The Dark Lord of Mordor, the Necromancer of Dolguldur, the ringmaker, Saran.

It is fitting, perhaps, that we begin our series discussing Tolkien's most well-known works

by first discussing the Lord of the Rings himself, Sauron.

Although Sauron is most commonly envisioned as a great lidless eye, wreathed in flame, ever watching atop the

the dark tower of Baradour, Sauron has a deeper story than his presence in the Lord

of the Rings trilogy. While this short video is far too limited in scope to cover every aspect

of Sauron's backstory, I hope to convey enough of it to enlighten people beyond just the

story presented in the films.

Sauron, originally named Myron, is one of the Aynur, an order of ancient beings created

by the deity Eru Iluvatar, in order to shape

the world of Arda, which is where Middle Earth is located.

Sauron specifically is a Maya, immortal and powerful, but less so than the other beings that

make up the Ainur, the Valar.

Sauron was one of the most powerful of the Maiar, if not the most

powerful, but he was good and uncorrupt in the beginning, loving order and perfection.

Sauron served during this time under one of the Vela known as Aule, a great builder and craftsman,

and Sauron too learned the art of forging.

In time, however, Sauron was converted to a darker side.

Melkor, one of the Vilar, was opposed to the other beings of his order,

seeking instead to control Arda himself.

He began to influence Sauron to join him, using Sauron's love of order and coordination

to sway him away from the confusion and waste that the other Ainur brought.

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