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Sauron is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth universe. He is the titular Lord of the Rings against whom the protagonists of that series struggle.
His name is pronounced in IPA as: sɑʊɻɒn, and in SAMPA as: sAUr\`Qn. His "birth" occured in 3019 T.A. when he was created by Eru Ilúvatar. He is a Dark Lord of Mordor, a potent spirit of evil. He also appears as a relatively minor character in The Silmarillion.
1 Sauron in the First Age
Before and during the First Age, Sauron was in origin an "angelic" spirit called a Maia in Tolkien's invented mythology. He was at first a powerful servant of AulëAul is a fictional character from J. Tolkien's legendarium. Aule the Smith (from Valarin Aulez the second character is a yogh) is a Vala, Smith of the Powers and concerned with rock and metal. During the creation of Arda, Aule was most involved in buildin, the Smith, a greater angelic spirit, one of the ValarTolkien's fantasy universe, Middle-earth, the Valar are the Powers of Arda who live on the Western continent of Aman. The Valar were the fourteen powerful spirits of the race of the Ainur who entered Arda after its creation to give order to the world and, or ruling powers of the world. However, Sauron was soon subverted by the Dark Lord Melkor (later known as MorgothMorgoth Bauglir Morgoth means "The Dark Enemy", Bauglir is "The Constrainer"), originally named Melkor ("He Who Arises in Might"), is a fictional character of Middle-earth, created by J. He was — at the creation of Tolkien's world — the most powerful of t, an evil Vala), and Sauron himself turned to evil. Ever after, Sauron served Morgoth faithfully, and even in later days, after Morgoth was defeated and locked outside the confines of the world, Sauron encouraged and coerced Men to worship Morgoth as god. Sauron, in a way, was wiser than Morgoth - he had never fallen as low as his master did. While Morgoth wanted to either control or destroy the very matter of ArdaThis article is about the fictional setting. There is also an Arda river in Bulgaria. In the works of J. Tolkien, Arda is the world in which all of the events occur, including the continents of Middle-earth and Aman. It is a part of Ea, the World and all itself, Sauron's desire was to dominate the minds and wills of its creatures.
During the First Age, the ŃoldorIn the works of J. Tolkien, the oldor (meaning those with knowledge are the second clan of the Elves. According to legend, the clan was founded by Tata, the second Elf to awake at Cuivienen, his spouse Tatanye and their 54 companions, but it was Finwe, thin ElvesThe Elves (always spelt such, never "Elfs") are one of the races that appear in the work of J. Their complex history is described in full only in The Silmarillion and it is mentioned tangentially in The Lord of the Rings''. Elves were the first inhabitant left the Blessed Realm of Valinor in the Utter West (against the counsel of the Valar) in order to wage war on Morgoth, who had stolen the Silmarils, enchanted gems that glowed with light, from them. In that war, Sauron served as Morgoth's Chief lieutenant, surpassing all others in rank save Gothmog, Lord of Balrogs. Known as Gorthaur the Cruel, Sauron at that time was a master of illusions and changes of form, and werewolves were his servants, chief among them Draugluin, Sire of Werewolves, and Thuringwethil, his vampire Herald. When Morgoth left Angband to corrupt the newly awakened Atani (Men), Sauron directed the War against the Elves. He conquered the Elvish isle of Tol Sirion, so that it became known as Tol-in-Gaurhoth, the Isle of Werewolves. Ten years later, Finrod Felagund, the king of Nargothrond and former lord of Tol Sirion, died protecting Beren in captivity; soon afterward Lúthien and Huan the Wolfhound defeated Sauron in that place and rescued Beren from the dungeons into which Sauron had thrown him. After his defeat by Lúthien, Sauron played little part in the events of the First Age (possibly hiding from Morgoth), and after his master was defeated and cast out by the Valar, Sauron repented (apparently) and pled for mercy. But he was unwilling to return to the Utter West for judgement, and he fled and hid.
