The Full Story of SARUMAN! | Middle-Earth Lore

he was one of the five istari he was sent to middle earth for good reasons he failed his task but what did saruman really do during his time on middle earth let's find that out today hello and welcome to the broken sword today we are looking at the full story of saruman the wizard [Music] as one of the five is starry saruman is an ancient and powerful being brought to life by the late great christopher lee in the popular film trilogy by peter jackson the character of saruman has remained of all times an interest when

did he go wrong though what was his original purpose how powerful was he today we are going to try and answer each of those questions and look at the full story of saruman the white or saruman of many colors we will go through looking at a number of accounts which illustrate the character of saruman long before he was known by such a name when the series was first published the criticism of the tale being one of purely good versus purely evil was put forth something we still see today in response to this very idea though

tolkien responded not that i have made even this issue quite so simple there are saruman and denithol and boromir and there are treacheries and strife even among the orcs this is one of the many times tolkien spoke of his wizards in letters to attempt to clarify some of their functions or powers for example also in letter 156 he explained of gandalf i would venture to say that he was an incarnate angel strictly an angelos that is with the other istari wizards those who know and a misery from the lords of the west sent to middle

earth as the great crisis of sauron loomed on the horizon by incarnate i mean they were embodied in physical bodies capable of pain and weariness and of afflicting the spirit with physical fear and of being killed though supported by the angelic spirit they might injure long and only show slowly the wearing of care and labor during the second age saruman was living as a maya of owlet in a man we have no word on what his specific interests were as tolkien gives us no information we can only imagine what he would do perhaps he was

more focused on his works and enjoyed life as a privileged maya though it is possible that being of the same race of sauron he would have been curious about what this lord of the rings was doing as the naldor and sindar fled middle-earth and began to arrive in tolerancia and the man when sauron went to numenor we can only guess that with the situation becoming an increasingly worrisome one for all of valinor and aldemar we can suppose that had saruman played an active role it might have been mentioned as the valar were there as eru

iluvatar himself intervened afterwards is when we get more direct information on saruman and his doings after sauron began to rise again at the ending of the first millennium of the third age at this point the valar decided they needed to help the free peoples of middle earth by way of sending a miseries in the matter of an angelic being representative of the valar the powers of the world as tolkien wrote of gandalf being a messenger we must consider that he intended the same for saruman originally but as we know from the appendices of the lord

of the rings sorrowman began looking for the one ring in the year 2851 of the third age and we know that he did so to benefit himself in the last book of the silmarillion of the rings of power and the third age the wizards are described as such but afterwards it was said among elves that they were messengers sent by the lords of the west to contest the power of sauron if he should arise again and to move elves and men and all living things of good will to valiant deeds in the likeness of men

they appeared old but vigorous and they changed little with the years and aged but slowly though great cares lay on them great wisdom they had and many powers of mind and hand long they journeyed far and wide among elves and men and held converse also with beasts and with birds and the peoples of middle earth gave to them many names for their true names they did not reveal chief among them were those whom the elves called mithrandia and courineer but men in the north named gandalf and saruman of these courier was the eldest and came

first and after him came mithrandia and radagast the others of the astari who went into the east of middle-earth and do not come into these tales we learn more of the astari from the unfinished hills of numenor and middle-earth part 4 chapter 2 the astari it is there we read that the word wizard is just a translation from the quenya word ista and the sindarin ethra each functioning as a member of an order claiming to possess and exhibiting eminent knowledge of the history and nature of the world tolkien writes the translation though suitable in its

relation to wise and other ancient words of knowing similar to that of istar in quenya is not perhaps happy since the heron istarian or order of wizards was quite distinct from the wizards and magicians of later legend they belonged solely to the third age and then departed and then saved maybe alvond kierdan and galadriel discovered of what they were or whence they came at an unknown time between the second and early third age the valar called a council to decide what is to be done about the growing threat of sauron the vala being the powers

