Is That Mysterious Sigil In The Rings Of Power The Eye Of Sauron?
Contains spoilers for the first two episodes of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power"
The first two episodes of Amazon's new, hilariously expensive series "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" are now available for viewers around the world to enjoy. As such, we're all left with a bevy of questions. Who is The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) who fell from the sky in a burning comet? What secret is Prince Durin IV (Owain Arthur) hiding beneath the mountain? Why does Elrond style his hair like a hardcore David Bowie fan? Okay, maybe we're the only ones asking that last question, but the point still stands.
Another matter of intrigue comes in the form of a three-pronged sigil, burned into the cold cheek of an elven corpse and upon the frosty stones of a ruined fortress. While it's clear to Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) that the symbol is connected to Sauron in some way, it's meaning so far is dangerously illusive. Longtime fans of Tolkien's work will know that Sauron is associated with another rune — the all-seeing eye, which he paints on the armor of the orcs of Mordor. There are certainly some similarities between that symbol, the depiction of Sauron's eye from Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings," and this new evil mark from "Rings of Power." So is this mysterious sigil Amazon's version of the Eye of Sauron?
The sigil is likely something new entirely
The short answer is no, not if the creative team did their research, which we have to assume they did. The long answer requires a little more exposition, so let's break it down. Sauron adopted the Great Eye sigil during the Third Age (the era in which Tolkien's most famous story takes place). "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" takes place during the Second Age, several thousand years prior. Immediately, that negates any chance of these two sigils being the exact same thing — again, provided that Amazon did their due diligence. Also, the Eye of Sauron doubled in meaning with the Palantíri (the ominous crystal balls seen in the first trilogy of films) that Sauron uses to usurp Sarumon (Christopher Lee). These have yet to be introduced in the Amazon series. So, if it's not the Great Eye, then what is it?
Okay, so this is entirely speculation but it's possible that Amazon recalled how integral symbols are to the mythology "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Middle-earth is a land of symbols, so it would make sense that the creative team behind "Rings of Power" opted to create a new sigil for Sauron to display that might call to mind some of the images that would later become associated with the latter-day dark lord.
For this to make sense, it's important to understand a few things. First, that Morgoth is Tolkien's version of the devil himself, fallen grace. Second, that Sauron is one of his many servants. Third, whenever Morgoth falters on his quest to conquer Arda (the world in which Midde-earth is but a continent), something that occurs with hilarious frequency, Sauron tries to strike out on his own. It is possible that this sigil is a physical representation of Sauron's latest solo venture — a brand insignia of sorts.