# The Intelligence of Sauron



## Kavrangoz (Jul 11, 2002)

Have you read Silmarillion?If you did what do you remember about Sauron?I remember that he was the most intelligent enemy.But in the LOTR Sauron is a fool.I can't understand this.Sauron HAD TO win.
How can he be so mindless?That is not logical.If he had just protected the entrance of Mount Doom? What could Aragorn do?Denethor was not a fool.He saw that he had no chances.Sauron's defeat is all luck.
I would prefer it to the help of Valar.It would be very good if Valar came from Valinor and defeated Sauron.Anyway i say that Sauron is not a fool.


----------



## Ancalagon (Jul 11, 2002)

Hello and Well Met my friend.

I am a little unsure as to whether you consider Sauron a fool or not???

As far as his protection of Mordor is concerned, I don't really think he was that foolish, for he had guards across every station. Camps and forces positioned towards the gate and Shelob protecting the path through Cirith Ungol. No-one would be expected to get past her and the only other entrance would have been through the Black Gate. Furthermore, The Watchers held the entrance to the Orc tower at Cirith Ungol, who raised the alarm when any passed between them.

Sauron has never really been foolish in his plans, though he was, in my opinion foolish in investing so much power in the ring. This itself became his 'achilles heel' which once lost, left him weaker and more vulnerable that he ought to have been. Saurons real weakness was his underestimation of his enemy and his confidence in his own forces. Pride and lust and greed for power are a theme throughout the Sil and Rings stories, yet in the end all are doomed to fail, usually by there own arrogance.


----------



## aragil (Jul 11, 2002)

I almost totally agree with you Anc, except I would say "Saurons real weakness was his underestimation of his enemy and his confidence in force _in general_." He just couldn't conceive of someone possessing the Ring and not being completely overcome by a desire for power. That someone could attempt to destroy him by destroying the Ring never crossed his mind (until it was too late). This is not being a fool, this is just a certain way of thinking. I should point out that this way of thinking led to Sauron's ascension for two ages of the World, so it's a little unfair to the big guy to look back and say it was foolish.


----------



## Rúmil (Jul 11, 2002)

I _would_ say that Sauron is foolish; as a Maia, he is very wise, but he could only understanding the works of evil; good deeds are beyond his reckoning:


> But the only measure that he knows is desire, desire for power; and so he judges all hearts. Into his heart the thought will not enter that any will refuse it, that having the Ring we may seek to destroy it. If we seek this, we shall put him out of reckoning.


 lotr, the Coucil of Elrond, chap2 book2. and in the Sil chap 24:


> for to him that is pitiless the deeds of pity are ever strange and beyond reckoning.



In short, being evil made Sauron an idiot, despite his innate cunning: he is very dangerous for those consumed by pride, or jealousy, or lust for power, because they think like him, he can put himself in their place; but good being now wholly strange to him, he cannot guess what a good person would do. He can only be defeated by one totally selfless, and that is not easy to find, so he could have been thought pretty safe; but come such a one and he is lost.


----------



## FINGOLFIN (Jul 11, 2002)

*Sauron was not a fool*

Your point is well taken. However, desire for power was his true achilles heel. Desiring the return of his ring to gain power was his entire aim. That being said, he never would have guessed that this power would be destroyed. He instead, was waiting to see who was going to weild the ring, and thus its power, against him. It would never enter his mind that, once attained, this power would be avoided or destroyed...from his point of view he would have considered it illogical.


----------



## Rúmil (Jul 11, 2002)

We seem to agree all along the line, Fingolfin.


----------



## Ancalagon (Jul 11, 2002)

> He instead, was waiting to see who was going to weild the ring, and thus its power, against him. It would never enter his mind that, once attained, this power would be avoided or destroyed...from his point of view he would have considered it illogical.



A fair point, though it must be said that Sauron was already mustering his forces, making pacts with the Corsairs and peoples of the South long before he knew the One had been discovered. He had resigned himself to the fact that his Ring was lost, but not destroyed and even then his strength was still potent enough to acheive his aims. 

The fact remains that his hand was forced earlier than he had hoped because of this discovery, especially having to send out the Nine. Sauron without the Ring was a greater power than most of his enemies, yet he was sensible enough to want to contain his strength until such a time as deemed his force ready. 

This was apparent at the Council of Elrond because they also knew that they did not have the strength in numbers to effectively remove Sauron from Mordor or even prevent his strength in attacking their lands. 



