"A tall and evil shape, mounted upon a black horse… The rider was robed all in black, and black was his lofty helm; yet this was no Ringwraith but a living man ... his name is remembered in no tale, for he himself had forgotten it." — The Return of the King

The Mouth of Sauron was a living man, the herald and messenger of Sauron, the Lieutenant of the Tower of Barad-dûr and one of the most devoted servants of Sauron at the time of the War of the Ring. His true name had been forgotten, even by himself.

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Biography

The Mouth of Sauron was a Black Númenórean whose early history is unknown.

The Black Númenóreans established their dwellings in Middle-earth during the years of Sauron's domination and worshipped him. The Mouth of Sauron entered the service of the Dark Tower when it first rose again, and through cunning grew to power under Sauron, learning sorcery. He became the Lieutenant of Barad-dûr, and commanded the Orc armies of Gorgoroth, communicating directly with Sauron.

War of the Ring

The Mouth of Sauron appeared briefly before the host of the West prior to the Battle of the Black Gate. He insulted the host, asking who had authority to treat with him, and dismissed Aragorn's claim as King. But then Aragorn's gaze frightened him, and he cried out that he was a mere ambassador, not to be attacked. Gandalf assured him he would not be, so the Mouth took Gandalf to be the delegate. He then brought forth Sam's sword, a grey cloak with an Elven-brooch, and Frodo's mithril-vest, and said that the fate of the "spy" who carried them would depend on their actions, and insinuated that if they did not do as Sauron demanded, the "spy" would be tortured for many years.

Gandalf asked what the terms were, and the Mouth said that the Hobbit would be allowed to go free, so long as the captains follow Mordor's conditions: that the "rabble of Gondor and its deluded allies" withdraw beyond the Anduin River, swearing oaths "never again to assail Sauron the Great in arms, open or secret"; that all lands east of the Anduin River would belong to Sauron alone, forever; that all lands West up to the Gap of Rohan would pay tribute to Mordor; that they could no longer keep and bear arms, though Sauron would allow them to govern their own affairs so long as they helped to rebuild Isengard, which would be then ruled by a master more reliable than Saruman (presumably the Mouth himself).

Gandalf replied that was too much for the ransom of one servant, and in any case, he doubted that Sauron would keep his word. Gandalf demanded that the prisoner be brought forth, but of course the Mouth could not comply except to say, "These are the terms. Take them or leave them!" Gandalf responded, "These we will take!" and seized the Mithril coat, the cloak, and the sword, and utterly rejected Sauron's terms, before telling the Mouth to be gone, as they had not come to bargain with Sauron, much less with one of his slaves. Enraged and fearful at the same time, the Mouth fled back to the Gate and set Mordor's forces upon the West.[1]

Age

It is uncertain to which event is referred by J.R.R. Tolkien denoting when the Mouth of Sauron entered Sauron's service. The dark tower rose both shortly after SA 3320, and when Sauron openly proclaimed himself in TA 2951. The earlier option would indicate the Mouth to be thousands of years old by the time of the War of the Ring, with the implication his life was extended with sorcery. Thus, it remains unknown how old he was at the time of Sauron's final defeat.

Quotes

"Is there any in this rout with authority to treat with me? Or indeed with wit to understand me?" — Mouth of Sauron questioning authority of the West

"It need more to make a king than a piece of Elvish glass, or a rabble such as this." — Mouth of Sauron scoffing at Aragorn's authority as King

"I have some tokens that I was bidden to show to thee - to thee in especial, if thou shouldst dare to come." — Mouth of Sauron, to Gandalf, prior to presenting Frodo's mithril shirt and Sam's Barrow-blade.

