Summary
When it comes to horrible bosses, Saruman the White fromThe Lord of the Ringsmakes the list. He was the head of the divine order of the Istari (wizards) who were sent to Middle-earth to help its people against Sauron. Instead, he joined the Dark Lord and made the mission of his junior, Gandalf the Grey, whom he was greatly jealous of, harder.
Saruman wasn’t always corrupt, but his jealousy of Gandalf did precede their arrival in Middle-earth. It began, as allLord of the Ringsstories do, in Valinor, back when they were both Maiar and their names weren’t Saruman and Gandalf, but Curumo (or Curunír) and Olórin.
The Story of Curumo and Olórin
InThe Silmarillion, which chronicles the creation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s universe and the First and Second Ages of Middle-earth, the author notes thatof all the Maiar(angelic beings lesser in power and rank than the Valar), Olórin was the wisest. However, Tolkien’s writings also implied that there was a hierarchy among these beings, and Saruman (also known as Curumo), was the eldest. Of Olórin, it was said that he was often quiet and inconspicuous, though he was greatly loved by the Eldar (elves) who were in Valinor for his visions of wisdom.
When the time came for the Valar to send their emissaries to Middle-earth to help the elves and men against the growing might of Sauron, the King of the Valar, Manwë, asked for volunteers. Only Curumo and Alatar (one of the Blue Wizards) came forward. Manwë called for Olórin (who even then wore gray), but the latter confessed that he feared Sauron and didn’t want to go. However, Manwë believed that was all the more reason for Olórin to go, and proclaimed that he would go to Middle-earth as the Third Istari. But Manwë’s wife, the Vala Varda, interrupted and said something that Curumo could never forget: Olórin wouldn’t be “the third.”
But at that Varda [wife of Manwë] looked up and said: ‘Not as the third’; and Curumo [Saruman] remembered it.
Neither Olórin’s fear of Sauron nor the significance of Varda’s correction is explained further. Editor Christopher Tolkien mentions some illegible writing among his father’s notes regarding Gandalf being “the third.” But the implications are clear: Olórin was wise and humble. As per the moral of Tolkien’s story, he was fit to wield power because he was appropriately afraid of its potential for evil. Moreover, later in the text, it is mentioned that Olórin was called “the Enemy of Sauron,” which further suggests some foresight thatGandalf would be the chief adversary to the Dark Lord.
Gandalf Got a Ring of Power, But Saruman Didn’t
According to Tolkien’s “Tale of the Years” in Appendix B ofThe Lord of the Rings, the Istari arrived in Middle-earth sometime in the Third Age. It was clear that no matter what discussion happened in Valinor, in terms of perception, Saruman was the head of the order and considered the wisest among them:
The first to come was one of noble mien and bearing, with raven hair, and a fair voice, and he was clad in white; great skill he had in works of hand, and he was regarded by well-nigh all, even by the Eldar, as the head of the Order.
The Istari arrived from the West to the Grey Havens, where Lord Círdan the Shipwright, the oldest and wisest of the Eldar on Middle-earth, was the first to receive them. The Valar had blessed Círdan with foresight, and even though Saruman was the leader, the wise elf perceived in Gandalf and his future something that made him respect the gray wizard more. Heentrusted Gandalf with Narya, the third elven ring of powerthat the smith Celebrimbor had passed on to him before his death.
…and last came one who seemed the least, less tall than the others, and in looks more aged, grey-haired and grey-clad, and leaning on a staff. But Círdan from their first meeting at the Grey Havens divined in him the greatest spirit and the wisest; and he welcomed him with reverence, and he gave to his keeping the Third Ring, Narya the Red.
Like the other rings, this one slowed the decay of time and the fading of magic. But Narya’s powers were, much like its bearer, subtle and inconspicuous. It allowed the wearer to kindle the flame of courage and hope in the hearts of others and inspire their spirit. Still, it was a powerful object, and when Saruman learned that Gandalf had it, he became envious and began detesting the gray wizard. It could have been this moment that drove Saruman to study the rings of power so obsessively that he fell prey to their temptation and sought domination through the One Ring.
[…] the White Messenger (who was skilled to uncover all secrets) after a time became aware of this gift, and begrudged it, and it was the beginning of the hidden ill-will he bore to the Grey, which afterwards became manifest.
Galadriel’s Choice and the Ultimate Insult
As Saruman’s jealousy of Gandalf over the ring festered, the attitudes of the peoples of Middle-earth towards Gandalf kept fueling it. Gandalf was a quiet, humble, and bent old man who walked around, clad in gray, with a staff. He was quick to anger when provoked, but mostly he was jolly and loved mingling with the crowd. He had no authority per se, nor did he strut hispower like Saruman. Yet, he exuded it in ways the elves and men could sense. He was immensely respected, and his counsel was trusted among Galadriel, Elrond, Círdan, and even the men of Númenor, like Aragorn.
When it was suspected that the Necromancer in DoI Guldur was Sauron, the White Council was formed to deal with the threat. InThe Fellowship of the Ringchapter “The Mirror of Galadriel,” Galadriel tells Frodo that it was her idea to constitute the Council, and if her designs had worked, Gandalf would have been its leader and then, perhaps, things would’ve gone differently. If Saruman were aware of Galadriel’s wishes, he would have seen that as yet another affront to his seniority and wisdom, further fanning the flames of his jealousy. For Tolkien, Saruman inThe Lord of the Ringssymbolized how an obsession with power and too much pride in one’s wisdom can completely corrupt.
