This article was originally a part of my thesis which discussed Tolkien’s depiction of ingenuine friendship, along with what became the article Boromir the misunderstood hero. In this installment I focus on the relationship between Saruman, Gríma Wormtongue, and Théoden the king of Rohan.
Abbreviations used:
Letters – The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
LOTR – The Lord of the Rings
SIL – The Silmarillion
UT – The Unfinished Tales
Saruman’s treachery
Saruman was one of the five Istari, Maia who were sent to Middle-earth around the year 1000 of the Third Age to aid the Free Peoples in their fight against Sauron, and among Men were known as Wizards. He was the oldest and greatest of them and entered Middle-earth as the first one. At his arrival he was described to have raven hair which in time turned to white, and he was clothed in white as a mark of his top position. He was very intelligent and crafty, especially in smithery, but his greatest power was in his voice – he was a skilful rhetorician and his tone had almost enchanting quality that everyone who listened to him believed his words to be true even though they did not always understand their content. Aragorn said about him, that “[t]he wise he could persuade, and the smaller folk he could daunt,” (LOTR, p. 567). At length its power was described in the chapter named The Voice of Saruman. It was:
“low and melodious, it’s very sound an enchantment. Those who listened unwarily to that voice could seldom report the words that they heard; and if they did, they wondered, for little power remained in them. Mostly they remembered only that it was a delight to hear the voice speaking, all that it said seemed wise and reasonable, and desire awoke in them by swift agreement to seem wise themselves. When others spoke they seemed harsh and uncouth by contrast; and if they gainsaid the voice, anger was kindled in the hearts of those under the spell. For some the spell lasted only while the voice spoke to them, and when it spoke to another they smiled, as men do who see through a juggler’s trick while others gape at it. For many the sound of the voice alone was enough to hold them enthralled; but for those whom it conquered the spell endured when they were far away. And ever they heard that soft voice whispering and urging them. But none were unmoved; none rejected its pleas and its commands without an effort of mind and will, so long as its master had control of it,” (LOTR, p. 578, my emphasis).
Originally, he was supposed to use this skill to turn people from evil.
The name Saruman is a Westron translation of his Elvish name Curuno or Curunír, which meant “Skilled Man” or “Cunning One” and referred to his smithcraft and creative mind. The word Saruman in itself is a compound with the first part derived from Old English word searu, saru which means “device, design, contrivance, art”, thus making the full meaning of the name “man of skill”, identically to the Elvish one (UT).
After his coming Saruman travelled to the East and then he started studying the craft of Sauron and the lore of the Rings of Power in order to understand the ways of the Enemy better, be able to predict his doings and oppose him more effectively. And because he became the most knowledgeable in these matters he was appointed the head of the White Council. He was a frequent visitor in the royal archives in Minas Tirith where he found many old books and scrolls on the topic that concerned him. And while staying there he often shared some of his knowledge and assisted with counselling the Stewards of Gondor, who as a token of their thank gave him the keys to Orthanc, an ancient tower amidst the fortress of Isengard which was still a property of Gondor, and bid him dwell there and be its warden. Isengard was situated at the North-west border of Rohan and guarded the pass between the Misty and the White Mountains and the Rohirrim welcomed his settling there too, because they thought it useful to have such a powerful wizard as their neighbour. They hoped he would help them and keep the pass safe and prevent the wild people who lived on its other side from coming and raiding Rohan. And Saruman was on friendly terms with the Rohirrim as well.
However, not everything was as well as it seemed. Just like the saying goes: “power corrupts”, so even Saruman, who was only too well aware of his high hierarchic position and the great extent of his knowledge, soon grew unreasonably proud of it. The more he learnt the more he felt superior to anybody else. He started to despise everybody, thinking them only as useful as to serve his purposes, and he desired to become the leader and master of all. Maybe at first he wanted to become so to be able to stand as Sauron’s counterpart. He might have thought, just like many others, that the Free Peoples of Middle-earth would be able to destroy Sauron only if they united under one leader, who in his pride he thought could be no one else than him. Unfortunately, he did not realize that by studying the ways of the Enemy he was becoming more and more like him. He loved power and started to impose his will and authority by force. He still wished to destroy Sauron, but only to replace him with himself as the new master of Middle-earth.
