from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, will not be installed on the roof of one of the towers of the Moscow City business center. Representatives of the creative group "Glow", which had been preparing the installation for several months, said that this was due to the "negative reaction of the public to the art object."

"The project has no religious or political overtones," the group said in a press release. It also emphasizes that the Glow group did not wish to hurt anyone's feelings by creating this light sculpture. “We want to offer our sincere apologies for the situation,” the press release said.

"Eye of Sauron" was supposed to appear over Moscow on December 11, the day of the premiere of the final part of "The Hobbit". The organizers of the action planned to install the installation as "a tribute to the great saga and its film adaptation, which allowed millions of fans around the world to visit Middle-earth."

Eye of Sauron. Frame from the film "The Lord of the Rings".

Who and why opposes the "Eye of Sauron" over Moscow?

The Eye of Sauron will be dismantled, . This was reported Head of the Moscow Department of Media and Advertising Vladimir Chernikov. According to him, "Oko" may be an unregulated advertisement.

“This structure cannot be placed without my permission. If the object is placed, and we make sure that it is an advertisement, it will be dismantled. Today we have the capacity to carry out the most serious work on dismantling, we have already shown this. We dismantled more than 200 roof advertising structures in the city. We have our own resource for this - GKU Gorinfor," Chernikov said.

The Russian Orthodox Church also opposes the "All-Seeing Eye" over Moscow. According to representative of the Russian Orthodox Church Vsevolod Chaplin, installation in the capital of such an installation is unacceptable.

“Anyway, it’s a demonic symbol. Such a symbol of triumphant evil rises above the city, becoming almost the tallest object in the city. Is this good or bad? I'm afraid it's rather bad. You don’t have to be surprised later if something goes wrong with the city, ”Chaplin explained.

The All-Seeing Eye of Sauron is a symbol of the power of the dark lord Sauron in the works of Tolkien. It is located in the center of Mordor - the kingdom of Darkness, on top of the tower of Barad-dur.

"Gortaur" - from "ngor" - "horror" and the root "THUS", meaning "evil haze, fog". He was also called "Gortaur the Cruel".

"Annatar" - "Lord of the Gifts." So he appeared to the elves in the Second Age.

"Artano" - "Noble Blacksmith" and "Aulendil" - "Servant of Aule". By such names Sauron was known in Eregion.

"Wizard", "Necromancer" - so Sauron was called during his stay in Blackwood, when his true name and origin were not known.

"Zigur" (Zigŭr) - the name of Sauron in Adunaic, means "wizard".

In Old English, Sauron was called "se Malsca", "Saweron".

And also - Sauron the Great, Viceroy of Melkor, Wolf-Sauron, Dark Lord, Lord of the Rings, Ring-Maker, Sauron the Liar (as Amandil called him), King of Men and Lord of the Earth, Sauron Redivivus (lat. - resurrected), the Waking Eye , Lord of Mordor, Lord of Barad-dur, Dark Power, Nameless, Enemy.

Sign

Appearance

Before the overthrow of Numenor, Sauron could assume a beautiful form, majestic and full of bodily power, and looked and behaved like a king.

In The Lost Path, when Sauron arrived in Numenor, he was in the form of a man, but taller than any Numenoreans, and the inhabitants of the island were afraid of the light of his eyes. To many it seemed beautiful, to many it was terrible, and to some it was evil.

After the overthrow of Numenor, the mask of Sauron became terrible. His hands were black and yet glowed like fire.

The Eye of Sauron was eyeless, framed in flames, and yellow like a cat's.

In the Third Age, Sauron also had a terrible appearance; his height was taller than a human.

Character, knowledge, skills

Sauron had vast knowledge. He was the greatest, most powerful, dangerous, terrible and most loyal being that served Melkor. In anger, he was only slightly inferior to his master.

Over time, Sauron lost his power. So, for example, at the end of the Third Age, he was much weaker than in the Second).

Sauron was the lord of the necromancers and, being non-incarnate, knew how to expel the feah from the body, or he could subjugate the will and body of the Living One if he could make friends with him. And he taught this to his followers.

Sauron used gold for "magical" activities, as it was Morgoth's element in matter, necessary for such activities.

Biography

The Primal Age and the Age of the Trees

Sauron was originally a great master from the people of Aule. It is not known exactly when Melkor won him to his side, but it is said that Sauron was the chief among the Maiar - Melkor's secret friends on Almaren.

Sauron, by order of Melkor, commanded the fortress of Angband, while his master was at Utumno. But in the war that followed the awakening of the elves, Angband quickly fell, but it is not known whether Sauron took refuge in the dungeons of this fortress or fled with the rest of the minions to Utumno - it is only said that the Valar did not find Sauron.

First Age

When, at the beginning of the Age, Melkor went to the people, he instructed Sauron to wage war against the Eldar.

