I like the idea that the Valar were like, "Wow, Sauron and Curumo have a lot in common - they're basically kindred spirits. And Sauron totally tried to become master of Middle Earth. Let's send Curumo to try to stop him. That won't backfire at all."
Well, for one thing they weren't mind readers, they would have had no way of knowing the depths of Curumo's envy of Olorin, especially since it didn't blossom in their presence. But really, joke aside it wasn't a bad idea. Being of similar temperament, it would guarantee that Curumo would never settle for being subservient or merely equal to Mairon. And once defeated, the mandate keeping him in Arda would be lifted, leaving him no reason to remain when the vast majority of his power and knowledge were denied him outside of Valinor, so he would have had every incentive to pack up and leave afterward. Unfortunately, his pride and ego, and now importantly his insecurity, were far greater than any could have predicted, and the plan was effectively spoiled by the X factor.
I've said this before, commenting on another video: There are three paragraphs in Two Towers, chapter two, that I always wondered about, where Aragorn says, "There is some will that lends speed to our foes and sets an unseen barrier before us: a weariness that is in the heart more than in the limb." I never found any reference elsewhere that addressed this. To me, it sounds similar to the effects that protected Imladris and Lorien.
I always took that line to mean his hope in saving the hobbits is waning. A fancy way to say "I'm losing hope, but we must keep moving and know for sure" That or it's the power of saruman urging his forces forward. Despair is the main weapon of the nazgul so it makes sense for it to be used to a more subtle but wider effect by sauron or saruman. Just my personal thoughts tho, not to be taken with any certainty.
Legolas replies to this and gives us the answer, he says the power that lends speed to their foes is in front of them not behind them and aragorn then says saruman. So yeah Saruman set his will against the three hunters and almost broke Aragorn and gimli completely seems only legolas was unfazed by it
Saruman never served Sauron nor bent to him at all in the books. The Gandalf locked in the Tower bit is explained ONLY in the Unfinished Tales Book: In [manuscript-C) The Black Riders arrived at the Gate of Isengard while Gandalf was still a prisoner in the tower. In this account, Saruman, in fear & despair, & perceiving the full horror of service to Mordor, resolved suddenly to yield to Gandalf, & to beg for his pardon & help. Temporizing at the Gate, he admitted that he had Gandalf within, & said that he would go & try to discover what he knew; if that were unavailing, he would deliver Gandalf up to them. Then Saruman hastened to the summit of Orthanc - & found Gandalf gone. Away south against the setting moon he saw a great Eagle flying towards Edoras. See, the thing is he was always master of studying the enemy & even being able to think like they do to always know exactly the best ways to handle ever situation and so on, but the thing is he didn't just become the enemy, he at this time in a sense for once actually grew afraid of him, probably Sauron did what Sauron did with Finrod Felagund in the duel of visions, (Galadriel’s elder brother who by the way was the most important in the Legendarium & is the main reason the third age even exists) which basically widdled Saruman with various visions of the past and future until it wore him down, but Saruman(Curumo) was the mostly already becoming weary due to what was called The Long Defeat, magic bleeding out from the lands of middle earth and subsequently certain things become less and less possible and the elves begin to go west. Even the ones who never wished to leave middle earth and many of which were born here by the thousands. So him also being a student and helper of Aulë of the Valar he was going to fight fire with fire and make a bid for the ring just so Sauron could never regain full power and if Saruman found a way to release himself from his power restrictions even by any small margin or worked with Eru in some way it might have worked out in the end if things went differently enough to where such action from him would be needed. Ontop of that he was growing ever jealous of Gandalf for he received the Varya from Círdan and prior to that was chosen by the other Valar, Nienna’s chosen champion to go to middle earth. But Gandalf(Olórin back then) refused over and over and exclaimed his fear of Sauron(Mairon), varya I feel would have kindle the heart of Saruman to stay strong as he had been fighting the evils of the world for a very long time since he had been sent to Middle Earth. And for the is reason Saruman wished to hold the ring at hostage. Keep Sauron from taking back his full strength and basically use it to stave off The Long Defeat. Saruman is very complex. The Hobbit movies actually shows how he was even 60 years ago during Bilbo’s story. He was one of the main forces thwarting Sauron for over 2000 years. The Númenoreans: the high men of the west; gifted Saruman with Orthanc which was of their making. Now known as Isengard. - saruman is actually trying to doublecross sauron. He wants the ring for himself. He thinks he can control it. The little orcs around saruman are from mordor - sauron's orcs sent to help saruman but also to spy on him. The big fighting orcs - the uruk hai - are loyal only to saruman. Orcs are like that. But its why saruman's orders are a bit vague - to avoid sauron's orcs knowing what saruman is doing. The movies dont make this bit of the story very clear. But notice that, while saruman knows where the fellowship is he never lets Sauron Know.
Um. No. Gandalf's report to the Council of Elrond of Saruman's words to him at Orthanc imply that Saruman did 'bend' to Sauron and 'serve' him. This is also implied by the conversations among the orcs during the run from Amon Hen to Fangorn where the troops from Mordor comment on the white hand ensign as "someone getting ideas over their station". Both of these are in the published text of the Lord of the Rings, as is the fact (without further details) that Gandalf was held prisoner in Orthanc and freed by Gwaihir. That he wasn't completely suborned or enslaved and that he wanted the One for himself doesn't mean he didn't bend.
This is one of the most interesting mysteries in Middle Earth that I've always craved more information on. Thanks for your great analysis and intriguing perspectives!
Was it Saruman's pride that even when he had Galdalf in his prison, he did not strip him of the Ring of Fire? As it would have revealed his inferiority complex?
He didnt have any use for it. And Gandalf would have died before giving it up. Saruman nearly repented too, in at least one draft. So he was nearly swayed to Gandalfs side.
Saruman did the best he could with what little information he had available. Sauron had spent centuries learning from the best Elven and Numenorean smiths to perfect his plan. Saruman didn't have the benefit of that collaborative process - he had to do it all in secret, hiding it both from Sauron and from the White Council.
@@OceanHedgehog Saruman studied alongside Sauron under the Valar Aule, the Great Smith, in Valinor. But why would Saruman go to so much effort to find the One Ring if he could make his own?
@@BenFraylebecause with the forging of one such as the One comes sacrifice, giving your own power unto it so as to multiply that power, yet you are made even lesser without it if it is lost than you were prior to it’s forging. Why risk such when you can steal such power from another, and in doing so empower yourself without sacrifice and knowing that doing so will cripple your greatest rival?
Tolkien states that Saruman would have been able to find enough info in the ruins of Mordor (after Saurons defeat) to make his own master ring. Perhaps by studying Saurons ruines smithy or alloys he would find I suppose.
