refused to throw it into the fire to destroy it.
Anyway, a number of things tied up in the above exchange - a number of really exciting things.
Thought I'd toss it out there - and though I won't personally add any more to the discussion about it, I'd be interested in others' thoughts.
Maybe there are other threads out there about both the "war and ownership" issues, and the "how much did isildur know about the ring" issues... i'll do some reasearch in my spare time.