In 457 of the First Age, Sauron marched against Orodreth, who held the fortress of Minas Tirith. At that time the servant of Melkor was a sorcerer of monstrous power, the lord of shadows and ghosts, vile in his wisdom and cruel in his strength, corrupting everything he touched, everyone he ruled. He was the lord of werewolves, and his dominion meant torment. Sauron took Minas Tirith by storm, for a dark cloud of fear fell on his defenders, and Orodreth was driven from this stronghold and fled. Sauron turned the fortress into Morgoth's watchtower, a stronghold of evil and danger, and the beautiful island of Tol Sirion became cursed and was named Tol-in-Gaurhoth, the Isle of Werewolves. No living creature could pass through that valley without being seen by Sauron from the tower.

Morgoth sent Sauron to find and destroy Barahir and his band. Having learned that Gorlim constantly comes to his former home, Sauron created the ghost of Eilinel and placed him there. When Gorlim came close to the house, Sauron's servants seized him and brought him to their camp (autumn 462). They subjected him to terrible tortures, but he did not reveal anything to them until he was offered to release him and Eilinel in exchange for betrayal. Then Gorlim's loyalty was shaken, and he was taken to Sauron. Sauron asked what the prisoner wanted in exchange for news of Barahir. Gorlim told him that he wanted to find freedom with Eilinel. Sauron laughed and agreed to do so. Gorlim tried to retreat, but, terrified by the look of Sauron, told him everything. Then Sauron laughed and revealed to him that he saw only a ghost and his wife was long dead. But the promise of the servant of Morgoth fulfilled - Gorlim was brutally killed and thrown to the ground, in which Eilinel had long been lying. This is how Barahir's hideout was discovered.

By order of Morgoth, Sauron began hunting for Beren, who, during one of his sorties, wounded Sauron in the hand (apparently, Sauron was in the form of a wolf). However, Sauron and his warriors forced Beren to leave Dorthonion (in 464).

At this time, Luthien and Huan came to Tol-in-Gaurhot and sang a song that the stone walls could not contain. Beren began to sing in response, and she heard him. Sauron also heard her and planned to capture and give Morgoth, for the reward would be great. So he sent a wolf, but Juan silently killed him. Sauron sent wolves one by one, but the dog of Valinor killed them all. Then he sent Draughlin, the leader of the werewolves of Angband, and for a long time he and Huan fought. Finally, Drauglin managed to escape and, running to the feet of Sauron, he said "Huan is here" and immediately died. The lord of the island knew the fate of the Valinor dog, and he decided that it was he who was destined to fulfill the prediction. Therefore, Sauron took the form of the most powerful of the werewolves and went out to Juan. Great terror accompanied him, so Juan jumped back. Then Sauron sprang upon Lúthien, who, because of the vile breath and the malice in the eyes of that spirit, fainted, but, falling, unfolded her cloak before him, and he hesitated, seized by a fleeting drowsiness. And then Juan jumped on him, and a fight began between them, and the sounds of it were heard even by the guards on the slopes of Ered Wethrin on the other side of the valley. But neither sorcery, nor enchantment, nor fangs, nor poison, nor the skill of the demon, nor the power of the beast, helped Sauron overcome Huan. The dog grabbed him by the throat and knocked him to the ground. Then Sauron began to change shape, from a wolf becoming a snake, and then taking on his usual form, but he could not get rid of Juan's grip without leaving his body. Before his spirit left his body, Lúthien approached Sauron and said that he would be disembodied, and his spirit would go trembling to Morgoth, where she would suffer under the torture of his contempt, unless he gave her power over this fortress. Then Sauron submitted, and the island came under the rule of Lúthien. He took the form of a bloodsucker bat, large as a dark cloud that obscures the moon, and flew, dropping drops of blood from his throat onto the trees, and, having arrived in Taur-nu-Fuin, remained there, filling the forest with horror.

When Thangorodrim was defeated in the War of Wrath (545-587), Sauron took on a beautiful appearance, appeared to Eonwe and paid respect to him, and renounced his evil deeds. And they say that Sauron really repented, terrified by the fall of Morgoth and the great wrath of the Lords of the West. But it was not in the power of Eonwe to grant forgiveness to his peers, and therefore he ordered him to return to Aman and wait there for the decision of the Valar. Then Sauron was ashamed and did not want to return humiliated and, perhaps, to receive a command from the Valar to serve them for a long time, proving his good will, for his power was great under the hand of Morgoth. So when Eonwe left for Valinor, Sauron fled to Middle-earth.

Second Age

Sauron reappeared in Middle-earth in 500 of the Second Age, and then his power began to be felt, hostile to the Edain and the elves.

Very slowly, starting with good intentions, with the transformation and restoration of the ravaged Middle-earth, Sauron again turned to evil and began to turn into a new incarnation of Evil, striving for absolute power (1).

