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Lily Tussle
02-21-2002, 05:42 PM
I just thought of this: What ever happened to Sauron after the Ring was destroyed? Do we ever find out? Does Sauron just go and deteriorate in some corner in Barad-dûr? Hmmm, food for thought....
Raefindel
02-21-2002, 07:49 PM
Well, Yes, he dies, but it isn't described in the book.
Rosa Underhill
02-22-2002, 02:03 PM
Yark and forsooth, Lily!

Yes, it does say, in a way, what happened to Sauron. He blew away like smoke. Since evil can never die, though, he's likely not dead but his spirit(or something) is still hanging out somewhere. Likely in the hearts of Men and at the root of most evils in Middle-earth after that age. Something similar happened to Saruman, too.
Thingol
02-22-2002, 02:52 PM
In Tolkien's writings the spirit (Fëa) is industructable. Sauron, like Saruman, Gandalf, and the Balrog, was a Maiar. The Maiar are capable of taking any form they wish. After the fall of Numenor Sauron's body (Hroa) was destroyed. Because Sauron spent so much of his power on malice and creating the Ring he lost the power to take a fair form forever. Sauron's spirit was incarnated into a hideous form that he was trapped in. When a Maiar incarnates itself it reduces its power (Gandalf, Saruman, Radagast, Alatar, and Pallando voluntarily incarnated themselves). When the Ring was destroyed Sauron lost so much of his power that he was unable to maintain any form. However his spirit was not destroyed, it was weakened to such an extent that it couldn't take shape again and was no longer dangerous. In the Silmarillion it says that Sauron's spirit followed his master's spirit into the void. The void is what exists outside of the Kingdom of Arda (Middle Earth).
Kuruharan
02-22-2002, 05:38 PM
In the Silmarillion it says that Sauron's spirit followed his master's spirit into the void. The void is what exists outside of the Kingdom of Arda (Middle Earth).
I think that this may be more of a symbolic statement rather than actual fact. Nothing is said about Sauron being thrust out the Doors of Night. His spirit was just rejected and dispersed by the winds of Manwe, I thought.