Clueless Sauron?
 

According to Gandalf in the chapter "The Shadow of the Past", Sauron had believed that the One Ring "had perished; that the Elves had destroyed it". Yet surely Sauron must have well aware that the One Ring still existed somewhere in the world.

After all, had the Ring been destroyed, Sauron's shadow would not have been able to take shape and grow again in Mirkwood, and the Nazgul would have been obliterated. At what point then did Sauron become aware that the One Ring was still in existence?

I think this thread that I started a while back might interest you. :)

Thanks. Very informative, and a very extensive discussion. So, if I've understood correctly, the argument was that Sauron did not initially know that the destruction of his Ring would mean the end of him, but when he finally found out that the Ring was still in existence it changed his views on the very feasibility of destroying the Ring. I still find it strange however that Sauron would not understand from the very start the nature of his Ring. Certainly, as you stated, he seemed to know exactly what lay in store for him when he spotted Frodo at the Sammath Naur.

Another question. It seems to me that Sauron did not learn about Isildur's fall by the Gladden fields until very late in the Third Age, otherwise he would have had the river searched much earlier (and found the Ring). It is stated at the Council of Elrond that the tale of Isildur's fall was known only to a few (in Arnor) and to nobody at all in Gondor. How did Sauron manage to hear of it? Did he perhaps finally hear the long forgotten story of a captain of an Orc host which had been passed down through the centuries?

That was indeed the argument presented by some members, but you'll notice that I thought that was hogwash.

I, like you, think that it would be absurd for Sauron not to understand the most fundamental property of his Ring- whether or not its destruction would destroy him.

It is my opinion that Gandalf didn't know what he was talking about when he said Sauron thought the Ring was destroyed.

Even though hes a Maia, Sauron has slipped up before. Who knows? If I backed a waffle that gave me power, but then someone took a bite out of it and I dissapeared for some centruies, I would think that if someone ate my waffle I would be killed. Um, does that make sense? (Im trying to agree with you, Phantom...)
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Mary Jane