Seeing the desolation of the world, Sauron mentally told himself that the Valar, having defeated Morgoth, again forgot about Middle-earth, and his pride quickly increased. He was concerned about the strengthening of the Numenoreans and decided to make Mordor his fortress, where around 1000 he began to build Barad-dur (the construction was completed in 1600). He aspired to dominion over Middle-earth, to become a king over kings and a god to men.

Sauron looked at the Eldar with hatred and was afraid of the people of Numenor, who sailed at that time to the shores of Middle-earth. But for a long time he hid his feelings and hid the black plans that were born in his heart.

Sauron tried to seduce the elves (in 1200 of the Second Age), and in the form of a beautiful and wise he wandered among them, not going only to Lindon, for Gil-galad and Elrond did not believe him, although they did not know who he really was, and were not allowed into their possessions. But in other places he was welcomed with joy, and few heeded the messengers from Lindon, who advised him to beware of him, for Sauron called himself Annatar, Lord of the Gifts, and friendship with him was very useful to the elves. He urged the elves to make the lands of Middle-earth as beautiful as Eressea or even Valinor, and spoke of his love for Middle-earth.

His speeches were most eagerly listened to in Eregion, for the Noldor who lived there desired to improve their art, and Sauron could teach a lot. He called himself a messenger of the Valar (two more names are also known - Artano "Noble Smith" and Aulendil "servant of Aule") and said that he was sent by them to Middle-earth in order to help the elves. He immediately felt that Galadriel would be his main opponent, and therefore he tried in every possible way to appease her and patiently endure her neglect. Thanks to the secrets he revealed to them, Gwaith-i-Myrdain soon surpassed all their previous creations and conceived the idea of ​​creating the Rings of Power (in 1500 of the Second Age). Sauron directed their labors and was aware of all that they had created, for he wished to subdue and watch over the elves. The Elves created many rings (Seven and Nine Rings were forged with the help of Annatar), and Sauron created the One in secret on the Mountain of Fire in Mordor (in 1600) to rule over the rest. He put much of his strength and will into it, and while wearing it he could comprehend all that was done with the lesser rings and see and control the thoughts of those who wore them (2). But he failed to deceive the elves, for when Sauron put the One Ring on his finger and cast a spell, they knew that he wanted to enslave them, and removed their rings. Then Sauron was overcome with anger, because he considered himself betrayed and could not deceive the elves, and he declared war on them and demanded that they give him the rings, because without his knowledge and advice they would not have been able to create them.

In 1693 Sauron's war with the elves began. In 1695 his troops invaded Eriador and moved towards Eregion. Celeborn came forward to meet him and even pushed back the advance parties, but although Celeborn managed to link up with the army of Elrond, which was sent by Gil-galad, Sauron had enough forces to besiege Eregion and repel their onslaught. In 1697, his warriors broke into Ost-in-Edil and captured the House of Mirdain. Celebrimbor himself fought Sauron on the steps of the House in desperation, but was defeated and captured. Sauron found the Nine Rings and other less valuable creations of the Mirdain, but the Three and the Seven were not there. Then he ordered Celebrimbor to be tortured and found out from him where the Seven Rings were, but he could not find out anything about the Three, but he guessed that Galadriel and Gil-galad might have them. Sauron ordered the execution of Celebrimbor by shooting from bows. Seized with black anger, he returned to the battle, and before him, on a pole, like a banner, the body of Celebrimbor was carried. Sauron fell upon the army of Elrond and was almost defeated by him, as the dwarves of the kind of Durin and the elves of Lorien attacked him from the rear. He decided not to pursue Elrond, turned on the Dwarves and Elves and drove them back, but they took refuge in Moria, where Sauron could not enter. Therefore, from then on, he forever hated Moria and ordered the orcs to pursue the dwarves in every possible way. Sauron began to sack Eriador, which he captured in 1699, and disperse the few people and hunt for the surviving elves. He intended to capture Lindon, where he hoped to find at least one ring of the Three, and so gathered his scattered forces and marched there, devastating everything in his path. But he had to reduce his army and leave a large detachment in order to restrain Elrond and prevent him from attacking from the rear. Sauron also called on new forces that were coming from the southeast. In 1700 he approached Lindon, and had nearly defeated its defenders, when a huge fleet of Númenórean sent by Tar-Minastir arrived. Sauron suffered a crushing defeat and was driven back. After a great battle at Sarn Ford, the forces of the Elves and Númenóreans pushed him back to the southeast. At Tharbad Sauron managed to connect with his reinforcements, but suddenly an army of Numenoreans appeared in his rear, which landed at the mouth of the Gwathlo. At the Battle of Gwatlo (1701), Sauron's army was finally defeated, and he himself barely managed to escape. What little detachment he had left was surrounded in the east of Calenardon, and Sauron fled with a handful of bodyguards to those places that later became known as Dagorlad. From there he returned to Mordor, vowing vengeance on Numenor.