Also, he grew very suspicious of the other members of the White Council. Judging according to himself and his ill will, he thought that they too, just followed their desires and each had their own secret plans to overmaster Middle-earth. He grew especially suspicious of Gandalf, who came to Middle-earth as the last of the Istari, for he was aware that he, despite being hierarchically second to him, had greater power although he never openly showed it, and he was also more popular and beloved among all races for he travelled a lot all over the land, helped everybody and made friends even with ordinary, low rank and unimportant people, while Saruman withdrew into his tower and preferred contact only with leading figures and statesmen. Moreover, he was jealous of Gandalf, for the Grey Wizard was given Narya, the Ring of Fire, by Círdan, which Saruman found most unjust. Ever since he learnt that he had secretly monitored all Gandalf’s doings and wrath towards the wizard grew in him. He was against Gandalf becoming the head of the White Council when Galadriel nominated him, for in this already was displayed his desire to dominate. Luckily for him, Gandalf refused the role because he did not want to be tied by any obligations (SIL).
And so, it was that by spying on Gandalf, Saruman discovered the Shire and became interested in it too. He was extremely curious about this Gandalf’s funny fancy in this strange country and its inhabitants, hobbits. He thought there must be something else behind his interest in it than just friendly relations with the little people. So, he travelled there himself in disguise and mapped it out. When it became dangerous for him to visit it personally and the rumour about him started to spread, he did not want Gandalf to find out about him. So, instead, he sent some of his servants there as spies. Through them, he also made some business pacts with several of the ambitious and lofty hobbits, especially from Southfarthing, such as the Bracegirdles and Sackville-Bagginses, while, along with the pipe- weed, he bought from them also all news from the Shire (SIL). Gandalf, of course, partially knew about that. At least he knew that there was some trading between the Shire and Isengard, but he didn’t pay much attention to it as he thought it just an expression of hypocrisy from his colleague. He remembered how Saruman once scorned him for smoking a pipe at a meeting of the White Council, but he then tried it himself and liked it and did not want anybody to know that about him. And indeed, Saruman at first found no more use in the Shire and its folk and paid it no more attention until he found out about Frodo and the Ring and took revenge on it, as it is described in the pre-last chapter of The Lord of the Rings.
By studying the Ring-lore Saruman learnt much about the nature of the One Ring and desired to find and possess it himself. He realized that the Ring must still be somewhere near the place where Isildur lost it, in spite of what he told the Council, that he believed that long ago the river took it to the sea and so it was forever lost and could not be recovered by them nor by the Enemy. That was, of course, a lie to cover his own plans. He started to search the Vale of the Anduin River and the Gladden Fields. His presumption was strengthened when the Enemy again appeared nearby, in Dol Guldur. Saruman thought that Sauron must have had some idea of where the Ring was too and that is why he chose to move into that land. When the White Council grew uneasy about the presence of the Enemy and wanted to attack and expel him from there, Saruman opposed this plan, saying that he surely was weak and no danger at all, and advised them to wait and just observe his doings. He hoped that if Sauron was left in peace for some time, the Ring would feel his presence and somehow respond to him, so it would be easier for Saruman to find it. He only agreed to attack Dol Guldur, when Sauron gained more strength and his servants became too curious about the same places Saruman was inspecting, and he feared they would find the Ring before him. In order to put any suspicion off of himself – which started to grow mainly in Gandalf – he eventually led the attack and they succeeded (SIL).
That was in 2941 Third Age, the same year when Bilbo found the Ring in Gollum’s cave. Afterwards Saruman settled in Orthanc for good and without asking anyone accountable for permission pronounced it his own. However, even his acquirement of the keys to Orthanc might not have been as innocent as it seemed. During his research in Gondorian archives he might have come across information about the seeing stones, palantíri. The placement of the seven stones of old was no secret, but they were all thought to be lost or destroyed in the previous wars with Sauron. Only two of the seven forts where they had been kept survived the war times without harm: Orthanc, and the White Tower in Minas Tirith. Saruman correctly guessed that one stone must still have been in there, and thus he did everything to get the favour of the Stewards so that he could ask them for access to Orthanc as a gift. He received the keys in 2759 Third Age, but it is unknown when he discovered the palantír and when he first used it. [Taking into consideration the fact that in that time Sauron lived in Dol Guldur and had not yet taken over Minas Ithil, from where he took another palantír and used it, and that Saruman was still in opposition to him, it can be assumed that he first used the Orthanc stone only after he definitely moved there. On the other hand, the possibility is not excluded that Saruman could have used the stone even earlier to extend his knowledge about happenings in distant lands and the past, coming in contact with Sauron’s stone only later.] But as he had no legal right, nor enough power to control the stone, he could only watch what it chose to show him. And so, one day his stone made contact with the stone which Sauron found in Minas Ithil, after Sauron’s occupation of Mordor renamed Minas Morgul, and the Dark Lord made Saruman his ally and servant. He was probably Sauron’s chief source of information on the activity of the leaders of the Free Peoples and was obliged to report to him through the stone regularly. Saruman, who always yearned for power and mastery, hoped that if ever Sauron won he would make him an important high general or something, so he supported him, wished for his victory, or at least was not against it (UT). That he later changed his mind and hoped to rival and eventually replace him, he kept to himself.
