I am not in the market for a belt, but I must say, that is a pretty cool product. I will try to keep them in mind for the next time I need a belt (which might be sooner rather than later. The covid pounds added up :| )
Surely you've made enough money to not need to advertise belts ? . It cheapens your videos in my mind . Of course you're free to do whatever and I do hope you have success going forward - I just wanted to be honest . Thanks for the videos man 👍✊
That is the genius of Tolkien. Sauron has many positive traits. He is patient and he is incredibly resilient. These are qualities that are admirable. In people in general. But it was also pride,ignorance and hubris that became his downfall. Also a life lesson.
Second age Sauron is my favourite and I've already watched your previous second age Sauron video probably more times than any of your other ones. An extended edition of it is such an unexpected gift! Thank you for this!
Sauron gets such bad press, it is as if all those people that gain employment through his actions, sacrifice and all; it is not that these people would have building universities, or similar, if Sauron hadn't been there to guide them 😉 😀
I like how he is cunning and choses the best aktion to gain his goal. Be it brute force or deception. What i dont like is the lack of motivation behind it. Sure ruling the world is great but both sauron and morgoth conquered a large part of it and than do nothing? The times that morgoth leaves his fortress can be counted on one hand so whats the point in doing so? Even if sauron rules above middle earth he would just sit in baradur an do nothing at all.
Nerd of the rings. I asked men of the west about this and I wanted you know opinion too. What if instead of trying to conquer Aman, AL pharazon and numenor went east to conquer middle earth? Including cutting of the road to Aman and xeclarinh war on elves and dwarves and the whole of middle earth.
Sauron was more interesting than Morgoth because Sauron had to rely on artifacts instead of raw power, alliances rather than outright intimidation and military might. Sauron was a master chess player, immortally patient, and ultimately he desired to fulfill the goals of his master so although Sauron committed great evils, he considered himself middle-earth's benefactor.
Morgoths did use a artifact, his artifact of power was arda itself. During the time of the lamps Morgoth alone was more powerful than all the Valar. After he seeped his power into arda itself to corrupt it to his will he lost most of his power.
What I like about Sauron as a villain, is how he isn’t just a big brute, or cowardly schemer, but both. He’s strong but smart, rage full, yet patient, And in general just a badass.
@@oscurosignore8026 I'd say they are similar in cunning, Melkor did horrific things with the minds of men, which in turn brought great disasters upon the world.
Sauron may not be the first “evil dark overlord”, but he is undeniably the codifier. Palpatine, Voldemort, Ganondorf, and basically every other big villain created in the last fifty years owe everything to him.
The rest yes but voldermort, no. Sauron and the rest started out as good with good with unknowingly selfish intentions. Voldemort was psychopathic, no empathy for any other than himself. Sauron is a better villain then voldermort. You can sympathise with Sauron and get in his head space, but voldemort is pure evil (not chaotic. Chaos is hard to predict but voldermort does not know what he wants himself except pure power over all, sauron wanted that with good intentions)
@@Rasaevire if that's your argument then Palpatine would also not fit into "inspired by Sauron" even though he clearly is. Palpatine was practically that one bad kid who tortures cats on Naboo
@@bullethail3875 'We felt sorry for the young Senator Palpatine, because he lost his whole family at a young age. On reflection, we should have wondered more about that . . . '
tbf the numenoreans were a pretty fucked up bunch at that point in time as they pretty much corrupted themselves of generations, other than the faithful anyway
I've just discovered these videos - they are wonderful! What a labor of study and love. Thank you for keeping Tolkien's world alive and fresh for all of us who would go there like a shot!
I've never been into LOTR until I've played shadow of Mordor and it's sequel ... But now that I've found your channel I can't get enough of this fantastic story ❤️❤️❤️
Sauron’s story arc alone is more well written and well developed than just about anything else ever put to print or screen. And that was just one character in Tolkien’s world.
I love so much Sauron's story arc during the second age. I'd love to see a theatrical version of it such as a play in the vein of a high Greek tragedy, but I wonder if there are too many events to do justice to in just one evening. Perhaps better to focus on just one majoy event such as the capture of Celebrimbor or the Fall of Numenor.
@@thomasrosendahl2783 Melkor is also a GREAT character but totally different from Sauron. He is far greater and more impactful than Sauron is but yet Sauron falls practically to near the same level of evil and domination. The irony is that Sauron had good intentions (the road to hell...). I love them both and it stands a testament to Tolkien that he was able to create TWO equally compelling Dark Lords in his legendarium that are also so different.
The fact that the Rings took _centuries_ for the greatest smiths of Middle-earth to devise and complete, speaks to their unimaginable intricacy and power. Yet another thing that the "Rings of Power" series is going to fail to portray properly...
