LotR -- Book 4 - Chapter 05 - The Window on the West

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Estelyn

I find it rather amusing that Sauron is called “He whom we do not name” or the “Nameless One” by Faramir – shades of Harry Potter!

I've seen the reluctance to 'name' an evil character or being in several books, and it is also a feature in our own world. There is the saying "speak of the devil", which must come from a belief that to name a being could result in an invocation of that being; hence the alternate names for the devil, such as Old Nick or Old Harry.

What is interesting is that it is Faramir who refuses to name Sauron. Perhaps it is because he and his men are in such constant peril from Sauron's minions and allies. People in the military are often superstitious and pay great heed to omens and portents, which is possibly a way of clinging to hope in the face of real danger, although it can also have a negative effect when the omens are bad. Later on, we see Frodo and Sam on the edge of "the Nameless Land" when about to pass into Mordor, showing that the sense of foreboding has rubbed off on them.