"Surety you crave! Sauron gives none. If you sue for his clemency then you must do his bidding." — Mouth of Sauron

"But they shall help to rebuild Isengard which they have wantonly destroyed, and that shall be Sauron's, and there his lieutenant shall dwell: not Saruman, but one more worthy of trust." — Mouth of Sauron, speaking a portion of Sauron's terms

Portrayal in adaptations

The Lord of the Rings film trilogy

"My master, Sauron the Great, bids thee welcome." — Mouth of Sauron addressing the Captains of the West at the Black Gate In the Peter Jackson's movie adaptation of ''The Return of the King'', scenes with the Mouth of Sauron were filmed but cut from the original theatrical release. These scenes were later put back into the film in the extended edition. In the film, the Mouth of Sauron is decapitated by Aragorn, while he leaves back to the Gate and is never seen again in the books. He was played by Bruce Spence and appears as a tall, monstrous Man wearing black, priest-like robes and a helm that bears the words "Lammen Gorthaur" (Sindarin for "Voice of the Dread Abomination") written in Cirth runes. This helmet covers most of his face with only his horribly disfigured and diseased mouth visible. His mouth was digitally increased in size for a more unsettling and memorable appearance.

As a reason for cracked and blackened lips with rotting teeth, it was hinted that Sauron's very words are so evil that simply repeating them causes his mouth to decay and bleed. This change was made digitally, long after the footage had been shot. After Jackson rejected the idea of turning the mouth sideways to appear vertical on the face, the designers came up with the idea of rendering it twice as large as the original. According to designer Warren Mahy, the original design for the Mouth of Sauron's costume had the helmet hooked directly into the mouth, pulling it permanently open. This did not work out as it made it impossible for the actor to speak. However, Peter Jackson liked the idea of the robe flowing up into the helmet and this was retained for the final version.

Rankin-Bass animated film





"The halfling was dear to thee, I see. Know that he suffered greatly at the hands of his host. Who would have thought that one so small would endure so much pain?" — Mouth of Sauron, lying of Frodo's death, in the film

He appears briefly in the Rankin-Bass animated film The Return of the King, in a shortened version of his scene from the novel. After he introduces himself, he mocks Aragorn and warns him that he is "hopelessly outnumbered." Aragorn rebuffs him with no help from Gandalf.

He was portrayed by Don Messick, who also voiced King Theoden and the Easterling captain in the movie.

Radio versions

He appears in both the radio programs done by the Mind's Eye and the BBC in 1979 and 1981, where he is voiced by John Vickery and John Rye. In the BBC's version, the Mouth is given an extended role and is the one who tortures Gollum into telling him why he came there and what he was looking for.

In the Return of the King video game, the Mouth of Sauron is a boss in the level "The Black Gate". Aragorn duels with him and slays him before the host of Mordor comes forth. The same goes for The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest, but near the battle's end four orcs/goblins aid him.

In the Middle-earth Role Playing game, the name of the Mouth of Sauron is Urzahil, though this name was not created by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Voice dubbing actors



Foreign Language Voice dubbing artist Spanish (Latin America) Arturo Mercado Spanish (Spain) Javier Amilibia Portuguese (Brazil) (Television/DVD) Marcelo Pissardini German Thomas Fritsch Italian (Italy) Oliviero Dinelli French (France) Thierry Mercier

Video games

LOTR: The Return of the King

He appears as the first thing you fight in the battle of the Black Gate.

The Battle for Middle-earth II

In the computer game The Battle for Middle-earth II, the Mouth of Sauron was also the Lord of Dol Guldur. He is the primary Mordor commander in the conquest of Northern Middle-earth and carries out his master's orders brutally and efficiently, causing the downfall of many Elven and Dwarven realms with ease.

Lothlórien, Mission 1

The Mouth of Sauron travels (apparently from Dol Guldur) with three other Nazgul, meeting up with Goblin forces in the outskirts of Lorien. From there, they prepare a mighty Goblin army by creating Goblin Caves and Fissures. From these wretched places come numerous warriors, archers, and Cave Trolls. The Mouth and the Nazgûl lead this mighty army to inner Lorien, where they destroy the Elven structures and kill all in their path. Haldir is slain during the first part of the assault. While invading Lothlórien, the Mouth orders his Goblins to release Mountain Giants trapped by the Elves, providing additional firepower to the assault. At the very heart of Lorien, the Goblins assault the mighty structures and all those that seek to defend them. Galadriel manages to escape the assault, but Celeborn is killed.