Wow. I just discovered your channel, and I plan to start from video #1 and watch them all. Incredible quality, easy to follow, and great narration. Beats reading wiki articles any day!
Saruman, I think, would not have showed his ring to Gandalf unless it had some real power. What happened to the ring ultimately? Did Saruman have it with him in the Shire? If so, what did Frodo and company do with it?
I think the point of the ring is to echo the 'another dark lord arising' theme. And that rings are not unique to Sauron and the elves in eregion. Others, like Elrond and Saruman, can repeat the process if dedicated enough.
I like the idea that Saruman could have eventually forged a true Great Ring of Power, if he ever had gotten access to the Dark Tower. One can almost imagine the story of how Saruman could have kept his betrayal secret, slipping into the Dark Tower after Sauron fell, but before Aragorn secured his two realms. One last hurrah for the secret agent of evil.
I read a theory that sarumans ring would likely assimilate the one ring had he obtained it. This would render the one ring lesser than sarumans ring. The theory concluded with a complete ring barring istari march before the black gate and Saruman hands Sauron the one ring (now lesser) and dominants him. The 6 maiar all wielding rings of power would engage in a new music to turn middle earth into paradise
Saruman: 😃 "Hey Sauron, look! I made a ring of power just like yours!" Sauron: 🤔 "Is...um...is that papier-mâché?" Saruman: 😡 "IT'S A RING OF POWER DAMMIT DON'T MAKE ME USE IT ON YOU!" Sauron: 🤨 "Okay, okay..." _[backs slowly out of the room]_
Saruman tempted Gandalf to join him. Perhaps showing Gandalf the ring and boasting of being a ring maker was another attempt to convince him that he was already powerless and defeated.
Because Tolkien took inspiration from Norse Mythology, more specificity the legend of Sigurd who end up in possession of the cursed ring, Andvaranaut after slaying the dragon Fáfnir which had a nasty curse of misfortune placed on it by its original owner & creator the dwarf Andvari after Loki had robbed him of it and his hoard of gold so as to use both as reparation to the King of the Dwarfs for accidently killing his son, (Fáfnir was his other son who out of greed slew his father to claim both before absconding & transforming into a dragon to protect his ill-gotten gain), After Sigurd had claimed the ring the curse begin slowly effecting him by ruining his life, eventually leading to his untimely death.
@@sprgeorge333 Oh god! That reminds of the Jack Black & Sarah Michelle Gellar LotR parody skit for the MTV Video Music Awards where Jack as dressed an elf reveals during the Council of Elrond he had the One Ring pierced through his weaner tip before hilarity ensues.🤣 ua-cam.com/video/do9xPQHI9G0/v-deo.html
Is it possible that Saruman fashioned the ring before he turned wicked, and that in fact it was his ring that brought him down, by amplifying his envy and lust?
Saruman had a great Problem. Yes he was a Maiar like Sauron but he wa slimited by the Valar in his power and could only use parts of it, so he was weaker than sauron and couldnt contain enough power to form such a powerfull ring like sauron even with knowledge
A good video but one with a very strange ending: "Could the tale of Saruman's ascension be the greatest untold sequel?" Er, no. Because he has already been disempowered by Gandalf and was killed in the Scouring of the Shire. Which brings me to the other weird strand in the argument - the idea that Saruman's ring would make him immortal. He's already immortal. Yes, the wizards came to Middle-earth clothed in the bodies of Men and these bodies do show signs of aging, due to the labour and cares taken on by the spirits that inhabit them, but there's no suggestion in Tolkien's writings that the wizards would eventually succumb to natural, mortal deaths. Maybe their bodies would wear at some point wear out and, similar to Elves fading, they would become pure spirits again. But this is all speculation. Sauron. for instance, had been in Middle-earth far longer than the wizards and had shown no signs of "wearing out". His Ring was forged about 5000 years before his final defeat, but that was still a fraction of all the time he'd spent on Middle-earth - and even when it was taken from him and his spirit fled his body, he was still able to take shape again. I'm guessing Saruman's ring didn't do much at all, but it also wasn't meant to be a preservative, since Saruman had no interest in preserving things - he was more interested in destroying and defiling them. Maybe it could to some extent amplify the powers he already had, such as his voice and the ability to motivate armies. But I think it was just there to impress Gandalf, who wasn't impressed at all by it.
What happened to Saruman's ring after he left Orthanc? And what happened to his ring after he died? Unlike the rings falling under the One Ring, Saruman's ring wouldn't have lost its power after the destruction of the One Ring. So it would still persist as a magic ring.
Sarumans Ring was no doubt tied to the Master Ring, as he made it after studying saurons ring crafts. Perhaps by studying one or more of the Lesser Rings.
I think now I understand, Saurons Ring, is different and vastly more powerful than the others, because is the only one that caries the soul, the essence of souring a maier, and doing so he infected all shadow realm and no one can truly wild it. Only Aule himself if he would do d Such a creation and secrefice part of his soul, it could meaby enough to .
so is a part of saruman also preserved in his ring? If so, does that mean that given enough time, he could reform himself and return just like sauron, as long as his ring isnt destroyed?
What do you think of saruman having made 2 rings? One for him, a master ring, and one for Grima, a lesser ring to corrupt him. The way they both are such shadows of themselves by the end, makes me think both were beneficiaries of preservation and victims of corruption from rings.
@@tominny Saruman told Gandalf he'd made multiple rings. They weren't anything like Sauron's rings of power. The whole theme is that Saruman was imitating Sauron in everything he did but he was always inferior. When they searched Isengard after the War of the Ring they found all sorts of magical items he had found or created in his search for the One Ring. Your idea that Saruman and Grima had matching rings or something is just BS.
@@BenFrayle ok? How is anything you are saying different from what I'm saying? Saruman made multiple rings, he attempted to imitate sauron, gave 1 of his lesser rings to grima and tried to corrupt him. None of the rings worked as well as Sauron, but he was trying. Why are you so upset?
He calls himself Sauroman of many colors. What if Gandalf and Sauroman were the blue wizards originally, and eventually (like Gandalf went from Grey to White) they eventually got an *upgrade* and became new wizards, leaving their old title behind.
Who is Sauroman? No, Gandalf and Sauroman (whoever he is) were not the blue wizards. First of all, because we know those were Maiar called Alatar and Pallando (or Morinehtar and Rómestamo - probably their Middle-Earth names). And secondly because Tolkien says there were 5 Istari.