However, none of Saruman’s private activities and designs was known to the White Council, or anybody else; on the outward he still pretended to be friends with all Sauron’s enemies and the wise trusted him; until he captured Gandalf and held him prisoner. Tolkien’s drafts which were eventually published in Unfinished Tales reveal more about Saruman’s situation. After Sauron captured Gollum and under torture learnt from him the names Baggins and Shire he sought Saruman’s aid for he thought the White Wizard might know where that country was. But Saruman lied to him saying that he had only a vague idea of its location. Unfortunately, Sauron’s servants came across several of Saruman’s spies; one version claims that it was Gríma; who in fear admitted that Saruman knew the exact location just like them. Then Saruman, aware that Sauron must had guessed about his treachery by now in a last desperate attempt had sent for Gandalf in order to offer him alliance in hope that he would get the Ring from him (UT). Gandalf, frightened by the news of the Ringwraiths’ reappearance, in turn hoped that his learned colleague would help him in the war against Sauron, so he immediately visited him.
But even as he came, Saruman greeted him “gravely; but in his eyes there seemed to be a white light, as if cold laughter was in his heart,” and the use of his colour-referenced title “seemed to anger him,” (LOTR, p. 258). This already was enough of a sign of some unwholesome change in him, not to mention the contemptuous tone of his voice as he spoke to Gandalf. He even no longer concealed his scorn for his other wizard colleague Radagast whom he formerly used as a messenger. Moreover, he openly and proudly declared himself as “Saruman the Wise, Saruman Ring-maker, Saruman of many colours,” (LOTR, p. 259), the last name reflecting the changed quality of his robes’ colour, which was no longer plain white but shimmered many colours at his every move; that being another indicator of his corruption. He made no secrets about his plan, his wish to take rule over Men in the upcoming days. He mused that if he and Gandalf joined and aided Sauron, they might get to take control over him. His words:
“We can bide our time, we can keep our thoughts in our hearts, deploring maybe evils done by the way, but approving the high and ultimate purpose: Knowledge, Rule, Order; all the things that we have so far striven in vain to accomplish, hindered rather than helped by our weak or idle friends. There need not be, there would not be, any real change in our designs, only in our means,” (ibid.)
revealed that he did not mind doing evil things in the name of reaching some greater goal, which for him meant rule over everybody else, and his disdain for all those whom he pretended to be friends with.
When Gandalf refused his offer, he imprisoned him at the top of Orthanc, from where the Grey Wizard saw that all the area within Isengard, that what used to be a wonderful green park, was now full of smoking pits and forges where Saruman constructed his own war devices. It seems that he was concerned with pyrotechnics; he invented machines that shot flames and something named “the fire of Orthanc” which was probably some kind of gunpowder. Indeed, as Treebeard remarked, in the past Saruman used to like nature and enjoy walks in the woods near Isengard, always asking the Ent’s leave when he met him, and listening eagerly to him, but now he had “a mind of metal and wheels” only (LOTR, p. 473). [As for his listening, that too might have been only out of caginess. Even Treebeard admitted that he told Saruman many things “he would never have found out by himself,” (LOTR, p. 473)]. He lost interest in the beauty of nature and regarded it just as a source of materials for his machinery. At his bidding his servants – orcs felled not only all the trees in Isengard but also great numbers in the nearby Fangorn Forest. Many of them they used to feed Saruman’s fires, but some of them they only cut down and let lie there to rot. Moreover, he experimented with something what in modern terms could be called eugenics; he blended the races of orcs with Men to create a stronger brand of orcs named Uruk-hai. This too, is a sign of his turn from nature, which, as it has been formerly mentioned, indicated turn from God and thus goodness.
