Saruman vs. Sauron

Stor-All

Stor-All

Registered User
Joined
Jul 13, 2002
Messages
226
I'm having a little trouble keeping these two evil-doers apart in my mind while reading The Fellowship of the Ring. Can someone give me a brief rundown of these two without too many spoilers please? Thanks
 
Saruman was at one time allied with Gandalf (but betrayed him), where as Sauron is the creator of the ring of power (the one that is in search of the ring of power) and now commands Saruman.

I hope this helps.:D
 
Saruman the white, like Gandalf the grey and Radagast the brown were part of the Istari. The Istari were Maia spirits (servents of the gods), sent from the west clad as old men to aid the free peoples of middle earth. There was very specific rules as to who and how they could help. Saruman was the leader of this council and he was called the white as was the colour of his hair. This is how they used age to symbolise wisdom in a way men could understand.

Sauron is also a Maia spirit though in the anceint days when the rebel God Melkor (aka Morgoth) began to pervert all things good in a desperate lust for glory, he and many other Maia turned to Melkor and supported his cause, for they too, I suppose lusted for the glory that had been reserved for only those they had once served. Of all the Maia Sauron was the most decietful and powerful, for Morgoth taught him many things and gave him many powers. When Melkor alas fell to the hands of brothers and sisters, Sauron hid in the depths of the earth and waiting seeking to avenge his master to finish the job Melkor has started.

Sauron then, after years of walking among the elves and men, clad in candy-coated lie and earning there trust devised a way to conquer them... a way to play there greed and trust against them... a way to bind them all with a single band of gold... and thus our story begins... :)

So they are both Maia, and slowly both became corrupted by power, but alas, Saruman the weakest, ironically refused evil the longest.
 
It's so annoying when authors chose names that are similiar to the point of confusion.
 
Yes, they look similar, lukily, however, the pronounciations greatly vary. :)
 
I posted that question just as I was starting The Council of Elrond chapter. After reading that I now have a better understanding of the two along with Shan and AW's help.
 
AFAIK all the Maias who betrayed Manwe become balrogs and the strongest is Sauron, Gortawr... Saruman was once good, but he became evil and after he dies, I think that his spirit went After the Sea to the justice of Manwe...
 
:eek: :eek: :eek:

Elan Morin Tedronai!!!!

You weren't supposed to give any secrets away! Quick, edit it!:(
 
Tolkien was indeed a catholoic. So I wouldn't call Morgoth a god. (Like a greek god) I personlly beleive that Tolkien's fictional religon was a monothism. With the Valar being Archangels and Maia being angels.
 
Well, that's what the men in the books called them...

Nice to see another Tolkien scholar around here... :D

You're new, yes?

How about you tell us a bit about yourself. Your profile is quite empty. :rolleyes:
 
I'm 14. My reading level jumped in the last year, so I haven't read much. So far, Tolkien was indeed the best. I plan to finish the Silmarillion. Second best would have to be Martin. It gets hazzy after that. Keeping up with some of discussions is diffuicult cuz I have only read so much in the past year.
 
I'd have to disagree with that assessment. I don't think it's a monotheism at all. He may have been Christian, but that seems to me to have little bearing on how he treats his divinities (in strong contrast to C.S. Lewis)
 
I don't think he wanted the LOTR to symbolize any particular religion. I know he was Catholic but he said himself that he didn't want LOTR to be a symbol of any war or religion or anything else in this world. It was meant to be a different world with different rules but I agree that he couldn't help but allow his own life experiences and culture to influence his writing to some extent. I am a huge fan of LOTR and I am also a Christian. I didn't see any direct reference to religion in LOTR however it is easy to see in the works of C.S. Lewis. I admire both writers for different reasons.
 
Oh, sorry m'lady Shan.

And AFAIK Clive Lewis and John Tolkien was close friends... Tolkien was shocked of the early death of Cilve...:(
 
Originally posted by LegolasJon
Tolkien was indeed a catholoic. So I wouldn't call Morgoth a god. (Like a greek god) I personlly beleive that Tolkien's fictional religon was a monothism. With the Valar being Archangels and Maia being angels.
Click to expand...
So what was Iluvatar? A God perhaps?
 
Yes, Illvutar (spelling?) would be God. I just wouldn't call it a paegon religon. If tolkien said that his stories were kind of like a mythology for England, wouldn't it have been Monotheism if he was a good catholi.
 
I think that Tolkien wanted to create a new world, separate from the religion he loved, and through this story, by various characters, themes, happenings, action, reactions, and events, to portray key elements of his beleifs. (i.e. Spiritual battles, the corrupting power in power itself, self serving sin, a life without god... etc)

A very interesting article you might be interested in was put out my a christian magazine... An online version can be found here.

Happy reading. :)

Oh, and for the reocrd, I'm Christian too. :cool:
 
Man, imagine some of the conversations Tolkien and Lewis might have had!!
 
Apparently (i remeber hearing s'where) they had a tendancy to become a little heated :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Sponsors


We try to keep the forum as free of ads as possible, please consider supporting SFFWorld on Patreon


Your ad here.
Back
Top