Tolkien harbored a deep love for the Medieval Age, captivated by notions of honor, valiant death in battle, and the struggle against evil. This evil was personified by two main characters: the infamous Sauron and his even more dangerous and ruthless mentor, Melkor (Morgoth), who nearly obliterated all that was known. Melkor is responsible for the inception of evil in Middle-earth. Just as Sauron imparted a portion of his power into the Ring, Melkor infused Middle-earth itself with part of his might, allowing malevolent beings and mutations to emerge in his service, aiming to destroy his siblings, the Valar, deities created by the supreme being Eru Ilúvatar (the almighty God in Tolkien’s universe) to govern Arda (the world).
Sauron, the Maiar in service to the Valar
Sauron was a Maiar (lesser deities beneath the Valar gods) in the service of Aulë, the god of forging and craftsmanship, akin to Hephaestus in Greek mythology. From him, Sauron learned the arts of handiwork, creation, and construction, which would later, unbeknownst to him, aid in the forging of his most treasured possession, the One Ring.
However, Sauron was ambitious and sought to impose his worldview, envisioning an orderly realm shaped in his image, where he would reign as god over all. Melkor nurtured the darkest aspects of the Maiar, who saw in his master a bridge to his destiny. Sauron’s soul became corrupted, gradually succumbing to thresholds of hatred, cruelty, and wickedness.
Betrayal and Sauron’s flight to Middle-earth
Such hatred drew the attention of elves, men, and Valar, who united to confront Melkor, the mightiest of all deities, with the permission of Eru Ilúvatar (the creator of all). After the mentor’s defeat, the lieutenant displayed false remorse to escape the Valar’s judgment and fled to Middle-earth, where he would gradually amass power.
To buy time, Sauron adopted a pleasant, friendly guise, gradually earning the trust of elves, men, and dwarves whom he deceived into forging the Rings of Power. They would fall under the sway of the One Ring, forged in Mount Doom, where it would be destroyed by Frodo in the Third Age. But that is a story you (probably!) already know.
The power of the Ring would enable him to wage wars against all races of the world, subjecting them to his will “to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.”