Would Saruman's Ring have been under the control of the One Ring? My guess is yes. The enabling tech of the rings as given by Sauron was designed to be controlled by the yet to be made One Ring. i.e. it would have been Standards Compliant ;-)
Sauron and Saruman were both trained in smithing by a Valar name Aule. The same Valar that created dwarves. So they had the same “master” you could say while they were in valinar
Would Saurman be destroyed if his ring was? If he crafted himself using his own skills, putting some his own power into it. Wouldn't it be safe to assume he would have been destroyed if his ring was?
It is possible that Saruman made his own ring of power according to the teachings of Sauron, on whom he studied. In this case, the following questions arise: Was Saruman's ring also connected to the One Ring? If so, did he lose his powers like the Three when the One Ring was destroyed? Did he incarnate his own spiritual power into this ring in accordance with the doctrine he adopted? Was this initiative an essential ability derived from his being a Maia of Aulë, independent of Sauron's teaching? Could this ring be the main source of the effect in Saruman's voice? If he had this ring, why was he trying to get the One Ring? Could Saruman's mind be perceived by the Three through this ring? These are the main questions awaiting answers. I think it may be related to the concept of Morgoth's Ring that Saruman may never make a ring equivalent to the One Ring like Sauron. It was Sauron who inherited the corrupted Arda and thus Melkor's will that spread across Arda. Mordor is one of the special regions where Melkor's spiritual power (will) is focused due to its heterogeneous distribution on Arda. This is the fundamental fact that distinguishes the One Ring forged in Mordor (constructed from the material of Arda and therefore tainted with the spiritual power of Melkor) from Saruman's ring. I think this is what's missing in Saruman.
It's quite certain that Saurman's ring would have been connected to the One Ring as the One Ring was specifically made to make the rest of them it's subjects. Think of it like a pack of wolves, where the One Ring is the alpha of the pack (because Sauron put all his power into it). Also, as for what would happen when the One Ring is destroyed we can assume again with some good amount of certainty that Saruman's ring also lost it's power. Look at how he was reduced to living in a Hobbit hole in the ground commanding a few ruffians. Not the kind of thing a man with that kind of ring power would be doing. He was at the very bottom of his power. Let's also remember that Saruman, while a Maia, was no where near as powerful as Sauron and was still confined to his mortal and old body and went to middle earth already nerfed. It's nothing complicated like you suggest about making the Ring in a certain location. There's absolutely no way that he would have been able to make a sufficiently powerful enough ring like Sauron did.
@@DigitalSystematic Another difference between Saruman's ring and other rings of power is that it was made after the One Ring. Since the other 19 power rings were made before the One Ring, it is a conscious move that they were linked to the One Ring made later. In other words, the One Ring was made last so that the others would be bound to the One Ring. Now, in this perspective, whether Saruman's ring will be connected to the One Ring or not is a point that still needs to be examined. With this logic, every ring made with this teaching after the One Ring must be connected to the One Ring.
@@TarMody Fair question but we must also take into account that Sauron made the One while he was unaware of the ones the Elves had made, and yet it could dominate them. And so we can apply that same logic even to rings created afterwards - despite Sauron not having a hand in creating it, it can still make them its subjects. I think the Wolfpack analogy works well again here, where as long as the One is the ‘alpha’ it will always be able to dominate those lesser rings.
The theory about the white wizard should of helped an brought the third dark king what be awesome to aee I wish they had a what if like marvel does so many stories to tell
So, this normally where I complain, as I often do, about videos that discuss the Rings of Power; how Sauron had to carve the majority of his native essence from himself, and tie it up within the One Ring, to dominate the others, when it never seems that any other grand artifice requires a sacrifice. Neither Celebimbor, nor the other Gwaith i'Mirdin "lost" anything in making the Rings, nor did Feanor dwindle for making the Silmarils, or the Palantiri Stones. I feel like this might add to the idea that Saruman's Ring does nothing, as he may not have known about investing himself into it, but this actually gets me to my question; what IS "ties up" within the other Rings of Power, that lets them do what they can, seemingly without a cost to the forger? What did Sauron teach the Gwaith i'Mirdain to seal within the Rings to give them the power they possessed?
Ah, this is strictly speaking not correct. The Silmarils for example, are unique in all of Arda: even Fëanor says he cannot make them again (and some part of him went into their making). Tolkien does speak about this loss of native power in regards to the Valar: when used to dominate and corrupt, it doesn't regenerate over time (hence why the Valar, despite their many creations, are not so diminished). Celebrimbor very likely could never again make the Three, as some measure of himself went into them. Could he make more, lesser Rings after? Yes. And Sauron poured so much of himself into the One because he desired domination of the Elven ringbearer's wills, and dominating the wills of others requires a great deal of power.
I thought the wizards came to middle earth in the form of old men, I know they age slowly, but was there a difference between Saruman's ageing and that of Gandalf, even with Gandalf wearing Narya?
If his own Ring of Power did survived Orthanc´s conquest and he wasn´t wearing it anymore after Gandalf broke his staff, then after he got killed physically by Grima Wormtongue, his spirit might have survived so long as the Ring remained much like Sauron did when his own lasted. That could be an explanation of The New Shadow´s main ideas left unfinished by Tolkien. It doesn´t seems that Saruman got the same fate of being sweped away by a Western divine wind into the East as Sauron did get after his defeat, or well his spirit seems to go into another direction than Sauron.
I think that's a tantalizing possibility... that he DID put (some of) his essence into it, so that he would not be permanently weakened by "death". Saruman, like Sauron and the Balrogs, were Maiar. The fact that the Balrogs 'died' confirmed that Maia bodies could be destroyed, and their spirits unable to reform into corporeal entities again. Confirmed, as much as anything we can conclude from Tolkien's works. Luthien and Huan almost killed Sauron in the First Age, with Luthien telling Sauron that his naked spirit would have to slink back to Morgoth and suffer his scorn. Sauron later takes up Ringcraft, and seemingly solves this dilemma. After forging the One Ring, he suffers "death" at least twice- the fall of Numenor, and in combat with Elendil and Gil-Galad. Both times he could regain shape. Quickly after Numenor, as his spirit returned to Mordor and took up the Ring. Millennia after losing at the end of the Second Age, as he never physically reclaimed his Ring... but nonetheless he had done so. Movies aside, the books indicate he had taken shape again. Gollum even says he only has 4 fingers on the Black Hand (but they are enough). That statement indicates Gollum had actually seen Sauron in physical form, and not just a fiery eyeball. Saruman does seem greatly diminished when in the Shire at the end, as though he had lost a great part of his essence. The breaking of his staff should not do that, it was more being cast out of the Order of the Istari. One could speculate that his minor essay into Ringcraft, modest in comparison to the One Ring, still served the purpose of housing his essence safely- which could be of vital importance. In a game, it would be like setting a save-point. He could then hide his own ring safely somewhere (especially after being on the losing end of the battle with Rohan, and of more importance, out of the favor of the West). He could then wander off and "get killed", as he does... and fall off the radar entirely by the new ruling order of Middle Earth. At this point, he would need centuries, probably millennia, to reform; time for the Elves to sail West, time for Men to forget all about him. So when he does reform, he'd be anonymous. Free to do what he does best- persuade and influence the unsuspecting to do his bidding. He'd already learned both from observation and personal experience that openly declaring power simply invites war and paints a target on you. He'd also have learned that he could control Rohan easily from behind the scenes, just pulling the strings like a puppet master. If he did reform, the reasonable move would be to work in the shadows again. Middle Earth is supposed to be Earth in ancient days. Saruman was focused on technology, new manners of weapons, industry. Those factors have been the driving force behind each new empire or civilization that has become dominant in history. If "it's all real"- Tolkien's in universe assertion, sure seems to be at least circumstantial evidence that Saruman is back in business.