> What power still remains lies with us, here in Imladris, or with Cirdan at the Havens, or in Lórien. But have they the strength, have we here the strength to withstand the Enemy, the coming of Sauron at the last, when all else is overthrown?'
> `I have not the strength,' said Elrond; `neither have they.'



I wonder though if Sauron thought that the Rings destruction might be prevalent in their minds, especially since it had come so close before and he knew the minds of the Elves who wished its destruction?


----------



## FINGOLFIN (Jul 11, 2002)

*All corrret*

"A fair point, though it must be said that Sauron was already mustering his forces, making pacts with the Corsairs and peoples of the South long before he knew the One had been discovered."


Re: When I read this I began trying to reconstruct the timeline involved with Saurons learning of the re-emergence of the ring. He learned it with the capture of Gollum. Aragorn states to the effect that he tracked Gollum after that for months. Then Gollum is held captive by the Elves (Length of time?). It seems fair to state that by this time Saurons power and forces (as pointed out by you) are sufficient enough to consider an attempt into Mordor as folly and even suicidal. He may never have considering a stealthy entry by a small party.


"I wonder though if Sauron thought that the Rings destruction might be prevalent in their minds, especially since it had come so close before and he knew the minds of the Elves."


It was always my understanding that the minds of the Elves remained hidden to him because of thier rings. I believe he did not even know where Rivendell and Lothlorien were.


----------



## Rúmil (Jul 11, 2002)

He knew well enough where Rivendell and Lórien lied, he had fought against them and suffered grievious losses in the Dark Years; this quote from Lotr should help:


> I say to you, Frodo, that even as I speak to you, I perceive the Dark Lord and know his mind, or all of his mind that concerns the Elves. And he gropes ever to see me and my thought. But still the door is closed!


 The Mirror of Galadriel, chap8 book2. This means Sauron was lured in spirit to where the Three were (he was smart enough to see what was mking Lórien so _different_) but by the potency of the mind of Galadriel, enhanced by the Ring, but basically beacause of her own power, he was foiled.


----------



## Ithrynluin (Jul 11, 2002)

That's an excellent example Rumil.
And I don't consider Sauron to be foolish,he just measured other peoples' minds according to his own way of reasoning - just like Saruman he didn't give much thought to small,seemingly unimportant things,like hobbits.And that was his downfall.


----------



## Rúmil (Jul 11, 2002)

I agree with ithrynluin; that about sums it up, IMO.


----------



## FINGOLFIN (Jul 11, 2002)

*To Rumils Point*

Read the quote you gave again.

She knows his mind by the power of her ring and the mirror. He (Sauron) however, "gropes"(implying "tries" but fails) to know hers, but can't, because "the door is closed" by the power of her ring.

I will look for the passages that led me to believe that Sauron knows not where the Hidden Valley of Rivendell is, and how Lorien is shrouded in mist to the mind of Sauron. I will post this soon as possible.


----------



## Ancalagon (Jul 11, 2002)

> And he gropes ever to see me and my thought. But still the door is closed!



I disagree with you that Sauron knew where these places lay, for they remained hidden from him as long as Galadriel and Elrond wielded their rings. He may have guessed the vicinity or region, but that was never enough, for he could not penetrate their minds or unweave the magics that surrounded their lands. This actual reminds me of The Girdle of Melian and the sorceries and mazes she surrounded Doriath with.

Yet, it is not from these two that I guess Sauron would have gleaned his information regarding the Elves choice to destroy the ring. He would know well the stories of Isildur and his failure to cast the ring into the Fire. The story was also known to Saruman, and who knows what information Sauron was able to derive from him via The Palantir?


----------



## Ithrynluin (Jul 11, 2002)

*Re: To Rumils Point*



> _Originally posted by FINGOLFIN _
> *Read the quote you gave again.
> 
> She knows his mind by the power of her ring and the mirror. He (Sauron) however, "gropes"(implying "tries" but fails) to know hers, but can't, because "the door is closed" by the power of her ring.
> ...



