{"id":94480,"date":"2014-11-11T17:56:32","date_gmt":"2014-11-11T22:56:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/?p=94480"},"modified":"2014-11-11T17:56:32","modified_gmt":"2014-11-11T22:56:32","slug":"when-exactly-did-saruman-fall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/2014\/11\/11\/94480-when-exactly-did-saruman-fall\/","title":{"rendered":"When exactly did Saruman fall?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Saruman
Saruman by John Howe.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/a> Christopher Lee has precisely one line in the recent trailer for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, but his little cameo was an unsurprising winner with fans. And, apart from reinforcing that stuff is always better with Chris Lee (maybe Chris can do all<\/i> the voices for BOTFA — that would be ace!), it also sparked a surprising amount of speculation about Saruman’s intentions in desiring to confront Sauron alone.<\/p>\n

Now, we can’t say how the confrontation occurred in canon: we know little more than that the White Council put forth its strength, that Saruman played an important role, and that Sauron deliberately withdrew as he had anticipated and planned for the actions of the Wise. Had Sauron, in fact, already fled? It’s a legitimate interpretation of the texts. However, Tolkien’s writings are a lot more informative about when<\/i> Saruman “left the path of wisdom”. In this feature, Tedoras examines what The Lord of the Rings<\/i>, Unfinished Tales<\/i>, and The Silmarillion<\/i> have to tell us about Saruman’s fall.<\/p>\n

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Saruman\u2019s descent into evil<\/h3>\n

by Tedoras<\/b><\/p>\n

Not surprisingly, the release of the trailer for the final installment of The Hobbit trilogy created quite stir online. All character biases, graphics, and battle scenes aside, the most memorable moment did not come from the film\u2019s core company. Rather, the words heard around the world this week came from Christopher Lee, our very own Saruman, in a defiantly cunning and bemusing dictate: \u201cLeave Sauron to me.\u201d <\/p>\n

Saruman\u2019s character in the upcoming film will doubtlessly be one of the most intriguing aspects of The Battle of the Five Armies; his role at this time in the Third Age is complex. Yet one thing is plain: at some point, Saruman abandons entirely the mandate of the White Council and that of those who sent him forth from the West. <\/p>\n


\n\"BotFATrailer33\"
\n“Leave Sauron to me.”<\/i>
\n<\/center><\/p>\n

Attempting to pinpoint that critical junction with canon — the decisive moment when Saruman turns from ally to traitor — requires a bit of digging through The Lord of the Rings<\/i>, Unfinished Tales<\/i>, and The Silmarillion<\/i>. However, with a proper background context developed and in place, it is possible to determine what key events and actions motivated (or twisted) Saruman into the redoubtable villain of the fourth millenium of the Third Age. <\/p>\n

One thing is clear in the timeline: when Saruman and the other Istari first arrived in Middle-earth around the year 1000 of the Third Age, there was no hint of what was to come. Indeed, for well over 1,500 years, Saruman remained a faithful servant among the coterie. Yet throughout this period, a darkness welled up that would ultimately come to sunder him from the rest of the White Council: namely surrounding Dol Guldur. <\/p>\n

Even though almost from the outset, around T.A. 1100, an ill presence could be discerned in Dol Guldur, it was not until T.A. 2060 that the Wise began to murmur about the return of Sauron. Then, a near 800-year jaunt of watchfulness and worry was commenced, of doubt and stirring fear; of great importance is the most portentous year T.A. 2463, in which both the White Council was formed and Smeagol took the Ring.<\/p>\n

From the convergence of these two events in 2463 emanate two key narrative threads: first, Saruman and Gandalf are brought into closer contact; and second, the Wise come to focus their task on the Rings of Power, and the One itself.<\/p>\n

As it would turn out, and seemingly contrary to understanding, Saruman\u2019s association with Gandalf was, by no account, salutary for any party. The mingling of the two, and the development of the relationship (which will be soon seen as a rivalry), marks the dawn of Saruman\u2019s divagation; though, of course, as remarkably skilled and prodigiously wise, they could have proved a decisive force for good. <\/p>\n