Consider that the rings granted power to govern races, and Saruman created the Uruk-Hai. Otoh, of corse, there is no corresponding ring which governs og orcs.
I don’t think he could, Sauroman was never as powerful as Sauron, this is indirectly mention in the material with Sauron being the mightiest of Aulë maias . Sauron ability and knowledge in craft was what lead to the creation of the rings of power, without him there would have been no rings of power, there would be no real ring lore. It was also likely that was contributing cause that drove Melkor to pursue him, that and his envy, because he desired Aulë craft and knowledge above all else. Also Sauroman like all the other Istari had reduced powers, in other words he would not had access to his power to put the essence of it into a new master ring, also much of the knowledge might only existed in the mind of Sauron and not easily accessible. Although an interesting theory, Sauroman was never but a poor copy of the master he sought to replace. Additionally the one ring had a spell on it, a spell so powerful that it bound all other rings to it, any ring made out from the lore world be subdued by it as that was the plan, even Sauroman ring would likely been bound too it.
Just to indulge in pure speculation, perhaps Saruman's ring also gave him enhanced ability to create his Uruk-hai, through genetic crossing of orcs and men, it seems.
Notwithstanding many good ideas in your video, we must remember that Sauron learnt his ring craft in collaboration with Celebrimbor. It was not a solo effort. Consequently, Saruman could not have ever achieved the skill of Sauron's crafting. Secondly, the rings only had as much power as was poured into them. That is why Sauron faltered upon the One Ring's destruction - his native power was permanently lost to him in the dissolution of the Ring. Saruman may have achieved greater focus of his power but it could not amplify beyond his original power quantum. One of the reasons Sauron was so mighty was that Morgoth probably had gifted him some enhanced ability - thereby lifting Sauron above his original state at Morgoth's expense. As Saruman was not enhanced by Sauron or Morgoth he was probably only as powerful as he ever was. Had he more time, Saruman may have enhanced his craftsmanship but he would have had to steal any additional power - possibly through the capture and torture of others ...
Didn't t the Maiar have immortality similar or superior to the Elves? If so, then Saruman was not in purely mortal form and didn't need to worry about extending his lifespan.
It came to my mind as this started that in Christianity the angels that fell did so immediately on learning of God's plan. Tolkien, good Catholic as he was, followed this except for Saruman. It seems only he fell after learning of and following Eru Illuvatar for a time. Not sure if my knowledge of Christianity is lacking, if Tolkien would indicate Saruman actually fell earlier, or if Tolien simply deviated on this point. What I would give to have a sit down with the writer!
I would compare Saruman more to Judas, if you wanted a Christian interpretation. Judas was a disciple of Jesus, trusted by him, but one who later betrayed him. In some versions of the story, Judas's betrayal was because he disagreed with Jesus on the purpose of his movement. Judas, according to this interpretation, wanted to free Judea from Roman rule, unlike Jesus, who was concerned about men's salvation. This would fall more in line with Saruman's betrayal of the Istari and their purpose in coming to Middle Earth. This obviously isn't a one to one comparison, but Tolkien wouldn't do that sort of thing anyway. He'd be more subtle about using this theme, as we saw with Gandalf the Grey becoming Gandalf the White after dying and coming back.
The analogy is faulty in many ways. While some Ainur did follow Morgoth immediately, others (including Mairon/Gorthaur/Sauron) only became corrupted by him while in Arda. Tolkien expressly said that his story was not to be interpreted allegorically.
I like the idea that the Valar were like, "Wow, Sauron and Curumo have a lot in common - they're basically kindred spirits. And Sauron totally tried to become master of Middle Earth. Let's send Curumo to try to stop him. That won't backfire at all."
Haha!
I am less than impressed with the Valar.
@@amrak63The Valar are basically Tolkien’s take on Greek gods. Super flawed individuals with immense power.
Well, for one thing they weren't mind readers, they would have had no way of knowing the depths of Curumo's envy of Olorin, especially since it didn't blossom in their presence. But really, joke aside it wasn't a bad idea. Being of similar temperament, it would guarantee that Curumo would never settle for being subservient or merely equal to Mairon. And once defeated, the mandate keeping him in Arda would be lifted, leaving him no reason to remain when the vast majority of his power and knowledge were denied him outside of Valinor, so he would have had every incentive to pack up and leave afterward. Unfortunately, his pride and ego, and now importantly his insecurity, were far greater than any could have predicted, and the plan was effectively spoiled by the X factor.
😂
I've said this before, commenting on another video:
There are three paragraphs in Two Towers, chapter two, that I always wondered about, where Aragorn says, "There is some will that lends speed to our foes and sets an unseen barrier before us: a weariness that is in the heart more than in the limb."
I never found any reference elsewhere that addressed this. To me, it sounds similar to the effects that protected Imladris and Lorien.
I always took that line to mean his hope in saving the hobbits is waning. A fancy way to say "I'm losing hope, but we must keep moving and know for sure"
That or it's the power of saruman urging his forces forward. Despair is the main weapon of the nazgul so it makes sense for it to be used to a more subtle but wider effect by sauron or saruman.
Just my personal thoughts tho, not to be taken with any certainty.
Legolas replies to this and gives us the answer, he says the power that lends speed to their foes is in front of them not behind them and aragorn then says saruman. So yeah Saruman set his will against the three hunters and almost broke Aragorn and gimli completely seems only legolas was unfazed by it
So it's the anti red ring.
That’s great! I definitely think it possible that his ring produced that effect.
