# Saruman’s Orc Army



## Angelimir (Oct 6, 2020)

It’s my belief that Tolkien never wrote that Saruman had crossed bred Men with Orcs. That is just a line from the movies. I defy anyone to prove me wrong. There certainly were Orc females, and Saruman definitely could have helped speed up the process and added some additional powers of his own, like being able to travel in the day unaffected. But he did not cross breed Men and Orcs.


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## Elthir (Oct 7, 2020)

Treebeard guessed it, and Merry described the half-orcs as part of Saruman's army (man high with goblin-faces), and Tolkien wrote:

*"There is no doubt that long afterwards, in the Third Age, Saruman rediscovered this, or learned of it in lore, and in his lust for mastery committed this, his wickedest deed: the interbreeding of Orcs and Men, producing both Men-orcs large and cunning, and Orc-men treacherous and vile."*

JRRT, Myths Transformed, text X, Morgoth's Ring


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