The Names of Sauron

[LadyBrooke]

Aragorn is not the only one handing out warnings about speaking of Sauron. In FotR Gandalf tells Pippin to not call Frodo the Lord of the Ring because "Evil things do not come into this valley;but all the same we should not name them." So perhaps saying his name allows him to somehow focus on the person speaking of it. Names are more than superficial in LotR, Aragorn himself didn't know his true name until he was grown.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by LadyBrooke

Aragorn is not the only one handing out warnings about speaking of Sauron. In FotR Gandalf tells Pippin to not call Frodo the Lord of the Ring because "Evil things do not come into this valley;but all the same we should not name them." So perhaps saying his name allows him to somehow focus on the person speaking of it. Names are more than superficial in LotR, Aragorn himself didn't know his true name until he was grown.

I think Gandalf's admonishment of Pippin there had more to do with trying to impress upon a young Hobbit that the situation was still very serious, in spite of their having reached Rivendell. Pippin himself saw Gandalf's words as an attempt of "keeping in order" Pippin.

All the same, you're right in that names have power in ME. Look at the Nazgûl, and the Mouth of Sauron, who did not use their own names, and at least in the Mouth's case, had no idea what their original names were, having lost themselves in Sauron's identity.

[Galadriel55]

Its true that the names reflect the person, and have a particular significance. For example, "Lord of the Rings" could pottentially bring shadow, and "Elbereth Gilthoniel" gives hope.