Saruman never served Sauron nor bent to him at all in the books. The Gandalf locked in the Tower bit is explained ONLY in the Unfinished Tales Book: In [manuscript-C) The Black Riders arrived at the Gate of Isengard while Gandalf was still a prisoner in the tower. In this account, Saruman, in fear & despair, & perceiving the full horror of service to Mordor, resolved suddenly to yield to Gandalf, & to beg for his pardon & help. Temporizing at the Gate, he admitted that he had Gandalf within, & said that he would go & try to discover what he knew; if that were unavailing, he would deliver Gandalf up to them. Then Saruman hastened to the summit of Orthanc - & found Gandalf gone. Away south against the setting moon he saw a great Eagle flying towards Edoras.
See, the thing is he was always master of studying the enemy & even being able to think like they do to always know exactly the best ways to handle ever situation and so on, but the thing is he didn't just become the enemy, he at this time in a sense for once actually grew afraid of him, probably Sauron did what Sauron did with Finrod Felagund in the duel of visions, (Galadriel’s elder brother who by the way was the most important in the Legendarium & is the main reason the third age even exists) which basically widdled Saruman with various visions of the past and future until it wore him down, but Saruman(Curumo) was the mostly already becoming weary due to what was called The Long Defeat, magic bleeding out from the lands of middle earth and subsequently certain things become less and less possible and the elves begin to go west.
Even the ones who never wished to leave middle earth and many of which were born here by the thousands.
So him also being a student and helper of Aulë of the Valar he was going to fight fire with fire and make a bid for the ring just so Sauron could never regain full power and if Saruman found a way to release himself from his power restrictions even by any small margin or worked with Eru in some way it might have worked out in the end if things went differently enough to where such action from him would be needed.
Ontop of that he was growing ever jealous of Gandalf for he received the Varya from Círdan and prior to that was chosen by the other Valar, Nienna’s chosen champion to go to middle earth. But Gandalf(Olórin back then) refused over and over and exclaimed his fear of Sauron(Mairon), varya I feel would have kindle the heart of Saruman to stay strong as he had been fighting the evils of the world for a very long time since he had been sent to Middle Earth.
And for the is reason Saruman wished to hold the ring at hostage. Keep Sauron from taking back his full strength and basically use it to stave off The Long Defeat.
Saruman is very complex. The Hobbit movies actually shows how he was even 60 years ago during Bilbo’s story. He was one of the main forces thwarting Sauron for over 2000 years. The Númenoreans: the high men of the west; gifted Saruman with Orthanc which was of their making. Now known as Isengard.
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saruman is actually trying to doublecross sauron. He wants the ring for himself. He thinks he can control it. The little orcs around saruman are from mordor - sauron's orcs sent to help saruman but also to spy on him. The big fighting orcs - the uruk hai - are loyal only to saruman.
Orcs are like that. But its why saruman's orders are a bit vague - to avoid sauron's orcs knowing what saruman is doing. The movies dont make this bit of the story very clear. But notice that, while saruman knows where the fellowship is he never lets Sauron Know.
Um. No. Gandalf's report to the Council of Elrond of Saruman's words to him at Orthanc imply that Saruman did 'bend' to Sauron and 'serve' him. This is also implied by the conversations among the orcs during the run from Amon Hen to Fangorn where the troops from Mordor comment on the white hand ensign as "someone getting ideas over their station". Both of these are in the published text of the Lord of the Rings, as is the fact (without further details) that Gandalf was held prisoner in Orthanc and freed by Gwaihir.
That he wasn't completely suborned or enslaved and that he wanted the One for himself doesn't mean he didn't bend.
Fantastic video- this is fast becoming my favourite Middle Earth channel. Also really good to see new artworks that aren't channelling those films.
This is one of the most interesting mysteries in Middle Earth that I've always craved more information on. Thanks for your great analysis and intriguing perspectives!
One day a Bright Lord(tm) will forge a ring of power to challenge the Dark Lord himself! I love these deep dive videos! So good!
So, Saruman was trying to usurp the One Ring by creating one with better stats, the Two Ring.
I wonder if it was even as great as a ring for men or dwarves...
It wasn't they were great rings, his was lesser.
We should name it the one ring II
I like this.
Saruman is one of my all-time favorite on-screen characters. And Christopher Lee's portrayal was absolutely stunning.
May Christopher Lee Rest in peace.
Was it Saruman's pride that even when he had Galdalf in his prison, he did not strip him of the Ring of Fire? As it would have revealed his inferiority complex?
He didnt have any use for it. And Gandalf would have died before giving it up. Saruman nearly repented too, in at least one draft. So he was nearly swayed to Gandalfs side.
It’s also likely he couldn’t see it. The elves rings are invisible save for the bearer and the bearer of the One ring.
Saruman crafting his own lowly ring always rankled with me.
Saruman did the best he could with what little information he had available. Sauron had spent centuries learning from the best Elven and Numenorean smiths to perfect his plan. Saruman didn't have the benefit of that collaborative process - he had to do it all in secret, hiding it both from Sauron and from the White Council.
@@OceanHedgehog Saruman studied alongside Sauron under the Valar Aule, the Great Smith, in Valinor. But why would Saruman go to so much effort to find the One Ring if he could make his own?
@@BenFraylebecause with the forging of one such as the One comes sacrifice, giving your own power unto it so as to multiply that power, yet you are made even lesser without it if it is lost than you were prior to it’s forging. Why risk such when you can steal such power from another, and in doing so empower yourself without sacrifice and knowing that doing so will cripple your greatest rival?
@@OceanHedgehog Sauron taught the Elves ring craft, not the other way around.
Tolkien states that Saruman would have been able to find enough info in the ruins of Mordor (after Saurons defeat) to make his own master ring. Perhaps by studying Saurons ruines smithy or alloys he would find I suppose.
You have such a beautiful voice for narrating this kind of content. I'm jealous. Good video.
Wow. I just discovered your channel, and I plan to start from video #1 and watch them all. Incredible quality, easy to follow, and great narration. Beats reading wiki articles any day!
Love the lore and narration! Keep it up!
Entwives: "We feel lost and forgotten!"
Saruman's Ring: "Excuse me?! YOU feel lost and forgotten!"
Somehow you still manage to highlight the very question which I consider really interesting.
Saruman, I think, would not have showed his ring to Gandalf unless it had some real power.
What happened to the ring ultimately? Did Saruman have it with him in the Shire? If so, what did Frodo and company do with it?
I think the point of the ring is to echo the 'another dark lord arising' theme. And that rings are not unique to Sauron and the elves in eregion. Others, like Elrond and Saruman, can repeat the process if dedicated enough.
Very well done. Your voice is also powerful.
I like the idea that Saruman could have eventually forged a true Great Ring of Power, if he ever had gotten access to the Dark Tower. One can almost imagine the story of how Saruman could have kept his betrayal secret, slipping into the Dark Tower after Sauron fell, but before Aragorn secured his two realms. One last hurrah for the secret agent of evil.
