Eldy
Dor-Lomin
Jun 25 2022, 5:36pm
Views: 4896
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There must be something in Tolkien’s writings to suggest the more epic scale because what you describe is exactly how I imagine it too. I haven’t read the story in quite some time (and can’t even remember now which book or tale it’s contained in - Akallabeth, maybe?), so it could line up with Lee’s illustration. I don’t think so, though.
It's in the Akallabêth, yeah, and your post made me go back and check Tolkien's own wording. Like most of the Akallabêth, it's very light on detail, but...
Empty and silent were all the lands about when the Kng of the Sea marched upon Middle-earth.[1] For seven days he journeyed with banner and trumpet, and he came to a hill, and he went up, and he set there his pavilion and his throne; and he sat him down in the midst of the land, and the tents of his host were ranged all about him, blue, golden, and white, as a field of tall flowers. Then he sent forth heralds, and he commanded Sauron to come before him and swear to him fealty.
And Sauron came. Even from his mighty tower of Barad-dûr he came, and made no offer of battle. For he perceived that the power and majesty of the Kings of the Sea surpassed all rumour of them,[2] so that he could not trust even the greatest of his servants to withstand them; and he saw not his time yet to work his will with the Dúnedain. And he was crafty, well skilled to gain what he would by subtlety when force might not avail. Therefore he humbled himself before Ar-Pharazôn and smoothed his tongue; and men wondered, for all that he said seemed fair and wise. (TS, pp. 270–271)
This suggests to me that Sauron's surrender occurred in or near Ar-Pharazôn's camp. I'd imagine the swearing of fealty itself occurred before the pavilion and throne; that just sort of seems the natural setting for such a ceremony. As Voronwë points out, Sauron did not have his armies with him (Fauskanger's proposed adaptation has Sauron arriving at the camp completely alone, without even servants or attendants), but like squire, I would imagine the Númenórean army present, albeit not necessarily in battle formation. Regardless of specifics, it's a key point that Sauron came at Pharazôn's command, setting the tone for his performative submissiveness in the following years and decades, allowing him to weasel his way under the Númenóreans' guard and gain such great influence. Lee's depiction of Sauron surrendering in the middle of a blasted wasteland removes this element.
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[1] Since Voronwë is in this thread, I feel obligated to note that this is technically a bit of Christopher's rewriting. The original text read: "Empty and silent under the sickle moon was the land when the King of the Sea set foot upon the shore" (HoMe XII, p. 156).
[2] It's never made sense to me why Sauron was so poorly informed of the Númenóreans' military strength after centuries of intermittent war with them.
(This post was edited by Eldy on Jun 25 2022, 5:41pm)
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