Morgoth’s Crown? How Rings of Power’s Evil New Weapon Quietly Changes Tolkien Canon
A crown of unparalleled evil.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 opens with a prologue set before the main events of the show. The sequence reveals how Adar (Sam Hazeldine) and his Orc army teamed up to destroy Sauron's (played in the flashback by Jack Lowden) physical form. Adar kicks off the attack by plunging the sharp spikes of Sauron's intended crown down into the Dark Lord's neck and back — wounding him severely enough for the surrounding Orcs to swarm and finish the job.
Spoilers follow for The Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 6!
In this week's episode of The Rings of Power, Adar reveals to a captive Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) that he still has the crown he used to wound Sauron all those years ago. Galadriel, in response, remarks in fear and disgust that the artifact in question is no mere crown. It is, in fact, the helm that once belonged to Sauron's boss and the first Dark Lord of Middle-earth, Morgoth. This revelation is noteworthy because, among other things, it marks yet another instance in which The Rings of Power has deviated from established J.R.R. Tolkien canon.
In this week’s episode of The Rings of Power, Sauron’s crown is reintroduced.
During his meeting with Galadriel at the start of The Rings of Power’s latest episode, Adar explains that Morgoth's crown was refashioned for Sauron following the former's defeat at the end of the War of Wrath. This is different from what is written about Morgoth's downfall in 1977’s The Silmarillion. It's said in that novel that the Iron Crown was beaten into a collar that wrapped around Morgoth's neck after he was defeated by the Valar and the good forces of Middle-earth in the First Age. The collar is said to have been still around Morgoth's neck when he was then cast into the Timeless Void, a space that exists outside of Time and Creation.
Taking all of this into account, Morgoth's crown should not still be in Middle-earth at the time of The Rings of Power. That said, it does resemble the Iron Crown as it is described in lore. Morgoth is, indeed, said to have been wearing a "spiked crown" when he dueled an Elven king named Fingolfin in the First Age. The crown in Rings of Power is, however, much smaller than it arguably should be, considering that Morgoth's physical form is said to have been as tall and imposing as a tower at the time that he crafted his helm. (This is likely why Adar says the crown was refashioned for Sauron.)
Adar also believes that he can use the Iron Crown to rid Middle-earth of Sauron again. This belief, unfortunately, doesn't have any real basis in canon. The Iron Crown was originally forged by Morgoth to hold the three Silmarils after he stole them from their Elven creator, Fëanor. It was designed to flaunt Morgoth's theft of the Silmarils and he wore it at all times, despite the fact that it was sometimes said to be a physical burden to him. One of the Silmarils was eventually stolen by the human hero known as Beren, while Morgoth was in a magical slumber. The crown's remaining two Silmarils were then stripped from it when Morgoth was defeated and chained by the Valar.
In The Rings of Power Season 2, traces of Morgoth’s cruelty and tyranny still linger in Middle-earth.
While there's no canonical evidence to support the idea that Morgoth's crown could hurt Sauron more than any other weapon, it doesn't feel like an egregious leap for The Rings of Power to make. There are, after all, certain weapons and items throughout Middle-earth’s history that are not only said to have been enchanted with magic, but also attached to so much negative energy that they become themselves corrosive. The One Ring may be the most obvious example, as it's said that Sauron poured a considerable amount of his own spirit and malice into the item.
It's not inconceivable to think that the Iron Crown might be more powerful than it looks on the surface. It'd even make a fair amount of sense if the wounds it can be used to inflicts are revealed to be more damaging than simple cuts or gashes. Morgoth's all-consuming greed, hatred, and lust for dominance drove its creation, and if there's one being whose power eclipses even that of Sauron's, it's his former master. It will, therefore, be fascinating to see how The Rings of Power Season 2 ultimately uses the Iron Crown, especially now that it has confirmed its significance.