2:16 Ha ha! I SEE what you did there! Kindred Spirits 😮. 🤓😎✌🏻🇬🇧
How do you only have 66k subscribers, awesome channel and awesome voice.
Nicely done - you've got a new sub here.
Absolutely fascinating; stuff I was unaware of. Thanks!
Poor old Aule must be eating crow. I cannot believe how many times I've read LOR and still missed Saruman's ring.
I read a theory that sarumans ring would likely assimilate the one ring had he obtained it. This would render the one ring lesser than sarumans ring. The theory concluded with a complete ring barring istari march before the black gate and Saruman hands Sauron the one ring (now lesser) and dominants him. The 6 maiar all wielding rings of power would engage in a new music to turn middle earth into paradise
Saruman: 😃 "Hey Sauron, look! I made a ring of power just like yours!"
Sauron: 🤔 "Is...um...is that papier-mâché?"
Saruman: 😡 "IT'S A RING OF POWER DAMMIT DON'T MAKE ME USE IT ON YOU!"
Sauron: 🤨 "Okay, okay..." _[backs slowly out of the room]_
Very interesting. Like your channel.❤
Saruman tempted Gandalf to join him. Perhaps showing Gandalf the ring and boasting of being a ring maker was another attempt to convince him that he was already powerless and defeated.
Why rings? Why not Necklaces, bracelets, or anklets?
Because Tolkien took inspiration from Norse Mythology, more specificity the legend of Sigurd who end up in possession of the cursed ring, Andvaranaut after slaying the dragon Fáfnir which had a nasty curse of misfortune placed on it by its original owner & creator the dwarf Andvari after Loki had robbed him of it and his hoard of gold so as to use both as reparation to the King of the Dwarfs for accidently killing his son, (Fáfnir was his other son who out of greed slew his father to claim both before absconding & transforming into a dragon to protect his ill-gotten gain), After Sigurd had claimed the ring the curse begin slowly effecting him by ruining his life, eventually leading to his untimely death.
Why not a toe ring?
Gauntlets, earrings, and tattoos!
The Prince Albert of Prince Isildur just doesnt feel good... to anyone.
@@sprgeorge333 Oh god! That reminds of the Jack Black & Sarah Michelle Gellar LotR parody skit for the MTV Video Music Awards where Jack as dressed an elf reveals during the Council of Elrond he had the One Ring pierced through his weaner tip before hilarity ensues.🤣
ua-cam.com/video/do9xPQHI9G0/v-deo.html
Is it possible that Saruman fashioned the ring before he turned wicked, and that in fact it was his ring that brought him down, by amplifying his envy and lust?
Not impossible.
Thank you had several questions about this one
I wonder what happened to the ring he made?
Saruman had a great Problem. Yes he was a Maiar like Sauron but he wa slimited by the Valar in his power and could only use parts of it, so he was weaker than sauron and couldnt contain enough power to form such a powerfull ring like sauron even with knowledge
A good video but one with a very strange ending: "Could the tale of Saruman's ascension be the greatest untold sequel?" Er, no. Because he has already been disempowered by Gandalf and was killed in the Scouring of the Shire. Which brings me to the other weird strand in the argument - the idea that Saruman's ring would make him immortal. He's already immortal. Yes, the wizards came to Middle-earth clothed in the bodies of Men and these bodies do show signs of aging, due to the labour and cares taken on by the spirits that inhabit them, but there's no suggestion in Tolkien's writings that the wizards would eventually succumb to natural, mortal deaths. Maybe their bodies would wear at some point wear out and, similar to Elves fading, they would become pure spirits again. But this is all speculation. Sauron. for instance, had been in Middle-earth far longer than the wizards and had shown no signs of "wearing out". His Ring was forged about 5000 years before his final defeat, but that was still a fraction of all the time he'd spent on Middle-earth - and even when it was taken from him and his spirit fled his body, he was still able to take shape again. I'm guessing Saruman's ring didn't do much at all, but it also wasn't meant to be a preservative, since Saruman had no interest in preserving things - he was more interested in destroying and defiling them. Maybe it could to some extent amplify the powers he already had, such as his voice and the ability to motivate armies. But I think it was just there to impress Gandalf, who wasn't impressed at all by it.
You should next do a movie about the palantir. The seeing stone Saruman had that allowed him to communicate with Sauron.
The man was compensating. He was a rather insecure wizard.
What happened to Saruman's ring after he left Orthanc? And what happened to his ring after he died? Unlike the rings falling under the One Ring, Saruman's ring wouldn't have lost its power after the destruction of the One Ring. So it would still persist as a magic ring.
Sarumans Ring was no doubt tied to the Master Ring, as he made it after studying saurons ring crafts. Perhaps by studying one or more of the Lesser Rings.
Thank you again for your wonderful storytelling. I wonder where that ring ended up.
It’s claimed that Saruman knew Cirdan gave Narya to Gandalf, but if he did then surely he would have taken it from him when he imprisoned him. Surely?
I think now I understand, Saurons Ring, is different and vastly more powerful than the others, because is the only one that caries the soul, the essence of souring a maier, and doing so he infected all shadow realm and no one can truly wild it. Only Aule himself if he would do d Such a creation and secrefice part of his soul, it could meaby enough to .
Saruman was always jealous of Gandalf for being gifted with one of the 3 elven rings.
so is a part of saruman also preserved in his ring?
If so, does that mean that given enough time, he could reform himself and return just like sauron, as long as his ring isnt destroyed?
What do you think of saruman having made 2 rings? One for him, a master ring, and one for Grima, a lesser ring to corrupt him. The way they both are such shadows of themselves by the end, makes me think both were beneficiaries of preservation and victims of corruption from rings.
What a lot of nonsense
@@BenFrayle nice addition, really brought a lot of thought to your comment.
@@tominny Saruman told Gandalf he'd made multiple rings. They weren't anything like Sauron's rings of power. The whole theme is that Saruman was imitating Sauron in everything he did but he was always inferior. When they searched Isengard after the War of the Ring they found all sorts of magical items he had found or created in his search for the One Ring. Your idea that Saruman and Grima had matching rings or something is just BS.
@@BenFrayle ok? How is anything you are saying different from what I'm saying? Saruman made multiple rings, he attempted to imitate sauron, gave 1 of his lesser rings to grima and tried to corrupt him. None of the rings worked as well as Sauron, but he was trying. Why are you so upset?
@@tominny Saruman didn't give Grima, or anyone else, any of his 'rings'. There is nothing to suggest this in any of Tolkien's works or writings.
He calls himself Sauroman of many colors. What if Gandalf and Sauroman were the blue wizards originally, and eventually (like Gandalf went from Grey to White) they eventually got an *upgrade* and became new wizards, leaving their old title behind.
