The footnotes for Saruman's diary, with one or two exceptions, are all stored in this document; by loading this introduction, your browser should have loaded all the footnotes as well (except for those one or two exceptions).
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All page-references given in the footnotes, by the way, refer to the hardback editions of Tolkien's works.
"Curumo" is given as a possible Quenya form of the Sindarin "Curunir". Unfinished Tales, pp. 398 and 406, represents its only printed occurrence.
The style and language of the faux Christopher Tolkien introduction is based upon actual writings by Christopher Tolkien, particularly those found in The Lost Road p. 155, The Lays of Beleriand p. 4, and The War of the Ring p. 144.
I had to do a surprising amount of research to write this thing.
Unfinished Tales p. 275 further describes the loot found at Orthanc:
"...jewels and heirlooms of Eorl, filched from Edoras by the agency of Wormtongue during King Theoden's decline, and other such things, more ancient and beautiful, from mounds and tombs far and wide. Saruman in his degradation had become not a dragon but a jackdaw."The "small case of gold" which Isildur kept the Ring in, and the long-lost Elendilmir, are described as being in a steel closet "behind a hidden door that they could not have found or opened had not Elessar had the aid of Gimli the Dwarf".
Clearly, Gimli had earned his paycheck for the day.
All dates are taken from Return of the King Appendix B, pp. 373-4, or derived from information in Two Towers book III.
Curunir: translated as "the one of cunning devices" by Unfinished Tales p. 434, or more simply, "clever guy". Possibly in modern American English, "smartass".
The similar word forgil is a Dunlendish name for the Rohirrim, literally translated as "strawheads" (presumably the name comes from the Rohirrim's blond hair - see Return of the King, p. 408). Forgoil, a derivative spelling which occurs on Two Towers p. 142, appears to be closely related in etymology. Most scholars suggest that it might now be translated as "Californians".
Unfinished Tales, pp. 359-60, notes that Saruman rested after this victory as opposed to immediately pressing his advantage. "Saruman made the mistake, fatal as it proved, of not immediately throwing in more forces and proceeding at once to a massive invasion... If the invasion of Westfold had begun five days earlier, there can be little doubt" that Rohan would have been overthrown.
Two Towers p. 87 relates this same story from an Entish point of view:
"'There were rowan-trees in my home,' said Bregalad, softly and sadly, 'rowan-trees that took root when I was an Enting, many many years ago in the quiet of the world... Birds used to flock there. I like birds, even when they chatter; and the rowan had enough [berries] and to spare. But the birds became unfriendly and greedy and tore at the trees, and threw the fruit down and did not eat it. Then Orcs came with axes and cut down my trees. I came and called them by their long names, but they did not quiver, they did not hear or answer: they lay dead."
"Obviously the Ring of Isengard. It's unlikely Saruman could fit ten thousand troops into the ring he was wearing on his finger, or that he had yet fallen to such folly as to attempt it." [Author's note.]
Also observe Gandalf's comment in Fellowship of the Ring, p. 273: "Only one hand at a time can wield the One".
Note Treebeard's comment in Two Towers, pp. 76-7: "He [Saruman] has been doing something to them [Orcs]; something dangerous. For these Isengarders are more like wicked Men... has he blended the races of Orcs and Men? That would be a black evil!"
Saruman's secret smoking-habit is documented in Unfinished Tales, pp. 352-3:
"Now truth to tell, observing Gandalf's love of the herb that he called 'pipe-weed'..., Saruman had affected to scoff at it, but in private he made trial of it, and soon began to use it; and for this reason the Shire remained important to him. Yet he dreaded lest this should be discovered, and his own mockery turned against him... This then was the reason for his great secrecy..."An example of that "mockery", from the meeting of the White Council in the year T.A. 2851, is given on p. 353:
"The Council met in Rivendell, and Gandalf set apart, silent, but smoking prodigiously... before the Council dispersed [Saruman] said to Gandalf: 'When weighty matters are in debate, Mithrandir, I wonder a little that you should play with your toys of fire and smoke, while others are in earnest speech... I know well enough that you have become a curious explorer of the small: weeds, wild things, and childish folk.Your time is your own to spend, if you have nothing worthier to do... [but] I have no time for the simples of peasants.'"