Perhaps it was because of the renewed malice of Sauron that the Balrog awoke in Moria (in 1980).

In 2060, the power of Dol Guldur increased and the Wise began to fear that Sauron had once again taken on a visible form.

In 2063 Gandalf entered Dol Guldur and Sauron withdrew and took refuge in the east. The Wise have learned that the Necromancer is Sauron. With the departure of Sauron, the Watchful Peace began.

In 2460 Sauron returned to Dol Guldur and the Watchful Peace ended.

Around 2480 Sauron began to populate Moria with his servants. He had a strong desire for mithril, and so the orcs of Moria paid tribute to him in this metal.

By the end of the Third Age, Sauron managed to return three rings that previously belonged to the Dwarves (he took the last one from Thrain in 2845).

In 2850, thanks to Gandalf's penetration into Dol Guldur, it became known to the Wise that it was Sauron who had returned to his former stronghold.

At first, Sauron intended, as soon as he regained his power, to attack Lorien and Rivendell and reclaim the lands of Angmar and the northern passes.

Sauron plotted to bring together all the Rings and began to search for information about the One, as well as about the heirs of Isildur.

In 2939, Sauron's servants searched the Gladden Flats, for he knew how Isildur died.

However, Gollum was shortly thereafter captured by Aragorn and taken to the Northern Blackwoods; and though Sauron's spies followed him, they failed to free Gollum, and he was handed over to safe hands. Therefore, when he learned that Gollum had fallen to the leaders of his enemies, Sauron was frightened and realized that he had to hurry. But ordinary spies could not bring him any news (because of the vigilance of the Dunedain and the betrayal of Saruman, which Sauron knew about, but hid that he knew). Therefore, Sauron decided that only the Nazgul, the most powerful of his servants and completely subordinate to him, could help him (10). Therefore, Sauron prepared two blows - in them many later saw the beginning of the War of the Ring. They were applied at the same time. Thranduil's kingdom was attacked by orcs who were ordered to recapture Gollum; and the lord of Morgul was openly sent to battle against Gondor (at the end of June 3018). So Sauron tested Denethor's powers and his readiness for war, and found that Gondor was stronger than he expected. But this did not bother him much, since insignificant forces were involved in this attack, and Sauron's main goal at that moment was to pretend that the appearance of the Nazgul was connected only with the war against Gondor. He also wanted to catch and kill Gollum (or at least wrest him from the hands of his enemies), and capture the bridge of Osgiliath so that the Nazgul could cross the river).

Therefore, when Osgiliath was taken and the bridge destroyed (June 20, 3018), Sauron stopped the advance, and the Nazgul were ordered to begin searching for the Ring. But the Dark Lord could not help but take into account the vigilance and power of the Wise Ones, and the Ringwraiths were ordered to act as stealthily as possible.

Although Sauron did not know where the Shire was, he assumed that this land was not very far from the Misty Mountains and the places where Gollum lived (11). The Nazgul who searched the Shire in the valleys of the Anduin found nothing, and as the summer drew to a close, Sauron's anger and fear increased. In the Wold, the Nazgul met messengers from Barad-dur, who delivered threats from their Lord that horrified even the Morgul lord. By this time, Sauron already knew about the words of the prophecy heard in Gondor, about the departure of Boromir to the north, about the deeds of Saruman and about the capture of Gandalf. Based on this, Sauron decided that while neither Saruman nor any of the Wise have taken possession of the Ring, Saruman at least knows where it can be hidden (12). Therefore, secrecy was abandoned and the Nazgul rushed headlong to Isengard.

Unlike Melkor, Sauron was never against the existence of the world, as long as he could do what he wanted in it. In Sauron there were still remnants of good intentions with which he began: his dignity (and the reason for his fall) was that he loved order and consistency and did not tolerate confusion and useless quarrels (initially, Sauron was attracted in Melkor by will and power, suitable as it seemed to Sauron, for the quick and unquestioning execution of his own plans). In fact, Sauron was very similar to Saruman and therefore quickly understood him, and could know what he would think and do, even without the help of palantiri and spies; Gandalf was a mystery to him. But, like other minds of this kind, Sauron's love (and later simple understanding) for other individuals was weaker. And although (out of a desire for good or rational motives) all these plans, orders and organizations were aimed at good for the inhabitants of Arda (even if it included the right of Sauron to be their supreme Overlord), the "plans" of his lonely mind became the only goal of his will, selfishness. But Sauron's ability to seduce souls and even put them at his service was a remnant of the fact that his original desire to "rule" really meant the well-being (especially material) of his "subjects".

