# Sauron questions

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sauron-questions/223643>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 9, 2004, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sauron-questions/223643 "2004-01-09T14:53:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sauron-questions/223643/21 "2004-01-15T15:02:40Z")

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Tplkein mentioned that in a letter. Sauron had his ring with him in Numenor and simply carried it back to Mordor while he was in the form of spirit. It was well within his power.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sauron-questions/223643/22 "2004-01-15T18:54:21Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Since he also could only manifest himself with nine fingers after Ilsidur cut the ring from his hand, it would appear that a Maiar was not purely a creature of spirit, just putting on a new body as they see fit - they seem to have a permanent body shape, which could be reconstructed after being destroyed, but which bore the signs of damage done in the past.

This apparently extends to the Valar, as well: When Fingolfin went up against Morgoth in solo combat, he left him permanently maimed. Again, this might be related to Morgoth being so bent on malice.

I seem to recall Gandalf saying that while Sauron was in the guise of the Necromancer in Dol Gulder he could not yet take physical form, so if he can at the time of the War of the Rings, that’s a fairly recent development.

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**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sauron-questions/223643/23 "2004-01-15T19:30:15Z")

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> [@paulberserker](#):
>
> What good would this do him? it’s not like he can go anywhere, just look about Mordor ruling the land, through his forces. Once everyone is conquered and given up hope, what else is there for him to do?

I have always kind of assumed that Sauron, whatever his immediate goals, was in the long term working to bring back Melkor (Morgoth) from the void.

This belief is based on the passages in the Akallabeth where Sauron essentially proselytizes the “religion of Melkor” to the Numenoreans.

If there is any credence to this theory, it could explain why the Valar found it necessary to send Gandalf and the other members of the Istari to help see that Sauron failed.

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**Author:** ![Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Guy)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sauron-questions/223643/24 "2004-01-15T23:59:53Z")

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> [@Chronos](#):
>
> This apparently extends to the Valar, as well: When Fingolfin went up against Morgoth in solo combat, he left him permanently maimed. Again, this might be related to Morgoth being so bent on malice.

I don’t have my Silmarillion in front of me, but I believe Morgoth lost the ability to manipulate his form specifically because of Ungoliant’s attack on him after she had poisoned the Two Trees. IIRC, she absorbed most of Morgoth’s power into herself before  
he called the Balrogs down on her.

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