What race/specie is Sauron?

[Lord Merciless]

This question about Lord of the Rings has always bugged me. Has Tolkien ever explained that? How were the Elves and Men able to defeat him the first time when he had the ring, but had so much trouble the second time when he didn't have it?


Can LOTR experts answer those questions?

[johncmcleod]

Sauron is a spirit, I'm pretty sure. I don't understand how Isildur could've killed him when Sauron had the ring, though. When Sauron has the ring he has uncomprehendable powers so I don't understand how it could've happened.

[Boris Godunov]

Sauron is one of the Maiar, I believe. He was a servant of Morgoth, and then became the big Evil Cheese when Morgoth was defeated.

[1]

Shhhh, you weren't supposed to think of that.

[Lord Merciless]

Does anyone think that Sauron represents Adolf Hitler? (The first book was written in 1937)

[johncmcleod]

Yes, I have heard that Tolkiens books had lots of allegory in them dealing with the situation of the world during his time.

[Lord Merciless]

I think the major difference is that Hitler's enemies were comparatively much much stronger than Sauron's foes.

In reality, the evil elites were being grinded down by the good hordes.

[GePap]

Boris is correct, Sauron was one of the Maia that followed Morgoth after his rebellion. After Morgoths' defeat he stewed around a bit, and then went to Numenor (sp), were he helped bring them down, but when Numenor was destroyed, hje lost his ability to disguise himself in a pleasing light, and thus then had to work form the shadows (all I know from the Silmarillion)

[Lord Merciless]

What is a Maia, a humanoid race, a demon, a spirit, or something completely different?

[GePap]

They are a second rung of "angels", one step down from the Valar, who are like archangels, or perhaps like Greek Gods, all still one step down from the "creator" of the universe.

[Japher]

Ainur

[David Floyd]

Yes, the answer is a Maiar - same as Gandalf and Saruman and the Balrog.

[Thud]

Think Morgath = Satan. Angel who abandons God.

Sauron was created by and served Morgath. (Orcs, btw, are elves corrupted by him)

[GePap]

Sauron was not created by morgoth, he was created by the 'creator" and followed Morgoth (like the angels who followed Satan down..satan did not create any of them)

I never heard of Gandalf being a Maia, and the Balrog certainly is not.

[Japher]

Gandalf and Saruman were Istari wizards, sent as messengers to ward of Sauron.

And I believe Sauron was made in the beginning and not by anyone else.