The Goblins finish the job by destroying Lorien's massive Tree Palace, where Galadriel and Celeborn lived. This signals the complete Fall of Lorien. Galadriel is seen fleeing while the Mouth and his Goblins celebrate triumphantly. The Mouth then looks into the Mirror of Galadriel, eagerly viewing and planning the next stages of the Fall of the North.

Mirkw​ood, Mission 5

In Mission 5, the Mouth of Sauron and three Nazgûl prepare building their base deep in the heart of Mirkwood. This time they have brought Shelob along in order to conquer the Elven part of Mirkwood. By creating Orc Pits, and Troll Cages, and Taverns they muster a mighty army of Orcs, Trolls, and even Corsairs of Umbar. After preparing this great army, they begin to march upon Mirkwood by a great bridge. Unfortunately for the army of Mordor, the bridge is destroyed by Ents. The Mordor host crosses to the other side using an alternate route. Once making it to the other side, the Orcs and Corsairs use their Fire Arrows and Firebombs to destroy the Ents and incinerate their Ent Moots, permanently ridding Mirkwood of the Ents. Soon after recruiting more Spiderlings with the help of Shelob, the Mordor host comes upon the Old Forest Road. The Mordor forces immediately begin creating four sentry towers at key locations, but the Elves have plans of their own and begin attacking the forces of Mordor, even creating their own battle towers to reclaim the road. Despite heavy resistance from the Elves, however, Mordor slays the enemy battalions, and conquers the Road. Then, the Mouth of Sauron and his forces move to Thranduil's kingdom, laying waste to the mighty fortress.

The Elven buildings in Mirkwood are utterly destroyed, and the few survivors instantly flee to Rivendell to gather for the final attack. With Thranduil and his forces out of the way, the Mouth of Sauron conquers the rest of Mirkwood with ease, smothering the place with darkness and shadow.

Withered Heath, Mission 6

In Mission 6, the Mouth is sent to destroy the Dwarven outposts in the Withered Heath, release many young Fire drakes into the service of Mordor, and recruit Drogoth the Dragon Lord as an ally to Sauron. To facilitate Mordor's conquest, the Mouth commands his troops to destroy the Dwarven tunnels, impeding transportation between the Dwarves. They also either ally themselves with or destroy various Warg lairs throughout the Withered Heath, for additional forces and money respectively. After all Fire drakes have been released, the Mouth then seeks out Drogoth. The host of Mordor marches upon the northern path to the Dragon Lord, slaying any Men of Dale that attempt to stop them. The Mouth then communicates with Drogoth, and a treaty is made.

The Dragons are now allies with Sauron, a powerful force that will significantly hasten the downfall of the North.

Erebor, Mission 7

In Mission 7, a small Mordor strike force prepares an assault upon the city of Dale. This small horde slays many Dwarven builders and destroys many buildings, claiming the treasure within. This treasure greatly assists the forces of Mordor, with the Mouth of Sauron, two Nazgûl, builders, and many reinforcements. The Mouth has successfully called a Dragon to help them in their assault, and with a new fortress and a vast army created, the Mouth and host of Mordor lay waste to the entire city of Dale, slaying any in their path. Gloin attempts to stop the attack with a small force, but he and his warriors are almost immediately slain. With this threat out of the way, the Mouth turns his attention to the front gate of the Lonely Mountain. With the Dragon, Attack Trolls, and Catapults, the front gate is destroyed, and the Mordor army breaks into Erebor. King Dain has mustered the last Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain to hold out against this wave of malice, but all are destroyed. To completely conquer the Lonely Mountain, the Mouth of Sauron attacks the Throne of the Lonely Mountain until it is destroyed. The Lonely Mountain has now fallen.

Like in Moria, the Dwarves have now been driven out of Erebor. Only one safe haven remains for the free peoples of Middle-earth: Rivendell.