of the world have decided to actively aid in the fight against sauron but know that they cannot do so using force as the amount of damage caused the last time the valar intervene had extreme consequences for arda singing valerian and all to the west beneath the waves their alternative to force was to send maya into middle earth in physical bodies in the unfinished tales we learn that gandalf known then as the spirit olarin is humbled and fearful of sauron whereas kurumo saruman's name at the time was ready to take sauron on and head the order

from the beginning he is a natural leader and gandalf refers to him in such a way in the fellowship of the ring emissaries they were from the lords of the west the valar who still took counsel for the governance of middle earth and when the shadow of sauron began to first stir again took this means of resisting him for with the consent of eru they sent members of their own high order but clad embodies as of men real and not faked but subject to the fears and pains and weariness of earth able to hunger and

thirst and to be slain though because of their noble spirits they did not die and aged only by the cares and labors of many long years and this the valar did desiring to amend the errors of old especially that they had attempted to guard and seclude the eldar by their own might and glory fully revealed whereas now there are mysteries were forbidden to reveal themselves in forms of majesty or to seek to rule the wills of men or elves by open display of power but coming in shapes weak and humble werebidden to advise and persuade

men and elves to good and to seek to unite in love and understanding all those whom sauron should he come again would endeavor to dominate and corrupt of this order the number is unknown but of those that came to the north of middle earth where there was most hope because of the remnant of the dunadine and of the eldar that abode there the chiefs were five the first to come was one of noble mine and bearing with raven hair and a fair voice and he was clad in white great skill he had in works of

hand and he was regarded by well nigh all even the alda as the head of the order others there were also two cladding sea blue and one of earthen brown and the last one who seemed the least less tall than the others and in looks more aged gray-haired and grey-clad and leaning on a staff but kierdon from their first meeting at the grey havens divided him the greatest spirit and the wisest and he welcomed him with reverence and he gave to his keeping the third ring narya the rhett for he said great labors and perils

lie before you and lest your task prove too great and wearisome take this ring for your aid and comfort it was entrusted to me only to keep secret and here upon the west shores it is idle but i deem that in days year long to come it should be in nobler hands than mine that may wield it for the kingdom of all hearts to courage and the grey messenger took the ring and kept it ever secret yet the white messenger who was skilled to uncover all secrets after a time became aware of this gift and

begrudged it and it was the beginning of the hidden ill will that he bought in the grey which afterwards became a manifest now the white messenger in later days became known among elves as courinea the man of craft in the tongues of northern men saruman but that was after he returned from his many journeys and came into the realm of gondor and there a boat this is actually an interesting point that i'd like to now bring up and really ask a question to you all which i would love it if you left me a comment

of and that is do you think that potentially in some ways it was kia dan's fault saruman turned to evil do you think giving the ring narya to him is what set saruman on his slippery slope to evil let me know in the comments below either with a comment of it was kierdon's fault or it was not kierdon's fault i'd just be curious to see what you all think of this but anyway let's now carry on to the wanderings of saruman little is known of saruman's actions in the first 1 500 years that he dwelt

in missoula all we have comes from the appendices of the lord of the rings and it only tells us that he journeyed often to the east this might be a hint that his continued search for power or it could be a hint at his early dealings with the famously lost blue wizards he journeyed often to and from the east but after 1500 years of wandering saruman returned to the west it is possible that he sought out the one ring for himself at this time as we know that he did come close after the coronation of

king elisa he and gimli went into orthank and found the very necklace that once hang about a seal door's neck which is hard to explain without saruman's active pursuit and his dragon of isildor's body out of the waters where he was fouled at the fields of gladden his return to the east corresponds with the growing power of sauron at dolgodor is this a coincidence i think not it is also possible that he was already working to undermine the work of gandalf in his capacity as a misery of the valar sent to inspire hope and fortify

the hearts of men against the coming of sauron saruman did not see sauron as a foe to be taken on but as a rival to be supplanted first of all it is important to note that saruman did not build orthanc the tower or isengard the surrounding fortress and barrier walls this great fortress was built by the numenoreans between 3320 and 3430 of the second age when the last alliance was created the keys to the tower of orthanc were given over to saruman by barron the steward of gondor in 2759 of the third age at eisenguard