Sauron would not have served Morgoth without being infected by his passion for destruction and hatred of God (which ended in nihilism). Sauron was not, of course, a "sincere" atheist. One of the younger spirits, created before the World, he knew Eru. He probably convinced himself that the Valar (including Melkor) had failed, and Eru had simply left Ea, or at any rate Arda, and would no longer remember her. This is evident from the way he imagined the "change of the world" after the Fall of Numenor: the Valar (and the elves) are removed from real control, and people are under God's wrath and damned. If he thought of the Istari, especially Saruman and Gandalf, he thought of them as ambassadors of the Valar, wishing to restore their former power and "colonize" Middle-earth without the knowledge and blessing of Eru. His cynical assimilation (sincere) of Manwe's motives to his own found confirmation in Saruman. Gandalf remained misunderstood. But, being evil and therefore stupid, Sauron suggested that Gandalf's strange behavior was due to a weak mind and lack of a clear goal. According to him, Gandalf is only a little smarter than Radagast - after all, it is more useful to study peoples than animals.

Sauron was not a "sincere" atheist, but preached atheism, as this weakened the resistance and dispelled the fear of his servants before the actions of God in Arda. This is precisely what is seen in the case of Ar-Pharazon. But there was an effect of Melkor on Sauron: he described his master in the words of Melkor himself - as a god or even God. It could be a shadow of good, that is, the remnants of the former ability to allow the power of another over oneself. Melkor, and still more Sauron, often used this darkened shadow of goodness and the service of "admirers." But it is doubtful whether even this shadow of good was at work in Sauron at that time. His cunning designs can be described as follows. To distract a God-fearing person from his devotion, one must offer him another, invisible object of devotion and another hope of reward; offer the Lord, who approves all desires. Being a mere prisoner, Sauron could not nominate himself to this place; but any worshiper of Melkor will make a high priest out of a prisoner, if the prisoner is a servant and disciple of the Lord of Darkness. Although the ultimate goal of Sauron was the destruction of the Numenoreans, it was mixed with the desire to avenge Ar-Pharazon for humiliation. Sauron (unlike Melkor) would have been pleased with the living Numenoreans in his allegiance. And many he seduced into his service and commanded them

Eye of Sauron

In world mythology, the lord of the world of death is very often marked precisely through the Eye - in cases where this character is partially or completely anthropomorphic. The gaze of this Eye brings death, but at the same time, the lord of death needs some help from outside so that his Eye can see. The Russian reader will remember Gogol's Viy with his order: "Lift up my eyelids!" Tolkien was well aware of the Irish analogue of Viy - the one-eyed Balor, who was raised with a stick. This mythology is realized in the image of Sauron, who sees Frodo only when the hobbit puts on the Ring.

Both Gogol's Viy and Tolkien's Sauron see their victim when they meet her gaze. In this regard, we can recall the Greek Gorgon Medusa, whose gaze kills only those who look into her eyes.

Continuing the comparison of the image of the Eye in world mythology and Tolkien, we can take the next, somewhat more risky step. Balor's eyelid is not just lifted with a stick - there is a hole in the eyelid, and the stick must be inserted into this hole. This is a very common mythology: it is reproduced in Russian fairy tales, in the folklore of the Yenisei peoples, etc. In Tolkien: while Frodo wears the Ring on his chest, he is invisible to Sauron, but as soon as he puts his finger through the Ring (the same "hole" and "stick"), then the Enemy and the Nazgul see him. It is unlikely that Tolkien deliberately reproduced such particular details of the enemy Eye mythologeme; probably in this case, as in many others, he used the structure of the mythologeme intuitively.

The heroes of the novel can “see” Sauron only through a certain intermediary object: a Ring worn on a finger, a palantir, the Mirror of Galadriel. This is the realization of the eye/window mythologeme - in Indo-European mythology, the eye and the window are likened, and sometimes plotly, sometimes linguistically, the latter is characteristic of the languages ​​​​of the Germanic group and was known to Tolkien. According to the tales of all the peoples of the world, the motive of the ban on looking out the window is known, if the hero does this, then the enemy kidnaps him (or another misfortune happens). In Tolkien's novel, such a prohibition is associated with all the "windows" through which it is possible to see Sauron: Frodo should not put on the Ring, Saruman and Denethor, using palantirs, are unable to resist the will of the Enemy, with Pippin, looking into the palantir, trouble does not happen by pure chance , Frodo, looking into the Mirror of Galadriel, must not touch the water. The last prohibition is not motivated in the text of the novel, but becomes clear from mythological comparisons.

Note that all the "windows" through which you can see the enemy's Eye - round shape. Regarding the negative symbolism of the circle, see the chapter "Axis and Anti-Axis". Among all these "windows" the cup of Galadriel turns out to be the most mythological.

