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Things of Middle-earth

Emblem of Sauron, The

Type: Miscellaneous

Other Names:
The Eye
The Red Eye
The Evil Eye
The Lidless Eye

Description:[Said Aragorn,] 'The Orcs in the service of Barad-dûr use the sign of the Red Eye.'

The Two Towers, LoTR Book 3, Ch 1, The Departure of Boromir

They had not come very far from the road, and yet even in so short a space they had seen ... the newer wounds made by the Orcs and other foul servants of the Dark Lord ... trees hewn down wantonly and left to die, with evil runes or the fell sign of the Eye cut in rude strokes on their bark.

The Two Towers, LoTR Book 4, Ch 4, Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit

The brief glow fell upon a huge sitting figure, still and solemn as the great stone kings of Argonath. ... violent hands had maimed it. Its head was gone, and in its place was set in mockery a round rough-hewn stone, rudely painted by savage hands in the likeness of a grinning face with one large red eye in the midst of its forehead. Upon its knees and mighty chair, and all about the pedestal, were idle scrawls mixed with the foul symbols that the maggot-folk of Mordor used.

The Two Towers, LoTR Book 4, Ch 7, Journey to the Cross-roads

He opened the bundle. Frodo looked in disgust at the contents, but there was nothing for it: he had to put the things on, or go naked. ... Sam had brought several orc-helmets. One of them fitted Frodo well enough, a black cap with iron rim, and iron hoops covered with leather upon which the evil Eye was painted in red above the beaklike nose-guard.

'The Morgul-stuff, Gorbag's gear, was a better fit and better made,' said Sam; 'but it wouldn't do, I guess, to go carrying his tokens into Mordor....

The Return of the King, LoTR Book 6, Ch 1, The Tower of Cirith Ungol

And thereupon the middle door of the Black Gate was thrown open with a great clang, and out of it there came an embassy from the Dark Tower. ...

He [Mouth of Sauron] it was that now rode out, and with him came only a small company of black-harnessed soldiery, and a single banner, black but bearing on it in red the Evil Eye.

The Return of the King, LoTR Book 5, Ch 10, The Black Gate Opens

As soon as the great catapults were set, with many yells and the creaking of rope and winch, they began to throw missiles marvellously high, so that they passed right above the battlement and fell thudding within the first circle of the City; and many of them by some secret art burst into flame as they came toppling down. ...

Then among the greater casts there fell another hail, less ruinous but more horrible. All about the streets and lanes behind the Gate it tumbled down, small round shot that did not burn. But when men ran to learn what it might be, they cried aloud or wept. For the enemy was flinging into the City all the heads of those who had fallen fighting at Osgiliath, or on the Rammas, or in the fields. They were grim to look on; for though some were crushed and shapeless, and some had been cruelly hewn, yet many had features that could be told, and it seemed that they had died in pain; and all were branded with the foul token of the Lidless Eye.

The Return of the King, LoTR Book 5, Ch 4, The Siege of Gondor

Contributors: Elena Tiriel 15Aug04; added tidbits: ET 30Sep04

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