The Servants of Aulë: Sauron and Saruman | The Red Book

Video Description

Sauron and Saruman — two great powers of evil, both once servants of the same Vala: Aulë the Smith. Was it mere coincidence that these two fell into corruption? Or does Tolkien’s mythology suggest a deeper connection between creativity, pride, and the potential for evil? In this second episode of The Red Book Podcast, I explore the shared origins of Aulë, Sauron, and Saruman, examining how their desire to shape and master the physical world of Arda led some toward enlightenment and others toward ruin. Through their stories, Tolkien reveals a profound tension between the creative will and the temptation to dominate — the fine line between making and mastering. 📖 Chapters: 00:00 – Intro 02:20 – The Valar and the Maiar 03:55 – Sauron – The Servant of Melkor 06:50 – Sauron – The Dark Lord 08:00 – Sauron’s Fall 11:54 – Sauron’s Motives 15:27 – Interlude 15:46 – Saruman – Head of the Order 20:30 – The Devices of Saruman 22:09 – Saruman’s Pride and Impatience 25:40 – Interlude 25:57 – Aulë – The Smith of the Valar 29:39 – Aulë’s Naivety and Impatience 31:49 – Aulë’s Humility and Selflessness 33:54 – Creativity and Evil 37:20 – Outro 📕 Support the Channel: Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/theredbook YouTube Memberships – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPOz2P0OxWp0ij0K4BsLsRw/join Members-Only Videos – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=UUMOPOz2P0OxWp0ij0K4BsLsRw 🤝🏼 Supporters: Valinor 🟡 Patricia, Dovid Albright, Moses Gunn, ncv1993, Seraphim38, Victus Schmmidtt, Brandon Howells, Lynn Seguin Gondor 🟣 Echo Aerwynna, Grant Erickson, Joe Raffurty, Master of Dungeons, T B, steve b Khazad-dûm 🔴 Carson Miller, Catherine G White, Zachary Lute, Nima, Jim Loughlin, Sko, VoxPhantom, Connor Mulders, Ess Jay Dubs, Andreas Gartland, Matt Carnevall, Michael Nørrelykke, Gareth Gondolin 🟢 Nathan, Bianca Hagenberg, Brandon Howells (again !), Patricia (again !) Erebor 🟠 Lynn Seguin (again !), Elizabeth Carroll, Aaron Boe 📚 On-Screen Notes & 🎨 Artwork: All artists, images, and links to sources can be found here: 👉 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1O6rb0RMqVeacKkOHPt0wnkGawz6Mg6cYxR88GdR-lSc/edit?usp=sharing 🖼️ Thumbnail Art: One Ring to Rule Them All — mentoskova https://deviantart.com/mentoskova 🎵 Audio: All music used is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://filmmusic.io/standard-license “The Death of a Dark Star” MusicLFiles https://cemmusicproject.wixsite.com/musiclibraryfiles “Angelic Interlude” Tim Kulig https://timkulig.com/albums ❗ Disclaimer: All videos are the result of my own research into the works of Tolkien unless otherwise stated. Permission and/or licences have been obtained for the use of copyrighted material. All scripts and editing are my own work and property, and no AI tools have been used to create this video.