The most scariest aspect is that the One Ring was powerful enough to control ALL the others (submitting their bearers to Sauron's will). He poured most of his power as a Maia into this object. Think of what that means - Melian was able to fend of the forces of Morgoth with her powers, Eonwe lead the host of Valinor. And all of this power is concentrated for one purpose, to control the minds of others. The One Ring is the ultimate tool of domination, the "ultimate machine" as Christopher Tolkien once said. (a "Tolkien machine" being defined as a tool of domination/coersion) So it shouldn't be a surprise that the ring drives everyone crazy with the lust for power. It is truly horrifying. The fact that Frodo was able to carry it for such a long time without going insane (like Gollum or Boromir) is really amazing. Of course, in the end he did give in to the corrupting power of the ring, when he was at his weakest point and the ring was at its most powerful (at the very place where it had been forged).
Rewatching this just reminds me of how many missed opportunities there were in Rings of Power. They had so many chances even despite the limited rights, and still managed to screw it up. Take the stranger for instance- they could’ve made him a blue wizard and had him off stopping Sauron’s army in a cool inventive story, but instead they chicken out and make him Gandalf. The combined story lines of Númenor, Lindon, Eregion, Khazad-Dum, etc. could’ve been such a cool story of Sauron in the second age but they still made the writing seem like it was written by 14 year olds. The stories are stretched thin- like too much butter over too little bread. Great video, Matt!
This is a great video! I always thought Sauron was one of my favorite characters. I would always enjoy looking more into Sauron's corruption of Numenor.
Man! That's a really well put together, epic video!! I enjoyed every second of it! Use of music was great as well! Oh and I absolutely love 2 of those Sauron images: One close-up with his cape flying around with stunning lighting, and one where he has a ring of the Elvish script around his hand! 💠💠💠
Thank you for all the amazing content that you make. I’ve been going through so many of your videos as a reference and constantly impressed with the detail and craft you put into them. I’ve been running a One Ring TTRPG campaign and your videos have been so helpful to make Middle-earth come alive to my group.
Just recently watched the LOTR trilogy with a friend, who at the time neither watched the movies nor read the books. Watching the movies again made me look up videos and stumbling across your channel. It's great to get so much information about Tolkiens world. I do have the LOTR books, but when I first started to read them I found them not easy to read. But I think I will give it a try again.
What I keep dreaming of: Tolkien coming back to us to write one last big piece: about the ventures of the blue wizards especially during the second age. They are so mysterious and interesting
There definitely was room for one more book, but its theme would have had to be quite different from the rest. You can't tell the same story over and over again.
I've been a fan of lotr for a long time and since the rings of power tv show is currently streaming, I've been eager to get more background info of Tolkiens world. I have to say, your videos are AMAZING! Thank you for making such high quality videos packed with so much information. You deserve so many more subscribers
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Sauron is not inherently evil. He becomes evil by not adhering to basic principles of humanity - just as Galadriel in this show. But I am sure she will realise the evil of her ways and change into the Galadriel we know from the LOTR trilogy.
@@isaacthekkumuriel8435 Melkor was orders of magnitude more powerful in his beginning. If Melkor was 1 foot, Sauron was 1 inch, or like comparing Smaug to Ancalagon.
Thank you for putting so much work into this. We may know less about the Second Age than the First and the Third, but that doesn't mean it's any less fascinating. Also, thanks for including such amazing artwork. I especially love the piece shown at 2:41. Respect to all the artists whose work is featured!
They should of hired you for some of the writing in the rings of power. I read the books and still didn’t realize half of this lol. Very amazing narrations and illustrations on really breaking it down!
I love the videos, but EVERYTIME the video ends & I see the survival slide belt. Whatever I'm drinking comes out me nose. KEEP UP THE LORE, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!
Those are, in fact, steps. Far wide flat open grass-field, from which either the Rohirrim or the charriots riders came. A bit like the Scytian plains in real life
Only discovered your content a few weeks ago and I’ve pretty much watched all your videos - thank you for all of the effort and information on this amazing world !
Fantastic video as always, Second Age Sauron is so intriguing & manipulative! Possible video idea: Mordor in the early Third Age. From Gondor & the Last Alliance occupation of Mordor and its defensive perimeter to eventual withdrawal, and retreat, due to sicknesses & plagues and skirmishes with Orcs, and the very foundation of Barad-dûr not being able to be destroyed after the Second Age, is a pretty interesting story in itself.
I thoroughly enjoy all of your posts. Your understanding of this very complicated and convoluted story is impressive, your maps and graphics, insightful, and your command of the languages therein, wonderful. Keep up the marvelous work. Namárië
Here's something I've always wondered - was there anything to the east of Sauron's domain? Middle Earth is supposed to be old Europe, with Mordor being the current location of the Black Sea, and the various human allies of Sauron are precursors of the various barbarians and rival empires to Europe. So if one went far enough to the east of Rhun or Khand, would one find oneself outside of Sauron's influence, in some precursor to India or China, battling against the depredations of "westerlings" and the "dark shadow of the west"?
