Witnessing the Witch King's confidence in confronting Gandalf, one might wonder if he was actually aware of the wizard's identity as a Maia i.e. not a Man. If not, did Sauron even know? That seems unlikely, given his regular contact with another wizard whom he may even have recognised as such, having both served Aulë, and likely even met. Seems like a strange omission by Sauron to keep this info from his most valuable servant.

I wonder if Sauron called the ring "Precious" too

Elf community gather here 💙 💚🧡💛

💙

💙

It would appear that Eru Ilúvatar's grand design comes with a lot of collateral damage.

Great video! It does an excellent job of breaking down Sauron's journey from Mairon to Dark Lord, covering his rise, fall, and lasting influence. The exploration of key events and deeper themes like tyranny and freedom adds real depth to his character. Well-paced and insightful-perfect for any Middle-earth fan!

Your analysis of Sauron's motivation for following Morgoth is nicely echoed in Saruman's speach when trying to seduce Gandalf to the Dark Side: a desire for Order so strong that it overrides any moral considerations. It is that pitfall that is recognized and rejected both by Gandalf and Galadriel when Frodo offers them the ring. What is it by the way about being a follower/servant of Aulë that would make one more susceptible to this failing? Maybe something worth digging into! On Sauron's fate: I go with Tolkien's poltergeist: basically powerless, and if too annoying you just move. I really like the way you address various topics, it gets me to revisit and rethink the ME universe and occasionally hit on new aspects. So as way of saying "Thank You" I just subscribed.

The valar still stink. We have to call a spade a spade

As several cycles of physical death and reincarnation diminished his powers (e.g. not being able to take on a fair form), it might also have affected his judgement. Also I wonder if his singular focus on retrieving the Ring couldn't have been a symptom of a Gollum-like craving. Might his diminished powers have left him less powerfull than the Ring?

Everything i see about elves makes me like them less.

Thank you!

The Istari failed. It took Eru sending Gandald back as Gandalf the White to succeed in bringing down Sauron.

Aiwendil almost certainly did not fail in his Valar given instruction. His more superficial challenge was that his instruction came not from Manwe but Yavana which is why she insisted on his inclusion in the ranks of the Istari. Curumo didn't appear to be jealous of Olorin being unenamoured of the profound message of Nienna. His discontent seems to be after he learned of Cirdan's gift to Gandalf of the third of Celebrimbor's elven rings. The elven pilgrimages to Elostirion, both Avari & Noldor must have been entwined in the situation of the master stone(Palantir) with it's gaze permanently locked on the undying lands. Though it is not clearly stated in any of Tolkien's cannon, Cirdan through his stewardship of the towers, would have been well aware of Olorin's mission & in all likelihood of Manwe's hopes & favour, hence the gift. Cirdan the oldest of the middle earth elves, perpetually in sight of the sea & well aware of the route towards Aman building all those ships of returning, even for a near immortal, would have needed some connection to the west to preserve his fortitude. The most aching regret from Jacksons cuts, was the omission of the results of the destruction of the physical forms of the two Maiar. Above Barad Dur a great dark cloud rose looking west from whence came a strong wind(Manwe) dissipating even this form. With the fall of Saruman(Sharkey,Corumo) after the scouring of the shire, a great dark shape arose reaching out to the west, again a west wind comes resulting in the blowing away of his spirit with a sigh. Eternal beings, disembodied barred from Aman & the company of other Ainur, yet forced to wander eternally but fully aware of the development of Arda. What an apposite torture for the very beings that firmly believed in their right/mission to order all around to their vision of what should be, yet unable to move an atom to effect any change. Would that have by the time of the dagor dagorath have installed any humility in them? Even Tolkien's belief in catholic forgiveness & the one's ultimate mercy would be tested fully then. enjoyed the piece thank you👍👍👍

