Question- Sauron's Helmet

[Bombadillo]

It seems that people have generally accepted the image of Sauron where he is very tall, has a long face, and wears a helmet with points all over it. This is how it's portrayed in the movie and I've seen in many drawings. But I don't recall reading any descriptions of his helmet. I haven't yet read all of Tolkien's works, but maybe someone could show me a qoute where this is mentioned?


If in fact there is no such passage, then this thread will be rendered useless. So we can change its question to 'How do you envision Sauron?'

[gimli7410]

I always saw him with that dark dull silver armor but with a mask shaped more like a skull. i always thought of him as tall though and broad shouldered

[Sister Golden Hair]

I don't recall in the books it ever mentioning or describing Sauron as wearing a helmet, armour, or any other such protection. That's not to say that he didn't.

As for Sauron's physical form, Tolkien describes I believe both he, and Morgoth as being tall, but not unusually so. They appeared manlike, but taller, not gigantic.

[Anglorfin]

I'd expect that Sauron's greatest weapon would be dread and fear in most cases. However while in physical form he must have been fairly oversized if compared even to a Man of Numenor. Remember in Isildur's description of the Ring he said that he noticed it shrink to fit his finger. For shrinking to actually have been taken note of, it must have been a fairly significant change, and beings with that large of a finger would tend to be quite large themselves.

[Sister Golden Hair]

Originally posted by Anglorfin
I'd expect that Sauron's greatest weapon would be dread and fear in most cases. However while in physical form he must have been fairly oversized if compared even to a Man of Numenor. Remember in Isildur's description of the Ring he said that he noticed it shrink to fit his finger. For shrinking to actually have been taken note of, it must have been a fairly significant change, and beings with that large of a finger would tend to be quite large themselves.

Remember that the shrinking ability of the ring was for the purpose of finding a bearer to a degree. The ring had slipped off of Gollums finger and had been lost in his cave until Bilbo came along. As for Isildur, the ring betrayed him as well, slipping from his finger to reveal him to the Orcs. The shrinking was a capability of the ring to conform to the bearer. If the bearer wasn't suitable, then the ring would expand and be lost from them.

[Anglorfin]

But I doubt the Ring would want to be anywhere else than on Sauron's hand. Why would it expand off of his finger? Isildur still forcefully took it from him.

[Bombadillo]

Hmmm... the picture of Sauron that you describe is hard to imagine SGH. I think if he himself wasn't unusually large, he must have had unusually large hands. Like hands that were made for bearing a weapon. That would make enough sense.

[Anglorfin]

But Isildur's hand was made for bearing weapons too.

[Strongbow]

I dont remember it saying in any of the books that he wears a helmet but he does live in a fortress, fight in wars (not as much as of late : P ) and was considered to be morgoths leutenant or something of that nature. sounds warlike to me, soit would probably be safe to assume that he wore a suit of armor, or some mail, and a helm of some sort.

[Sister Golden Hair]

I found this description in the Silmarillion about Morgoth. It may give us some idea of the size and armour concerning the enemies. This is from the fall of Fingolfin.

Therefore Morgoth came, climbing slowly from his subterranean throne, and the rumour of his feet was like thunder underground. And he issued forth clad in black armour; and he stood before the King like a tower, iron-crowned, and his vast shield, sable unblazoned, cast a shadow over him like a storm cloud. But Fingolfin gleamed beneath it as a star; for his mail was overlaid with silver, and his blue shield was set with crystals; and he drew his sword Ringil, that glittered like ice.

[Wayfarer]

For some reason, I always picture Sauron as something like this: http://members.tripod.com/~Gurt/PS4PICS/delmlars.gif

[Gwaimir Windgem]

You think he's hosted by tripod?

Strongbow: Lieutenant doesn't have anything to do with fighting. Saruman was Sauron's lieutenant, and then the Mouth was after he betrayed Sauron.

[Wayfarer]

Bah.

Copy the link into your addybar, smart-guy.

I think he looks like a D-Elm-Lars if that helps.

[Almie]

Wayfarer, I can't see your pic even if I copy and paste the link... sigh!

I picture 'Sauron -in-human-disguise' (=Númenórean!Sauron) this way: Sligthly taller than the Númenóreans, short silver hair, no beard, fair skin, intense blue eyes, seems ageless, possibly broad shoulders and strong arms, possibly using a cane of some sort (Istari-like, you know). That was before he lost his ability to look humanlike.

[Dreran the Green]

I don't think I can see Sauron with a cane, the whole cane thing is like the Istari insignia or something, you know, how like clubs have jackets and gangs have colors and shriners have fezzes (sp?) For some reason I always envisioned Sauron in much the same way I do Elrond. Except, you know, evil

BTW, there's this really strange joke script to LOTR that has a scene where Sauron is reminiscing about what happened in the Second Age battle where he was defeated and through his warped mind he visualizes himself as a kindly old man in overalls who likes gardening

Just wanted to add that strange little note.

[Agburanar]

I see Sauron in many forms. He was a werewolf at some point wasn't he? I think that bearing in mind the Wargs and the wolf head of Grond Sauron would have some wolfish characteristics, rather than the Ram shown in the film.

I don't think that you can apply human terms to Sauron as he isn't human. But as Hobbits, Men, Elves and Dwarves all have similar characteristics (as do Valar) he may have been humanoid. For some reason I picture him in LotR as residing inside a giant statue in a high room in Barad Dur, not yet strong enough to reappear. The eye is the only physical manifestation he can make.

There is the description at the end of LotR of the shadowy hand... and I believe a mention of Sauron's form when he left Numenor in the Sil...

[Baby-K]

I don't know why, but I have always thought of Sauron as being quite hot. The type of guy who would outwardly look like any regular man (maybe a bit taller), but with very sinister qualities - you know the type of guy whom you'd most likely not expect to be bad purely based on outward appearances. If I had to choose a movie-villain to compare him to (according to my idea) I'd have to go with Al Pacino in Devil's Advocate. Except Sauron would be taller & wear black - without some silly helmet on his head.

[Comic Book Guy]

There is infact a drawing by Tolkien of Sauron somewhat. It is from an early plan for the sleeve of the Return of the King. I think if you search these boards you can find a link to the image somewhere. I can't really say much for the integrity of the drawing, it was a bit of a rough sketch.

At the time of the War of the Ring he was definitely had a humanoid figure, not a flaming eye that often believed.

I think there is a passage in the Unfinished Tales where he is described as akin to an Istari, I doubt I'm right though.

[Earniel]

Originally posted by Gwaimir Windgem
You think he's hosted by tripod?

*has a laughing fit* Good one.

Personally I always saw Sauron as humanoid, but just taller and stronger, the broad shouldered type of guy. And for some reason: looking slightly scorched.

The spiky helmet from the movie always reminded me of an upside- down- turned table.

[Wayfarer]

Allright. This is what I picture Sauron as, for some reason. Sort of grayish skin, large hands (with the middle finger on his left missing) and so forth.