However, it is plain from the Unfinished Tales that Gandalf, for some curious reasons, was a thorn in the side of his one-time ally. What we learn is that the White Council, as opposed to uniting the Wise, served as a forum for their division. Saruman \u201csoon became jealous of Gandalf,\u201d and their rivalry \u201cturned at last to hatred\u201d (UT 349). <\/p>\n

An intense rivalry<\/h4>\n

One of the reasons appears to be that Gandalf \u201chad the greater strength, and the greater influence upon the dwellers in Middle-earth, even though he hid his power and desired neither fear nor reverence\u201d (UT 349). There was, thus, an early soft-power struggle, or at least it was so perceived by Saruman, for dominance and influence among the \u201clesser peoples.\u201d <\/p>\n

Interestingly, however, is that Saruman\u2019s jealousy is not derived simply from Gandalf\u2019s immense strength; but, in a most revealing mode, from Gandalf\u2019s lack of desire to make others subservient to or else reverential of that strength. No clearer distinction can be found than in comparing Gandalf\u2019s relationship with the hobbits of the Shire to that of Saruman\u2019s with his henchmen and servants; to call this a mere difference in style or manner of action, and not something fundamentally deeper, is misguided. <\/p>\n

\"Saruman
Saruman the White by Wangyuxi.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/a> Naturally, because Gandalf was fascinated by the Shire and spent, according to Saruman, an unfoundedly long amount of time and effort there, this region piqued his own curiosity. Had Gandalf\u2019s adventures not come to Saruman\u2019s ears in Council meetings, he would have considered the Shire \u201cbeneath his notice\u201d (UT 349). Saruman\u2019s resulting interest in the Shire and the hobbits was, at this time, but \u201ca folly born of pride,\u201d and unconnected with even the wildest thoughts of the Rings of Power (UT 350). Gandalf, upon discovering Saruman\u2019s regard for the Shire, doubted him already, perhaps for the ways in which he let pride and avarice (Saruman was a fan of pipeweed, too) govern his actions. Indeed, that \u201cGaladriel…had wished that Mithrandir should be the head of the Council\u201d served no mitigating purpose (S 300).<\/p>\n

Thus, Gandalf became aware of the principal differences belying Saruman\u2019s character; though, as yet, it is not fair to call him a traitor. Another important vignette is outlined, as a potential meeting of the Council, in which Gandalf blows from his pipe \u201ca great ring of smoke with many smaller rings that followed it\u201d and \u201cput up his hand, as if to grasp them\u201d (UT 351). It is not at all clear that Gandalf knew of Saruman\u2019s interest in obtaining the Ring for himself, or even that Saruman had such a goal yet\u2014doubtless, though, it remains one of the single most vexing puzzles in all the texts.<\/p>\n

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The lure of the Rings of Power… and the One<\/h4>\n

\"Saruman
Saruman is Overtaken by Ted Nasmith.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/a> Now, the White Council also turned its focus to the Rings of Power; and it was this heady mix of politics, pride, and power (the hunt for the One, coupled with the rivalry with Gandalf) that would eventually lead Saruman astray. It is said that Saruman \u201cbegan to study the lore of the Rings of Power, their making and their history,\u201d while, concurrently, dark forces were gathering about Dol Guldur (S 300). <\/p>\n

In T.A. 2850, Gandalf confirmed that Sauron, truly, had returned and was inhabiting the dark fortress in southern Mirkwood. Yet the following year, when the Council met in T.A. 2851, Saruman overruled any decision to take action against the gathering shadow. He \u201ccounselled them to wait yet and to watch,\u201d invoking the age-old belief that the One fell from Isildur\u2019s grasp into Anduin, and thence was carried to the Sea never to be found again (S 301). Saruman, living up to his name, was ever cunning; certainly, he was too wise for such sophistry, as were the rest of the Council. <\/p>\n