So what did happen to the Blue Wizards? JRR Tolkien recorded their arrival in Middle-Earth with Gandalf the Grey, Saruman the White, and Radagast the Brown. They went to the East, and that is the last news Prof Tolkien had of them, beyond vague rumors of betrayal by Saruman or they succumbed to the lure of Sauron. But the truth was unknown. You may be happy to know the Blue Wizards did indeed survive the Third Age. In fact, they have stuck around right up to modern times, still fighting the future. They saw that even if Sauron was defeated and the Ring of Power destroyed, his poison would remain. They remained to aid Man in the long struggle. At times they have put their struggle to music, releasing record albums to their fans known as the Blue Wizards Cult. A selection of their songs follow in addition to their enigmatic album, Istari. Towers On Flame My cloak is black, and my flesh is clear Towers on flame with morgul spells Three thousand goblins they seem to cry My face will fade, and then my eyes Oh, let the Grond, let that Grond, pound and crash Towers on flame now, with morgul spells Gardens of Ithil, forgotten delights Reins of steel, and it's alright Towers on flame, with morgul spells Strider will sail, but Gondor burns Oh, let the Grond, let that Grond, pound and crash Towers on flame now, with morgul spells My cloak is black, and my flesh is clear Towers on flame with morgul spells Three thousand goblins they seem to cry My face will fade, and then my eyes Oh, let the Grond, let that Grond, pound and crash Towers on flame now, with morgul spells NA-262 Nazgul's on the globe to Lugburz. says Khamul's done quite a job. Sauron's on the globe from Mordor says I'm gonna make you a wraith. My Captain Von Shagrat, here's your next patrol, a flight of Eagle bombers across Anduin. After twelve, they'll all be here; I think you know the job. They hung there dependant from the sky like some heavy metal fruit. These eagles, ripened, ready to dive. Must these Ringbearers live that I might die? Must they live that I might die? In a noisome disaster from the stench of breath, sometimes I'd faint and be lost to our side. But there's no reward for failure, even death. So watch me in the palantirs, keep in the glidepath. Get me through these veils, no, I cannot fail, not when great winged thieves are eager to feed. I can't fail, no, not now, when twenty five eagles wait ripe. They hung there dependant from the sky like some heavy metal fruit. These eagles, ripened, ready to dive. Must these Ringbearers live that I might die? Must they live that I might die? Na-262, prince of Dol Guldur, wereworm's flaming 004, blasts from clustered leathery nostrils in my snout and see these Eagle wings go burn. Now you be my witness how red were the skies when the Westernesse flew, for the very last time. It was dark over Ithilien, in march of 3019. They hung there dependant from the sky like some heavy metal fruit. These eagles, ripened, ready to dive. Must these Ringbearers live that I might die? Must they live that I might die? Must these Ringbearers live that I might die? wereworm's flaming 004 (repeat many times) Eagles at 12 o'clock high. Golden Age of Byrnies Raise your can of mead on high And seal your fate forever The third age has past us by The golden age of byrnies This was the day so long to come in the year of Eru TA. Where in a desert mountain, poised on the brink of Gogoroth Four and ninety studded goblins closed the knot of honor As only drunken uruks can And passed from orc to orc, a helpless hobbit too dead to care That each would find his dinner as he might For this final assault was billed as nothing less than the end of an age A last crusade, a final outrage, in this day of Gondor's dotage. And there was worn no cloth but byrnies Made supple by years of swinging hammers And here were seen the scars of rings For rings had been the common call for one last war together Smoke colored the sky (the ritual parley) Some had died (they were used as bridges) Each grabbed a hope (from a wizard with a hat) Unsung deeds of valour (the white and the black) We made a vow to give it all we had to give We made a vow to follow Sauron to death They flew at the humans, they began to fight They flailed at Numenor like bugs at a torch Bodies and shields beyond repair Shrieks of Nazguls in the air Then the wind whipped the desert from the Utter West And the humans and the eagles caught the shifting sand And the old hobbit center of the storm And he left the chamber as the tower fell He saw rippled dunes, the realm in collapse And a glint of a shaft of eagles quill Golden age... Fire of Secret Origin Death comes sweeping through the Deep Hall, like a hot balloon Death comes flying down the bridge, in it's fiery mane A fire of secret origin took my Balrog away A fire of secret origin took my Balrog away Swept to ruin off my footing, swallowed me up Like the abyss in a fire, so thick and black A fire of secret origin took my Balrog away A fire of secret origin took my Balrog away Death comes flying - I do one spell! Death goes. There must be something - there must be something that flaps Something... something... A fire of secret origin took my Balrog away A fire of secret origin took my Balrog awa

Ai voice, GTFO. Bye.

She is the mistress of Eru Iluvatar.

Great videos!

There can not be good without evil

Tom is a literary puzzle that Tolkien set himself. Tolkien presented a paper "Of Fairy Stories" in which he explained Fairy Stories are not metaphors but are real (sub-creations) and have their own immutable rules. If Middle Earth and Tom are literary sub-creations and Tom finds himself transported from where he used to live (Tom was a whimsical almost comical but powerful character from stories Tolkien told his very young children) into ME then how can Tolkien present him without changing him? He literally existed before any notion of ME or the Valar; so he was indeed First. The ring had no influence because corruption is not possible for him; it's an adult fault and he is from a child-like world. I reckon Tom, his behavior and words along with Tolkien's cryptic descriptions are designed to keep faith with the Tom he invented 10 years earlier; if he is real why would he change just because he finds himself in a different world?