Galadriel is mighty even without the ring,she was one of Sauron's greatest enemies and was very VERY insightful,she saw into the minds of others,whether it was a hobbit,a man, an elf or a maia,she could pry their minds open like a rusty can 

Sauron knew well enough where just about anything was in ME,except the Shire (which was not worth to bother with in the first place),but definitely he knew where the dwellings of 2 of his chief enemies were - Rivendell and Lothlorien.There are several examples of this:
1.His wars against Gil-Galad,besieging Rivendell,etc.
2.In UT,the Witch-king would not defy the White ring of Galadriel,nor enter into Lorien...
There's more of course but I think this is more than enough to confirm that Sauron knew about these places.


----------



## aragil (Jul 11, 2002)

Sauron assaulted Lorien twice from Dol Guldur during the War of the Ring, so I think it is safe to say that he knew an Elven Kingdom existed there.
Anc- a teaser as you wait for Letters, there are several passages where Tolkien states that the destruction of the Ring never crossed Sauron's mind. Any plans for this never came to his ears, so apparently he never learned that Isildur was counseled to destroy the Ring.


----------



## FINGOLFIN (Jul 11, 2002)

*There seems a contradiction brewing*

It may turn out that there are some contradictory passages. Wasn't the war against Gil-Galad fought at the gates of Mordor?


----------



## HLGStrider (Jul 11, 2002)

> He had resigned himself to the fact that his Ring was lost, but not destroyed and even then his strength was still potent enough to acheive his aims.



I disagree with this in part. The guy could do very well without his ring, but he was still trying to get it. That's why he captured Gollum and sent the Nazgul out. 

I think that the attack on Mordor was suicidal. Aragorn or Gandalf or somebody says something like that in the RotK.... It was a desperate attempt that succeded because the ring was destroyed. Give me a minute to dig up the quote...
digging
digging
digging


> Victory cannot be achieved by arms, whether you sit here to endure siege afte siege, or march out to be overwhelmed beyond he River." Gandalf


----------



## Rúmil (Jul 12, 2002)

Sauron beseiged Imladris in SA 1695, when ME was saved by the intervention of the Númenorenans led by admiral Ciryatur; only 1500 years later was the Last Alliance formed. At the End of the Third ages, Sauron sent forces against three points: Lórien, Dale, and Minas Tirith: the War of the Ring broke out in serveral places. 

Sauron knew exactly where Imladris and Lórien were. 

As for the mirror, it has no power in itself. It is just a device which permits others to see with Galadriel's eyes. Galadriel's mind is enhanced by the Ring; Sauron knows where to find her, but cannot control his mind. "Groping" does not means failing to succeed inn locating her, but failing to get a hold of her mind.

As for the attack on Mordor, Gandalf says:


> As Aragorn has begun, so we must go on. We must push Sauron to his last throw. We must call out his hidden strength, so that he shall empty his land. We must march out to meet him at once. We must make ourselves the bait, though his jaws should close on us. He will take that bait, in hope and in greed, for he will think that in such rashness he sees the pride of the new Ringlord: and he will say: “So! he pushes out his neck too soon and too far. Let him come on, and behold I will have him in a trap from which he cannot escape. There I will crush him, and what he has taken in his insolence shall be mine again for ever.


 Its purpose was to distract Sauron's mind from the Ringbearers.


----------



## emopansy (Jul 12, 2002)

it was hopeless to attack with so few but it was the last bit they could give frodo and sam so they could destroy the ring it was the last choice and they decided they would rather come forward than to cower to the dark till it hadclaim life land and pride(the strongest drive other than desire)


----------



## Parrot (Jul 12, 2002)

> That someone could attempt to destroy him by destroying the Ring never crossed his mind (until it was too late). This is not being a fool, this is just a certain way of thinking. I should point out that this way of thinking led to Sauron's ascension for two ages of the World, so it's a little unfair to the big guy to look back and say it was foolish.


Aragil, I don’t’ think we can completely let Sauron off the fool’s hook because he didn’t happen to think like his adversaries, as the best military leaders, or leaders in just about any walk, are required to do exactly that; “Rommel, You magnificent Bastard! I read your book!” If not foolish, he was at least dangerously myopic (nice Monday morning quarterbacking, huh). 

On the flipsde, your counterpoint about dancing with the one that brought you is well taken. It reminds me of Shaara’s contention that the south might have won at Gettysburg had Lee been willing to take Longstreet’s council and dig in for a defensive siege rather than assaulting the high ground into the strength of the Union forces. This was so outside the character of Lee and the philosophy of the Confederate Army that he apparently was unwilling to even seriously consider it. So I guess you do what you're good at and let the chips fall where they may and a penny saved is a penny earned and I am out of clichés now and I am not sure what my point was and am officially babbling so I will shut up now.