I think i read a story about that. Maybe it was even Gandalf who told it. I dont know if he was only talking about the Easterlings but it is said that some fought against him.
Trying to connect Arda to Earth is not a good thought exercise imo and in J.R.R Tolkien's opinions. For answer of your question about Sauron's influence over east and south, yes Sauron wasn't able to completely dominate these dominions. It's stated by Tolkien that if he were to gather every man from southlands and eastlands forces of west wouldn't stand a chance. (i dont remember for which battle he said it but was probably Siege of Gondor or War of the Last Alliance.)
@@acommoncommenter9364 If it was either of those, it would be the Siege of Gondor. During the final assault by the Last Alliance, Sauron's forces were significantly diminished-he escaped Númenor with a tiny army, a few bodyguards, and his then-physical form irreparably damaged. Sauron's march on Gondor was premature, and you're right-he didn't assemble his whole host. He rushed to Gondor with what he had amassed in Mordor because Aragorn revealed himself to Sauron in the palantír, and Sauron wanted a quick end to the line.
@@MrRyanbtw No. The reason he couldn't gather all the easterlings and southrons were because of the resistances against Sauron among them, Resistances led by each blue wizard(one of the notes states so, in unfinished tales, not cannon however.)
About the nine, you mentioned five rings were given to "five other men whose identities are a mystery." I always assumed (probably because of the movies) that all of the nine were kings and lords of men. But is it possible these five were not lords? Maybe just great warriors? Not sure if Tolkien specified or if those five are a complete mystery. Awesome video as always!
No information at all on the remaining five. Three of the Nine were Numenoreans (not kings though, the Numenorean kings are all accounted for), one is Khamul the Easterling. The Witch-King is called that because he conquered and ruled a kingdom when he was already a wraith, we're not told anything about who he was before.
@@abelbabel8484 we're told he was a sorcerer right? Not excluding that it most probably is one thing among many of other things he were, or maybe I'm remembering wrong
First time watching your videos and I must say they are brilliant. Its gives me much more insight into TLOTR. I've watched people's other videos on this topic. But yours is by the best I have come across. Thank you. 🇬🇧
I have a few questions. If Sauron was taken alive and sent to Valinor as a prisoner in second age what would happen to the ring. This can be done by the Númenóreans or the Last Alliance. Why did the spirit of Sauron not follow the one ring after his body was destroyed. If by some miracle Sauron survived the destruction of the ring and was extremally depowered, became mortal lost the Nazgul and his strong influence over everyone would be be able to win or be a threat. Finally was Sauron's physical form destroyed again during the Hobbit and if so how was he able to rebuild it relatively quickly since it took him awhile after he lost his body at the end of the second age.
1. The One Ring would go with him. And only the Númenórëans could possibly try to do it, for when the Last Alliance was formed, the Undying Lands were no longer present in Arda; 2. They were one (The One Ring and Sauron). And back then, despite quite reduced, Sauron had more power than he came to have while facing the Last Alliance, so him taking the One Ring back to Mordor was completely okay, and not the orher way around; 3. Sauron survived the destruction of the One Ring at the end of the Third Age. Sauron's original self is a spiritual one. He does not need a physical body to exist, he just made himself flesh to fulfill his own agenda. When the One Ring was destroyed, Sauron lost whatever power he got left, and the skill of making New physical forms. He was reduced to a mere shadow of the Spirit he once was, not being able to interact with the World around him, but sitll existng. The Nazgûl were bound to Sauron's innate power, so when he was depowered, the chains binding the Wraiths to the living World were unmade, and their souls were able to pass on; 4. No, Sauron's physical form was not destroyed during The Hobbit. He just retreated from Dol Guldur to Mordor.
@@leonardofaber5823 After the War of the Last Alliance, elves sailing west could have taken a captured Sauron with them as they could still sail to Valinor.
@@istari0 after the War of Last Alliance, the One Ring was lost to the Anduin and Sauron fled, in Spiritual form, to the Far East. And he took over 1000 years to start retaking his physical form. And that he did in secret, so that no one would know about it. By the time the Peoples of Middle-earth knew of his return, he was well guarded and strong enough to resist. So, no, the Elves sailing to the Undying Lands could not have captured Sauron and taken him.
@@leonardofaber5823 The question that was asked has Sauron being captured in the 2nd Age. I take that to mean that instead of Sauron being cut down at the end the War of the Last Alliance, Sauron instead was captured. The question can also be interpreted as what might have happened had Sauron been captured (as he nearly was) at the end of the War of the Elves and Sauron. In either event, the One Ring can easily end up not being lost in the Anduin or elsewhere. So, it would be possible for the elves to take a captured Sauron to Valinor. At that point, it's easy to see a number of ways things could still go wrong but if they did manage to get Sauron and the ring back then I suspect the Valar would take it from there.
@@istari0 still in those scenarios, the Valar would not have allowed it. For the One Ring belonged to Middle-earth. This was a problem created in Middle-earth, so Middle-earth was its place.
