The Ring of Saruman?

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by davem

They had 'flirted with Sauron' in the making of the rings, but their essential 'sin' was their desire to 'embalm' the world - which is what lead them to fall for Sauron's offer of aid.

I take your point, and it was one that had occurred to me. And yet each of the Rings contributed significantly towards the success of the Quest to destroy the Ring which, presumably, was in line with Eru's plan. Where would Rivendell and Lothlorien have been without Nenya and Vilya? And where would the Quest have been without these Havens? Specifically, where would Frodo have been without the Power of Vilya brought down upon the Nine Black Riders (assuming, which I do, that such Power was drawn upon, at least in part, to invoke the flooding of the Ford). And Narya was used more actively, by Gandalf, given its association with his mission to rekindle the hearts of the Free Peoples.

Is there not therefore a tension between the "sin" of their creation and their contribution towards the victory of good over evil, in accordance with Eru's plan. Or ios this another example of Eru's words to Melkor that (to paraphrase) all the evil that he created would only contribute ultimately towards the greater glory of good?

On the association of the Istari with the primary races, the concept does not really grab me. if anything, though, would Saruman, as a Valar of Aule, not be more closely associated with the Dwarves?

Originally Posted by davem

They had 'flirted with Sauron' in the making of the rings, but their essential 'sin' was their desire to 'embalm' the world - which is what lead them to fall for Sauron's offer of aid.

By way of an aside, I am currently designing a boardgame based on the War of the Ring (as yet if another were needed ), and the suitability of the map of Western Middle-earth for such purpose, specifically with regard to the strategic placement of mountains and strongholds, is striking.