{"id":114292,"date":"2022-08-10T22:19:19","date_gmt":"2022-08-11T03:19:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/?p=114292"},"modified":"2022-08-10T23:57:23","modified_gmt":"2022-08-11T04:57:23","slug":"the-intriguing-parallels-between-rings-of-power-cultists-and-tolkiens-the-new-shadow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/2022\/08\/10\/114292-the-intriguing-parallels-between-rings-of-power-cultists-and-tolkiens-the-new-shadow\/","title":{"rendered":"The intriguing parallels between Rings of Power cultists and Tolkien’s The New Shadow"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Is The Rings of Power drawing inspiration from Tolkien\u2019s incomplete Fourth Age work, The New Shadow<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upfront: I\u2019m a big believer in Betteridge’s law of headlines<\/a>. This maxim states that: any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word \u201cno”. There\u2019s every chance that \u201cno\u201d is the right answer to this lede.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, the idea that Rings of Power \u2014 in its use of cults \u2014 could be cribbing ideas from Tolkien\u2019s fragmentary Fourth Age story remains an alluring one that my mind keeps circling back to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In part, it\u2019s because of the creepy and unsettling power of that exchange between the as-yet-unidentified wild-eyed fellow and Theo in the trailer: \u201cHave you heard of him, boy? Have you heard of Sauron?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Have
\u201cHave you heard of him, boy? Have you heard of Sauron?\u201d SDCC Season 1 trailer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What is The New Shadow?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The New Shadow is found in the final volume of The History of Middle-earth amongst a number of essays that Chris Tolkien classified as \u201cLate Writings\u201d. It\u2019s actually quite slim, totalling only 13 pages in my edition \u2014 including CJRT\u2019s page-and-a-half introduction and footnotes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much of it is a slow-moving philosophical meditation as the two characters \u2014 the aging but steadfast Borlas, and the youthful, but seemingly embittered and restless, Saelon \u2014 trade barbs about the \u201croots of Evil\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, in the final few pages this key exchange occurs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018You have heard then the name?’ With hardly more than breath he formed it. ‘Of Herumor?’<\/p>

Borlas looked at him with amazement and fear. His mouth made tremulous motions of speech, but no sound came from it.<\/p>

‘I see that you have,’ said Saelon. ‘And you seem astonished to learn that I have heard it also. But you are not more astonished than I was to see that this name has reached you. For, as I say, I have keen eyes and ears, but yours are now dim even for daily use, and the matter has been kept as secret as cunning could contrive.’<\/p>The New Shadow, The Peoples of Middle-earth<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps it\u2019s mere coincidence. Yet the similarity to the dialogue from the teaser with what Tolkien wrote is startling. There\u2019s also a strong parallel in the visual reaction of Theo and the written one of Borlas: surprise, trepidation, fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who is recruiting whom?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Is Saelon recruiting to a dark cause? Is the wild-eyed crazy fellow in the trailer doing likewise?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While we shall eventually find out the answer to the latter, we\u2019ll never know the answer to the first question for certain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saelon certainly seems fishy \u2014 and his later invitation to Borlas to attend a shady, night-time rendezvous to learn more about the mysterious Herumor contains the scent of deceit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Tolkien never continued the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within his reasons for abandoning the tale are some illuminating nuggets \u2014 nuggets that are, I think, relevant to the reasons for N\u00famenor\u2019s ultimate fall, and what Rings of Power may be trying to achieve with its own Sauron cult(s).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since we are dealing with Men it is inevitable that we should be concerned with the most regrettable feature of their nature: their quick satiety with good. So that the people of Gondor in times of peace, justice and prosperity, would become discontented and restless\u2026<\/p>

