Who, in The Lord of the Rings, was the most effective liar?

[Boromir88]

Why is Boromir even in this poll? Why is Denethor? Come on, they are not bad guys.~MatthewM

I think it follows along the lines of what Nogrod said...

It can't be Boromir for his deception was short-lived and dubious in the first place as he regretted it and tried to heal the damage he had done. He was indeed effective to the good side in the end.

And you don't have to be a 'bad guy' to be a good liar. I tossed out the idea that Gandalf/Aragorn were just as effective liars as anyone on that list because they deceived Sauron into believing they were going to use the Ring to overthrow him. But instead, they snuck two hobbits into Mordor.

And I believe Bethberry said Tolkien was the master liar.

[Lush]

For me, it came down to a tie between Sauron and Wormtongue. I ended up choosing Wormtongue. For an embittered little mortal dude, he sure did accomplish a lot.

[Eönwë]

I vote Saron because he made all the Numenoreans evil and take part in human sacrifice. He also makes the go to Aman and die, as well as making them worship Melko (Morgoth). Not to mention the things he did in the LOTR. Oh, and he created the dwarven rings, as well as the ones for men, and they both at first accepted them.

[Raynor]

Originally Posted by Eönwë

I vote Saron because he made all the Numenoreans evil and take part in human sacrifice.

Not all the Numenoreans turned evil - some of them remained faithful and due to them the kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor were later established after the Akallabeth.

he created the dwarven rings, as well as the ones for men, and they both at first accepted them.

The elves made all the power rings, admittedly under his guidance. As for the rings being accepted, as said before: it is not a fact that he was the one who convinced them in person.

[Groin Redbeard]

Sauron Wins!

[Quempel]

Sauron is my vote from the list.

But, my real guess is Melkor. He made Sauron what he was. I have always equated Melkor as the Devil and Sauron as his head demon. Sauron after all was only fulfilling Melkor's wish.

[Almesiva Moonshadow]

The best liar is definitly Sauron,and here is why:

1.He managed to trick the elves into creating the Rings Of Power.
2.He convinced Ar-Pharazon to attack the Undying Lands of Aman.
3.He turned most of the Numenoreans into Morgoth-worshippers.
4.He tricked Gorlim into reavelling the hideout of Barahir and his outlaws.
5.He made Eonwe beleive he is good again,at the end of the First Age.

...If someone here from this list is the ultimate Prince Of Lies
its definitly gonna be Sauron...

[Galadriel55]

I would have said Sauron, but since the question was specifically about LOTR, I voted Wormtongue. Sauron's lying ended in the 2nd age; from the beginning of the 3rd, everyone knew he was downright evil. He was a mighty big liar in the 1st and 2nd ages, though, but not in LOTR.

[PrinceOfTheHalflings]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

I would have said Sauron, but since the question was specifically about LOTR, I voted Wormtongue. Sauron's lying ended in the 2nd age; from the beginning of the 3rd, everyone knew he was downright evil. He was a mighty big liar in the 1st and 2nd ages, though, but not in LOTR.

In the West maybe ... but Sauron still deceived those in the East and the South. He had huge armies of Men, Easterlings, Corsairs and Southrons, fighting on his side. What did he promise them? What lies and deceits did he tell them? Presumably some mighty lord was told he would get to sit on the throne of Minas Tirith after Gondor was overthrown, but we all know even if that were true Sauron does not share power. Such a lord would be ruler in name only.

Even Sauron's closest servants are deceived ... listen to the Mouth of Sauron's gloating in the book - he thinks that he will rule over the West from Isengard, but we know he will be nothing but a puppet of Sauron.

Add to that the deceit of the Elves regarding the Rings, the corruption of the Numenoreans, the corruption of the Nine, and indeed the corruption of Isildur and others via the One Ring (Sauron's mightiest creation) and it's not too hard to vote for him. I don't think I need to add any of his treachery in The Silmarillion. Not only did Sauron corrupt many of the Numenoreans in Numenor itself, but also many of those back in Middle Earth, which lead to the Black Numenoreans (cause of so much trouble to Gondor in the Third Age). He also managed to end the line of Kings in Gondor by deceiving Earnur, the last King. In other words, he lied to him.

As for Saruman, once his treachery was exposed his effectiveness as a liar was severely diminished. What did he accomplish after that time?

1. Escape from Isengard, mostly because Treebeard felt sorry for him.

2. Spoiling the Shire. Not exactly one of the great military triumphs of the Age - and utterly unworthy of a Maiar. In the end he was defeated by a small group of brave hobbits and then humbled by the mercy of Frodo. He was a fairly petty liar by that point, more in Ted Sandyman's league than Sauron's.

Sauron's deceits spanned thousand of years, and brought down civilisations. Saruman managed about 160 years. No contest, in my view.

[Rhod the Red]

Wormtongue. Not everyone can hoodwink a Head of State

[Almesiva Moonshadow]

Can anyone tell me why are Boromir and Denethor on this pole???
I dont seem to recall either one of them telling a single lie during the book...
...or am I wrong?

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by Almesiva Moonshadow

Can anyone tell me why are Boromir and Denethor on this pole???
I dont seem to recall either one of them telling a single lie during the book...
...or am I wrong?

Well, no wonder they're both losing!

[Galadriel55]

Boromir is a very poor liar.