Could 🧙Saruman shape-shift?

[Þráinn Þórhallsson]

So, decided to make a general question thread for all things Middle Earth and Tolkien that people on this forum might has questions about.

Anyway, since I am writing a thesis involving Tolkien I like to know if anybody who is more of a Tolkien admirer then me can point out were in the books it mentions that Saruman is shapeshifting into flies to scare away the horses and were it is mentioned that later that he is shapeshifting g the

Okay, my computer froze so I did not finish the question properly. So, there is another section that mentions shapeshifting of Saruman and I think it is when Gandalf is Talking to the trio in Fangorn.

Anybody knows?

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

The Three Hunters do see Saruman -- briefly -- at the end of "The Riders of Rohan" chapter, but as a man, not as "flies", which sounds like some Internet rumor or other.

In fact, I know of no reference to "shape-shifting" by any Wizard; beyond the statement in Appendix B, that "they came therefore in the shape of Men", there's this from "The Istari" in Unfinished Tales:

Emissaries they were from the Lords of the West, the Valar, who still took counsel for the governance of Middle-earth, and when the shadow of Sauron began first to stir again took this means of resisting him. For with the consent of Eru they sent members of their own high order, but clad in in bodies as of Men, real and not feigned, but subject to the fears and pain and weariness of earth, able to hunger and thirst and be slain; though because of their noble spirits they did not die, and aged only by the cares and labours of many long years. And this the Valar did, desiring to amend the errors of old, especially that they had attempted to guard and seclude the Eldar by their own might and glory fully revealed; whereas now their emissaries were forbidden to reveal themselves in forms of majesty, or to seek to rule the wills of Men or Elves by open display of power, but coming in shapes weak and humble were bidden to advise and persuade Men and Elves to good . . .

Maiar -- and of course Valar -- were normally capable of "clothing" themselves in pretty much any form, though they nearly always chose a "human-like" shape, but the Istari were a special case: the impression is unmistakable that the forms described above were a restriction placed on them by the Valar who sent them, unbreakable for the duration of their mission.

I'm curious about the sources of the ideas on "shape-shifting"; do you recall where you saw them?

 

[Ent]

I would, at this point, concur with @Squint-eyed Southerner's assessment. In all my reading to date (which though only a little over a couple years, is relatively extensive), I've run into no statement, indication or suggestion the Wizards did, or could, shape shift.

 

[Ent]

p.s. - it IS a question of some intrigue. I will add it to my list of things to probe, and would also look forward to any other input from anyone on the matter.

 

[Þráinn Þórhallsson]

So apparently the suggestion that Saruman could shapeshift into a swarm of Mosquitos comes from an Icelandic book simply titled Tolkien og Hringurinn(Tolkien and the Ring). Where the author Ármann Jakobsson apparently suggests on page 74 that in chapter ten of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, that Saruman might have been the swarm of mosquitoes to scare off Aragorn's and his companions horses.

Given that I have not found this speculation discussed anywhere else my guess is that Ármann Jakobsson is dealing with a very obscure speculation regarding said Mosquitoe problem.

 

[d4rk3lf]

I don't believe that Istari had a power to shapeshift.

However, in the Voice of Saruman chapter we see this interesting dialogue:

‘I will come,’ said Gimli. ‘I wish to see him and learn if he really looks like you.

’‘And how will you learn that, Master Dwarf?’ said Gandalf. ‘Saruman could look like me in your eyes, if it suited his purpose with you...

So, he apparently had a power to appear differently in other's minds.
Whatever we can call this a shapeshifting, is a matter of discussion, and personal opinion, I guess,

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Tolkien did emphasize in a letter that Saruman's voice was "persuasive, not 'hypnotic' " -- apparently an impression among many readers.

As far as the quoted exchange with Gimli goes, I always felt it would be the kind of effect a good actor can achieve -- a convincing "impersonation", if you will.

I could be wrong, of course. 😉