Saruman
Saruman was a male literary character who features in The Lord of the Rings.
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Biography
Curumo was originally a mighty Maia of Aulë. In the Elder Days, he was sent under the guise of Tarindor alongside four others - namely, Olórin, Aiwendil, Alatar and Pallando - to protect the Elves at Cuiviénen from the evils of Morgoth and Sauron.
In the Second Age, a council was called in Valinor by Manwë, king of the Valar, shortly after Sauron's first downfall Though the Dark Lord had been overthrown by the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, the Powers deemed that the threat he posed had not yet been ended. Thus, the Valar decided to send five of their Maia helpers to Middle-earth to guide the Free Peoples in resisting Sauron. Curumo was one of those who volunteered, whereas the last one, Olórin was commanded by Manwë to go too. Nonetheless, Curumo was the chief of the Order of the Istari. Much to his chagrin, he was also charged to take Aiwendil as his companion to please Yavanna. The others who were chosen were Alatar and Pallando (the two Blue Wizards).
In the Third Age, the White Wizard arrived at the Grey Havens as an emissary of the Powers. Only the keeper of the havens, Círdan the Shipwright, knew at that time Curumo's identity and origin. It was in this period that the White Wizard's hatred of the Grey Pilgrim would start to grow. Curumo soon learned that Círdan had had divined Olórin upon arrival as the wisest in the Order of the Istari and had given him Narya, an Elven Ring of Power, for safe-keeping. In his pride, Curumo believed that Olórin was contesting his authority and was actively seeking to compete with him. The White Wizard and the two Blue Wizards went into the east of Middle-earth. After one and a half millennia, Curumo returned to the west, just as Sauron began to re-emerge. In these days, he became known as Saruman to Men and as Curunír to the Elves and he was considered the greatest in the Order of the Istari. Despite this, Saruman's hatred of Gandalf (Olórin) grew ever more, envying the favor the latter held with their allies. As for Radagast (Aiwendil), Saruman held only for contempt, dismissing him for his naivety and friendship with Gandalf. He spent some time in Gondor's capital of Minas Tirith; presumably he learned that an all-seeing Palantir might be held in Orthanc at Isengard. Following the Long Winter, the White Wizard received the Steward's approval to make the tower into his dwelling as its warden. Nominally, Saruman was there to counsel the Kings of Rohan, but the truth was he had become too concerned with his own designs for self-enhancement.
The White Wizard was also called to join the White Council, a group of the Wise who hoped to counter the Enemy. For many years, Saruman studied Sauron and his devices, initially to discern a way to withstand him. However, by the end of his research, the Wizard was in awe of the Dark Lord and, instead of hating him, he deludedly believed he could mold himself into his quasi-equal. This pursuit of power at any cost led Saruman to gradually abandon the task given to him by the Valar and to hinder Gandalf whenever possible. Distrustful of the Grey Pilgrim, the White Wizard started to spy on him and watched his movements in and around the Shire. Saruman was all but certain that Gandalf's visits to the Hobbits were purposed by some greater scheme. When Gandalf suggested that Sauron might have concealed himself at Dol Guldur in Mirkwood, Saruman denied him blessing for an investigation or attack. Secretly, Saruman hoped that letting Sauron recover his spent strength would yield something in turn: he might garner some favor with Sauron in the future, or the Ring might reveal himself; the Wizad believed that if he seized the One Ring he might have enough power to control it and become the new Lord of the Rings. During the Quest for Erebor, Gandalf discovered that Sauron was indeed the "Necromancer" and Saruman was forced to approve an attack upon Dol Guldur.
