Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episode 3.The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power episode 3 has revealed the true meaning of Sauron's sigil that has been the subject of Galadriel's hunt thus far, and hinted at his plans via his use of a langague known as the Black Speech. Since the early portions of episode 1, Galadriel has been using Sauron's mark as a means to track both him and his followers in her hunt for revenge against the Dark Lord. In episode 3 of Amazon's show, the true nature of the sigil is revealed and has enormous ramifications for the future of Middle-earth.
The Rings of Power episode 3 begins directly after the second left off, with Galadriel and Halbrand awakening on a mysterious ship after being found at sea. That ship is revealed to belong to the Númenóreans, the race of Men that aided the elves in their war against the evil of Morgoth and Sauron in the First Age. This very ship is captained by Elendil, a name familiar due to his connection to The Lord of the Rings, as he is the father of Isildur, the future founder of Gondor.
Upon Galadriel and Halbrand's rescue, the duo is taken to Númenor to await judgment by the queen regent Tar-Míriel, portrayed by Cynthia Addai-Robinson. While awaiting the outcome, Galadriel is taken by Elendil to the Hall of Lore on the island, in which elves are looked upon more fondly. It is there that Galadriel finds the information she has been seeking, and unearths the true nature of Sauron's sigil that has plagued her since her brother's death - as well as a text written in a language later known as the Dark Tongue Of Mordor, but for now, known solely as the Black Speech.
What Sauron's Sigil Really Means
In The episodes 1 and 2, Sauron's sigil is seen as simply that, a mark used by the Dark Lord's followers to show their loyalty. Similarly, Galadriel and the elves that were searching for hints of Sauron's survival used the sigil to trace the sorcerer's whereabouts. However, episode 3 revealed the true nature of the sigil in that it isn't a sigil at all and is instead a location. When the sigil is turned 90 degrees, the mark actually resembles the outline of the Southlands, the land of men in Middle-earth's Second Age that is shown to be under attack from orcs in the first three episodes.
In episode 3, Galadriel turns the sigil and places it next to a map of Middle-earth, revealing that the outlines of both are identical. The sigil actually shows the mountain range that surrounds the Southlands of The Rings of Power, with the two peaks on either side of the outlying ridge. Initially, the sigil was shown similarly to the Eye of Sauron from Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, becoming emblazoned with a fiery light upon its reveal. This was a neat trick from the creators of the series at Amazon, as they successfully hid the true meaning behind the sigil so that the reveal in The Rings of Power episode 3 becomes even more impactful.
The Black Speech & Mordor's Origin Explained
Alongside the true context behind Sauron's sigil, The Rings of Power episode 3 also revealed information about Sauron's true intentions and how this map reveals his master plan. Surrounding the map found by Galadriel is writing in the Black Speech, which reveals that the Southlands are to become Mordor, the evil land opposite the Shire shown in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The Black Speech reveals that, in the event of Morgoth's defeat which came at the hands of the elves of Valinor and men of Edain (now Númenor), the orcs and Morgoth's successor Sauron will create a realm of their own in which evil can truly thrive.
This is tied to the map of the Southlands, with that area of Middle-earth serving as the beginning of the land of Mordor. The Rings of Power episode 3 goes far enough to show that plan in action, with Arondir being imprisoned at the hands of orcs. Arondir is then forced to dig tunnels in which the orcs can hide from sunlight, as they spread their conquest across the Southlands and reshape it into Mordor itself. As is known from the future of Middle-earth from The Lord of the Rings, Mordor indeed begins to thrive and serves as the epicenter of Sauron's evil in the Third Age. Naturally, this bodes ill for the Southlands in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, though it remains to be seen how much of a fight the men and elves of Middle-earth make of it in the rest of Amazon's newest series.
Episodes of The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power air Thursdays on Amazon Prime.
Amazon Prime - Watch Thousands of Movies & TV Shows Anytime
Want more The Rings of Power articles? Check out our essential content below...