[and]<\/p>

I found that even so early [after the death of Aragorn] there was an outcrop of revolutionary plots, about a centre of secret Satanistic religion; while Gondorian boys were playing at being Orcs and going round doing damage.<\/p>Letter #256, Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Discontented and restless: when enough is still not enough<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is the very essence of the Akallab\u00eath tale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The D\u00fanedain of N\u00famenor want for nothing, and live long lives in peace and prosperity, yet it\u2019s not enough. They grow increasingly unsatisfied with all that they already have. Then, by gradual steps, they \u201cfall\u201d: transforming from helpers in Middle-earth to colonial conquerors and ultimately embarking on a doomed rebellion against the powers of Valinor in a vain quest for immortality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sauron\u2019s presence merely hastens a process that was already occurring. Remember that the White Tree in Armenelos<\/a> \u2014 a metaphor for the spiritual well-being of N\u00famenor \u2014 was already in decline during the reign of Ar-Pharaz\u00f4n\u2019s grandfather<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Restless folk \u201cplaying at orcs\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One wonders if that\u2019s exactly what we\u2019re looking at with the trio of dissatisfied-looking folk in white robes in the trailer: \u201cdiscontented and restless\u201d folk \u201cplaying at being Orcs\u201d. Or as Tolkien further outlines in Letter #338: \u201cowing to the (it seems) inevitable boredom of Men with the good: there would be secret societies practising dark cults, and ‘orc-cults’ among adolescents.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The cultists are watching. SDCC Season 1 trailer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If it looks like a cult\u2026<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Can we even be sure these people are part of a cult?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First there\u2019s the implication from the dialogue that, more or less, accompanies those frames: \u201cEvil does not sleep. It waits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider how that parallels the thrust of the very opening of The New Shadow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘Deep indeed run the roots of Evil,’ said Borlas, ‘and the black sap is strong in them. That tree will never be slain. Let men hew it as often as they may, it will thrust up shoots again as soon as they turn aside. Not even at the Feast of Felling should the axe be hung up on the wall!’<\/p>The New Shadow, The Peoples of Middle-earth<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

At a surface level, visual tropes further reinforce that assessment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Hooded robes. <\/strong>Because every cult needs robes.<\/li>
  2. The staff and mirror. <\/strong>Every cult also needs its own hermetic symbology and gear.<\/li>
  3. Scene composition. <\/strong>This suggests both insularity (and groupthink), and an unobserved surveillance of events (ie: panopticon-style powers).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    None of these is individually conclusive; together, they are highly suggestive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Yet there are aspects that depart from the stereotypical visuals that we might expect from a Sauron cult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Visual oddities: white robes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    In particular, Sauron\u2019s minions never use white. In the Lord of the Rings, the Eye is always said to be red. The hand is referred to as the black hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    ‘S is for Sauron,’ said Gimli. ‘That is easy to read.’<\/p>

