LotR -- Book 3 - Chapter 05 - The White Rider

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Mark 12_30

I was also struck by how much Saruman DIDN'T know-- where were his powers of Osanwe? Has he lost them, being dependant on the palantir? How can he NOT see so much nowadays?

I had to pick up on this point, didn't I? I was jesting last night about my seeming obsession with osanwe...

I've thought about this myself, about how Saruman did not know that the Orcs had been waylaid. If osanwe is a gift given to all sentient beings then surely the orcs would have possessed this skill themselves? It should be the case that the orcs' minds were opened in order for Saruman to communicate, but the thought has passed through my mind that maybe they needed to close up their minds, to exercise unwill. Saruman's aims were covert and he needed to keep the mission secret from Sauron, so maybe his orcs by neccesity had to exercise unwill.

Of course, his excessive use of the palantir could quite easily have clouded his own mind, as it certainly clouded his judgement.