26 days to the release of
Return of the King!
Friday Fact (or, A Short --relatively speaking-- Biography of Sauron):
Sauron was a Maia, a being lesser in power than the Valar but stronger than any being native to Middle Earth. He was originally a follower of the Vala Aule, whose province was earth, stone, gems and metals, and the making and smithing of things. But Sauron was seduced by Melkor, called Morgoth, and followed him into evil. In the First Age Sauron was "the greatest of the servants of Morgoth". At one point he captured Beren* and contested with Luthien (as in "The Lay of Luthien" that Aragorn sings in the Fellowship) for Beren's freedom. He was a creature of darkness and terror, but when he wished, he could seem "noble and beautiful". Thus when the Valar and the Eldar defeated Morgoth Sauron "put on his fair hue again and did obeisance"; but when he was supposed to go back to Valinor to face his penance he hid instead.
In the Second Age Sauron gradually grew in strength and began building a fortress in Mordor from which to oppose the growing power of Numenor. For a long time he disguised his intentions, but many sensed that a darkness was arising again in Middle Earth. Galadriel in particular sensed that the evil of Morgoth was returning to the world, though she did not yet realize that it was Morgoth's former servant Sauron. Sauron again adopted a fair form and tried to persuade the Elves to his service; Gil-galad, Elrond, and Galadriel distrusted him, but many of the elf-smiths of Eregion, led by Celebrimbor, welcomed Sauron and the knowledge he brought as a former follower of Aule. He aided them in making the Rings of Power. When he forged the One Ring itself, though, Celebrimbor realized what had happened and tried to hide the Rings (the Three, the Seven, and the Nine) that were in Eregion. Realizing this, Sauron made war on the elves, and he captured the Seven and the Nine (he tortured Celebrimbor to find out where they were hidden) and destroyed Eregion. He was eventually driven out of the North by Gil-Galad and Elrond, aided by the fleets of Numenor. Sauron fled back to Mordor, where he continued to extend his dominion south and east, but his enmity towards Numenor and the elves endured. Many years later the last king of Numenor, Ar-Pharazon, who was already prone to greed for wealth and power, came to Middle Earth and demanded that Sauron surrender to him. Surprisingly, Sauron left the Ring in Mordor and went to Ar-Pharazon, who took him back to Numenor as a captive. Sauron had adopted his fairest appearance, and gradually over time his influence over the king grew, until he became his most trusted advisor. Sauron seduced Ar-Pharazon and his followers to the worship of Morgoth, and convinced them to scorn the laws and teachings of the Valar. Eventually he convinced Ar-Pharazon to attempt to assault Valinor. The Valar destroyed Ar-Pharazon, and Numenor as well. Sauron had under-estimated the wrath of the Valar, and was caught in the destruction of Numenor, and his body perished. His spirit survived, however, partly because he was a Maia, and a very powerful one, and hence very difficult to kill, and partly his spirit was still bound to the Ring. He made his way back to Mordor, and he "brooded in the dark, until he had wrought for himself a new shape; and it was terrible, for his fair semblance had departed for ever when he was cast into the abyss at the drowning of Numenor". His hatred of Elendil and his sons was especially strong because they had distrusted him on Numenor and had resisted his growing power there. He therefore attacked Gondor in its early years, and Gil-Galad and Elendil joined into the Last Alliance, in which Sauron was overthrown and the Ring was cut from his hand.
In the Third Age Sauron was greatly aided by the Nine Ringwraiths (the Nazgul), who were the slaves of the Nine Rings. He slowly, slowly took shape again, and continued in his efforts to destroy the remnants of Numenor, that is, Gondor in the south, and Arnor in the north. Because Mordor was still closely watched by Gondor, he began to dwell in Dol Guldur, in the southern part of Mirkwood, but the wizards and elves did not at first realize who he was (they thought that he was one of the Nazgul). He encouraged attacks on Gondor by various eastern and southern tribes and nations, and he sent the chief of his Nazgul north to attack Arnor, where that Nazgul became known as the Witch-King of Angmar. Eventually the forces of Angmar did end the Kingdom of Arnor, though the line of the kings was continued unbroken in the Rangers. Meanwhile Gondor's watch on Mordor was weakening, and other Ringwraiths returned there and began to prepare it for Sauron's return. They captured Minas Ithil, along with its palantir, and renamed the tower Minas Morgul. All the while Sauron was growing increasingly powerful in Dol Guldur. Gandalf secretly entered his fortress to verify that the new enemy was indeed Sauron returned. The wizards and the elves decided to drive Sauron out of Dol Guldur (this took place during The Hobbit); however, Sauron had had enough time to build up his strength and soon returned to Mordor where he declared himself openly, and intensified his search for the Ring....at which point our story begins.
(Sources: The "Tale of Years" from the Appendices of LOTR; The Silmarillion, especially "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"; and The Unfinished Tales, especially "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn")
*Son of Barahir. For those of you who have already watched the Two Towers Extended version, that's Barahir as in "The Ring of Barahir" that Aragorn is wearing. Barahir's ring was one of the few heirlooms of Numenor that survived the destruction of Numenor. Aragorn is descended from Barahir (as is Elrond).
Mea culpa! On Wednesday the 19th I inadvertantly said that there were 29 days left, for the second day in a row, thus getting off the count on Thursday the 20th as well. Thanks to Jordan for catching my error! We're back on track now.
1:43:03 AM 
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