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Originally Posted by Mansun
Perhaps it was the spirit of Saruman, the very one that had bewitched Theoden, and on the way back to Isengard having achieved what evil it required. Though this theory reminds me very much of the film more than anything.
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Please provide textual evidence that the 'spirit' of Saruman bewitched Theoden. According to Unfinished Tales, Tolkien ascertains that Grima poisoned Theoden, and then Wormtongue used his influence on the drugged king to further Saruman's interests in Rohan. I believe you are having yet another movie moment.
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Originally Posted by alatar
I completely disagree. It wasn't until a few months or days before these days that Theoden would have taken action or permitted any action against Saruman - if he ever would, especially when he was still a thrall of Wormtongue. And what evidence do we have that Saruman non-physically wandered the land, and no one was the wiser? Sure, he spied out secrets, but he had time and help in doing so.
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I agree with your assumptions. Theoden, under the influence of Grima, forbade any action against Saruman, even though in September of 3018 Gandalf had sought an audience with Theoden (which was at first denied), and he eventually told the king that he had been held captive by Saruman in Orthanc, but Theoden was incapable of making decisions and deferred always to Grima.
After Theodred's murder (Saruman sent the force of orcs to the Fords of Isen with strict orders to kill Theodred), Erkenbrand assumed control of Rohan's forces and sent word to Meduseld for more troops, but he was denied by Theoden (at Grima's insistence). In essence, thereafter Eomer basically broke a royal edict by attacking the Orcs who held Merry and Pippin captive. He was then arrested on Grima's initiative for defying the King's orders.
It is obvious that anyway laying hands on Saruman's person would have been at least imprisoned, or more likely summarily executed by the order of Theoden. In any case, there is little evidence in the text that Saruman wandered about Rohan in spirit form, and if there is, I should like to see it.