tagged by @curufinwefeanaro
– I apologize; all the quotes I picked are super duper long. XD
For the sake of brevity, I’ll say that I get the shivers whenever I read the full exchange between Hurin and Melkor, but it’s several pages long, so I just picked excerpts; and also, the lines between Beren & Company and Thû remain my favorite examples of dark lord snark.
Some other close contenders were scenes that didn’t involve either character directly, but were from emissaries or second-hand descriptions of them, like the quote from Isildur about the One Ring. Frequently I find the most evocative moments involving Sauron are the ones that indirectly hint at his personality through the Ring, or through his various servants and mouthpieces.
Five favorite quotes regarding Sauron:
1) “’And after these words Isildur described the Ring, such as he found it: ‘It was hot when I first took it, hot as a glede, and my hand was scorched, so that I doubt if ever again I shall be free of the pain of it. Yet even as I write it is cooled, and it seemeth to shrink, though it loseth neither its beauty nor its shape. Already the writing upon it, which at first was as clear as red flame, fadeth and is now only barely to be read. It is fashioned in an elven-script of Eregion, for they have no letters in Mordor for such subtle work; but the language is unknown to me. I deem it to be a tongue of the Black Land, since it is foul and uncouth. What evil it saith I do not know; but I trace here a copy of it, lest it fade beyond recall. The Ring misseth, maybe, the heat of Sauron’s hand, which was black and yet burned like fire, and so Gil-galad was destroyed; and maybe were the gold made hot again, the writing would be refreshed. But for my part I will risk no hurt to this thing: of all the works of Sauron the only fair. It is precious to me, though I buy it with great pain.”
2) “Among those of his servants that have names the greatest was that spirit whom the Eldar called Sauron, or Gorthaur the Cruel. In his beginning he was of the Maiar of Aulë, and he remained mighty in the lore of that people. In all the deeds of Melkor the Morgoth upon Arda, in his vast works and in the deceits of his cunning, Sauron had a part, and was only less evil than his master in that for long he served another and not himself. But in after years he rose like a shadow of Morgoth and a ghost of his malice, and walked behind him on the same ruinous path down into the Void.”
3) “…for Sauron took to himself the name of Annatar, the Lord of Gifts, and they had at first much profit from his friendship. And he
said to them: “Alas, for the weakness of the great! For a mighty king is Gil-galad, and wise in all lore is Master Elrond,
and yet they will not aid me in my labours. Can it be that they do not desire to see other lands become as blissful as
their own? But wherefore should Middle-earth remain for ever desolate and dark, whereas the Elves could make it as
fair as Eressëa, nay even as Valinor? And since you have not returned thither, as you might, I perceive that you love this
Middle-earth, as do I. Is it not then our task to labour together for its enrichment, and for the raising of all the Elven-
kindreds that wander here untaught to the height of that power and knowledge which those have who are beyond the
Sea?‘”
4) “…But Ar-Pharazôn was not yet deceived, and it came into his mind that, for the better keeping of Sauron and of
his oaths of fealty, he should be brought to Númenor, there to dwell as a hostage for himself and all his servants in
Middle-earth. To this Sauron assented as one constrained, yet in his secret thought he received it gladly, for it chimed
indeed with his desire. And Sauron passed over the sea and looked upon the land of Númenor, and on the city of
Armenelos in the days of its glory, and he was astounded; but his heart within was filled the more with envy and hate.
Yet such was the cunning of his mind and mouth, and the strength of his hidden will, that ere three years had
passed he had become closest to the secret counsels of the King; for flattery sweet as honey was ever on his tongue, and
knowledge he had of many things yet unrevealed to Men. […]For now, having the ears of men, Sauron
with many arguments gainsaid all that the Valar had taught; and he bade men think that in the world, in the east and
even hi the west, there lay yet many seas and many lands for their winning, wherein was wealth uncounted. And still, if
they should at the last come to the end of those lands and seas, beyond all lay the Ancient Darkness. ’And out of it the
world was made. For Darkness alone is worshipful, and the Lord thereof may yet make other worlds to be gifts to those
that serve him, so that the increase of their power shall find no end.’
