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04-20-2005, 05:57 AM | #1 | ||
Lady of the Ulairi
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Minas Morgul
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What is the Eye of Sauron?
Hi, everybody,
I have a question for you. I am not aware of its being discussed before. WHAT is the eye of Sauron? I don't mean the physical feature of his body, but the Eye he used to see things far away: Quote:
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04-20-2005, 09:08 AM | #2 |
Fëanorophobic
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Between the pages of a book
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Very very interesting question, gordis!! I don't think this "eye" is the palantir. I think it was the "physical feature"; but I don't like Peter Jackson's interpretation of Sauron as only an Eye. I think that Sauron had a full body but his eye had this piercing gaze because he had a strong lifeforce on account of his being a Maia and all... To support my point, Aragorn had the heralds cry "Let the lord of the Black Land come forth!" I don't exactly see Sauron as a huge eyeball rolling down Barad-Dur toward the Morannon. IMO, this means that Sauron had an incarnate form. |
04-20-2005, 11:05 AM | #3 | |
Lady of the Ulairi
Join Date: Mar 2005
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Quote:
But did Sauron need some extra device to see far with his eye/eyes? Because if he had, that device looks very much like a palantir to me. Either he invented something of his own (as Galadriel with her mirror) or he used the palantir of Minas Ithil. Normally people were not aware when someone looked at them using the palantir. But perhaps with Sauron being a very powerful bad maia and all, his gaze could be seen or felt directly at close range (within Mordor) and felt by sensibilized persons (wearing a ring or looking into the Mirror) at a longer range? Any ideas? Last edited by Gordis : 04-20-2005 at 11:54 AM. |
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04-21-2005, 07:13 AM | #4 |
The Intermittent One
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: here and there
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IMHO the 'eye of sauron' refers to the fact that sauron had taken control of the ithil stone, maybe the influence of the nine that he held () made people aware that they were being observed [ref to: frodo on amon hen, black arm v. gandalf's voice]
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04-21-2005, 11:05 AM | #5 | |
Elf Lord
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: LI-woods, NY
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Quote:
The third eye IS exist in our body and this is devise for communication on body's energy level, only it's still in primodial stage in human. Sauron is a higher being with energy amount surpassing humans many times, therefore his subliminal potential for communication is immense. The Eye of Sauron, as I see, is a cluster of pulsating, fiery energy deep inside his mind (literally, it's what we call the Third Eye), which is he able to send at will far and away. Something like some seers are doing. Nothing paranormal, just highly enhanced body function. Last edited by Olmer : 04-21-2005 at 11:09 AM. |
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04-21-2005, 11:25 AM | #6 | ||
Co-President of Entmoot
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Awesome question Gordis.
I third that Sauron has a physical body. Not fair to look upon like when he deceived people as Annatar, but certainly a physical form. "There are four fingers on the Black Hand," Gollum said. It's not a stretch to say that there's a body to go along with it. I don't think of the Eye of Sauron as being in anyway an actual eye. I think it's how people refer to Sauron's will, which is powerful enough to perceive his enemies at a distance. Let's take the situation on Amon Hen, (which I sketchily recall). Frodo was wearing the Ring, making him much easier for Sauron to perceive. Frodo only avoided discovery because Gandalf, now the White, strove with Sauron and distracted him. Gandalf also urged Frodo to take the Ring off, which he did, making him harder to find. I don't think Sauron physically sees people with his "eye", I think he perceives their spirit. Maybe like the Nazguls, Sauron's only half operating in the physical world. That's why wearing the Ring makes Frodo easier to find - he becomes much more a part of the spiritual world. Which would explain why he had trouble finding Frodo Ringless. He probably thought whoever had been wearing the Ring was trying to master it, not destroy it. He knew pretty much nothing about Hobbits, so maybe he had trouble recognizing their presence. I'm having trouble articulating this because I'm running out of canonical evidence. However, I don't think that Sauron actually had a flaming spotlight of Mordor atop Barad-dur, in addition to an actual body. This seems a bit silly to me, and Sauron is anything but silly. I think Sauron could focus his will in such a powerful way that it would seem like a physical presence. I think the Eye is a metaphor for Sauron's will, the way Gandalf used "Sauron's arm has grown long" to be a metaphor for Sauron's increasing power and influence.
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04-21-2005, 01:11 PM | #7 |
Warrior of the House of Hador
Join Date: Aug 2004
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I think the eye refers to the way that Sauron finds out about the goings on in ME, using 'spys' and cretures and beasts that are his service, although I like Nurv's idea of being half in the spirit world, probably by possesing the Nine.
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Then Huor spoke and said: "Yet if it stands but a little while, then out of your house shall come the hope of Elves and Men. This I say to you, lord, with the eyes of death: though we part here for ever, and I shall not look on your white walls again, from you and me a new star shall arise. Farewell!" The Silmarillion, Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Page 230 |
04-24-2005, 12:36 PM | #8 | |
Lady of the Ulairi
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04-25-2005, 10:30 AM | #9 | |
Elven Warrior
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06-04-2005, 09:00 AM | #10 |
Sapling
Join Date: Jun 2005
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The minds eye
Sauron's eye is all of Sauron's will bent towards one thing, the ring.
Everyone sees things, memories, fantasies, etc. with their minds eye. The inner eye. The hatred, malevolence, wanting of Sauron for one thing. His will is bent towards getting the ring and the rest of his power from the ring. Sauron's eye is a symbol of all of these things. Sauron has the power to project this eye with his willpower. The want is so strong for the ring, that he can see and be seen looking for the ring. The eye is a product of the evil of Sauron. He lost his body and became shadow when he lost the ring. Being a user of magic, he controlled people with his mind. All he had left was this power. As the ring came closer to him and he could feel his power returning, he became more solid. So, in effect, he had a body. His body was reforming as his true powers came closer to him. |
06-04-2005, 11:14 AM | #11 | |
Mootis per forum
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Quote:
I understand "Sauron's eye" like you say as a projection of his will. So, he appears as an eye to other people. Especially when that people have a mind that cannot held the sight of Sauron on them.
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