# Sauron, Saruman: Why such similar names?



## Dhôn-Buri-Dhôn (Mar 9, 2002)

Does anyone have any insight into why JRRT chose such similar names for these two characters? Wasn't Saruman's name a bit of a giveaway that he might not be fully trustworthy? Didn't it spoil the sense of surprise and dismay at his treason?


----------



## jks13 (Mar 12, 2002)

I just always thought that they made simaller names just so that it would mix everyone up and make me confuse the whole story. Joking


----------



## LotR_Girl (Mar 14, 2002)

Joke? It made me VERY confused!!!

But now I'm OK


----------



## Quercus (Mar 14, 2002)

I've never had any trouble differentiating between the two but I have heard people complain about this. Perhaps that's why in the 1979 animated version of the story they call Saruman 'Aruman'.


----------



## Tao (Mar 14, 2002)

Well, I never had any problem remembering the two. It really doesn't matter that much, but I guess it might be because Tolkien wanted the readers to recognize that the two were similar in the mind (they wanted power) or that they both were on the same side for a while. Other than that I don't know.


----------



## Beleg Strongbow (Mar 15, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Tao _
> *Well, I never had any problem remembering the two. It really doesn't matter that much, but I guess it might be because Tolkien wanted the readers to recognize that the two were similar in the mind (they wanted power) or that they both were on the same side for a while. Other than that I don't know. *



Same. That is just 1 instance though. How many names did he come up with though??


----------



## Dûndorer (Mar 17, 2002)

i noticed that to. evil names?


----------



## UngattTrunn475 (Mar 17, 2002)

I guess Tolkien wanted to make sure the readers understood that Saruman was evil like Sauron.


----------



## StriderX (Mar 17, 2002)

Potato Patato


----------



## elenya (Mar 17, 2002)

At first I thought that that Saruman was Sauron in disguise! So I ended up re reading the first couple chapter about Sauron and Saruman. Sad but true. That does explain why I wasn't suprised when Saruman turned out to be evil. I thought he' was already super evil man!


----------