And Ar-Pharazôn said: ’Who is the Lord of the Darkness?’
Then behind locked doors Sauron spoke to the King, and he lied, saying: ’It is he whose name is not now
spoken; for the Valar have deceived you concerning him, putting forward the name of Eru, a phantom devised in the
folly of their hearts, seeking to enchain Men in servitude to themselves. For they are the oracle of this Eru, which
speaks only what they will. But he that is their master shall yet prevail, and he will deliver you from this phantom; and
his name is Melkor, Lord of All, Giver of Freedom, and he shall make you stronger than they.‘”
5) “Then Sauron laughed: ‘Patience! Not long/ shall ye abide. But first a song/ I will sing to you, to ears intent.’/ Then his flaming eyes he on them bent, /and darkness black fell round them all./ Only they saw, as through a pall/ of eddying smoke those eyes profound/ in which their senses choked and drowned./ He chanted a song of Wizardry,/ of piercing, opening, of treachery,/ revealing, uncovering, betraying./ Then sudden Felagund there swaying/ sang in answer a song of staying;/ resisting, battling against power,/ of secrets kept, strength like a tower,/ and trust unbroken, freedom, escape;/ of changing and of shifting shape,/ of snares eluded, broken traps,/ the prison opening, the chain that snaps. / Backwards and forwards swayed their song,/ reeling and foundering, as ever more strong/ the chanting swelled, Felagund fought,/ and all the magic and might he brought/ of Elvenesse into his words./ Softly in the gloom they heard the birds/ singing afar in Nargothrond,the sighing of the sea beyond,/beyond the western world, on sand,/ on sand of pearls in Elvenland./ Then the gloom gathered: darkness growing/ in Valinor, the red blood flowing/ beside the sea, where the Noldor slew/ the Foamriders, and stealing drew/ their white ships with their white sails/ from lamplit havens. The wind wails./ The wolf howls. The ravens flee./ The ice mutters in the mouths of the sea./ The captives sad in Angband mourn./ Thunder rumbles, the fires burn/ – and Finrod fell before the throne.”
Five favorite quotes regarding Melkor:
1) “’Blackheart!’ she said. ‘I have done thy bidding. But I hunger still.’ ‘What wouldst thou have more?’ said Morgoth. ‘Dost thou desire all the world for thy belly? I did not vow to give thee that. I am its Lord.’ ‘Not so much,’ said Ungoliant. ‘But thou hast a great treasure from Formenos; I will have all that. Yea, with both hands thou shalt give it’. Then perforce Morgoth surrendered to her the gems that he bore with him, one by one and grudgingly; and she devoured them, and their beauty perished from the world. Huger and darker yet grew Ungoliant, but her lust was unsated. ‘With one hand thou givest,’ she said; ‘with the left only. Open thy right hand.’ In his right hand Morgoth held close the Silmarils, and though they were locked in a crystal casket, they had begun to bum him, and his hand was clenched in pain; but he would not open it ‘Nay!’ he said. ‘Thou hast had thy due. For with my power that I put into thee thy work was accomplished. I need thee no more. These things thou shalt not have, nor see. I name them unto myself for ever. ’ But Ungoliant had grown great, and he less by the power that had gone out of him; and she rose against him, and her cloud closed about him, and she enmeshed him in a web of clinging thongs to strangle him. Then Morgoth sent forth a terrible cry, that echoed in the mountains. Therefore that region was called Lammoth; for the echoes of his voice dwelt there ever after, so that any who cried aloud in that land awoke them, and all the waste between the hills and the sea was filled with a clamour as of voices in anguish.”