The mistress of Lorien calls this cup the Mirror, although it is not a mirror. Ee magic has nothing to do with the magic of mirrors, it is the magic of water, a wonderful source of wisdom, like the source of Mimir in the Icelandic Edda. And here the triune mythologeme source/eye/window is realized with maximum completeness: the source turns out to be a “window” through which Frodo is visible to the Eye of Sauron. The mythological parallels of this image are as follows: in addition to the mentioned source of Mimir and its Iranian counterpart, these are the Baltic and Slavic designations for a window in a swamp “devil's eye” or “eye of water”, these are the same Hittite designations for an eye and a spring.

In the work we use, Vyach. Sun. Ivanov and B.H. Toporov further consider the motif of the kidnapping of the Eye in Hittite mythology. We will return to the image of the Eye, but for now we note that, according to its plot, Tolkien's novel can take a worthy place in a number of mythological tales about the abduction of the Eye of God - since, as we found out, the eye and the ring are mythologically connected or even identical, and the loss of the Ring by Sauron (repositories of the main part of his magical power) is semantically identical to the loss of the Eye (or both eyes) by the god.

The image of the Eye as the receptacle of all the power of God is most clearly expressed in Egyptian mythology. “The concept of the Eye appeared for the first time as the concept of the Eye of Horus. It was the third eye, in addition to the other two eyes of the falcon or the king." Eye of Horus or Pa is not associated with physical sight, it has no pair. On this mythological background, it becomes clear why the Eye of Sauron is single.

The All-Seeing Eye (always one!) is very common in world mythology. From Russian fairy tales (“Tiny Khavroshechka”, where Sister Three-eyes sees everything with her third eye) to the Scandinavian Odin, who gave his eye for the right to drink from the source of wisdom, and Buddhist iconography, where angry deities see enemies of the faith with their third eye. For mythology, it does not matter how many eyes the all-seeing creature has - three or one, because any deviation from the human norm is perceived as a supernatural manifestation of a sign (this has already been mentioned in connection with the one-armed hero).

In Egyptian mythology, the loss of the Eye is a disaster on a cosmic scale. Law and order cannot be restored until the young Horus, son of Osiris, takes possession of the Eye. Similarly, in two versions of the myth about the removal of the Eye of Pa, it is said that when the Eye, in the guise of a lioness goddess, leaves the Sun god Pa, this directly or indirectly leads to the death of many people, drying up vitality earth and other disasters. In contrast to the Eye and the Ring of Sauron, the Eye of Horus and the Eye of Pa embody good powers, which is why the Eye returns in Egyptian myths. However, there is one common detail: the Egyptian Eye, like the Ring of Omnipotence, embodies the category authorities, while it is separated from the owner, he cannot be the ruler of the world (the Egyptian Osiris and Pa lose their royal power, Sauron cannot subjugate Middle-earth).

Comparison with Egyptian mythology shows that Tolkien did not just work with mythological categories - in some cases he gave the myth the opposite meaning (denial of the mythology of the Mother Goddess in the image of Galadriel, destruction of the receptacle of magical power instead of getting it).

At the end of 2014, many media outlets reported that the All-Seeing Eye would flare up over the Moscow City towers. For many, this news caused indignation, bewilderment and rejection, although it was just an installation timed to coincide with the release of another Hollywood blockbuster.

international business center

The international business center, called Moscow City, is located on Presnenskaya Embankment. Some of the buildings have already been built and put into operation, but work continues on many sites.

Numerous high-tech towers sparkle with a mirror surface, and at night, brightly illuminated skyscrapers rise above the city, visible from many points in Moscow.

And it was on the roof of one of these towers that the Glow creative team decided to exhibit an art object called the Eye of Sauron. The site for the installation was to serve as a high-rise of the IQ-quarter complex, which has not yet been put into operation, consisting of three towers.

Why was such an installation necessary?

AT last years The release of many high-profile film premieres is accompanied by various large-scale promotions designed to draw attention to the upcoming film. Airplanes are painted in the colors of the upcoming film and characters are drawn on them, huge posters are hung out, and video installations are created on the walls of buildings. In this series, the "All-Seeing Eye of Sauron", burning in the night over Moscow, looks quite logical.

The installation of this art object was timed to coincide with the release of the final part of the Hobbit film trilogy created by Peter Jackson. This outstanding director from a small children's book created a large-scale canvas with large quantity special effects and battles, which you need to watch on the big screen.

The Hobbit and his adventures

The Hobbit is a trilogy that has worldwide popularity. The action of both the book and the film takes place in the fictional magical world of Middle-earth. Here, in addition to people, elves, gnomes, evil orcs, goblins and even dragons live. And if all of the listed characters have already appeared more than once in various fantastic works or computer games, then hobbits are unusual creatures. These short men with hairy feet and habits of zealous stay-at-homes were invented by Professor Tolkien, the man who in many ways created the fantasy genre as such.

"The Hobbit" is a trilogy in which the main character becomes who, despite common sense went on a dangerous journey in the company of gnomes and an old wizard. The goal of the campaign was the Lonely Mountain, once the possession of the dwarves, but captured by a dragon named Smaug.