I literlly only bought Unfinished Tales to read more about numenors and their fall! Love that part of the story. Only part that feels to me on par with glory and tragedy of first age.
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You still excited about The rings of power from Amazon? 3Million dislikes HAHHAHA
I'm worried I'll forget I'm wearing one and attempt to board a plane, that might not go over well with the TSA lol
@@humulos i fly a lot, they've stopped asking to remove belts LONG ago
Surely you've made enough money to not need to advertise belts ? .
It cheapens your videos in my mind . Of course you're free to do whatever and I do hope you have success going forward - I just wanted to be honest .
Thanks for the videos man 👍✊
Gondor be like: "We call for aid."
My brother in Eru Illuvitar, you're the ones who chose to found a kingdom next to Mordor.
Sauron truly is the definition of "if you don't succeed, try and try again".
What a point of view!
That is the genius of Tolkien.
Sauron has many positive traits. He is patient and he is incredibly resilient. These are qualities that are admirable. In people in general. But it was also pride,ignorance and hubris that became his downfall. Also a life lesson.
Sauron is Jyggalag but without periodically becoming a crazy old man
If you have all eternity of existence, patience is a privilege and a weapon more than a virtue.
Second age Sauron is my favourite and I've already watched your previous second age Sauron video probably more times than any of your other ones. An extended edition of it is such an unexpected gift! Thank you for this!
Sauron gets such bad press, it is as if all those people that gain employment through his actions, sacrifice and all; it is not that these people would have building universities, or similar, if Sauron hadn't been there to guide them 😉 😀
I like how he is cunning and choses the best aktion to gain his goal. Be it brute force or deception.
What i dont like is the lack of motivation behind it.
Sure ruling the world is great but both sauron and morgoth conquered a large part of it and than do nothing?
The times that morgoth leaves his fortress can be counted on one hand so whats the point in doing so? Even if sauron rules above middle earth he would just sit in baradur an do nothing at all.
Nerd of the rings.
I asked men of the west about this and I wanted you know opinion too.
What if instead of trying to conquer Aman, AL pharazon and numenor went east to conquer middle earth?
Including cutting of the road to Aman and xeclarinh war on elves and dwarves and the whole of middle earth.
@@dambrooks7578
Nice idea. Poor execution.
@@dambrooks7578 The Gulags of Sauron are only for enemies of the state, and all are free and happy.
Just ask them, none of them will say otherwise...
Sauron was more interesting than Morgoth because Sauron had to rely on artifacts instead of raw power, alliances rather than outright intimidation and military might. Sauron was a master chess player, immortally patient, and ultimately he desired to fulfill the goals of his master so although Sauron committed great evils, he considered himself middle-earth's benefactor.
Good point.
Great point 👍
Melkors Ring ......
Still sauron is no push over when it comes to combat
Morgoths did use a artifact, his artifact of power was arda itself. During the time of the lamps Morgoth alone was more powerful than all the Valar. After he seeped his power into arda itself to corrupt it to his will he lost most of his power.
What I like about Sauron as a villain, is how he isn’t just a big brute, or cowardly schemer, but both. He’s strong but smart, rage full, yet patient, And in general just a badass.
One of the greatest villains ever conceived. Few villains got anything on Sauron.
Except Melkor.
@@shastasilverchairsg agree 100%. I wish he had more spotlight in the films
@@shastasilverchairsg but Sauron is most cunning then Morgoth, for me is better Sauron even he is less powerful then Morgoth.
@@oscurosignore8026 I'd say they are similar in cunning, Melkor did horrific things with the minds of men, which in turn brought great disasters upon the world.
@@oscurosignore8026 I prefer Morgoth more, though both are great.
Sauron may not be the first “evil dark overlord”, but he is undeniably the codifier. Palpatine, Voldemort, Ganondorf, and basically every other big villain created in the last fifty years owe everything to him.
Morgoth was bipolar and Sauron had autism.
Voldemort: "I see you've placed part of yourself into a thing. Mind if I steal that idea several times over?"
Sauron: "PLAAAAAGARISMMMMM!!"
The rest yes but voldermort, no. Sauron and the rest started out as good with good with unknowingly selfish intentions. Voldemort was psychopathic, no empathy for any other than himself.
Sauron is a better villain then voldermort. You can sympathise with Sauron and get in his head space, but voldemort is pure evil (not chaotic. Chaos is hard to predict but voldermort does not know what he wants himself except pure power over all, sauron wanted that with good intentions)
@@Rasaevire if that's your argument then Palpatine would also not fit into "inspired by Sauron" even though he clearly is. Palpatine was practically that one bad kid who tortures cats on Naboo
@@bullethail3875 'We felt sorry for the young Senator Palpatine, because he lost his whole family at a young age. On reflection, we should have wondered more about that . . . '
Sauron's control over Numenor is the most terrifying of his manipulative feats. The man went from Prisoner to Chief Advisor in *One.* *Year.*
Wormtongue's idol.
tbf the numenoreans were a pretty fucked up bunch at that point in time as they pretty much corrupted themselves of generations, other than the faithful anyway
Do we think he is Galadriels companion
@@jordanbrooks9723 NAH, WHAT ABOUT YOU
@@jordanbrooks9723 nahh halbrand will most likely end up being a naxul or the witch queen himself I think.