After the Enemy flew back eastwards and the last meeting of the White Council was held, the Wizard sealed himself in his tower, plotting how to rule the Free Peoples, rather than watch over them, and using the Seeing Stone unbeknownst to his allies. Driven by greed, Saruman used the Palantir to commune with Sauron and swore him his allegiance. Hence, the corrupted Wizard was intent on ruling Middle-earth together with his new Lord, or usurping him as Lord of the Rings to rule all himself. As one of Sauron's chief vassals, Saruman took Isengard for his own, as a fief of Mordor; in truth, the Wizard had become little more than his Lord's puppet, acting out his will while still being open to the opportunity of a second betrayal. Saruman began recruiting Orcs of the Misty Mountains into his service, using them to fortify Isengard, build a network of smithies and other war machines and breed Uruk-hai and Half-orcs. On one hand, the corrupted Wizard was building all these into an army in service of his Lord, on the other he was simultaneously keeping some for a smaller separate elite fighting force loyal only to himself. Preying on the enmity between the Rohirrim and the Dunlendings, Saruman persuaded Dunland to throw in its lot with the union of Isengard and Mordor against Rohan. He also bought Grima Wormtongue as a mole, using him to poison Théoden's mind and keep from opposing Sauron's expansion. The corrupted Wizard also took a more active interest in the Shire, sending his own agents there to procure pipe-weed and goods and also to spy.
Gandalf journeyed to Isengard seeking Saruman's counsel, only to discover the terrible treachery.The corrupted Wizard revealed his intentions and offered the Grey Pilgrim a choice: submit to the Dark Lord, as he himself had done, or help him get the One Ring first. When Gandalf refused to bend the knee to Sauron or reveal the Ring's wherabouts, and Saruman imprisoned him atop Orthanc. He then started mustering his servants and allies, in preparation for his Lord's war and his own hunt for the Ring-bearer. After Gandalf's flight, Saruman dispatched his loyal Uruk-hai troop to pursue the Fellowship of the Ring and capture the Hobbits. His Uruk-hai took two of the halflings captive, but were waylaid on the eaves of Fangorn by Rohirrim and slain to the last.
His defection to Sauron's service revealed, Saruman attacked the Rohirrim, sending his Isengard Orc raiding parties and Dunlending warbands to ravage the Westfold. With Théoden weakened and Grima having assumed stewardship, he now sought to remove one of the final impediments to his lordship of Rohan. The corrupted Wizard gave special orders that the King's heir be slain. In the First Battle at the Fords of Isen, Théoden's son, Théodred, was mortally-wounded by Saruman's servants.
Lord Sauron's command, the Wizard Saruman committed most of his forces to grievous attacks against the Rohirrim at the Fords of Isen and the fortress of Helm' Deep. While his ten thousand-strong legion was vanquished, the Ents assaulted and occupied Isengard, trapping the turncoat in Orthanc. Gandalf the White soon arrived, leading the armies of Rohan, and confronted the embittered Saruman, offering him a chance to repent. Arrogant as ever Saruman refused and tried to sow despair or push him towards Sauron's employ, so Gandalf banished him from the Istari order and broke his staff, stripping him of his power. In a fit of rage, Grima threw Saruman's Palantir out a window - not sure whichever Wizard he hated more - where it was claimed by Aragorn.
After the permanent defeat of the Dark Lord, the Ents released his two-faced servant, and he and Wormtongue journeyed to the Shire, where allies he had infiltrated there allowed him to take over. He was known among the hobbits there as "Sharkey" (derived from an orcish word meaning 'Old Man') and holding them responsible for his precarious position, Saruman imposed a terror regime in the land by means of ruffians and half-orcs. The four hobbits returned and managed to drive the disgraced Wizard out. But after lashing out at Grima, the oppressed agent (after enduring abuse and torture) attacked Saruman and cut his throat. Saruman's spirit rose from his body and looked towards Valinor, but was rejected and his spirit scattered on the wind; a fate perhaps not much unlike that of his master, as Sauron's soul was banished to the Void to gnaw on its own impotent malice.
Overview
Personality and attributes
As one of the Istari, he was a member of the order of wizards where he came to be known as Saruman the White.
Powers and abilities
Knowledge of the 'deep arts' was of particular interest to Saruman. He was also deeply learned in ancient lore regarding powerful kingdoms such as Númenor, Gondor, and Moria.
Notes
- Saruman was created by J. R. R. Tolkien where he featured in the Middle-earth universe.
In other media
Films
Video games
Appearances
- The Lord of the Rings:
External Links
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