saruman would find one of the lost seeing stones and take possession of the palantir keeping it secret for many years it was at the crowning of freyja that saruman appeared bringing gifts and speaking great praise of the valor of the rohir all thought him a welcome guest soon after he took up his abode in isengard for this baron steward of gondor gave him leave for gondor still claimed isaac as a fortress of its realm and not part of roja baron also gave saruman's keeping the keys of all thank that tower no enemy had been able

to harm or to enter in this way saruman began to behave as a lord of men for at first he held eisenguard as a lieutenant of the steward and warden of the tower but freyalath was as glad as baron to have this so and to know that eisengard was in the hands of a strong friend a friend he long seemed and maybe in the beginning he was one in truth though afterwards there was little doubt in men's minds that saruman went to isengard in hope to find the stone still there and with the purpose of

building up a power of his own certainly after the last white council in 2953 his designs towards rohan though he hid it were evil he then took izagaard for his own and began to make it a place of guarded strength and fear as though to rival barodor his friends and servants he drew then from all who hated gondor and roja whether men or other creatures more evil and we are also told along with this the wrong girl often warned dextelion not to put trust in saruman the white in isagarde but to welcome rather gandalf the

grey but there was little love between danathor and gandalf and after the days of ecthalyon there was less welcome for the grey pilgrim in minas tirith therefore later when all was made clear many believed that denathal who was subtle in mind and looked further and deeper than other men of his day had discovered who this stranger throng girl in truth was and suspected that he under mithrandia designed to supplant him the wrong girl of course was a name aragorn often took in his youth when adventuring in the lands of rohan and gondol it is easy

to see why in this instance he would be less trusting of such a suggestion despite its actual wisdom in the lord of the rings the history of the ring is revealed partially in the chapter of the shadow of the past and further again then in the council of elwand within rivendale when saruman is first mentioned in the lord of the rings it is in this chapter who is he asked frodo i have never heard of him before maybe not answered gandalf hobbits are or were no concern of his yet he is great amongst the wise

he is the chief of my order and head of the council his knowledge is deep but his pride has grown with it and he takes ill any meddling the law of the alvin rings great and small is his province he has long studied it seeking the lost secrets of their making but when the rings were debated in the council all that he would reveal to us of his ring law told against my fears so my doubts slept but uneasily still i watched and i waited and all seemed well with bilbo and the years passed yes

they passed and they seemed not to touch him he showed no signs of age the shadow followed me again but i said to myself after all he comes of a long-lived family on his mother's side there is time yet wait and i waited until that night when he left this house he said and did things then that filled me with a fear that no words of saruman could delay i knew at last that something dark and deadly was at work and i have spent most of the years since then in finding out the truth of

it much of the backstory given at the beginning of the films is given here in the council of aorond and by further explanation gandalf explains how golem traveled to mordor and how bilbo and the shai's location were given up to the enemy he further explains his encounter with saruman and how this meeting was used by saruman to convince gandalf to join him and sauron gandalf refuses and is in prison only to later escape with the help of the eagles it is in rivendale that frodo learns the truth of strider the one ring and the importance

of his mission that to that point he had not fully comprehended speaking at the council we learn what saruman said a new power is rising against it the old allies and policies will not avail us at all there is no hope left in elves or dying numenor this then is one choice before you before us we may join with that power it would be wise gandalf there is hope that way its victory is at hand and there will be rich reward for those that aided it if we then proceed to the two towers when saruman's

fighting urukai and sauron's orcs get into a fight mary and pippin then flee into a forest climb atop a hill and look for a better view it is then when they meet treebeard the end treebeard wants news of gandalf and reveals that he dislikes saruman's recent activities tree beard tells them that though saruman was once wise and learn it he turned away from the natural world and towards machines cross-breeding orcs and men to create the urakai tribute himself calls the antimoot to deliberate what options they have to deal with saruman and after some deliberation the