The way you narrate, your choice of words, the music, the artwork! Everything is just perfect!
Sauron's use of his fair form is a moral lesson for all ages.
Evil often comes disguised in a cloak of beauty.
And ironically good can often appear in a robe of ugly or horror and the same can be said in reverse
it's like when frodo knows to trust aragorn because he feels that someone working for sauron would look fairer than aragorn did
There's a lot of wisdom woven into Tolkien's writing.
You know what they say, The road to hell is paved with good intentions
the demon of babylon disguises himself with the coat of the righteous
I've just discovered these videos - they are wonderful! What a labor of study and love. Thank you for keeping Tolkien's world alive and fresh for all of us who would go there like a shot!
Sauron in the Second Age - Extended Edition
-Let's gooooo!!!
I love your map graphics and how you depict and visualize troop movements. Really paints a great picture of what's going on
I've never been into LOTR until I've played shadow of Mordor and it's sequel ... But now that I've found your channel I can't get enough of this fantastic story ❤️❤️❤️
Sauron’s story arc alone is more well written and well developed than just about anything else ever put to print or screen. And that was just one character in Tolkien’s world.
Your reading of the Ring inscription gave me shivers 😬
I love so much Sauron's story arc during the second age. I'd love to see a theatrical version of it such as a play in the vein of a high Greek tragedy, but I wonder if there are too many events to do justice to in just one evening. Perhaps better to focus on just one majoy event such as the capture of Celebrimbor or the Fall of Numenor.
Idea!!!
@khal flavian some of what was touched upon?
Melkor is much more interesting, i dont get all the Sauron wank lol.
@@thomasrosendahl2783 Melkor is also a GREAT character but totally different from Sauron. He is far greater and more impactful than Sauron is but yet Sauron falls practically to near the same level of evil and domination. The irony is that Sauron had good intentions (the road to hell...). I love them both and it stands a testament to Tolkien that he was able to create TWO equally compelling Dark Lords in his legendarium that are also so different.
Let's just not give it to a mahor distributor. Leave it to the fans to make that.
The fact that the Rings took _centuries_ for the greatest smiths of Middle-earth to devise and complete, speaks to their unimaginable intricacy and power. Yet another thing that the "Rings of Power" series is going to fail to portray properly...
The most scariest aspect is that the One Ring was powerful enough to control ALL the others (submitting their bearers to Sauron's will). He poured most of his power as a Maia into this object. Think of what that means - Melian was able to fend of the forces of Morgoth with her powers, Eonwe lead the host of Valinor. And all of this power is concentrated for one purpose, to control the minds of others. The One Ring is the ultimate tool of domination, the "ultimate machine" as Christopher Tolkien once said. (a "Tolkien machine" being defined as a tool of domination/coersion)
So it shouldn't be a surprise that the ring drives everyone crazy with the lust for power. It is truly horrifying. The fact that Frodo was able to carry it for such a long time without going insane (like Gollum or Boromir) is really amazing. Of course, in the end he did give in to the corrupting power of the ring, when he was at his weakest point and the ring was at its most powerful (at the very place where it had been forged).
Stow it, Another human. The Rings of Power will be a great series despite Amazon only having the rights to LOTR appendix.
@@oliveremmettknox7776 Oh sweet summer child...
@@oliveremmettknox7776 evil cannot create, only corrupt
What makes you say that?
Rewatching this just reminds me of how many missed opportunities there were in Rings of Power. They had so many chances even despite the limited rights, and still managed to screw it up. Take the stranger for instance- they could’ve made him a blue wizard and had him off stopping Sauron’s army in a cool inventive story, but instead they chicken out and make him Gandalf. The combined story lines of Númenor, Lindon, Eregion, Khazad-Dum, etc. could’ve been such a cool story of Sauron in the second age but they still made the writing seem like it was written by 14 year olds. The stories are stretched thin- like too much butter over too little bread.
Great video, Matt!
Got to give Tolkien a lot of credit with this masterful work.
"Foul in wisdom" summarizes Sauron.
That might be the best reading of the One Ring poem I've ever heard. 🤩
Thanks so much! :)
I wish I never found this channel. I just spent three days in my room glued to the screen
This is a great video! I always thought Sauron was one of my favorite characters. I would always enjoy looking more into Sauron's corruption of Numenor.
Man! That's a really well put together, epic video!! I enjoyed every second of it!
Use of music was great as well!
Oh and I absolutely love 2 of those Sauron images:
One close-up with his cape flying around with stunning lighting, and one where he has a ring of the Elvish script around his hand!