Saruman also subjugated the Wild Men of Dunland and set them against Rohirrim, telling them lies, that if the Rohirrim captured them they would immediately kill them. Further, he was secretly building an army of the Wild Men and orcs. His army was eventually so big that when he learnt about the Fellowship of the Ring he could easily send a group of several hundred orcs to chase them, and at the same time send a fair number of smaller orc groups to raid and attack Rohan at various places, and still save about ten thousand warriors for later battle. Saruman’s building army might initially had been a part of his pact with Sauron; his army was supposed to distract or even destroy Rohirrim, so they would not be able to come to Gondor’s help had Sauron attacked them, but he eventually used it to for his own designs.
As for the Fellowship, when Saruman saw that he could get the Ring no other way he sent his orcs after them with the task to bring him the hobbits alive. Unfortunately, his orcs met with a large group of Mordor orcs with the same task. Only thanks to the fact that the Uruk-hai were stronger and outnumbered the Mordor orcs, after capturing Merry and Pippin the whole company headed to Isengard. That got Saruman into a deadlock as his treachery was now fully revealed to Sauron. On top of that, the movement of the company was noticed by Rohirrim who under Éomer’s leading attacked them and killed them all, while the prisoners managed to escape. So, he did not get the hobbits, nor the Ring, he lost a considerable number of warriors and was now under threat of Sauron’s punishment. But even in this desperate situation he decided to take revenge on the Rohirrim.
He sent the remaining ten-thousand-men army, what was several times more than all the fight-able Rohirrim, to battle them and it was only thanks to Gandalf’s intervention and help that Rohan won. Afterwards, when the king of Rohan Théoden came with Gandalf to see Saruman, he addressed him as his friend, as if nothing of that had happened and that he had done the king no harm. [In fact, he was responsible for the death of the king’s only child, son Théodred (SIL) and some of his most faithful men in the Battle of Helm’s Deep.] Moreover, he presented himself as a victim of undeserved injuries in which the Rohirrim also had share. He claimed that he alone can now help Rohan and bid Théoden forget their recent rivalry, come with him to the tower and take counsel with him. He offered him “peace and friendship” and he used the power of his voice so to most this offer seemed fair. However, when somebody dared to oppose him, it was hard for him to keep his anger hidden; he shouted and “for a fleeing moment his voice was less suave, and light [that indicated his wrath] flickered in his eyes,” (LOTR, p. 579). Finally, when Théoden refused his aid, he burst out, naming the king’s nephew “a serpent with poisoned tongue” and the royal house just “a thatched barn where brigands drink in the reek, and their brats roll on the floor among the dogs.”
He no longer concealed his disdain for them and he hissed, leaning over the rail of the balcony he was standing on as if he wanted to smite the king with his staff, so he reminded “a snake coiling itself to strike,” (LOTR, p. 581). He made it plain that they were not worth his attention, but he did not omit a remark that “the friendship of Saruman and the power of Orthanc cannot be lightly thrown aside.” Eventually, he managed to get control of himself and turned to Gandalf asking, if he had not yet changed his mind about their possible cooperation, putting all his power into this speech. But Gandalf was not to be deceived. He laughed at his offer, but he truly pitied Saruman. Instead, he gave him a chance to give up his devilry, turn to the side of good, join them in the war against Sauron and be useful once again to make up for his former sins. Then a shadow passed over his face, it turned deathly white and it could be seen that his mind was anguished by doubt, “loathing to stay and dreading to leave his refuge.” He hesitated for a moment, but then his pride and hate conquered him and in a shrill and cold voice he rejected that.
As Gandalf remarked, “the treacherous are ever distrustful”, so even Saruman in the crookedness of his mind was afraid that his colleague might trick him as he would do in his place. He thought that Gandalf only wished to take Orthanc and Saruman’s wizard staff for himself, so he chose to “stay and gnaw the ends of [his] old plots,” (LOTR, p. 580-583). He wanted to go inside the tower, having no more to say to anybody in the party, but Gandalf brought him back by the power of his will, which indicates how much Saruman’s own power diminished. Gandalf then cast him from the order of wizards and the White Council for he had belied his mission. As a result, his wizard staff was broken and he lost all his magic power, except for his enchanting voice.