A posible explanation for Sauron being referred to as a "Maia of Aule" is implied here: that Sauron was with Aule during the time of the Two Lamps, Illuin and Ormal. Melkor had fled Arda briefly, and at that time "brooded in the outer darkness", presumably leaving Sauron free to work with, and learn from, the rest of the Valar. It's worth noting that Aule's craftsmanship had been called repeatedly by the other Valar during that time, and so Sauron (and, indeed, Saruman) could have learned much from him at that time. Silmarillion pp. 35-6 tells of Aule's labors at this time.
Saruman's ring is noted briefly by Gandalf in Fellowship of the Ring, pp. 271-2:
"But I rode to the foot of Orthanc, and came to the stair of Saruman; and there he met me and led me up to his high chamber. He wore a ring on his finger...As noted elsewhere, it suggests the possibility that Saruman may have attempted to enslave Grima with a second ring. Hence the already-published joke (given elsewhere) about "Grima, the Ringworm".
"'...and here you will stay, Gandalf the Grey,' [said Saruman,] 'and rest from journeys. For I am Saruman the Wise, Saruman Ring-maker, Saruman of Many Colours!'"
More interesting, though, is Saruman's comment, "the Ring-lore has only given me Voice". It gives me a chance to propose a theory: that it was Saruman's investigation of Ring-lore, particularly the One Ring's ability to dominate the wills of others, which first taught him the ability to daunt and influence others with his voice. Certainly the power of his voice had some Ring-like effects on the wills of his listeners; note Two Towers, p. 183:
"For many the sound of the voice alone was enough to hold them enthralled; but for those whom it conquered the spell endured when they were far away, and ever they heard that soft voice whispering and urging them. But none were unmoved; none rejected its pleas and its commands without an effort of mind and will, so long as its master had control of it."The question of when Saruman developed this Voice, however, has never been satisfactorily answered. Was it a skill he had when he first arrived in Middle-earth, or did he learn the skill through his investigation of the Rings? I've found nothing to suggest he had this power before the mid-to-late Third Age. Any suggestions or comments?
"Ulugl'm was not an Orc but a Man, possibly descended from the Numenoreans who once defended Isengard, or perhaps the Dunlendings who held Isengard in years after; or perhaps both. He was known more for his incessant chatter than his skills as a warrior; some say that he envied Curunir, and desired the majesty and persuasiveness of his voice." [Author's note.]
Ulugl'm's seemingly-unlikely Numenor/Dunland ancestry can be explained by Unfinished Tales, pp. 376-7, with the description of Isengard's gradual shift in occupation from Gondor to Dunland in the middle of the Third Age:
"The line of the Gondorian chieftains of Angrenost [the Ring of Isengard] had failed, and the command of the fortress passed into the hands of a family of the people. These, as has been said, were already long before of mixed blood... As was later known, the Dunlendings, having been admitted as friends, had seized the Ring of Isengard, slaying the few survivors of its ancient guards who were not (as were most) willing to merge with the Dunlendish folk."
Note also, interestingly, that the name Ulugl'm may possibly even be Elvish in origin: ulug "horrible", and either ngal "loud or incoherant talk" or glam "barbarous confused noise".
In The War of the Ring, p. 38, Aragorn implies that Isengard would be fertile ground if Saruman weren't there polluting everything:
"'...he had little knowledge or care for growing things. Though in the old days the warm valley of Nan Gurunir could have been made to grow a good crop.'"In Return of the King p. 257, the Ents confirm Aragorn was right:
"...the Ents had busied themselves. All the stone-circle had been thrown down and removed, and the land within was made into a garden full of orchards and trees..."