----------



## Gil-Galad (Jul 14, 2002)

I don't think he's a fool.He is probably the smartest creature in ME.Just remember what he diid in Numenor,his returnig etc. The only problem he has is that he overestimate his power,and doesn't consider his opponents as real danger for him.


----------



## HLGStrider (Jul 14, 2002)

To be slightly cryptic... Badness is blinding...



and even a stopped clock is right twice a day.


----------



## Kavrangoz (Jul 15, 2002)

Dear friends,

I didn't say that Sauron is a fool.I said that he thinks foolish in L.O.T.R.
I ask to you.If you were Sauron what would would frighten you most?
And how can you be defeated?Sauron can be defeated only by destroying the ring.And he had to choose stronger guardians.You say that it was guarded by orcs.Would you trust orcs if you were Sauron.
Especially in this subject?I would not.And you say Shelob.Remember that
Sauron called him "my cat" but Shelob didn't accept him as a master.
I didn't say that Sauron is a fool.But i think that he should be more "Sauron"


----------



## FINGOLFIN (Jul 15, 2002)

*Re: Kavrangoz*

Your point is well taken. The one place in ME he should have kept an army of Balrogs is the cracks of Doom. Power often blinds people into believing in their own omnipotence.

MARTHA STEWART!!!! Powerful, yet being brought down by something I'm sure she thought was a trivial matter.


----------



## Rúmil (Jul 15, 2002)

...But Sauron had no Balrogs at his disposal. And the whole point is that he was so secure in his pride that he could be destroyed thus simply.


----------



## FINGOLFIN (Jul 15, 2002)

*Of course...*

I was not impying that Sauron had such an army. Merely that he should have foreseen his need to place such an army before the cracks. Perhaps the Nazgul....


----------



## aragil (Jul 15, 2002)

It just wasn't in him. You can't say 'Sauron should have foreseen the danger'- if he had he wouldn't have been the same Sauron. There were two ways he could have been defeated- the Ring could have been destroyed, or the Ring could have been used in order to defeat him. However, only one of these possibilities was ever going to cross his mind. Trusting to luck to get into Mordor, using the physically weakest race available (the Hobbits- at least Sauron would have considered them weak), and not taking advantage of the fact that you have the most powerful weapon on the planet- these strategies would never cross Sauron's mind because they were so alien to his manner of thinking. The White Council knew this, and this is precisely why the CoE adapted this plan.


----------



## FINGOLFIN (Jul 15, 2002)

*That's why...*

That's why we are discussing if he is a fool. Was he a fool not to have foreseen the need to always cover his bases.


----------



## aragil (Jul 15, 2002)

Well then, I think we should define what it is to be a fool. In my opinion, Sauron was not foolish because he did act in the way that made the most sense to him. If we're going to brand him a fool for not realizing the danger of destruction of the Ring, then we might as well say that he was a fool for following Morgoth and being evil.


----------



## FINGOLFIN (Jul 15, 2002)

*Point taken....*

Thats is a reasonable point.

Still....if I had an "achilles heel"... think I would wear boots.


----------



## Parrot (Jul 15, 2002)

*Evil incarnate... but with style!*

Fingolfin, I think the Martha Stewart comparison is grossly unfair! I mean Sauron is evil, yah, but he's no Martha Stewart.


----------



## Ancalagon (Jul 15, 2002)

Hmm, more of a Tonya Harding if you ask me!


----------



## FINGOLFIN (Jul 15, 2002)

*Re: Parrot*

I'm rolling......truly funny.


----------



## aragil (Jul 15, 2002)

*Re: Point taken....*



> _Originally posted by FINGOLFIN _
> *Thats is a reasonable point.
> 
> Still....if I had an "achilles heel"... think I would wear boots. *



Sauron didn't just have an achilles heel, he was also so fat he couldn't see his ankles (just carrying out the analogy here).

Martha Stewart, *shudder*


----------



## HLGStrider (Jul 16, 2002)

What was I going to say???

Don't you hate it when that happens??? 

Where was I???

Well, even Achille's didn't cover his heel... Sauron as Tonya Harding... I wonder if he'd agree to box Paula Jones... Weird picture.


----------



## aragil (Jul 16, 2002)

My money would be on Paula- Sauron never won in physical combat.