As they moved towards the goal, more and more formidable dangers arose in front of the company, and in the final part of the trilogy, the main enemy turned out to be not at all the formidable Smaug, but the combined troops of orcs and goblins.

From another opera

Surely the reader is already wondering what role is assigned to the whole story of the "Eye of Sauron". Paradoxically, none at all. So where did the "Eye of Sauron" come from? The fact is that this image is taken from another work of Tolkien, also filmed by Jackson.

Plot "Lord of the Rings" is a continuation of the book "The Hobbit". Here the main role is also assigned to the hobbit, only not Bilbo, but his nephew named Frodo. During his journey, described in The Hobbit, Bilbo found a magic ring. And it is precisely this that becomes the driving force behind Tolkien's next, larger-scale and "adult" book.

The film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings was made back in 2001-2003. She brought Peter Jackson not only the title of one of the best directors of our time, but also numerous awards, as well as significant profits. A few years after the release of this picture, also consisting of three parts, Jackson refused to shoot a prequel, the same "The Hobbit", but as a result he agreed.

Great magician and villain

What is the meaning of the "All-Seeing Eye"? The embodiment of evil in the world of Middle-earth, described in The Lord of the Rings, was the sorcerer and magician Sauron. He was not a man, but a powerful spirit, Maya, who took on a human form. Long before the action of both books, he was defeated and disembodied. Over time, he regained his strength, but accept physical form could no longer. His incarnation was the fiery "All-Seeing Eye".

He tirelessly watched over his slaves and conquered peoples, he embodied the concentrated willpower of a sorcerer.

But even the "All-Seeing Eye" could not see everything. As befits the legends, evil was destroyed, Sauron fell and his "Eye" collapsed along with all his magic.

"The All-Seeing Eye" in the movie

In Jackson's picture, the created image of the "Eye" was an eye blazing with fire, located on the very top of the sorcerer's stronghold in Mordor, the land of evil and fear. Eternal darkness reigns here, in which the "Eye" shines like a bright ominous beacon, watching everything around. This is the territory of death, where everything dies and falls into decay.

In fact, Sauron was not all-seeing and all-powerful, otherwise a small group of brave representatives of different people would not have been able to defeat him. And the "All-Seeing Eye" embodied the sorcerer's ability to turn his attention to individuals and win them over to his side, playing on their weaknesses. The victims of Sauron's treachery, who turned into his obedient puppets, were many strong and proud rulers and magicians who turned away from good.

"The All-Seeing Eye" as an art object

Why was this image chosen by the creative team to create an installation on the roof of the tower? There are two reasons for that:

• This image is much more famous among fans of Tolkien, Peter Jackson and fantasy in general, as it repeatedly appeared in the mega-popular Lord of the Rings. There are no such vivid and memorable images in the new trilogy.
• A bright, glowing eye in the night, regardless of the context, looks extremely impressive and certainly should have attracted everyone's attention.

The physical embodiment of the "All-Seeing Eye"

The creation of this object was supposed to be a demonstration modern technologies. As a frame, it was planned to create an inflatable eye, onto which a video installation of the burning "Oka" is projected. The construction was to be created by GiveAR, a company specializing in the development of virtual reality objects.

As conceived by the creators of this installation, the "Eye of Sauron" was supposed to appear only on a short time, and then disappear, which was supposed to show the victory of the forces of good over evil. However, this idea was not destined to be fully realized.

And the ROC is against!

The announced action caused a lively discussion. If fans of the book and the film reacted to the idea mostly positively, then other opinions were divided.

The Russian Orthodox Church was categorically opposed, and its representatives condemned such an object. The Russian Orthodox Church saw a demonic image in this installation. The "All-Seeing Eye" is a symbol of evil and oppression, the appearance of which over Moscow can bring negative consequences.

Representatives of the Moscow mayor's office also did not approve of the idea. And their arguments turned out to be stronger - after all, permission from the authorities is required to coordinate the installation of such facilities.

Political background

A significant part of those who were categorically against the temporary appearance of the “Eye of Sauron” referred to the already negative perception of Russia by many Western countries. And the appearance of the "All-Seeing Eye" above the high-rise tower could visually turn Moscow into Mordor.

At first glance, such a judgment seems frivolous. However, everything is not so simple. The fact is that The Lord of the Rings was created during and immediately after World War II. And although later Tolkien himself constantly denied these parallels, it is difficult not to see an allusion to Nazi Germany in Mordor. And during the Cold War, Mordor was occasionally associated with Soviet Union, contrasting it with the positive and noble West. Indeed, in Tolkien's geography, the East has always been a land captured by evil, and only good forces from the West could resist it.

And now, at the time of the next confrontation between Russia and Western states, albeit not so sharp and obvious, our country again claims the title of Universal Evil. So there is a certain reason for such a ban - there is no need to give political opponents an additional reason to accuse Russia of all sins.