"'The Bridge of the Ring-Maker', as Saruman named it in his insolence." [Author's note.]
Evidently referring to a bridge built over the Isen by Saruman, roughly one mile East of Isengard. A crossing such as this is deduced by Elfhelm in Unfinished Tales p. 364; Merry points the bridge out to Aragorn in Two Towers p. 171.
The Orcs' destruction is documented in Two Towers pp. 58-63. At the end of the battle, "the Riders made a great fire and scattered the ashes of their enemies... the smoke of the burning rose high to heaven and was seen by many watchful eyes."
For Saruman's delusion see Two Towers, p. 45:
"Suddenly Gimli looked up, and there just on the edge of the firelight stood an old bent man, leaning on a staff, and wrapped in a great cloak; his wide-brimmed hat was pulled down over his eyes... Both Aragorn and Legolas, roused by his sudden movement, sat up and stared. The old man did not speak or make a sign.(Incidentally, on p. 102 Gandalf confirms that the "old man" wasn't him.)
"'Well, father, what can we do for you?' said Aragorn, leaping to his feet. 'Come and be warm, if you are cold!' He strode forward, but the old man was gone."
Also note Saruman's comment about "a stronghold where I can at least get some decent food"; this may be the first hint of his plans to conquer the Shire, where later he appears at Bag End "looking well-fed and well-pleased" (Return of the King, p. 297).
I wrote this as pure conjecture for Saruman's motivations, and oddly enough later found it explicitly confirmed by War of the Ring, p. 51. According to Merry:
"Saruman sent out his whole forces: he pretty well emptied Isengard. Gandalf says that he was probably in a great taking, thinking that the Ring must have gone to Edoras, and meant to blot out Theoden and all his folk, before they had time to do anything about it."
"Now that the Dunlendings were at Isengard in force their families in Dunland took special care to send fresher provisions Eastward, a care they did not take when (as was typical) their people were fewer in the Wizard's Vale." [Author's note.]
War of the Ring p. 29 has Gandalf telling Theoden, "To take you and slay Eomer was what he [Saruman] most desired"; this line is absent from Two Towers, perhaps in light of these new instructions from Saruman. (There are still indicators that Theoden was to be taken alive if possible, however; see Two Towers, p. 145).
The order to "search the bodies ... inside and out", however, appears to have been followed literally; note Theoden's comment on Two Towers p. 185: "They hewed Hama's body before the gates of the Hornburg, after he was dead."
The guards were, evidently, well-fed; in Two Towers p. 165, Merry observes that Saruman "had Men to guard his gates... they were favoured and got good provisions." The quality of their food was probably better than usual that week, too, because of the presence of the Dunlending's army. Also see note 20, above.
20: "Now that the Dunlendings were at Isengard in force their families in Dunland took special care to send fresher provisions Eastward, a care they did not take when (as was typical) their people were fewer in the Wizard's Vale." [Author's note.]
Probably from the Quenya nar "flame, fire" + pilim "arrow" (or possibly phalma "crested wave"). Possibly the root for modern English napalm.
Merry and Pippin's account of the attack and occupation of Isengard is given in full in Two Towers pp. 171-180.
Note Pippin's comment in Two Towers p. 166: "...the deliveries have been rather interrupted in the last few days".
The text, at first in a bold hand, is now reduced to a hasty and almost-illegible scrawl. Whether this is due to Saruman's declining situation or the author's disgust with the material is hard to say. The entry for this date, however, begins with the words:
Oh God I can't write another word of this pointless goddamned drivelThis was struck through almost immediately, and the text continued as written.
From Two Towers p. 160, italics mine:
"...there upon a floor of polished stone, written with strange signs, a man might stand five hundred feet above the plain."
If the Rohirrim had obtained the Ring, as Saruman had supposed, Grima's stealing it and bringing it to Orthanc was actually quite possible - and, if Theoden had it, even likely. Note the following quotes from Two Towers, pp. 121 and 123 respectively:
"Theoden rose and put his hand to his side; but no sword hung at his belt. 'Where has Grima stowed it?' he muttered under his breath."