Rivendell, Mission 8

There is only one task left for Sauron in order to completely take over the North: Rivendell must be destroyed, with Elrond and Arwen slain. The Mouth (with three Nazgûl) does not appear until the Goblins (led by King Gorkil) destroy Rivendell's outer defense buildings and gate. The Mouth brings a small army of Easterlings and some builders to establish the Mordor part of Sauron's base. During this time, the Witch-King of Angmar, Shelob, Drogoth, Fell Beast riders, and eventually Sauron himself arrives. He had recovered the Ring and slain Frodo, and the Mouth then becomes one of Sauron's generals. However, the Fellowship of the Ring (besides Frodo and Sam, who are undoubtedly dead) arrive with the Army of the Dead. After this army disappears, Sauron and his army destroy the Fellowship. After this time, the Mordor and Goblin armies attack Rivendell. Elrond and Arwen attempt to stop them, but both are slain. The Mouth takes part in the destruction of two fortresses and Elrond's House, and Rivendell is defeated forever.

Middle-earth is now coated in darkness forever, and Sauron's reign in the North is supreme.

Good Campaign

In the Good Campaign, the Mouth leads a small Mordor army consisting of orcs, two Attack Trolls, and a few Ringwraiths into the Eastern entrance. However, Dwarven phalanx battalions and Men of Dale anticipate the attack, and the Mouth and his retinue are slain. The defeat of the Mordor host attacking Erebor quickly follows suit.

The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age

In "The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (GBA)" game, the Mouth of Sauron is one of three Evil commanders that the player can choose for the entire game. In this game, the Mouth of Sauron gives out a decent amount of Command Points (1-3, plus Intimidate and Spoils of War). In addition, with all of his upgrades, he is a devastating warrior with base 10 damage, higher than any other hero except for Sauron himself. In essence, the Mouth of Sauron specializes in wiping out the enemy, whether he does it or his forces do.

In the Good campaign, he appears as the enemy commander in two missions: The Black Gate Opens, in keeping with his appearance in The Return of the King, and also at Conquest of Osgiliath, in which the forces of Gondor under Boromir and Faramir retake the city.

The Lord of the Rings: Conquest

The Mouth of Sauron is a mage type hero is this Battlefront style game. He is in the good campaign and is playable in the evil campaign and skirmish modes. His primary weapon, rather than being a sword, is Saruman's Staff of Orthanc. It is unknown whether he received this staff from Sauron as a reward or had a copy created for him with the same power, but maybe, it has been given by Sauron to him as he is the new Master of Isengard as it can be seen in the novel as in the Proposal of Sauron as "Isengard will be given to Sauron and there will be a new Master of Isengard. Not Saruman. Someone more Reliable" and they understand that the new master is the Mouth of Sauron. Either way, the Mouth uses the staff's power to its fullest extent, devastating his enemies with it. In melee, unlike other mages, the Mouth uses his staff to rapidly hit his opponents many times with high speed and power. This "Barad-dûr Fury" takes the place of the ShockWave. The Mouth is also able to briefly summon orc servants one at a time to release a single blow on any enemy. see: The Lord of the Rings: Conquest

Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest

The Mouth of Sauron appears as the penultimate boss (with Sauron's army being the final boss) in the Wii and PlayStation 3 version of Aragorn's Quest, and the player must fight him one-on-one, at the start of the last level, "The Black Gate".

In the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable and Nintendo DS versions, he is the final boss, and can unleash fireballs at Aragorn.

