Ringe in Kulturgeschichte und Erzählforschung, in: Ringe der Macht, hrsg. von Harald Meller u.a. (= Tagungen des Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte Halle 21), Halle 2019, S. 163-176

Rings in cultural history and narrative research.

Stories about vanished rings, whether found again in the
belly of a fish or – as at Merseburg – pilfered by the raven,
illustrate by means of their loss the special importance of
the jewellery for the owners. Around the world, magic rings
have to be retrieved adventurously in a variety of fairy tales.
Specific »rings of power« pertain to the ubiquitous magic
rings: aristocratic family talismans, for example the Dessau
»Toad Ring« of the House of Anhalt. The fortune of the
dynasty was inseparably linked to them. Rings manifest – as
symbols of loyalty – bonds, such as the Ring of Recognition
which on his return the lost husband throws into his wife’s
cup. An engagement ring, slipped on a statue, is a magical
prop of literary material popular since the 12th century. The
loss of a ring is considered an ill omen: If faith is broken, the
ring breaks in two.