In addition, "The All-Seeing Eye" could evoke an association with another well-known work, "1984" by Orwell. It is from there that the famous expression "Big Brother sees you" came from. And the fiery eye, capable of finding any person in a huge metropolis, could well give rise to jokes about total control in the country.

The show didn't work

As a result, having received a large number of negative responses, as well as a refusal from the Moscow City Hall, the creative studio was forced to back down. The loud and scandalous action was canceled.

However, a loophole was found. On the wall of one of the towers of the IQ-quarter complex, albeit for a short time, a sparkling and frightening image of the "Eye of Sauron" nevertheless appeared. How to see it? It couldn't be done without help. special means. Smartphones and tablets capable of recognizing a QR code (a kind of barcode) could see a blazing image of the "All-Seeing Eye" on their screens.

Was it a boy?

It is possible that all the fears of the protesters were in vain, and in fact no installation was planned to be erected. There is no reason to refuse the version that all this hype was a banal PR campaign of a company that creates such virtual effects and because thanks to the scandal, many first learned about the existence of GiveAR, which managed to attract so much attention to itself.

This version is also supported by the fact that by the time the installation was abandoned, its physical form had not yet been created.

Also known as the All-Seeing Eye, it was a symbol used on armor, shields, etc. for the Orcs of Mordor. Sauron uses it as a metaphor to show how he "sees everything". The All-Seeing Eye of Sauron was tied to the Ring of Omnipotence, so when someone wears the ring, the All-Seeing Eye will look at them. In Tolkien's novels, the Eye of Sauron (as a giant flaming eyeball) was not a form of Sauron. Sauron has or had the physical appearance of a human.

History of the All-Seeing Eye of Sauron

After the release of the film "The Lord of the Rings", the opinion became stronger that Sauron was the All-Seeing Eye. However, a study of the texts tells us that the material shell was present in Sauron.

If you pay close attention to those moments when Sauron is called the Eye, then you can see that this is done either from the lips of those who are generally afraid to pronounce his name (for example, the orcs who call Saruman the White Hand), or at those moments when it comes about looking through the palantir (for example, when Frodo and Sam see a red ray in Mordor directed towards the Morannon).

One moment is especially worth highlighting - when Frodo looks into the Mirror of Galadriel.

The Eye of Sauron, surrounded by fire, glassy and yellow like a cat's, alert and concentrated, and the black hole of its pupil was like a window into nothingness. FoTR, Book II, ch.7 "Mirror of Galadriel" p.472

The word "glazed" although it can be used to express the nature of the look, but in this case is clearly an allusion to the palantir.

However, once Sauron is associated with the All-Seeing Eye directly:

The Dark Lord suddenly saw Frodo. The Eye of Sauron pierced all the shadows and his anger was like a flashing flame, and his fear was like a black mist. The Eye of Sauron knew of mortal danger and of the thin thread on which this moment hung his fate. And his thoughts with extraordinary force rushed to the Mountain. RotK, Book V, ch.3 "Mount Doom", p.269

In the first edition of the book, the word "his" was designated as "its", that is, it corresponded to an inanimate object - the All-Seeing Eye. Christopher Tolkien, however, says that this was only an artistic device. In the second edition of the book, "its" was replaced by "his".

The text of the Silmarillion mentions the All-Seeing Eye:

Few men and elves could withstand the gaze of the Eye of Sauron.

This phrase refers to the time period before the War of the Last Alliance. That is, the wording "Eye of Sauron" existed even before Isildur deprived Sauron of his body.

Other facts.

Gollum says that he saw Sauron have a black hand with four fingers.

In letter #246, Tolkien discusses what would have happened if the Ring had not been destroyed on Mount Doom. It is said that eight Nazgul would have falsely greeted him and tried to lure him away from the Crack of Doom, for example, under the pretense of inspecting their new possessions. And then:

"Sauron himself would come."<...>"None of the mortals could resist him - not even Aragorn. In the duel for the Palantir, Aragorn had ownership. And, in addition, he passed at a distance, and in a story that allows the incarnation of great spirits into physical form, the destructive impact of their power greatly increased by their physical presence. Sauron must have been a terrible figure. He took the form of a tall man, but not a giant. In previous incarnations, he was able to hide his power (like Gandalf) and appeared as a commanding figure of great physical strength and in the highest degree of regal appearance and appearance.

• Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator published a crudely drawn Sauron from the War of the Ring (fig. 181). Based on this sketch, it can also be noted that Sauron wore the Ring on his left hand.
• An indirect sign is the fact that Gandalf went to Dol Guldur precisely because Light Council began to worry that Sauron had taken on a material form.
• Gandalf (who saw Sauron in Dol Guldur) at the Black Gate calls the Dark Lord to go to battle.
• All these facts prove that at the time of the War of the Ring Sauron had a material incarnation.