Yet, 2851 marks a decisive moment in the history of Middle-earth, for it is at this time, that Saruman, at that very meeting, formally and unequivocally turned from friend to foe. None could read Saruman\u2019s game, though it was cleverly designed. When he assured the Council that no war should be brought on Dol Guldur, it was for one express purpose: to let Sauron draw out the Ring. He believed that if Sauron\u2019s power waxed, \u201cthe Ring…would seek for its master\u201d and that \u201cif [Sauron] were driven out again, it would lie hid\u201d (S 301). He, thus, hoped to \u201cforestall both his friends and the Enemy,\u201d and in swift deception take the Ring for his own (S 301). <\/p>\n

This decision sealed Saruman\u2019s fate and that of Middle-earth; it marked out a traitor one who could have been of valiant aid, and it spelled the doom of many. Passing this junction, Sauron, as much as Gandalf, was held as a rival by Saruman. And with each move the Enemy took to find the One, Saruman countered, searching far and wide, learning more and more of the lore of the Rings\u2014indeed, he perhaps knew more than any other of that lost history save Sauron himself. <\/p>\n

So, finally in T.A. 2941, Saruman consented to attack Dol Guldur, wishing to prevent Sauron from searching the River, and fearing ever that the Enemy was closer to the Ring than he. This was the last time he ever aided the Council\u2014though, truly, it was for his own gain and peace of mind (S 302). <\/p>\n

\"3-hobbit_saruman\" If the critical transition in Saruman\u2019s betrayal comes at T.A. 2851, when he takes a categorically definitive ideological turn down the path of traitor, how are we to interpret his line from the recent trailer? At this point in the film, on the cusp of the Battle of the Five Armies, it is already the year T.A. 2941; the very year in which the White Council assails Dol Guldur. So, what does Saruman mean when he says, \u201cLeave Sauron to me?\u201d Certainly, Saruman did not attack the fortress alone (and, as it turned out, Sauron had fled beforehand anyways); and, certainly, he cannot be referencing the contact he would maintain with Sauron almost sixty years later. <\/p>\n

One thing is certain: this line evinces Saruman\u2019s enduring commitment to getting the Ring for himself. While he may have passed the crossroads at 2851, the process of Saruman\u2019s corruption continued for many years, only reaching completion around T.A. 3000, when he is consumed by the will of Sauron. <\/p>\n

The story of Saruman\u2019s descent to evil spans across many years and many volumes, a complex web of deceit and mystery. Tracing the course of this betrayal, one comes eventually to the words of Gandalf near the end of The Lord of the Rings. <\/p>\n

When Gandalf says that he is Saruman, or Saruman \u201cas he should have been,\u201d an echo of this distant past decision is heard. Whereas, at the crossroads of 2851, Gandalf turned one way, Saruman turned the other, truly departing from the path of wisdom.<\/p>\n

Tedoras is a bibliophile, linguist, and regular attendee at TORn\u2019s live weekly webcast. He splits his time between scouring the web for Tolkien books to add to his collection and the study of Chinese politics and public policy.<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Christopher Lee has precisely one line in the recent trailer for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":94173,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[42,36,331,22,4,35,6,38,98,148,2490,2497,149,37,1724],"tags":[807,1788,1615,1819],"class_list":["post-94480","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lee","category-fotr-book","category-greenbooks","category-headlines","category-hobbit-movie","category-lotr-books","category-tolkbooks","category-rotk-book","category-silmarillion","category-hobbit","category-the-hobbit-the-battle-of-five-armies","category-the-hobbit-the-battle-of-the-five-armies","category-lotr","category-ttt-book","category-trailer","tag-gandalf","tag-library","tag-saruman","tag-unfinished-tales"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/BotFATrailer33.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1tLoH-ozS","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94480","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94480"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94480\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94497,"href":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94480\/revisions\/94497"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/94173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}