EFFIE BATEMAN | Lifestyle | Contact
One of the more moving stories I find myself returning to is an account of the lives of Sauron and Saruman, who were both defeated in the third age 3019.
Though many still celebrate Saruman’s death (and Sauron’s physical death) and believe the Last Alliance of Elves and Men to be heroes, Sauron was the real working class hero, creating a multicultural army with creatures who’ve had a long history of being ostracised and discriminated against.
We’re inclined to believe that orcs and Uruk hai are evil, unintelligent creatures, but has one stopped to consider that maybe they have chosen darkness as they’ve been forced to live in abhorrent living situations, whilst elves, humans and hobbits prospered?
That maybe Sauron wanted to coat the world in darkness because orcs cannot tolerate the sun, and he’s simply looking out for his bros?
And they too, were both technically fathers, with Saruman learning of Sauron’s secret IVF methods through the Palantir.
Imagine if the Uruk hai were able to read, and could see your memes (though they do seem to know what a menu is??)
And then you have Frodo Baggins, a privileged hobbit whose uncle not only just left him a house but priceless jewellery as well. Are we to expect that he is somehow the hero in this story?
Those details are worth bearing in mind as some people seek to cast his killing as a tale of justified, or at least understandable, fury against faceless greed.
Pictures of Frodo, who played an integral part in Sauron’s demise, have also elicited a fair amount of oohing and ahhing on social media over his obscenely large blue eyes and propensity to wear wigs.
Sauron may no longer exist in a physical form but it will remain a model for how a talented and determined Maia with humble roots as a servant to a dark lord can still rise to the top without the benefit of a generous uncle.
More to come.
