What was Sauron?

[Cirdan the Shipwright]

AAAAGGGGHHHH!

Okay, let me take a stab at this. Correct me if I am wrong.

Valar = Equivalent to Gods (14 of these, not including Melkor)
Maiar = Equivalent to Angels, but ranging in power from relatively weak to almost as powerful as the Valar (Number Unknown)

Virtually all of the Maiar were 'assigned' to a Valar. It is inferred that the largest number of these were recruited directly by Melkor. About twenty were named throughout the books. These are the ones that I can remember (there may be others) along with their ORIGINAL Valarian 'assignment'.

MELKOR(Lord of Fire and Darkness)
Fire Spirits; Gothmog, Arien (she refused to serve him presumably after he began his rebellion and switched her allegiance to Manwe)

MANWE (Lord of Air and King of the Valar)
Air Spirits; Eonwe

ULMO (Lord of the Sea)
Water Spirits; Osse (temporarily recruited by Melkor), Uinen and Salmar

AULE (Lord of the Earth)
Earth Spirits; Sauron (later went over to Melkor), Saruman (later became an Istari)

OROME (The Hunter)
Alatar, Pallando (later they became Istari known as the Blue Wizards), Tilion

MANDOS (Lord of the Underworld)
- No Known Maiar -

LORIEN (Lord of Gardens)
Silmo

TULKAS (Lord of Battle)
- No Known Maiar -

VARDA (Queen of Light)
Ilmare

YAVANNA (Queen of Nature)
Radagast (later became an Istari)

NIENNA (Queen of Wisdom)
Gandalf (later became an Istari)

VANA (?)
Urwen

VAIRE (Queen of Fate)
- No Known Maiar -

ESTE (?)
Melian

NESSA (?)
- No Known Maiar -

UNAFFILIATED
Tom Bombadil, Goldberry

In addition, Ungoliant may have been a Maiar (it is suggested that she once served Vaire), and Thorondor as well (who served Manwe).

That should take care of it.

- Cirdan