💠💠💠
Thank you for all the amazing content that you make. I’ve been going through so many of your videos as a reference and constantly impressed with the detail and craft you put into them. I’ve been running a One Ring TTRPG campaign and your videos have been so helpful to make Middle-earth come alive to my group.
"Darkness may come when we least expect it, which is why I love this belt from SlideBelts".
Another fantastic video. The amount of deep backstory and history Tolkien wrote for each character is amazing. Keep up the great work.
Keep up the good work Nerd of the Rings!!! Loved the first video and this one is even better
Man. the way sauron using a Manipulation and corruption rather than Forcing and military combat make him so badass just like Morgoth
Just recently watched the LOTR trilogy with a friend, who at the time neither watched the movies nor read the books.
Watching the movies again made me look up videos and stumbling across your channel. It's great to get so much information about Tolkiens world. I do have the LOTR books, but when I first started to read them I found them not easy to read. But I think I will give it a try again.
What I keep dreaming of: Tolkien coming back to us to write one last big piece: about the ventures of the blue wizards especially during the second age. They are so mysterious and interesting
I keep joking that these blue wizards went to Hind and set up religious cults, and they became known down the ages as Vishnu and Krishna.
They are only mysterious because there is little known about them.
JRRT would get cancelled & blacklisted so fast these days for his outdated views.
The wizards came to middle earth in the third age, so they haven't been there yet.
There definitely was room for one more book, but its theme would have had to be quite different from the rest. You can't tell the same story over and over again.
Imagine getting this amazing story in Amazon's series! They should hire you to make sure the content is loyal. Keep up the great work!
I've been a fan of lotr for a long time and since the rings of power tv show is currently streaming, I've been eager to get more background info of Tolkiens world. I have to say, your videos are AMAZING! Thank you for making such high quality videos packed with so much information. You deserve so many more subscribers
Here after watching Rings of Power, but honestly idk how I haven’t stumbled across this page in the past years.
This was a great update!
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I find it interesting that Tolkien in some ways seemed to consider him more evil than his master.
Sauron is not inherently evil. He becomes evil by not adhering to basic principles of humanity - just as Galadriel in this show. But I am sure she will realise the evil of her ways and change into the Galadriel we know from the LOTR trilogy.
I like your Sauron and Morgoth videos, but I want to see a video comparing them
There is no comparison, Morgoth is the devil and sauron is a mere demon.
A demon captain at least.
Morgoth didn't have to try to be evil. Sauron really had to try. End copmarison
@@Littlemilkjug533 I know, but people always ask who is more powerful on livestreams which annoys the hell out of me
@@isaacthekkumuriel8435 Melkor was orders of magnitude more powerful in his beginning. If Melkor was 1 foot, Sauron was 1 inch, or like comparing Smaug to Ancalagon.
Great video! I'm reading The Silmarillion right now and your video helps put all the events together nicely.
"Anna" means "to give" in Finnish. Hence the Lord of Gifts is a suitable name, even for Finnish readers. :)
Knowing that Tolkien was a cunning linguist, I'm not surprised if he knew about this.
I believe Finnish heavily influenced the Elven language Annatar is in (Sindarin?)
@@DDickinson458 It's Quenya actually. Sindarin was more influenced by Welsh.
@@Erokuson64 Nice, thanks for the correction.
Thank you for putting so much work into this. We may know less about the Second Age than the First and the Third, but that doesn't mean it's any less fascinating.
Also, thanks for including such amazing artwork. I especially love the piece shown at 2:41. Respect to all the artists whose work is featured!
awesome vid Matt loved and as always looking forward to thee next one
I know people love to complain about the Amazon series, but I'm looking forward to seeing this on the screen
This video and your efforts on displaying and sharing deep background, paired with stunning images is great. Superb.
Still holding out hope for a Tolkien Theory video regarding the 5 unknown Nazgul!
Great idea! That would be some fun speculation!
@@NerdoftheRings I've always enjoyed your theory videos, all the videos about characters taking/reclaiming the One Ring are so dramatic and epic
I predict from today, there will likely be a LARGE uptick in views for this awesome vid!
This guy just doesn’t stop.
Sauron really did the race. Nice video. Keep up the good work.
An extended edition? A man of taste I see.
Just give the guy his ring poor guy was an eye for most of his life
Love the slide belt transition. "You never know when darkness will come, and that's why I like..."
They should of hired you for some of the writing in the rings of power. I read the books and still didn’t realize half of this lol. Very amazing narrations and illustrations on really breaking it down!
Quite incredible that this is all available for free
seriously impressive voice acting! love your videos
Thanks, Corey!
That fact that you are using Celebrimbor and Sauron images from Shadow of War game 👌👌👌 so good content man! Keep them coming
I love your content.. when are you or are you posting the mapp of middle earth in the 2nd and 3rd age ?