Please consider looking into Mt doom actually being melkor(morgoth) that he is unable to move. This also would amplify the power of the one ring when forged. Also a way for sauron to serve his master

The story of Legolas and Gimli shows that animosity between the fathers (Thranduil and Gloin) can be overcome by tje sons. I wonder if this may be a personal comment by Tolkien, him being a WW1 veteran. The elves being represented by a Silvan elf and not a High elf illustrates that the time of the high elves is definitely coming to an end. Elrond, having given in to Gandalf regarding Merry and Pippin could have used his authority to swap Legolas for Glorfindel. but didn't.

Tom is the essence of the forest of course...

Bạn nghĩ điều gì đã thúc đẩy sự chuyển đổi của anh ta từ một Black Númenórean thành sứ giả của Sauron - đó có phải chỉ là tham vọng, hay điều gì đó sâu xa hơn như nỗi sợ hãi hoặc tuyệt vọng? Ngoài ra, bạn nghĩ cuộc thẩm vấn của anh ta đối với Gollum đã định hình chiến lược của Sauron trong War of the Ring như thế nào?

The theory I'be heard is that he's the opposite of Ungoliant. She is from the timeless void, the dark side. And he is from the timeless void; the good side.

I thought he made his first appearance in the hobbit. Maybe I'm wrong though.

I always compared Saruman's creating a Ring, magical or not, to a LARPer dressing up like the character they want to emulate. Given that beyond Gandalf's casual mention it never appears again makes me think it was most likely a dummy, like a LARPer's plastic sword. How the mighty have fallen...

Given that they went into an area controlled by Sauron, they may have been killed. Sauron or his minions certainly would have acted against anyone disrupting their plans.

Interesting

Such a badass character, he kind of is a Darth Vader type.

What impact did Númenor's legacy have on the Witch-King's ambitions?

so he basiclly darth vader

"Fascinating breakdown of an iconic duel! However, it’s worth questioning if Musashi's victory was more about strategy or luck. Does this legendary event truly showcase skill, or does it glorify the unpredictability of combat? A thought-provoking take on Japan's martial history!"

He began as Melco

A LoTR lore channel WITHOUT a bunch of useless 'Rings of Power' clutter that nobody wants? YES!!! 👍

This is a great channel. I always enjoy your videos very much!

Aragorn kept the eye distracted off of Frodo and the ring. For Aragorn's host, and for Frodo and Sam, these were moments of great bravery. The ring was kept by the meek and the small, not by some great warrior. "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." the Bible, Proverbs 16:18 NIV

Thanks for this, but the narrative is all over the place going back and forth, repeating stuff, etc. Using AI is not intrinsically wrong, but at least review the output and iterate on it to reach a compelling text

In Tolkien's world history doesn't repeat, but rhymes.

Eru- (doing the first second and third age) “ oh look the insects can read & write now……

Sauron is the last prophet

As I was listening it struck me that the rings control of the kings was a failure, as it turned them to wraiths, their influence completely gone. Also, in the end, he was correct that NO ONE could resist the ring, as it was by "chance" that the ring was destroyed.

Good work! I have studied/listened to these before, but love the tone. Keep it up!

Well done, well told, and entertaining. Love the narrative, and the tone.

Content good. AI off putting.

Witch King The Movie would be something nice

Ah the joys of Tolkien's detestation of the returns of the fires of industry. How much was the result of exorcising the horrors of war, or the endless longing for a non-existent British middle class, social & agrarian utopia. From a world corrupted by the necessity to industrialise to prevent the victory of hordes of orcs firmly controlled & ordered by leaders in lands who had already accepted those losses. Never mind the enormous increase of tax largess to underemployed & languorous university staff lounges, where the growth was in the conciets of social sciences & arts despite having just been saved by the scientists & engineers. The very loss of control by those who had sacrificed so much, in order that long won rights of the least of society were bestowed, spendthrift on the very middle classes who wanted the illusions of control over the very same masses. The ghastly mendacity of class led tyranny with the perpetual abuse of beating those who carry the majority of society's weights to bear, with ever smaller minorities. Minorities whose only laudatory feature is the dishonest portrayal of endless suffering inherited all the way from the patriarchy of the paleolithic cave. Most fraudulent of theories, socialism comes to enslave all, as Boxer dies of overwork, the pigs reek of drink in the farmhouse. Guess who our pigs are, abandoning those who should have been praised for sacrifice, named & shamed for the white vans they drive & the flags they fly, their society abhored, despised & hijacked by illegitimate class & accent obsessed leaders, spitting the word populist as they stare into their grave of electoral oblivion. Loved the piece, tried for a small counterpoint to illustrate gentle hyperbole. Apologies if it didn't work.👍👍👍

Good stuff

This is great! Keep up the good work

He didn't defy it, it merely didn't affect him. See Council of Elrond, FotR. Bombadil is merely a genus locii, his power is nigh supreme where he resides but that is all. If Sauron had his ring and attacked, Bombadil dies.