2) “Then wrath mastered Morgoth, and he said: "Yet I may come at you, and all your accursed house; and you shall be broken on my will, though you all were made of steel.” And he took up a long sword that lay there and broke it before the eyes of Húrin, and a splinter wounded his face; but Húrin did not blench. Then Morgoth stretching out his long arm towards Dor-lómin cursed Húrin and Morwen and their offspring, saying: “Behold! The shadow of my thought shall lie upon them wherever they go, and my hate shall pursue them to the ends of the world.” But Húrin said: “You speak in vain. For you cannot see them, nor govern them from afar: not while you keep this shape, and desire still to be a King visible upon earth.” Then Morgoth turned upon Húrin, and he said; “Fool, little among Men, and they are the least of all that speak! Have you seen the Valar, or measured the power of Manwë and Varda? Do you know the reach of their thought? Or do you think, perhaps that their thought is upon you, and that they may shield from afar?” “I know not,” said Húrin. “Yet so it might be, if they willed. For the Elder King shall not be dethroned while Arda endures.” “You say it,” said Morgoth. “I am the Elder King: Melkor, first and mightiest of all the Valar, who was before the world, and made it. The shadow of my purpose lies upon Arda, and all that is in it bends slowly and surely to my will. But upon all whom you love my thought shall weigh as a cloud of Doom, and it shall bring them down into darkness and despair.”
3)“Sit now there,” said Morgoth, “and look out upon the lands where evil and despair shall come upon those whom you have delivered to me. For you have dared to mock me, and have questioned the power of Melkor, Master of the fates of Arda. Therefore with my eyes you shall see, and with my ears you shall hear, and nothing shall be hidden from you."
4) “A cloak of darkness she wove about them when Melkor and Ungoliant set forth; an Unlight, in which things seemed to be no more, and which eyes could not pierce, for it was void. Then slowly she wrought her webs: rope by rope from cleft to cleft, from jutting rock to pinnacle of stone, ever climbing upwards, crawling and clinging, until at last she reached the very summit of Hyarmentir, the highest mountain in that region of the world, far south of great Taniquetil. There the Valar were not vigilant; for west of the Pelóri was an empty land in twilight, and eastward the mountains looked out, save for forgotten Avathar, only upon the dim waters of the pathless sea. But now upon the mountain-top dark Ungoliant lay; and she made a ladder of woven ropes and cast it down, and Melkor climbed upon it and came to that high place, and stood beside her, looking down upon the Guarded Realm. Below them lay the woods of Oromë, and westward shimmered the fields and pastures of Yavanna, gold beneath the tall wheat of the gods. Bat Melkor looked north, and saw afar the shining plain, and the silver domes of Valmar gleaming in the mingling of the lights of Telperion and Laurelin. Then Melkor laughed aloud, and leapt swiftly down the long western slopes; and Ungoliant was at his side, and her darkness covered them.”
(( Personal note: Is it not just slightly adorable that he giggles and prances down the Pelori?))
5) “Then Melkor lusted for the Silmarils, and the very memory of their radiance was a gnawing fire in his heart. From that time forth, inflamed by this desire, he sought ever more eagerly how he should destroy Fëanor and end the friendship of the Valar and the Elves; but he dissembled his purposes with cunning, and nothing of his malice could yet be seen in the semblance that he wore. Long was he at work, and slow at first and barren was his labour. But he that sows lies in the end shall not lack of a harvest, and soon he may rest from toil indeed while others reap and sow in his stead. Ever Melkor found some ears that would heed him, and some tongues that would enlarge what they had heard; and his lies passed from friend to friend, as secrets of which the knowledge proves the teller wise. Bitterly did the Noldor atone for the folly of their open ears in the days that followed after. When he saw that many leaned towards him, Melkor would often walk among them, and amid his fair words others were woven, so subtly that many who heard them believed in recollection that they arose from their own thought. Visions he would conjure in their hearts of the mighty realms that they could have ruled at their own will, in power and freedom in the East; and then whispers went abroad that the Valar had brought the Eldar to Aman because of their jealousy, fearing that the beauty of the Quendi and the makers’ power that Ilúvatar had bequeathed to them would grow too great for the Valar to govern, as the Elves waxed and spread over the wide lands of the world. “
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