ants are off to war from orthak saruman summons fire from the ground to burn the ants alive but they divert the river eisen and drown out the flame trapping saruman in the tower of orthank that was once his strong point saruman appears in a rainbow coloured robe and attempts to enchant the company with marion pippin now joined by gandalf and theodon who come to confront saruman they are warned against the power of saruman's speech as he has a magical ability with words saruman refuses to repent when given the chance and gandalf breaks his staff so

he cannot use his weapon any longer after he removes his white robe and dons the robe of many colors he forges his own rings of power he refers to himself as saruman the wise saruman ring maker and saruman of many colours in the film version saruman is admitted entirely from the theatrical cut of the return of the king but we do get to see him in the extended edition a point to which the christopher lee very much was not happy himself at the beginning of the film he is holed up in eisenguard surrounded and trapped

by the ants and betrayed and to his death by grima wormton this is not how his ending comes upon him in the books after his armies are defeated at the hornberg or at homes deep for you in peter jackson's films the ants are unable to actually do damage to the structure of ortha helped long ago by the might and majesty of the numenoreans but tree beard pities him and so he lets him leave this is where one of the most controversial cuts from the films does take place the removal of the scouring of the shire

wherein saruman fatty bulga and a group of thugs have done much the same to the shire as they had done to the lands of eisenguard polluting its rivers and filling its skies with smoke they discovered that saruman has hidden himself under the name sharky overseeing the destruction of the shia and its marring though his death is different in the book his death comes all the same in his last exchange with wormton saruman accuses him of murder which was something saruman had actually forced worm tongue into this proves to be the breaking point for the despicable

worm tongue he cuts saruman's throat before he is taken down by a volley of hobbit archers the description of his death is particularly gruesome to the dismay of those that stood by about the body of saruman agree mist gathered and rising slowly to a great height like smoke from a fire as a pale shrouded figure it loomed over the hill for a moment it wavered looking to the west but out of the west came a cold wind and it bent away and with a sigh dissolved into nothing frodo looked down at the body with pity

and horror for as he looked it seemed that long years of death were suddenly revealed in it and a tranq and the shriveled face became rags of skin upon a hideous skull lifting up the skirt of the dirty cloak that's brought beside it he covered it over and turned away so there we have it the end of the once potentially great wizard of saruman saruman was a long-lived and powerful being with all his power and wisdom he was still liable to the follies of envy pride and lust throughout the story of saruman over and over

we see his pride and hubris his willingness to use force and his rather loose moral compass the hints we have of his eventual fate are many but there is much to say about him as a literary creation one of the criticisms of talking in modern times is that his characters are either purely evil or purely good while saruman though fully turned evil at his ending was a being with a conflicted soul gifted great power but restrained in its usage glimpse in sauron's strength and being unable to contest it this was something his pride would not

allow and like a disease the slow rot came over his soul and drove him into his ruin it is a mighty shame that an angelic being like that once of couraneer living life long before any of us could comprehend and really proving he failed his mission [Music] so with that now it is time for my question of the day which is what do you think of saruman do you believe that he was actually truly evil from the start after all he was another maya of owlet and some of the evil ones in other words sauron

do seem to come from that path or was he never this at all and it was all just a bit of a misunderstanding please let me know all of your thoughts and opinions on this in the comment section below and now it is time to shout out our patrons you guys are the ones letting us be able to make our own short film in the background of all things and i cannot thank you all enough firstly we have our divine power tier members of kevin and abram you are both awesome and a big thanks to

our fire demon tier members of nasheed denver steel and gregory you are amazing people and as well i cannot forget the wizard staff team members of john andrew and jennifer you are all true legends of the broheren finally if you have managed to reach the end of this video with me today and you are enjoying what you've seen then please hit that subscribe button and the bell icon too with all notifications ticked so that you will know when all of our future videos go up so one last thing to say thank you for all of

you for spending just some time with me today and i will see you next time on the broken sword [Music] you