Who is Sauroman?
No, Gandalf and Sauroman (whoever he is) were not the blue wizards. First of all, because we know those were Maiar called Alatar and Pallando (or Morinehtar and Rómestamo - probably their Middle-Earth names). And secondly because Tolkien says there were 5 Istari.
Would Saruman's Ring have been under the control of the One Ring? My guess is yes. The enabling tech of the rings as given by Sauron was designed to be controlled by the yet to be made One Ring. i.e. it would have been Standards Compliant ;-)
Sauron and Saruman were both trained in smithing by a Valar name Aule. The same Valar that created dwarves. So they had the same “master” you could say while they were in valinar
Would Saurman be destroyed if his ring was? If he crafted himself using his own skills, putting some his own power into it. Wouldn't it be safe to assume he would have been destroyed if his ring was?
Who are the artists who made those pictures?
Praise Saruman for trying, he could have inherited all of middle earth xD. - F*** gorgious video, the art in it! the lore. godly craft for sure!
It is possible that Saruman made his own ring of power according to the teachings of Sauron, on whom he studied. In this case, the following questions arise: Was Saruman's ring also connected to the One Ring? If so, did he lose his powers like the Three when the One Ring was destroyed? Did he incarnate his own spiritual power into this ring in accordance with the doctrine he adopted? Was this initiative an essential ability derived from his being a Maia of Aulë, independent of Sauron's teaching? Could this ring be the main source of the effect in Saruman's voice? If he had this ring, why was he trying to get the One Ring? Could Saruman's mind be perceived by the Three through this ring? These are the main questions awaiting answers.
I think it may be related to the concept of Morgoth's Ring that Saruman may never make a ring equivalent to the One Ring like Sauron. It was Sauron who inherited the corrupted Arda and thus Melkor's will that spread across Arda. Mordor is one of the special regions where Melkor's spiritual power (will) is focused due to its heterogeneous distribution on Arda. This is the fundamental fact that distinguishes the One Ring forged in Mordor (constructed from the material of Arda and therefore tainted with the spiritual power of Melkor) from Saruman's ring. I think this is what's missing in Saruman.
It's quite certain that Saurman's ring would have been connected to the One Ring as the One Ring was specifically made to make the rest of them it's subjects. Think of it like a pack of wolves, where the One Ring is the alpha of the pack (because Sauron put all his power into it). Also, as for what would happen when the One Ring is destroyed we can assume again with some good amount of certainty that Saruman's ring also lost it's power. Look at how he was reduced to living in a Hobbit hole in the ground commanding a few ruffians. Not the kind of thing a man with that kind of ring power would be doing. He was at the very bottom of his power. Let's also remember that Saruman, while a Maia, was no where near as powerful as Sauron and was still confined to his mortal and old body and went to middle earth already nerfed. It's nothing complicated like you suggest about making the Ring in a certain location. There's absolutely no way that he would have been able to make a sufficiently powerful enough ring like Sauron did.
@@DigitalSystematic Another difference between Saruman's ring and other rings of power is that it was made after the One Ring. Since the other 19 power rings were made before the One Ring, it is a conscious move that they were linked to the One Ring made later. In other words, the One Ring was made last so that the others would be bound to the One Ring. Now, in this perspective, whether Saruman's ring will be connected to the One Ring or not is a point that still needs to be examined. With this logic, every ring made with this teaching after the One Ring must be connected to the One Ring.
@@TarMody Fair question but we must also take into account that Sauron made the One while he was unaware of the ones the Elves had made, and yet it could dominate them. And so we can apply that same logic even to rings created afterwards - despite Sauron not having a hand in creating it, it can still make them its subjects. I think the Wolfpack analogy works well again here, where as long as the One is the ‘alpha’ it will always be able to dominate those lesser rings.
@@DigitalSystematic elfs rings dont give a 💩 of alfa ring this is reality of tolkien lore
@@TarMody The enabling tech standard was designed by Sauron with a back door enabling root access.
I don't know if this has ever been answered but why didn't Saruman take Narya from Gandalf when he was imprisoned?
Sauron's ring didn't;t make him more powerful he just was able to control the other rings.
The theory about the white wizard should of helped an brought the third dark king what be awesome to aee I wish they had a what if like marvel does so many stories to tell
So, this normally where I complain, as I often do, about videos that discuss the Rings of Power; how Sauron had to carve the majority of his native essence from himself, and tie it up within the One Ring, to dominate the others, when it never seems that any other grand artifice requires a sacrifice. Neither Celebimbor, nor the other Gwaith i'Mirdin "lost" anything in making the Rings, nor did Feanor dwindle for making the Silmarils, or the Palantiri Stones. I feel like this might add to the idea that Saruman's Ring does nothing, as he may not have known about investing himself into it, but this actually gets me to my question; what IS "ties up" within the other Rings of Power, that lets them do what they can, seemingly without a cost to the forger? What did Sauron teach the Gwaith i'Mirdain to seal within the Rings to give them the power they possessed?
Ah, this is strictly speaking not correct. The Silmarils for example, are unique in all of Arda: even Fëanor says he cannot make them again (and some part of him went into their making). Tolkien does speak about this loss of native power in regards to the Valar: when used to dominate and corrupt, it doesn't regenerate over time (hence why the Valar, despite their many creations, are not so diminished). Celebrimbor very likely could never again make the Three, as some measure of himself went into them. Could he make more, lesser Rings after? Yes.
And Sauron poured so much of himself into the One because he desired domination of the Elven ringbearer's wills, and dominating the wills of others requires a great deal of power.
Sauron didn't sacrifice any of his 'power' to make the ring and he didn't lose any of it when the ring was no longer in his possession.
I thought the wizards came to middle earth in the form of old men, I know they age slowly, but was there a difference between Saruman's ageing and that of Gandalf, even with Gandalf wearing Narya?
I like how 1 sentence is turned into a 15-minute video lol.
But look, if they were buddies and he wanted to make a ring why didn't he just to to Mordor?
Gee, Sauron created a ring, and it's caused hm nothing but trouble, and weakened him greatly. I want some of that, Saruman though.
I like this
If his own Ring of Power did survived Orthanc´s conquest and he wasn´t wearing it anymore after Gandalf broke his staff, then after he got killed physically by Grima Wormtongue, his spirit might have survived so long as the Ring remained much like Sauron did when his own lasted. That could be an explanation of The New Shadow´s main ideas left unfinished by Tolkien. It doesn´t seems that Saruman got the same fate of being sweped away by a Western divine wind into the East as Sauron did get after his defeat, or well his spirit seems to go into another direction than Sauron.
I think that's a tantalizing possibility... that he DID put (some of) his essence into it, so that he would not be permanently weakened by "death".