I've already done the 2nd age one: th-cam.com/video/9A9Pg7nF1Xs/w-d-xo.html
Third Age will probably come in April or May! :)
@@NerdoftheRings cant w8 it 😁😇
And i also cant w8 the " Sons of Feanor " series 🤭👊
I love the videos, but EVERYTIME the video ends & I see the survival slide belt. Whatever I'm drinking comes out me nose. KEEP UP THE LORE, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!
You are great! Haha, ending the video with the ad for the belts was really nice. Great video!! Thank you.
I'm dying to know/see a video one day explaining the empty spots on the map (like the blank between Mordor, Rûhn, and Rhovanion; or Far-Harad)
"Festering, stinking marshland far as the eye can see...." As Gimli would say.
@@warlockofwordsreturnsrb4358 I thought he was referring to the dead marshes when he said that?
@@Eric-cj8sb Indeed he was, I was just joking around.
Those are, in fact, steps. Far wide flat open grass-field, from which either the Rohirrim or the charriots riders came. A bit like the Scytian plains in real life
I thought the first one was awesome but this one was even better, you keep growing and learning and it shows!
Only discovered your content a few weeks ago and I’ve pretty much watched all your videos - thank you for all of the effort and information on this amazing world !
Danish Gambit.
This is legit my favorite channel
AWESOME video nerd of the rings! I love that you called it "extended edition"! Very clever. Great video !
I know LOTR is the rings is the greatest but a movie about this would also be very epic
Sauron (alongside Melkor) really set the footworks for other dark lords in literature and media moving forward. Amazing villain.
my boy was so employed during the second age, amazing
Awesome video man!! Well worth the time it took to re-make.
Fantastic video as always, Second Age Sauron is so intriguing & manipulative! Possible video idea: Mordor in the early Third Age. From Gondor & the Last Alliance occupation of Mordor and its defensive perimeter to eventual withdrawal, and retreat, due to sicknesses & plagues and skirmishes with Orcs, and the very foundation of Barad-dûr not being able to be destroyed after the Second Age, is a pretty interesting story in itself.
I love the musical score behind all your videos.
Love your channel. I am just getting into the LotR ttrpg and these videos really help me with the lore of Middle Earth.
Great stuff buddy. Well wrapped up and narrated. Thnx 4 uploading this.
You're doing Iluvatar's work here, my man. Well done.
Yes yes yes I am beginning to get hyped for the new series!!!
Great job, my friend. I really enjoyed your story. You did a good justice to Tolkien.😊
I thoroughly enjoy all of your posts. Your understanding of this very complicated and convoluted story is impressive, your maps and graphics, insightful, and your command of the languages therein, wonderful. Keep up the marvelous work.
Namárië
Extended editions are always better
Great videos bro! Also I'm liking the slide belts.
Here's something I've always wondered - was there anything to the east of Sauron's domain? Middle Earth is supposed to be old Europe, with Mordor being the current location of the Black Sea, and the various human allies of Sauron are precursors of the various barbarians and rival empires to Europe. So if one went far enough to the east of Rhun or Khand, would one find oneself outside of Sauron's influence, in some precursor to India or China, battling against the depredations of "westerlings" and the "dark shadow of the west"?
I think i read a story about that. Maybe it was even Gandalf who told it. I dont know if he was only talking about the Easterlings but it is said that some fought against him.
In Shadow of Mordor there's "Shen", a proto-China of sorts that two of Sauron's Nazgul cane from
Trying to connect Arda to Earth is not a good thought exercise imo and in J.R.R Tolkien's opinions.
For answer of your question about Sauron's influence over east and south, yes Sauron wasn't able to completely dominate these dominions. It's stated by Tolkien that if he were to gather every man from southlands and eastlands forces of west wouldn't stand a chance. (i dont remember for which battle he said it but was probably Siege of Gondor or War of the Last Alliance.)
@@acommoncommenter9364 If it was either of those, it would be the Siege of Gondor. During the final assault by the Last Alliance, Sauron's forces were significantly diminished-he escaped Númenor with a tiny army, a few bodyguards, and his then-physical form irreparably damaged. Sauron's march on Gondor was premature, and you're right-he didn't assemble his whole host. He rushed to Gondor with what he had amassed in Mordor because Aragorn revealed himself to Sauron in the palantír, and Sauron wanted a quick end to the line.
@@MrRyanbtw No. The reason he couldn't gather all the easterlings and southrons were because of the resistances against Sauron among them, Resistances led by each blue wizard(one of the notes states so, in unfinished tales, not cannon however.)
When You Mentioned "Celebrimbor"
All the memories of me Playing Shadow of Mordor/War came back
@0:30 is when ad ends. Frustrating when paid to remove these.
Completely agree
Can you do a video about the undying lands? I want to know more about it. Like why you can't come back from it etc.
Very well put together and informative. Tolkiens works have always had my interest.
