May 19, 2003

In Response to G 'No, Sauron Could Not See Bilbo?'
Niphredil

Sauron could not have been aware of the ring bearers when they put on the ring or the story would make no sense on several levels. As an obvious example, Sam wore the Ring in Minas Morgul to rescue Frodo from the Orcs and was not seen under Sauron’s very nose. Frodo was warned not to wear the ring because of the evil effect it would have on him, not because Sauron could see him.

From what I recall, you are right that Sauron did become aware of Frodo on two occasions, but perhaps they could be explained thus. The first was when he put on the ring to escape from Boromir and then sat upon the Seat of Seeing on Amon Hen which magically allows people to see hundreds of miles in all directions. He was actively looking East when “suddenly he felt the eye… He knew that it had become aware of his gaze”. I think that it may have been more the power of Amon Hen that Sauron was sensing. The second time was when Frodo put on the ring at Mount Doom and claimed it as his own. Perhaps the fact that he was “in the heart of the realm of Sauron and the forges of his ancient might” could have intensified Sauron’s link to the Ring. Sam draws out the phial of Galadriel to look for Frodo in the dark and finds that its power is subdued, probably because Sauron’s power is stronger there.

As for Gollum, Gandalf tells Frodo that he leaves his cave in the Misty Mountains to search for the ring and makes his way South because “Mordor draws all wicked things, and the dark Power was bending all its will to gather them there... The Ring of the Enemy would leave its mark too, leave him open to the summons”. Gandalf thinks he was caught snooping around the borders of Morder. Sauron would’ve seen the signs that he had once possessed the Ring, and then just tortured the facts out of him. That way he learned of Bilbo and the Shire.