Who Are The Mysterious People In White In 'The Rings Of Power'?
Image Source: TV Insider
The latest episode of The Rings of Power finally introduced the strange white-robed strangers that were shown briefly in the trailers. The twist goes along with what is now a meme, who is Sauron? The internet was abuzz when the trailer showed one of the strangers, the one played by Bridie Sisson, who turned to give the audience a menacing glare, and that character quickly became “Sauron.”
Turns out, that is not the case.
The answer, if it’s much of one, comes from a TIME interview with Executive Producer Lindsey Weber:
“We are enjoying all the speculation online and can tell you Bridie Sisson is an incredible actor…We also thought fans might like to know that her character is traveling from far to the east—from the lands of Rhûn…”
Well, there it is. But now the question is what is the Rhûn? Generally speaking, it is the eastern part of the continent that Middle-earth resides on. Geographically speaking, there is a great inland sea called the Sea of Rhûn. A large forest lies northeast of it, but beyond that, the maps generally are pretty blank when it comes to the Rhûn. Not much is said of it, which could be why it is relatively lacking in detail on maps of Middle-earth.
Image Source: One Wiki to Rule Them All
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Rhûn is an ancient part of Middle-earth. It is the birthplace of the Children of Ilúvatar, or the free peoples. Elves, Men, and some Dwarves “awoke” there. The Elves, the first to awaken, were urged to travel west to Aman, the far western continent where Valinor and the Valar resided. While most of the Elves traveled there, some remained in Rhûn. Later, when the Dwarves awoke, some found themselves in Rhûn, taking residence under the mountains and hills. When Men awoke, they too did so in Rhûn, but like the Elves, they migrated west.
The men that remained in the Rhûn, however, turned from their western kin, and often sided with the dark lords that came to rule Middle-earth like Morgoth and Sauron. Known as Easterlings to the Men of the West, they allied with the dark lords and rode to battle with them in the slaughter and enslavement of their kin. This was alluded to in The Two Towers, when Sam, Smeagol, and Frodo are trying to get through the Black Gate. There was an army of Men who wore armor that was different than the Rohirrim and Gondorian soldiers. In a previous scene, Faramir’s lieutenant mentions that “Easterlings” march through the Black Gate daily.
Image Source: One Wiki to Rule Them All
This dark history does not bode well for the three white-robed figures. They appear at the site of The Stranger’s crater, and they are clearly looking for him. Their aesthetic gives off something of a cultish vibe, like they were obsessively searching for him because he has some significance to them. While it is a stretch, Tolkien alluded to cults in the east and south by himself. When he referenced the Blue Wizards early on, he was not sure what happened to them. He thought they came to Middle-earth in the Second Age with the task of combatting the influence of Sauron in the east and south. However, he believed that they failed and suggested that a cult of magic may have arisen around them.
There is a cult that arises on Númenor during the Second Age. After one of Sauron’s defeats, Númenor brings him back to the island. However, he manages to corrupt the island and its leaders, creating a Cult of Melkor. Outside of that, however, there is no other mention of a cult. While this is the prevailing theory on the internet, it does not seem to track. Tolkien did start a story set in the Fourth Age after Sauron was finally defeated, centering on the cult-like worship of the dark lords, but it went nowhere.
The mysteries surrounding The Stranger continue to mount, and now these three suspicious people are looking for him at a time when Nori Brandyfoot is now doubting The Stranger’s intentions. The Rings of Power is clearly hinting at something troubling up ahead with these three new strangers.
Episode 6 of The Rings of Power airs this Friday on Amazon Prime Video.
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Source(s): TIME, One Wiki to Rule Them All’