----------



## Rúmil (Jul 16, 2002)

He did: he killed Celebrimbor.


----------



## Aranaug (Jul 16, 2002)

Sauron was no fool. When he was making the One, he needed to make something that was more powerful than the elven rings. He also needed to make ti malicious. Because if he had made it powerful but not filled it with malice than an elf or a man could have risen up against him and defeated him. And by filling it with malice it would eventually corrupt whoever possessed it and the creature would fall under his evil shadow and so be noticed. Though I suspect he never considered that he would lose it. Especially since him losing the One was more accidental than anything else. Isildur's stab at Sauron was more of a last-ditch stab at him because he thought death was upon him. Then in LotR All entrances to Mordor were guarded well. He knew that any attempt to get through with a large army would be noticed outright, and a small one would be all but suicide. And if a small group did get in it would be an even tougher route to Mt.Doom.

And for the matter of placing stronger guards either at the entrance of Mordor or at Mt Doom, the strongest forces in ME that were at his disposal were the Nazgul. He did not have any Balrogs, other wise I think he would have had balrogs leading the forces on Minas Tirith. And he couldn't afford to have the Nazgul guarding the borders because he knew that Orcs were no where near as powerful as the Nazgul so if he was to stop his enemies from getting near him he should dispatch the Nazgul. Which he did. He also used the Orcs of Sauron. He had been planning on waiting before playing his hand but the finding of the One and the formation of the Fellowship made him play his hand before he had been planning.


----------



## aragil (Jul 16, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Rúmil _
> *He did: he killed Celebrimbor. *



Word on the street is that Sauron had an orc do the deed- he didn't want elf-blood on his ring-forging apron.


----------



## Rúmil (Jul 16, 2002)

You shouldn't listen to rumours, Aragil


----------



## HLGStrider (Jul 16, 2002)

You can remove elf blood with a healthy sprinkling of Zout... I think... You should ask Martha about it!!!


----------



## aragil (Jul 16, 2002)

Sauron, Zout, Martha- the great axis of evil.


----------



## HLGStrider (Jul 16, 2002)

Seriously, for a change, the intelligence of Sauron should be in question... not the personal smarts of the guy but I mean is CIA system. He could've done a lot better hiring spies and stuff.

evil axis...


----------



## aragil (Jul 16, 2002)

I think his spy system was ok- even with a 100% catastrophe at Cirith Ungol, Shagrat was still able to report to Sauron that 2 halfling spies were seen trying to get through the pass, that they had been seen with her ladyship's 'sneak', and they had apparently continued into Mordor, rather than running out of it. If Sauron had been capable of putting 2 and 2 together, well, he would have been a different Sauron. Given all the recent hubub Sauron had had with Halflings and the One Ring (to say nothing about the presence of Gollum), he definitely should have figured out what was going on the moment Shagrat reported (~1week before the Ring went in the drink, by my recollection). Yet instead he continued to assume the Ring was with the big guns, who were at that moment making their way to the gates of Mordor. IMO it's just more evidence that Sauron was not capable of understanding his own danger until Frodo popped on the Ring at the Cracks of Doom!


----------



## emopansy (Jul 16, 2002)

suaron wasnt a fool he was merely another slave to the ring and he thought no creature had the will to destroy it.


----------



## Eol (Aug 5, 2002)

*Sauron*

I don't think he was thinking foolishly. Put yourself in his place. We have heard the argument that he only thinks in terms of greed and malice. But also think practically. Frodo and Sam going into Mordor to destroy the ring is about as practical as a naked man walking into Fort Knox to make an unauthorized withdrawal. Who would think it? It would surely seem the stupidest thing to do.

Someone said why should he fear Aragorn? Well, Aragorn is the descendant of the guy who defeated him and stole his ring. The sword he wields struck him down. And through the Palantir Sauron and Aragorn "wrestled in thought" and Aragorn wrested control of the stone from Sauron. So he has a strong will. Strong enough to wield the ring.

Nowhere I've seen does it say Sauron is invincible while the ring exists. Both Gandalf and Galadriel have aluded to the fact that they COULD defeat Sauron with the ring at their command. It just needs a powerful enough being to bend the ring to his will. In the end they would be corrupted and become LIKE Sauron, but Sauron himself would be gone. So yes, Sauron has reason to fear. And were does this mere mortal get the cheek to present himself before Sauron in the first place? He MUST have the ring to be so self-assured.

