XPost: rec.arts.books.tolkien   
   From: no.spam@no.spam   
      
   On 9/12/2011 3:14 PM, Stan Brown wrote:   
      
   >> I think the DL at least knew (from his spies) that "Strider" was   
   >> a Ranger, ie one of those pesky Dunedain (Numenoreans in exile).   
   >   
   > *Did* he?  Did Sauron have any certain knowledge...   
      
   I don't know what Sauron knew for certain. Just hints and clues.   
      
   We know that "Dunadan" means "Numenorean" from Bilbo:   
      
      "_The_ Dúnadan," said Bilbo. "He is often called that here.   
      But I thought you knew enough Elvish at least to know dún-udan:   
      Man of the West, Númenorean.   
      
   However, not all of the Dunedain were necessarily Elendil's descendants.   
      
   And, possibly, not all of them were (or descended from) the Faithful,   
   either. During the 2nd Age the Numenorean kings built outposts in ME:   
      
      Moreover, after Minastir the Kings became greedy of wealth and power.   
      At first the Númenoreans had come to Middle-earth as teachers and   
      friends of lesser Men afflicted by Sauron; but now their havens   
      became fortresses, holding wide coast-lands in subjection. Atanamir   
      and his successors levied heavy tribute, and the ships of   
      the Númenoreans returned laden with spoil.   
      
   So I suppose that when Numenor sank some of Ar-Pharazon's men   
   (ie, not of the Faithful) happened to be on garrison or tribute   
   collection duty etc in Middle Earth and escaped the deluge.   
   For want of a better term I'll call them "Loyalists".   
      
   Some of the Faithful were also in ME. For instance the Chronology   
   in LotR Appendix B says:   
      
      2350 SA - Pelargir is built. It becomes the chief haven of   
      the Faithful Númenoreans.   
      
   Meanwhile, other Faithful were in Numenor itself (mainly in the west)   
   and managed to escape by ship when the island submerged.   
      
   I'm not clear on what happened to the Loyalists. With their Head of   
   State and island Homeland suddenly gone they were left with no one   
   to report to. Perhaps they pledged to Elendil, joining the Numenorean   
   realms in exile, Arnor and Gondor; at least, those who weren't tried   
   for war crimes. Perhaps others fled Elendil's realms to become   
   the Black Numenoreans.   
      
   Anyway, the point being that Sauron presumably knew all of the above.   
   Also I suppose he could distinguish between Numenoreans and   
   the "lesser men" of Middle Earth, having fought wars with them   
   during the Second Age. So when his spies and agents encountered   
   the Rangers I have to guess he knew who they were:   
      
      "...there are few left in Middle-earth like Aragorn son of Arathorn.   
      The race of the Kings from over the Sea is nearly at an end. It may   
      be that this War of the Ring will be their last adventure."   
      
      "Do you really mean that Strider is one of the people of the   
      old Kings?" said Frodo in wonder. "I thought they had all vanished   
      long ago. I thought he was only a Ranger."   
      
      "Only a Ranger!" cried Gandalf. "My dear Frodo, that is just what   
      the Rangers are: the last remnant in the North of the great people,   
      the Men of the West."   
      
    > ...that the last of the Dúnedain -- or at least the last of the line   
    > of Elendil -- had not perished with Arvedui, last King of Arthedain?   
      
   He knew that the Royal Line had ended in the South. And must have known   
   about the Dunedain in the North but not that an heir of Isildur   
   was among them.   
      
   > Sauron seems remarkably ill informed about the doings in Eriador, or   
   > west of the Misty Mountains generally.  If I were aiming at world   
   > domination, I would make it my business to have an extensive spy   
   > network in enemy territory.  But Sauron seems to have neglected   
   > intelligence gathering almost completely.  And it can't be because he   
   > was relying on Saruman, for their alliance (or Saruman's subjection)   
   > was comparatively recent.   
      
   He seems to have agents in Bree at any rate:   
      
      "And there are some folk in Bree who are not to be trusted,"   
      he went on. "Bill Ferny, for instance. He has an evil name   
      in the Bree-land, and queer folk call at his house. You must   
      have noticed him among the company: a swarthy sneering fellow.   
      He was very close with one of the Southern strangers, and they   
      slipped out together just after your "accident". Not all of those   
      Southerners mean well; and as for Ferny, he would sell anything   
      to anybody; or make mischief for amusement."   
      
      "What will Ferny sell, and what has my accident got to do with him?"   
      said Frodo, still determined not to understand Strider's hints.   
      
      "News of you, of course," answered Strider. "An account of your   
      performance would be very interesting to certain people. After that   
      they would hardly need to be told your real name."   
      
   We know from the Tale of Years that Saruman began spying on Gandalf   
   as well as keeping agents in Bree and the Southfarthing around 2953.   
   However, the "certain people" mentioned above seem to be Sauron's:   
      
      "I do not know, but it seems clear to me that this is what   
      happened. Their Captain remained in secret away south of Bree,   
      while two rode ahead through the village, and four more invaded   
      the Shire. But when these were foiled in Bree and at Crickhollow,   
      they returned to their Captain with tidings, and so left   
      the Road unguarded for a while, except by their spies."   
      
   I suspect that some of the "dark things" in the following passage   
   are also in the DL's service:   
      
      "If Gondor, Boromir, has been a stalwart tower, we have played   
      another part. Many evil things there are that your strong walls   
      and bright swords do not stay.   
      
      You know little of the lands beyond your bounds. Peace and freedom,   
      do you say? The North would have known them little but for us.   
      Fear would have destroyed them. But when dark things come from   
      the houseless hills, or creep from sunless woods, they fly from us.   
      
      What roads would any dare to tread, what safety would there be   
      in quiet lands, or in the homes of simple men at night, if   
      the Dúnedain were asleep, or were all gone into the grave?   
      
      "And yet less thanks have we than you. Travelers scowl at us,   
      and countrymen give us scornful names. "Strider" I am to one fat man   
      who lives within a day's march of foes that would freeze his heart   
      or lay his little town in ruin, if he were not guarded ceaselessly."   
      
   SQ   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)