He was left in Orthanc forbidden to leave it unless he changed his mind, and there he gladly stayed for in the tower safely hidden from Sauron’s servants who wanted to punish him. Saruman had not reported to Sauron since he sent the orcs after the Fellowship. Sauron knew they’d taken hobbit prisoners and headed to Isengard along with his own orcs, which was good enough reason for Sauron’s anger. Sadly, because Saruman lost his palantír to Gandalf during their aforementioned meeting he had no chance to contact Sauron and explain it. He very likely Sauron thought that Saruman kept the prisoners for himself and was hiding something from him. His suspicion was strengthened when Pippin took the stone from Gandalf and looked into it. So, Sauron sent several Nazgûls to interrogate Saruman. It was Saruman’s sole luck that Orthanc was impregnable. He only dared to leave it when he learnt that Sauron was finally destroyed.
The company of Elves led by Elrond, Galadriel, and Celeborn, along with Gandalf and the four hobbits, met Saruman with Gríma on their road home. Saruman was now just an old man leaning on a staff, clothed in grey and dirty white rags, like a beggar. Gandalf offered him help and asked him to turn from evil once more and once more Saruman refused it. His voice was now cracked and hideous as he spoke about the doom of Elves with schadenfreude. He said that it pleased him to know that they pulled down their own house when they destroyed his (LOTR, p. 983). Gandalf commented that Saruman had withered altogether, but he feared he could still do some mischief, though in a small mean way. When Saruman saw the hobbits, who were earlier captured by his orcs, he asked them for some pipe-weed which he knew they found in the cellars of Isengard when it was attacked by ents. In his malice, always seeking revenge, he not only took from them the willingly offered weed, but he also stole their pouch bag with a prophesizing remark that things in their beloved Shire were less good than as they remembered them upon their departure.
And indeed, as soon as the hobbits left the Shire in pursuit of the Ring quest, Saruman started to send there more and more of his servants. They gathered all the harvest for proposed redistribution, but they kept it for themselves. They cut down many trees for their constructions and some, just because of viciousness. They closed most inns in the country; pulled down many buildings to build from the material shapeless barracks for themselves; ruined all the houses in Bagshot Row where Sam’s father used to live. They imposed many senseless rules and restrictions on the hobbits and persecuted and imprisoned all those who dared to break them. Saruman entrusted with their command, Frodo’s cousin Lotho Sackville-Baggins nicknamed Pimple. But soon after he left Isengard Saruman joined him and take the command himself making his residence in Frodo’s old house, Bag End. He never showed to the hobbits personally, the hobbits only knew him by the nickname Sharkey which was a transcription of orcish name sharkû meaning “old man”. This name was given to Saruman by his servant orcs in Isengard. Upon his coming, Saruman built halls with his machineries where there was hammering noise all day long, and they covered the country with smoke and poured dirt in rivers. Saruman’s new rule was to hack, burn, ruin and kill, as he was trying to make out as much as possible from this last chance for revenge.
When Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin returned home it was not difficult for them to drive all of Saruman’s men away. Their appearance gave courage to all the hobbits who, until that time, quietly suffered all the wrongdoings but secretly hoped for revolution, only were afraid to start it. Once they assembled, they fairly outnumbered the ruffians and beat them. Then Frodo and his companions had to deal with the fallen wizard, but that will be described in the following subchapter because Gríma plays an important role in it.
Resources
Chance, J., Tolkien’s Art: A Mythology for England, [online], 2001, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 2001. 262 pp. ISBN 0-81319-020-7, downloadable at: www.scribd.com
Davis, D. J., 2008. Showing Saruman as Faber: Tolkien and Peter Jackson. In Tolkien Studies. [online]. Vol. 5, July 2008. Online available at: http://complete.jrrtolkien.ru/download/Tolkien_Studies-Vol5-2008.pdf
Tolkien, J.R.R., The Lord of the Rings, 2011, ISBN 978-0-261-10357-3
Tolkien, J.R.R., The Silmarillion, 1992, ISBN 978-0-261-10273-6
Tolkien, J.R.R., The Unfinished Tales, 1998, ISBN 978-0-261-10362-8
Tolkien, J.R.R.; Carpenter, H. (ed.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, 2006, ISBN 978-0-261-10265-1
Rosebury, B., 2008. Revenge and Moral Judgement in Tolkien. In Tolkien Studies. [online]. Vol. 5, July 2008. Online available at: http://complete.jrrtolkien.ru/download/Tolkien_Studies-Vol5-2008.pdf