Sauron Diminished? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

narfforc · 03-30-2005, 06:40 AM

In the new edition of The Silmarillion there is a letter from J.R.R.Tolkien to Milton Waldman, dated 1951. In the letter Tolkien states that Sauron, when making the One Ring, let a great part of his own inherent power pass into the ring. He goes on to say that while he wore it, his power on earth was actually enhanced. But even if did not wear it, that power existed and was in 'rapport' with himself: he was not 'diminished'. In LotR (The Shadow of the Past) Gandalf tells Frodo: This is the One Ring that he lost many ages ago, to a great weakening of his power. Later he says: The Enemy still lacks one thing to give him strength and knowledge to beat down all resistance, break the last defences, and cover all the lands in a second darkness. He lacks the One Ring. Now my reading of this is: Sauron from the beginning is a great power, when he makes the One Ring that power is enhanced, upon losing it he can only grow back to his original greatness non enhanced, or the level he is without the power he put into the Ring, he needs the One Ring to get back to his greater power, therefore surely Third Age Sauron is of lesser power than Second Age Sauron and is fast approaching equality with First Age Sauron, maybe. So Third Age Sauron must be a diminished form of Second Age Sauron. If what Tolkien states is true, just because the One Ring is taken from Sauron, it should not mean he is diminished , only because his spirit flees the body and has no form, as he has done before, is he lessened and only if the One Ring is destroyed is he diminished forever. To me there seems to be a problem with the two statements.

03-30-2005, 06:40 AM	#1
narfforc Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Muddy-earth Posts: 1,297	Sauron Diminished? In the new edition of The Silmarillion there is a letter from J.R.R.Tolkien to Milton Waldman, dated 1951. In the letter Tolkien states that Sauron, when making the One Ring, let a great part of his own inherent power pass into the ring. He goes on to say that while he wore it, his power on earth was actually enhanced. But even if did not wear it, that power existed and was in 'rapport' with himself: he was not 'diminished'. In LotR (The Shadow of the Past) Gandalf tells Frodo: This is the One Ring that he lost many ages ago, to a great weakening of his power. Later he says: The Enemy still lacks one thing to give him strength and knowledge to beat down all resistance, break the last defences, and cover all the lands in a second darkness. He lacks the One Ring. Now my reading of this is: Sauron from the beginning is a great power, when he makes the One Ring that power is enhanced, upon losing it he can only grow back to his original greatness non enhanced, or the level he is without the power he put into the Ring, he needs the One Ring to get back to his greater power, therefore surely Third Age Sauron is of lesser power than Second Age Sauron and is fast approaching equality with First Age Sauron, maybe. So Third Age Sauron must be a diminished form of Second Age Sauron. If what Tolkien states is true, just because the One Ring is taken from Sauron, it should not mean he is diminished , only because his spirit flees the body and has no form, as he has done before, is he lessened and only if the One Ring is destroyed is he diminished forever. To me there seems to be a problem with the two statements.