    ‘Sauron does not use the Elf-runes.’<\/p>

    ‘Neither does he use his right name, nor permit it to be spelt or spoken,’ said Aragorn. ‘And he does not use white. The Orcs in the service of Barad-d\u00fbr use the sign of the Red Eye.’<\/p>The Departure of Boromir, the Lord of the Rings<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    And:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He [Mouth of Sauron] it was that now rode out, and with him came only a small company of black-harnessed soldiery<\/strong>, and a single banner, black but bearing on it in red the Evil Eye<\/strong> [my emphasis].<\/p>The Black Gate Opens, The Lord of the Rings<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    And, in The New Shadow, Saelon suggests that Borlas should wear black robes when he extends an invitation to join one of Herumor\u2019s secret meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One might argue that these are all post-Akallab\u00eath developments \u2014 after Sauron loses any ability to assume a fair-hue. In fact, Unfinished Tales describes how in Lindon \u201cGil-galad shut out Sauron’s emissaries and even Sauron himself\u201d, indicating that Sauron used others to further his long deception of being an emissary of the Valar sent to aid the elves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Those others would have to appear just as innocent as their master regardless of who they were approaching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Still, white-robed cultists are a visual contradiction to our textual knowledge. Depending on your attitude to the production, that\u2019s either puzzling or concerning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Visual oddities: the sigil on the staff<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The second conundrum is the design of the staff of the apparent leader of our trio of cultists. This design seems to employ the symbolism of an eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    Peter Jackson’s iconic Eye of Sauron atop the highest spire of Barad-d\u00fbr.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Parallels with Peter Jackson\u2019s \u201cThe Eye of Sauron\u201d atop the two spires of Barad-d\u00fbr are obvious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Why is this a problem?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Well, the Rings of Power production already seems to have settled on a different symbol for Sauron \u2014 the N\u00famenorean rune (not an elf rune) that Galadriel finds embedded into an anvil in the Forodwaith<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    The Rings of Power series designated “Sauron rune” in a long-disused anvil. SDCC Season 1 trailer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    One could refer back to Aragorn\u2019s statement that \u201cneither does he use his right name, nor permit it to be spelt or spoken\u201d. But that\u2019s trying to have it both ways: the rune barred to his minions, but white being okay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Right now, I can\u2019t readily reconcile this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cults and \u201cmagics\u201d in Middle-earth<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Still, between our wild-eyed fellow and Theo and the various appearances of white-robed and hooded individuals, the SDCC trailer feels determined to suggest a dangerous cult with nefarious purposes and uncanny powers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A glance through the Legendarium reveals fertile ground for cults in Middle-earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The very beginning of Akallab\u00eath states:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Men came into the world in the time of the Shadow of Morgoth, and they fell swiftly under his dominion; for he sent his emissaries among them, and they listened to his evil and cunning words, and they worshipped the Darkness and yet feared it.<\/p>Akallab\u00eath, the Silmarillion<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    In The Lord of the Rings, Aragorn tells how the folk of Erech refused the summons of Isildur because they had \u201cworshipped Sauron in the Dark Years\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And, in outlining the origins of the Mouth of Sauron, The Lord of the Rings tells us of Black N\u00famenoreans who \u201cestablished their dwellings in Middle-earth during the years of Sauron\u2019s domination, and they worshipped him, being enamoured of evil knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A Rings of Power cult need not even be inspired by Sauron. In a 1958 letter Tolkien wrote of the Blue Wizards, guessing that they \u201cwere founders or beginners of secret cults and ‘magic’ traditions<\/strong> [my emphasis] that outlasted the fall of Sauron.\u201d Something similar could explain the white robes \u2014 although such an explanation raises equivalent problems with the \u201ccult leader\u2019s\u201d staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Plus, some of those followers are practitioners of dark art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Mouth of Sauron is said to have learned \u201cgreat sorcery\u201d as he gained favour. Gandalf describes the Witch King of Angmar as a \u201cgreat king and sorcerer\u2026 of old\u201d, while The Peoples of Middle-Earth briefly describes not only that Sauron enslaved the spirits of some elves to his will, but that he taught the same necromancies to his followers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    Sauron’s black hand burns like fire. What of his minions? SDCC Season 1 trailer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Now, this might not seem much like necromancy, but also recall that Sauron\u2019s nature is one of fire and that, until he was seduced by Morgoth, he was a student and follower of Aule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A final parallel with The New shadow<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Returning to The New Shadow, there\u2019s one final \u2014 if slight \u2014 parallel with Rings of Power. In one of the recent interviews at San Diego Comic-con, Tyroe Muhafidin observes about his character:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cWe find Theo \u2014 he\u2019s not the most happy-going guy; he\u2019s not living in the greatest circumstances. He\u2019s living in what you could call the slums. So he\u2019s a bit angsty towards the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    He finds something in the bottom of a barn, and there\u2019s lot of secrets to it \u2013 and he\u2019s dying to find out [them].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Now, that\u2019s not a life of prosperity. Theo is not driven by \u201cboredom of Men with the good\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But it does sound as though there\u2019s a chip on Theo\u2019s shoulder \u2014 and that\u2019s something that is characteristic of Tolkien\u2019s Saelon \u2014 embittered as he remains over being accused by Borlas of \u201cOrcs\u2019 work\u201d after stealing fruit as a young child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    That may prove fertile ground for the creepy old guy in the trailer. Theo might not have previously been attracted, as Tolkien describes it in The New Shadow, to \u201ctales of the Orcs and their doings\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    “I had not been interested till then. You turned my mind to them.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    BOOTNOTE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    There is one other comparison with these cultists that I simply cannot overlook. But it\u2019s not a Tolkien-based one \u2014 it\u2019s one with Mervyn Peake<\/a>, the famed author of the gothic masterwork, Gormenghast<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"\"
    One of Mervyn Peake’s Steerpike sketches alongside a certain brodding Rings of Power cultist.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Peake was also an impressively talented sketch artist, and a friend pointed out that one of Peake\u2019s sketches of his arch-villain Steerpike bears an uncanny resemblance to a certain cultist. Now, having seen it, I can\u2019t get it out of my head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Acknowledgements<\/strong>: Many thanks to all the Discord Reading Room mods for their feedback on this piece and especially DrNosy for the structural critique. GIF courtesy of the ever-talented WheatBix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    About the author:<\/strong> Staffer Demosthenes has been involved with TheOneRing.net since 2001, serving first as an Associate News Editor, then as Chief News Editor during the making of the Hobbit films. Now he focuses on features and analysis. The opinions in this article are his own and do not necessarily represent those of TheOneRing.net and other staff.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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