Ever wonder why Tolkien made Sauron an eye? It’s no mere fantasy...
Sean Berube@SeanBerube4
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May 02, 2025
~3 min read
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Ever wonder why Tolkien made Sauron an eye?
It’s no mere fantasy symbol — it points to a Satanic evil
Here’s what the Eye really means, and why Sauron’s evil is worse than you think…🧵
It’s no mere fantasy symbol — it points to a Satanic evil
Here’s what the Eye really means, and why Sauron’s evil is worse than you think…🧵
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Tolkien didn’t believe in absolute evil
But he said Sauron was as close as you could get to pure evil
To understand why, we have to look at his roots:
Sauron used to be good — an angel
But he said Sauron was as close as you could get to pure evil
To understand why, we have to look at his roots:
Sauron used to be good — an angel
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Tolkien writes:
"At first Sauron served God
He loved order and coordination, and disliked all
confusion and wasteful friction"
Sauron loved to make harmony from design
Sadly, his love became obsessive. It led to… unnatural desires
"At first Sauron served God
He loved order and coordination, and disliked all
confusion and wasteful friction"
Sauron loved to make harmony from design
Sadly, his love became obsessive. It led to… unnatural desires
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Sauron fell in love with his own designs, his own mind, his own will
Filled with pride, he began to hate chaos
He believed the world would be perfect if everyone submitted to his will
He wanted to design the perfect world order
Filled with pride, he began to hate chaos
He believed the world would be perfect if everyone submitted to his will
He wanted to design the perfect world order
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In other words — Sauron wanted to become God
He joined forces with Morgoth to rebel against God, and infused his soul in the ring of power
This helped him dominate Middle Earth, but thankfully, his rebellion was squashed
He joined forces with Morgoth to rebel against God, and infused his soul in the ring of power
This helped him dominate Middle Earth, but thankfully, his rebellion was squashed
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Sauron was defeated in battle and lost his ring
His army crumbled and his body dissolved, but his soul lived on
That soul revealed itself in its vile, ugly form
And Tolkien wrote that this evil took the form of… an eye
His army crumbled and his body dissolved, but his soul lived on
That soul revealed itself in its vile, ugly form
And Tolkien wrote that this evil took the form of… an eye
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But why an eye?
If Sauron is the greatest evil incarnate, why does it take the shape of an eye?
Tolkien’s writing explains the terror of its gaze
If Sauron is the greatest evil incarnate, why does it take the shape of an eye?
Tolkien’s writing explains the terror of its gaze
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“The Eye: that horrible growing sense of a hostile will
It strove with great power to pierce all shadows of cloud, and earth, and flesh
and to see you: to pin you under its deadly gaze, naked, immovable”
Now we begin to understand its terror...
It strove with great power to pierce all shadows of cloud, and earth, and flesh
and to see you: to pin you under its deadly gaze, naked, immovable”
Now we begin to understand its terror...
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Sauron doesn’t scream. He doesn’t argue. He doesn’t speak
He watches
The Eye doesn’t enter into dialogue — it dominates
Tolkien’s God creates life through song, but Sauron suffocates through silence
He watches
The Eye doesn’t enter into dialogue — it dominates
Tolkien’s God creates life through song, but Sauron suffocates through silence
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So for Tolkien, pure evil is a “hostile will, piercing Earth and flesh to pin you under its deadly gaze”
It wants to penetrate your soul:
Not to love you, but to consume you
A parasitic gaze that eats you alive, hollowing you out
But it gets worse
It wants to penetrate your soul:
Not to love you, but to consume you
A parasitic gaze that eats you alive, hollowing you out
But it gets worse
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Sauron’s name derives from the Greek root “Sauros” which means “lizard”
So Sauron’s eye is the eye of the lizard — the Serpent’s eye:
Sauron is a reptilian parody of God
He’s not just evil. He’s an antichrist figure
So Sauron’s eye is the eye of the lizard — the Serpent’s eye:
Sauron is a reptilian parody of God
He’s not just evil. He’s an antichrist figure
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Tolkien said absolute evil is “non-being,” itself
Sauron is the greatest evil incarnate, because his gaze destroys all being
An all-consuming gaze of self-destruction
Sauron is the greatest evil incarnate, because his gaze destroys all being
An all-consuming gaze of self-destruction
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Therefore, such evil must be destroyed:
It cannot be allowed to exist, for it consumes existence itself
This is the premise to Lord of the Rings — destroy Sauron’s ring of power
The ring bearer also shows us how to destroy Sauron’s evil
It cannot be allowed to exist, for it consumes existence itself
This is the premise to Lord of the Rings — destroy Sauron’s ring of power
The ring bearer also shows us how to destroy Sauron’s evil
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The ring cannot be used as a weapon for justice:
It corrupts all who grasp it
The great men, elves, wizards — all would fall
Only the humble — like a gentle hobbit — could carry such a burden of evil
It corrupts all who grasp it
The great men, elves, wizards — all would fall
Only the humble — like a gentle hobbit — could carry such a burden of evil
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This is why Frodo had to be the ringbearer:
Not the strong and powerful
But the humble and charitable
His journey was not for glory, gain, nor honor — but love of mankind:
The humble of heart have the greatness of soul to withstand pure evil
Not the strong and powerful
But the humble and charitable
His journey was not for glory, gain, nor honor — but love of mankind:
The humble of heart have the greatness of soul to withstand pure evil
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The takeaway:
Sauron’s hatred consumes the soul. Selfless love invigorates it
To withstand evil, seek the courage, humility, and fortitude of Frodo
Bear your burdens in life nobly — with love and perseverance — and no evil can withstand you
Sauron’s hatred consumes the soul. Selfless love invigorates it
To withstand evil, seek the courage, humility, and fortitude of Frodo
Bear your burdens in life nobly — with love and perseverance — and no evil can withstand you
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If interested, DM me "fitness" to discuss!
- Get fit
- Grow in their faith
- Learn the great books
If interested, DM me "fitness" to discuss!