Saruman, like Sauron and the Balrogs, were Maiar. The fact that the Balrogs 'died' confirmed that Maia bodies could be destroyed, and their spirits unable to reform into corporeal entities again. Confirmed, as much as anything we can conclude from Tolkien's works. Luthien and Huan almost killed Sauron in the First Age, with Luthien telling Sauron that his naked spirit would have to slink back to Morgoth and suffer his scorn.
Sauron later takes up Ringcraft, and seemingly solves this dilemma. After forging the One Ring, he suffers "death" at least twice- the fall of Numenor, and in combat with Elendil and Gil-Galad. Both times he could regain shape. Quickly after Numenor, as his spirit returned to Mordor and took up the Ring. Millennia after losing at the end of the Second Age, as he never physically reclaimed his Ring... but nonetheless he had done so. Movies aside, the books indicate he had taken shape again. Gollum even says he only has 4 fingers on the Black Hand (but they are enough). That statement indicates Gollum had actually seen Sauron in physical form, and not just a fiery eyeball.
Saruman does seem greatly diminished when in the Shire at the end, as though he had lost a great part of his essence. The breaking of his staff should not do that, it was more being cast out of the Order of the Istari. One could speculate that his minor essay into Ringcraft, modest in comparison to the One Ring, still served the purpose of housing his essence safely- which could be of vital importance. In a game, it would be like setting a save-point. He could then hide his own ring safely somewhere (especially after being on the losing end of the battle with Rohan, and of more importance, out of the favor of the West). He could then wander off and "get killed", as he does... and fall off the radar entirely by the new ruling order of Middle Earth. At this point, he would need centuries, probably millennia, to reform; time for the Elves to sail West, time for Men to forget all about him. So when he does reform, he'd be anonymous. Free to do what he does best- persuade and influence the unsuspecting to do his bidding. He'd already learned both from observation and personal experience that openly declaring power simply invites war and paints a target on you. He'd also have learned that he could control Rohan easily from behind the scenes, just pulling the strings like a puppet master. If he did reform, the reasonable move would be to work in the shadows again.
Middle Earth is supposed to be Earth in ancient days. Saruman was focused on technology, new manners of weapons, industry. Those factors have been the driving force behind each new empire or civilization that has become dominant in history. If "it's all real"- Tolkien's in universe assertion, sure seems to be at least circumstantial evidence that Saruman is back in business.
This lore could have become
A religion
Consider that the rings granted power to govern races, and Saruman created the Uruk-Hai. Otoh, of corse, there is no corresponding ring which governs og orcs.
Could saruman reconstitute his body even tho he forged a ring of power.
I don’t think he could, Sauroman was never as powerful as Sauron, this is indirectly mention in the material with Sauron being the mightiest of Aulë maias . Sauron ability and knowledge in craft was what lead to the creation of the rings of power, without him there would have been no rings of power, there would be no real ring lore. It was also likely that was contributing cause that drove Melkor to pursue him, that and his envy, because he desired Aulë craft and knowledge above all else.
Also Sauroman like all the other Istari had reduced powers, in other words he would not had access to his power to put the essence of it into a new master ring, also much of the knowledge might only existed in the mind of Sauron and not easily accessible.
Although an interesting theory, Sauroman was never but a poor copy of the master he sought to replace.
Additionally the one ring had a spell on it, a spell so powerful that it bound all other rings to it, any ring made out from the lore world be subdued by it as that was the plan, even Sauroman ring would likely been bound too it.
Who is Sauroman?
Just to indulge in pure speculation, perhaps Saruman's ring also gave him enhanced ability to create his Uruk-hai, through genetic crossing of orcs and men, it seems.
The quality of your scripts effortlessly surpass those of all other Tolkien tubers. Well done!
yeah right. this channel hides the fact it uses t00ls to make its content ,the script uses chat gee pee tee.
Notwithstanding many good ideas in your video, we must remember that Sauron learnt his ring craft in collaboration with Celebrimbor. It was not a solo effort. Consequently, Saruman could not have ever achieved the skill of Sauron's crafting. Secondly, the rings only had as much power as was poured into them. That is why Sauron faltered upon the One Ring's destruction - his native power was permanently lost to him in the dissolution of the Ring. Saruman may have achieved greater focus of his power but it could not amplify beyond his original power quantum. One of the reasons Sauron was so mighty was that Morgoth probably had gifted him some enhanced ability - thereby lifting Sauron above his original state at Morgoth's expense. As Saruman was not enhanced by Sauron or Morgoth he was probably only as powerful as he ever was. Had he more time, Saruman may have enhanced his craftsmanship but he would have had to steal any additional power - possibly through the capture and torture of others ...
No, Sauron did NOT learn ring craft in collaboration. Sauron guided and taught the Elves ring craft.
You say Saruman was aging. This is rubbish. He's a Maia, so can't age.
The Istria look, like old men through choice, not by growing old.
In their incarnate forms they do age, only slowly
👍👍
Didn't t the Maiar have immortality similar or superior to the Elves? If so, then Saruman was not in purely mortal form and didn't need to worry about extending his lifespan.
I think in the unfinished tales it's said that his hair was black when he first appeared and that it went gray. I'm not sure.
SauroSimp
Why the fuck am I watching this?
😍😍😍✅✅✅
It came to my mind as this started that in Christianity the angels that fell did so immediately on learning of God's plan. Tolkien, good Catholic as he was, followed this except for Saruman. It seems only he fell after learning of and following Eru Illuvatar for a time. Not sure if my knowledge of Christianity is lacking, if Tolkien would indicate Saruman actually fell earlier, or if Tolien simply deviated on this point. What I would give to have a sit down with the writer!
What?
I would compare Saruman more to Judas, if you wanted a Christian interpretation. Judas was a disciple of Jesus, trusted by him, but one who later betrayed him. In some versions of the story, Judas's betrayal was because he disagreed with Jesus on the purpose of his movement. Judas, according to this interpretation, wanted to free Judea from Roman rule, unlike Jesus, who was concerned about men's salvation.
This would fall more in line with Saruman's betrayal of the Istari and their purpose in coming to Middle Earth. This obviously isn't a one to one comparison, but Tolkien wouldn't do that sort of thing anyway. He'd be more subtle about using this theme, as we saw with Gandalf the Grey becoming Gandalf the White after dying and coming back.
The analogy is faulty in many ways. While some Ainur did follow Morgoth immediately, others (including Mairon/Gorthaur/Sauron) only became corrupted by him while in Arda. Tolkien expressly said that his story was not to be interpreted allegorically.
Your use of language possesses a potency akin to Saruman's prowess in sorcery.
🤦 'PromoSM'
please look up how to pronounce concerto