"'Here, lord, is Herugrim, your ancient blade,' [Hama] said. 'It was found in [Grima's] chest. Loth was he to render up the keys. Many other things are there which men have missed.'"Also observe note 3, regarding the loot found at Orthanc after the War of the Ring.
Unfinished Tales p. 275 further describes the loot found at Orthanc:
"...jewels and heirlooms of Eorl, filched from Edoras by the agency of Wormtongue during King Theoden's decline, and other such things, more ancient and beautiful, from mounds and tombs far and wide. Saruman in his degradation had become not a dragon but a jackdaw."The "small case of gold" which Isildur kept the Ring in, and the long-lost Elendilmir, are described as being in a steel closet "behind a hidden door that they could not have found or opened had not Elessar had the aid of Gimli the Dwarf".
Clearly, Gimli had earned his paycheck for the day.
Eowyn was part of Saruman's promised payment to Grima for his deception. Gandalf confronts Grima with this information onTwo Towers pp. 124-5:
"'Down snake!' [Gandalf] said suddenly in a terrible voice. 'Down on your belly! How long is it since Saruman bought you? What was the promised price? When all the men were dead, you were to pick your share of the treasure, and take the woman you desire? Too long have you watched her under your eyelids and haunted her steps... Eowyn is safe now.'"
Obviously Aragorn, pronounced (or mispronounced) as a Rohirric name. Quoting Gandalf, Two Towers p. 205:
"'It may be that [Sauron] will learn [through Saruman]... that an heir of Elendil lives and stood beside me. If Wormtongue was not deceived by the armour of Rohan, he would remember Aragorn and the title that he claimed. That is what I fear.'"Evidently Wormtongue didn't quite get it right.
Merry tells of Treebeard's requesting "man-food for twenty-five" for the picnic in Two Towers pp. 164 and 180. Though it was a good meal, doubtless Saruman's "twelve-course" estimate was exaggerated by his own hunger.
"The palantir were each situated on low round tables of black marble, seated in a central cup or depression." [Author's note.]
The essay on the palantir in Unfinished Tales says essentially the same thing (p. 415).
Very possibly it was hours, since the picnic started shortly after noon but the parley at the doors of Orthanc didn't take place until roughly 3:15. Two Towers, p. 161, and War of the Ring, p. 72, provide the times.
"Doubtless this happened when Theoden spoke the words, 'A lesser son of great sires am I'; such humility, Saruman knew, would not be found in one who bore the Ring as a weapon." [Author's note.]
Theoden's quote can be found at the end of his speech in Two Towers, pp. 185-6.
"Saruman had no first-hand knowledge of Gandalf's fall with the Balrog, though he had surmised it; rumours had come from the Orcs of Barazinbar, and spies had told him of Gandalf's absence from the Company East of the Mountains. Also Saruman's estimate of the time Olorin would need to take new raiment was made without considering the possibility of aid from Manwe and the Lords of the West." [Author's note.]
Gandalf obviously was capable of it, having used a word of Command against the Balrog as well (Fellowship of the Ring, p. 341). What a "word of Command" is exactly, however, remains vague.
Please don't cite any RPG rules to explain it all for me.
Treebeard's account of these conversations can be found in Return of the King, p. 258:
"'Hoom! I gave him some long tales, or at least what might be thought long in your speech... though he hated the news, he was greedy to have it; and I saw that he heard it all. But I added a great many things to the news that it was good for him to think of.'"
Needless to say Gandalf was not wielding the Ring, and Saruman was going to see at least one Nazgul before the night was over - very possibly two, if Sauron dispatched a second Rider to Orthanc after Pippin had looked into the palantir. This is made clear in Two Towers, pp. 201 and 204-5.
Putting a different spin on Gandalf's quote, Two Towers p. 189: "Small comfort will those two have in their companionship; they will gnaw one another with words." :)