The Mouth of Sauron is one of the Gúrzyul, mortal servants of Sauron whom through the Dark Arts he had made ageless during the Second Age, although unlike wraiths they remain bound to their physical bodies and can be killed. First appearing at the Black Gate in a sequence near-identical to that in the book, the Mouth of Sauron survives the demise of his master and names himself Dulgabêth the Black Word, Sauron's Heir. He sends an emissary to treat with King Elessar, offering to recognize his sovereignty in exchange for being allowed to rule what is left of Mordor. Though his offer is absolutely rejected, the fact that it was made at all shows that the power of "Sauron's Heir" is far from absolute, and indeed he is revealed to be vying against other Gúrzyul for power. Their internal strife allows the army of Gondor to advance into the Black Land, by which point the various "Masters of Mordor" see them as a common threat and seek to unite their forces. The Mouth of Sauron proposed to wed Lhaereth the Stained, Sauron's chief poisoner responsoble for the Great Plague, but she betrays him for allowing her beloved Lord Sauron to fail. Poisoning the Mouth of Sauron in front of other Masters of Mordor, she proclaims herself to be the one to carry the legacy of Sauron and the other recognize her superiority. The Mouth of Sauron, made into a blighted thrall, is later killed by the player with the help of two Rangers.

Gallery

Translations



Foreign Language Voice dubbing artist Afrikaans Mond van Sauron Arabic فم سورون Albanian Goja e Sauron Armenian Բերանը Սաւրոն Azerbaijani Sauronun ağızı Belarusian Cyrillic Рот Саўрана Bengali সৌরণ মুখ Bulgarian Cyrillic Устата на Саурон Catalan Boca de Sauron Cebuano Baba sa Sauron Chinese (Hong Kong) 索倫之口 Cornish Min a Sauron Croatian Sauronova usta Czech Ústa Sauronova Estonian Sauroni suu Faroese Muður Saurons Fijian Gusu ni Sauron Filipino Bibig ng Sauron Finnish Sauronin suu French Bouche de Sauron Danish Saurons Mund Dutch De Mond van Sauron Galician Boca de Sauron German Mund von Sauron Greek Στόμα του Σάουρον Haitian Creole Bouch nan Sauron Hebrew פיו של סאורון Hindi सौरोन का मुँह Hmong Lub qhov ncauj ntawm Sauron Hungarian Szauron Szája Icelandic Munnur Saurons Indonesian Mulut Sauron Irish Gaelic Béal na Sauron Italian Bocca di Sauron Japanese サウロンの口 Javanese Tutuk saka Sauron Kannada ಸೌರಾನ್ ಬಾಯಿ Kazakh Сауронның дауысы (Cyrillic) Sawronnıñ dawısı (Latin) Korean 사우론의 입 Kyrgyz Cyrillic Саурон оозу Latin Os Sauronem Latvian Saurona mute Lithuanian Saurono burna Luxembourgish Mond vun Sauron Macedonian Cyrillic Устата на Саурон Maltese Ilsien ta ' l-Sauron ? Malay Mulut Sauron Manado Sauron pe mulu Marathi षौरोन तोंड Mongolian Cyrillic Саурон-ийн ам Norwegian Saurons munn Persian زبان سائورون Polish Mówca Saurona Portuguese Boca de Sauron Punjabi ਸੌਰੋਨ ਦਾ ਮੂੰਹ Nepalese षौरोन् को मुख Norwegian Saurons Munn Romanian Gura lui Sauron Russian Голос Саурона Scottish Gaelic Beul de Sauron Serbian Уста Сауронова (Cyrillic) Usta Sauronova (Latin) Sesotho Molomong oa Sauron Sinhalese ෂෞරොන් කටින් Slovak Sauronove ústa Slovenian Usta Sauron Somalian Afka ee Sauron Spanish Boca de Sauron Swedish Saurons Språkrör / Saurons Mun Tajik Cyrillic Даҳони Саурон Tamil ஷௌரொந் ஐ வாய் Telugu షౌరొన్ యొక్క మౌత్ Thai ทูตแห่งเซารอน Turkish Sauron'un Ağzı Ukrainian Cyrillic Рот Саурона Uzbek Саурон Оғиз (Cyrillic) Sauron Og'iz (Latin) Vietnamese Miệng của Sauron Welsh Genau o Sauron Yiddish מויל פון סאַוראָן Yoruba ẹnu ti Sauron Yucatec Maya Chi' ti' Sauron