Think of it this way. The ring is a trigger for a bunch of nukes. The good guys have it, but using it will destroy their lands as well. If Sauron gets it, he is ASSURED victory. In the meantime, he has overwhelming conventional forces so he can probably win even without it. So in that position, and not having a love for the land that everyone else does, he would definitely think Aragorn has put on the ring and is coming to kick his butt out of Mordor.

Eol


----------



## Ravenna (Aug 5, 2002)

Not only should we consider Sauron's intelligence, but also his other characteristics. Yes he was intelligent but he was blinded to and extent by his obsession with power and his arrogance. Because he could not conceive of anyone NOT desiring to use the power of the Ring, he could not therefroe conceive that anyone would wish to destroy it. Also, he was so certain that even without the ring, he could defeat everyone, and that unless they used the Ring or had the aid of the Valar, no-one could assault him inside Mordor, that he focussed on winning rather than defence.


----------



## Ancalagon (Aug 5, 2002)

> Yes he was intelligent but he was blinded to and extent by his obsession with power and his arrogance.



For one moment there I thought we were actually talking about Feanor. Like peas in pod


----------



## Lantarion (Aug 5, 2002)

"Yea, two rotten apples."


----------



## HLGStrider (Aug 6, 2002)

This isn't the beginning of a Feanor fire fight is it? 

I think a lot of good points have been made... I always said Aragorn was perfect.... Sauron fears perfection... 'cause Aragorn would get all the girls...

No where is it said that Sauron has an eye for the ladies, of course... but it makes an interesting picture.


----------



## Lantarion (Aug 6, 2002)

Hmm, speaking of which; Sauron must have been one of the very few Maiar who didn't wed (apart from the Istari, Anarien, and...somebody else)..


----------



## Aule The Smith (Aug 9, 2002)

*saurons intelligence*

Sauron was an extremely intelligent enemy like when he went among the elves as Attamar(gift-bringer) and gave them the knowledge of how to make the magic rings but he is clever to the extreme when he crafts the One Ring that has power over the other rings

In LOTR the reason he seems so stupid is because he is so consumed in searching for The Ring that he seems stupid.

does anyone else know about sauron being a servant to the valar before turning evil


----------



## FINGOLFIN (Aug 9, 2002)

*Sure....*

I'm not sure the term "servant" is correct...but yeah, the Maia were lesser Valar.


----------



## emopansy (Aug 9, 2002)

suaron was a genuis but the very greed and power he currupted others with were his bain as well


----------



## Lantarion (Aug 9, 2002)

You're right Aulë The Smith, and welcome to the forum! 
Just to make sure you feel reeeaally uncomfortable: the name is Annatar.


----------



## Eriol (Jul 7, 2003)

Great thread; especially the humorous notes 

I think no one alluded to what I think was Sauron's "ace in the hole", the main reason why he never concerned himself with the possibility of the destruction of the Ring; not until he saw with his own eyes that possibility becoming a reality. 

Quote from Letter 181:



> Frodo was in such a position: an apparently complete trap: a person of greater native power could probably never have resisted the Ring's lure to power so long; a person of less power could not hope to resist it in the final decision. (Already Frodo had been unwilling to harm the Ring before he set out, and was incapable of surrendering it to Sam.)
> 
> _The Quest was bound to fail as a piece of world-plan,_ and also was bound to end in disaster as the story of humble Frodo's development to the 'noble', his sanctification. _Fail it would and did as far as Frodo considered alone was concerned..._



Why should Sauron concern himself with a possibility that _was bound to fail_? He knew the power of the Ring very well; he knew that no one could resist it. In fact, the Ring was destroyed _in spite_ of the fact that no one could resist its lure, and that in the end no one did!

I don't think that Sauron was a fool for ruling out the impossible; or at least I don't think he was a fool, until Frodo actually reached the Cracks of Doom. By then he saw his "folly", objectively speaking (and I think he would agree with me on that  ); but no Maia could have foreseen that. It was a cunning trick of Ilúvatar...


----------



## Beleg (Jul 8, 2003)

Also that Sauron knew next to nothing about the personality and nature, or even the race of Hobbits. 

Thus inside his own (limited) knowledge he knew and felt that any attempt at destroying the ring was Bound to fail because Elves, Men and Dwarves? would be possessed by it.


----------

