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02-05-2013, 02:01 PM | #1 |
Woman of Secret Shadow
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: in hollow halls beneath the fells
Posts: 4,511
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Sauron's hair colour
Seriously. Because I am confused.
Sauron is portrayed as a blonde in every single piece of First/Second Age fanart I've seen. I've always imagined him dark (har har). Have I missed an essential part in Tolkien's more obsolete writings or is there just some kind of a general agreement that because he likes golden objects, he must also have a golden hair?
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02-05-2013, 02:10 PM | #2 |
Gruesome Spectre
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Heaven's doorstep
Posts: 8,035
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Had to have been a rinse-job. Everyone knows world domination aspirations make you gray.
Really though, it seems golden hair is usually associated in Middle-earth with the "beautiful people", so maybe that's what Sauron was aiming for then: deception and persuasion over brute force or fear.
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02-05-2013, 02:23 PM | #3 |
A Voice That Gainsayeth
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: In that far land beyond the Sea
Posts: 7,431
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I wonder whether it isn't just the painters' interpretation of the information that "in the beginning, he still looked fair".
Interesting thought, however, now you made me uncertain and I will probably never be able to figure out how did I imagine him. Because I thought I had imagined him dark-haired, but then again, I keep thinking, "the" guy who was dark-haired in his "youth" was obviously Saruman (and we know it about him). Well, Sauron certainly didn't have a beard, unlike Saruman. Hm. But now my mind is confused and I really can't say how did I imagine Sauron to look...
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02-05-2013, 04:32 PM | #4 |
Blossom of Dwimordene
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: The realm of forgotten words
Posts: 10,325
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I never really had a clear image of Sauron when he was still fair, just a kind of "this person is handsome and tricksy" impression. But I never connected him with golden hair in my mind, and was always confused when I saw him looking like Glorfindel in all the fan art.
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02-05-2013, 05:16 PM | #5 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 3,448
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Sauron was clearly ginger. And not just redhead I'm talking Carrot Top. he did love him some props rings maces scary armor... a giant inflatable flaming eye.
Then there the evidence of his humor like when Frodo sees him on the seat of seeing and Sauron says "I've got my Eye on you..." should probably have kept the inside thoughts inside on this one....
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02-05-2013, 06:17 PM | #6 | |
Shade of Carn Dûm
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 435
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Quote:
Actually you may be on to something there. Given the amount of Norse mythology Tolkein used for inspiration, and the general way Sauron behaved (especially in the First and Second ages) I've always seen a sort of Loki-ish strain in him. And a lot of depictions of Loki also give him red hair (of course I've seen a lot of blonde ones as well) I suppose it is also possible that, in his Annatar form (since Sauron has multiple body forms, we should really be talking about his hair color on a body by body basis, with each new form, he could have had a different one.) Sauron had silver hair. Making himself look "fair" to the men of Numenor probably meant looking as Elven as possible, and silver is the only hair color that (as far as we know) Elves have and humans don't (or at least don't have often) |
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