About the nine, you mentioned five rings were given to "five other men whose identities are a mystery." I always assumed (probably because of the movies) that all of the nine were kings and lords of men. But is it possible these five were not lords? Maybe just great warriors? Not sure if Tolkien specified or if those five are a complete mystery. Awesome video as always!
It possible 5 of them are High ranking Captain or Steward-liked lords. not sure about Sorcerer tho
Yes, quite possible some of the Nazgûl were not kings back when they were Men, but still powerful people in their respective tribes.
No information at all on the remaining five. Three of the Nine were Numenoreans (not kings though, the Numenorean kings are all accounted for), one is Khamul the Easterling. The Witch-King is called that because he conquered and ruled a kingdom when he was already a wraith, we're not told anything about who he was before.
@@abelbabel8484 we're told he was a sorcerer right? Not excluding that it most probably is one thing among many of other things he were, or maybe I'm remembering wrong
Wish we'd have books about these stories but from Sauron's perspective! 🤍🔥
11:35 where is this map coming from? looks huge ..
Great video, as your others are, as well...And wonderful segue way into the ad at the end!! :D
I swear. When you read the One Ring's inscription in the black tongue a shadow seemed to pass over the sun outside my window. 😳
Can we just take a minute to appreciate the artist for the artwork at 05:40
Looking forward to how all this plays out in the next 3 seasons of rings of power!!!
First time watching your videos and I must say they are brilliant. Its gives me much more insight into TLOTR. I've watched people's other videos on this topic. But yours is by the best I have come across. Thank you. 🇬🇧
A stunning video. It is your magnum opus.
I have a few questions. If Sauron was taken alive and sent to Valinor as a prisoner in second age what would happen to the ring. This can be done by the Númenóreans or the Last Alliance. Why did the spirit of Sauron not follow the one ring after his body was destroyed. If by some miracle Sauron survived the destruction of the ring and was extremally depowered, became mortal lost the Nazgul and his strong influence over everyone would be be able to win or be a threat. Finally was Sauron's physical form destroyed again during the Hobbit and if so how was he able to rebuild it relatively quickly since it took him awhile after he lost his body at the end of the second age.
1. The One Ring would go with him. And only the Númenórëans could possibly try to do it, for when the Last Alliance was formed, the Undying Lands were no longer present in Arda;
2. They were one (The One Ring and Sauron). And back then, despite quite reduced, Sauron had more power than he came to have while facing the Last Alliance, so him taking the One Ring back to Mordor was completely okay, and not the orher way around;
3. Sauron survived the destruction of the One Ring at the end of the Third Age. Sauron's original self is a spiritual one. He does not need a physical body to exist, he just made himself flesh to fulfill his own agenda.
When the One Ring was destroyed, Sauron lost whatever power he got left, and the skill of making New physical forms. He was reduced to a mere shadow of the Spirit he once was, not being able to interact with the World around him, but sitll existng.
The Nazgûl were bound to Sauron's innate power, so when he was depowered, the chains binding the Wraiths to the living World were unmade, and their souls were able to pass on;
4. No, Sauron's physical form was not destroyed during The Hobbit. He just retreated from Dol Guldur to Mordor.
@@leonardofaber5823 After the War of the Last Alliance, elves sailing west could have taken a captured Sauron with them as they could still sail to Valinor.
@@istari0 after the War of Last Alliance, the One Ring was lost to the Anduin and Sauron fled, in Spiritual form, to the Far East. And he took over 1000 years to start retaking his physical form. And that he did in secret, so that no one would know about it. By the time the Peoples of Middle-earth knew of his return, he was well guarded and strong enough to resist.
So, no, the Elves sailing to the Undying Lands could not have captured Sauron and taken him.
@@leonardofaber5823 The question that was asked has Sauron being captured in the 2nd Age. I take that to mean that instead of Sauron being cut down at the end the War of the Last Alliance, Sauron instead was captured. The question can also be interpreted as what might have happened had Sauron been captured (as he nearly was) at the end of the War of the Elves and Sauron. In either event, the One Ring can easily end up not being lost in the Anduin or elsewhere. So, it would be possible for the elves to take a captured Sauron to Valinor. At that point, it's easy to see a number of ways things could still go wrong but if they did manage to get Sauron and the ring back then I suspect the Valar would take it from there.
@@istari0 still in those scenarios, the Valar would not have allowed it. For the One Ring belonged to Middle-earth. This was a problem created in Middle-earth, so Middle-earth was its place.
I like how two dark lords are different. Sauron wants to hold the world in the palm of his hand, while Melkor wants to destroy that world.
God it would have been awesome if Rings of Power actually depicted this.
Super video! I loved how the Blue Wizards made a theoretical appearance!
AND, this channel is going to get a huge bump in subs
I literlly only bought Unfinished Tales to read more about numenors and their fall! Love that part of the story. Only part that feels to me on par with glory and tragedy of first age.
7:00 work of the blue wizards. But Didn’t the blue wizards appear in the third age or was that their second coming?
In later works tolkien made it the second age