Sauron's hair colour

[Inziladun]

Had to have been a rinse-job. Everyone knows world domination aspirations make you gray.

Really though, it seems golden hair is usually associated in Middle-earth with the "beautiful people", so maybe that's what Sauron was aiming for then: deception and persuasion over brute force or fear.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

I wonder whether it isn't just the painters' interpretation of the information that "in the beginning, he still looked fair".

Interesting thought, however, now you made me uncertain and I will probably never be able to figure out how did I imagine him. Because I thought I had imagined him dark-haired, but then again, I keep thinking, "the" guy who was dark-haired in his "youth" was obviously Saruman (and we know it about him). Well, Sauron certainly didn't have a beard, unlike Saruman. Hm. But now my mind is confused and I really can't say how did I imagine Sauron to look...

[Galadriel55]

I never really had a clear image of Sauron when he was still fair, just a kind of "this person is handsome and tricksy" impression. But I never connected him with golden hair in my mind, and was always confused when I saw him looking like Glorfindel in all the fan art.

[Morsul the Dark]

Sauron was clearly ginger. And not just redhead I'm talking Carrot Top. he did love him some props rings maces scary armor... a giant inflatable flaming eye.

Then there the evidence of his humor like when Frodo sees him on the seat of seeing and Sauron says "I've got my Eye on you..."

should probably have kept the inside thoughts inside on this one....

[Alfirin]

Originally Posted by Morsul the Dark

Sauron was clearly ginger. And not just redhead I'm talking Carrot Top. he did love him some props rings maces scary armor... a giant inflatable flaming eye.

Then there the evidence of his humor like when Frodo sees him on the seat of seeing and Sauron says "I've got my Eye on you..."

should probably have kept the inside thoughts inside on this one....

Actually you may be on to something there. Given the amount of Norse mythology Tolkein used for inspiration, and the general way Sauron behaved (especially in the First and Second ages) I've always seen a sort of Loki-ish strain in him. And a lot of depictions of Loki also give him red hair (of course I've seen a lot of blonde ones as well)
I suppose it is also possible that, in his Annatar form (since Sauron has multiple body forms, we should really be talking about his hair color on a body by body basis, with each new form, he could have had a different one.) Sauron had silver hair. Making himself look "fair" to the men of Numenor probably meant looking as Elven as possible, and silver is the only hair color that (as far as we know) Elves have and humans don't (or at least don't have often)

[Nerwen]

I can only assume Agan's sudden interest in this topic is the result of discovering her true nature.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

I can only assume Agan's sudden interest in this topic is the result of discovering her true nature.

Ah, that must be what piqued Aganir's interest in looking up Sauron fan-art on the interwebs.

Come to think of it, I kind of imagined fair Sauron blonde, or really bright anyway. He was an angelic being, and therefore that is what he looked like to me: someone who was pretty and had light coming out of him, or something. Now that I say that aloud, I feel kind of silly.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Alfirin

Actually you may be on to something there. Given the amount of Norse mythology Tolkein used for inspiration, and the general way Sauron behaved (especially in the First and Second ages) I've always seen a sort of Loki-ish strain in him. And a lot of depictions of Loki also give him red hair (of course I've seen a lot of blonde ones as well)
I suppose it is also possible that, in his Annatar form (since Sauron has multiple body forms, we should really be talking about his hair color on a body by body basis, with each new form, he could have had a different one.) Sauron had silver hair. Making himself look "fair" to the men of Numenor probably meant looking as Elven as possible, and silver is the only hair color that (as far as we know) Elves have and humans don't (or at least don't have often)

Red hair isn't really a Viking thing, it's a 'Celtic fringe' (no pun intended ) thing. The Irish referred to the Vikings who invaded them as the dubgaill and finngaill which suggests they were mostly either dark or blonde haired.

But yes, there are lots of artworks made where they portray Vikings with red hair. This is probably because even now it scares people and there's a stereotype that us redheads are a bit bad tempered. I'm not going to disabuse anyone from this myth, it's quite handy...

The Elves primarily had very dark or very fair hair, so either would seem beautiful to them, surely, and whichever way you choose to picture Sauron as Annatar is equally valid.

I always picture him as very blonde though I'm not sure he would be, thinking about Tolkien's references to blonde hair and Light or divinity - see Gimli's request for some of Galadriel's hair to use in crafting a jewel that would capture her 'Light'. Would Sauron be able to clothe himself in such a way?

[Aganzir]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Well, Sauron certainly didn't have a beard, unlike Saruman.

Even though we can argue he probably didn't sport one in Valinor.

Originally Posted by Alfirin

Making himself look "fair" to the men of Numenor probably meant looking as Elven as possible, and silver is the only hair color that (as far as we know) Elves have and humans don't (or at least don't have often)

I'm not all that sure if 'elven' constituted 'pretty' in the later days of Númenor. But you may be right when you speak about his body by body basis... there's something for everyone.

Originally Posted by Nerwen

I can only assume Agan's sudden interest in this topic is the result of discovering her true nature.

You caught me there.

Anyway I'm happy to see I can keep imagining him dark-haired.