[00:00:00] Sauron actually attempted to befriend, read, manipulate, the Dwarves. I was pretty astounded at the story of Gloin, the father of Gimli, and what he told about Moria and Dane and the Dwarves with their dealings with Sauron. And the whole telling of stories is just insanely ominous and a bit scary to me.
[00:00:22] So during the Council of Elrond in Fellowship of the Ring, in the book, you learn from Gloin that Sauron actually attempted to befriend the Dwarves. And maybe you should read Manipulate in that because he didn't really try to befriend them. But it's a pretty crazy story that he tells, and then I want to kind of retell it and read some of the passages in this entire thing. But I just want to talk about how insanely ominous and a bit scary this was.
[00:00:49] And I have to admit, it seems like it added some new dimension to Sauron as a character. But anyway, if any of you are new, I am reading through Lord of the Rings for the first time, which is giving my thoughts and opinions on each chapter. And today is a bit different because I just finished chapter two of book two of Fellowship of the Ring, and it's the Council of Elrond chapter. And holy smokes, is it the premier chapter of information? So the rest of this week is going to be the Council of Elrond week.
[00:01:18] I just had so many thoughts and opinions that I wanted to share that I found it amazing or crazy or unethical or annoying or all sorts of gamuts of emotions that this week I want to publish a few essays about some of my impressions of this chapter. So make sure you subscribe if you are into this kind of content. And also we do some Harry Potter, Brandon Sanderson, and I'm going to probably watch Andor live next month too when it comes out if anyone wants to join for that. This is just a channel that is a nerd outlet.
[00:01:47] So subscribe and like the video. But anyway, I have to admit, Sauron seems very flat in the movie. He just seems like an evil presence and there's nothing at all scary about him except his ability to obtain the ring and use it for evil and use its power for evil. But I have to say, there are much deeper calculations and manipulations going on in the book that make him a slightly more compelling character.
[00:02:14] It's obviously not to be trusted because he's the deceiver, but his dealings with the dwarves and Gloin's whole story about the dwarves and what they've been up to was pretty shocking to me. The first thing they talk about is Moria and it's very different from the movies because in the film, Gimli seems to not know about the fate of Moria. In the books, everyone knows.
[00:02:34] And it's even more tragic because Balin took a collection of dwarves from Erebor and the Iron Hills and brought them to Moria in an attempt to repopulate and repair the city. But during the Council of Elrond, Gloin says this. That was nigh on 30 years ago. For a while we had news and it seemed good. Messages reported that Moria had been entered and a great work begun there. Then there was silence. And no word has ever come from Moria since.
[00:03:04] Which is terrifying. But then, something even more dastardly happens that he talks about here. Then, about a year ago, a messenger came to Dane, but not from Moria, from Mordor, a horseman in the night, who called Dane to his gate. The Lord Sauron the Great, so he said, wished for our friendship. Rings he would give for it, such as he gave of old.
[00:03:31] And he asked urgently concerning hobbits of what kind they were and where they dwelt. For Sauron knows, he said, that one of these was known to you on a time. At this we were greatly troubled and we gave no answer. And then his fell voice was lowered. And he would have sweetened it if he could. As a small token only of your friendship, Sauron asks this, he said, that you should find this thief. Such was his word.
[00:03:59] And get from him, willing or no, a little ring, the least of rings, that once he stole. It is but a trifle that Sauron fancies. And an earnest of your good will. Find it. And the three rings that the dwarf sire is possessed of old shall be returned to you. And the realm of Moria shall be yours forever. Find only news of the thief, whether he still lives and where, and you shall have great reward and lasting friendship from the Lord.
[00:04:28] Refuse, and things will not seem so well. Do you refuse? At that his breath came like the hiss of snakes. And all who stood by shuddered. But Dane said, I say neither yea nor nay. I must consider this message and what it means under its fair cloak. Consider well, but not too long, said he. The time of my thought is mine own to spend, answered Dane. For the present, said he, and rode into the darkness.
[00:04:58] Heavy have the hearts of our chieftains been since that night. We needed not the fell voice of the messenger to warn us that his words had both menace and deceit. For we knew already that the power that has re-entered Mordor has not changed. And ever it betrayed us of old. Twice the messenger has returned and has gone unanswered. The third and last time, so he says, is soon to come before the end of the year.
[00:05:23] And so I have been sent at last by Dane to warn Bilbo that he is sought by the enemy. And to learn, if maybe, why he desires this ring, this least of rings. Also, we crave the advice of Elrond. For the shadow grows and draws nearer. I think this section did an interesting thing in my head for thinking about Sauron. Again, Sauron to me was just this vacuum of a villain.
[00:05:50] I didn't really know the deception with which he went to when he created the rings and how evil he actually was. But this made me think at the very least that he is calculated. And an actual good general to some extent. Or like a military presence. I mean, no one is really going to believe him under any circumstances. But to be honest, he's at least giving it his all. And actually, he does kind of deceive one person with his propaganda now that I'm thinking about it.
[00:06:15] And maybe this is going to be a whole different discussion on war propaganda that I might make an essay about later this week. But he deceived Saruman, which is astounding seeing that this man is the chief of the White Council. But that'll be for an entirely different discussion. All this is to say that I find it insane and kind of cool at the same time that he tried to treat with the dwarves. One thing that this chapter did for me, which is so fun and fantastic, and will essentially be all the other essays on this chapter, is give me like a concise form of Canterbury Tales.
[00:06:43] Where we get all the stories of the entire fellowship in the Council of Elrond, and the reports from all around Middle-earth, about the movements of the enemy. And then we got how they all arrived at Rivendell then. I feel like I'm going to say a lot about this throughout this week of essays, but I will cover that in a future essay. There is just so much in this chapter. But this is all to say that I think Sauron is maybe a more interesting character. Anyway, this was kind of a weak essay. But just wanted to say, hey, I think that's cool that Sauron did this.
[00:07:13] Or at least it was interesting. I think it makes him a more compelling character here. And I'm very curious to see how the rest of the books treat Sauron. Anyway, subscribe and make sure you like the video too. And I'll see you in the next one.