Tevildo: When Sauron was a Cat | Tolkien Explained
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- čas přidán 3. 05. 2024
- Sauron is a shapeshifter, but before he ever took the form of a werewolf, snake, vampire, or Annatar, Tolkien envisioned the character as something entirely different - a Cat! Today, we cover the story of Tevildo, the Prince of Cats!
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Sauron - anotherstranger_me
Sauron the Deceiver - Ralph Damiani
werewolf sauron - dracarysdrekkar
vampires - Turner Mohan
every snake changes its skin - skullb*st*rd
Sauron - Jerry Vanderstelt
Sauron - Shadow of War
Tevildo - Lída Holubová
Tevildo - Spiros Gelekas
melkor and the silmarils - Sara Morello
Luthien Tinuviel - Jenny Dolfen
elves - steamey
Tevildo - Jenny Dolfen
tevildo - Kertesz Mate Zoltan
children of iluvatar - nahar
Tevildo the Prince of Cats - Matěj Čadil
Sylph dancing up in the evening sky - Jenny Dolfen
Tevildo and Tinúviel - Alan Lee
Dol Guldur - Felix Englund
Angband - John Howe
Tevildo - Oleg Poluyanov
Beren, Song of Parting - Ted Nasmith
The Death of Finrod Felagund - Anke Eissmann
Beren the Solitary Outlaw - Peter Xavier Price
Morgul Rats - John Howe
Beren - Jenny Dolfen
beren & luthien - Jenny Dolfen
Lúthien Escapes upon Huan - Ted Nasmith
Luthien - Jenny Dolfen
huan went back - alystraea
Huan Subdues Sauron - Ted Nasmith
After Huan - alystraea-art
beren, luthien and huan - steamey
Luthien and Huan - Catherine Karina Chmiel
luthien in the court of morgoth - Pete Amachree
Lúthien Tinúviel - Alan Lee
Luthien and Huan - Catherine Karina Chmiel
Luthien Escapes - Ted Nasmith
Rescue, Finrod and Barahir - Marya Filatova
Huan and Luthien Flee Nargothrond - Peter Xavier Price
Luthien Tinuviel - Daniel Dougherty
The quest fulfilled - Anke Eißmann
Forest Creek - Felix Englund
the fight of huan and carcharoth - kuliszu
Huans Leap - Ted Nasmith
Lúthien Reveals Herself to Celegorm - Ted Nasmith
half-elf warrior - Tolman Cotton
beren and luthien - Sara Morello
Morgoth - Ralph Damiani
Orome hunting beasts - Šárka Škorpíková
Beren and Luthien - wolf and bat - Catherine Karina Chmiel
Sauron Brought Werewolves - Peet
Sauron in Second Age - Elrodimus Flash
Mirror of Galadriel - Alan Lee
The Eye of Sauron - John Howe
Eye of Sauron - John Howe
Sauron in Numenor - Soni Alcorn-Hender
Forging the One Ring - Marko Manev
#sauron #tevildo #silmarillion - Zábava
One jingley collar to rule them all
One jingley collar to find them
One jingley collar to bring them all
And in the empty box bind them.
-Cat Sauron
Cat sauron: One fish to rule them all, one fish to find them. One fish to bring them all and with the ball of yarn bind them *gollum starts eating the fish that cat sauron is talking about* Cat sauron: Son of a-.... pickle!
"And in the empty box bind them." no it's in the litterbox.
😹
😹
Today I learned that Tolkien was a dog person.
As a cat person, I guessed it just by reading his writings.
And I've found the name for my next cat
As a cat person it makes me sad that my favorite author hated cats 😢
@@mayalackman7581 I'm certain the Lady of Lorien was a Crazy Cat Lady my Friend in Tolkein ! keep the Faith !
@@andrewthomas891What would make you think that?
A cat called MIAULË was tolkien telling a joke
It had to be a joke. It's a story of Sauron before he was a Maia of Aulë, thus mi-aulë. Ingenious stuff by our favorite Philologist.
Some languages do that IRL. Mandarin word for cat is apparently "māo", the Ancient Egyptian word was "mijuw".
It would be even funnier if "Mi" meant "not of." Then the name would translate to "Not of Aulë."😂
Exactly.
@@krupam0 Many languages do that with cats.
Aragorn: “we will divert Sauron’s gaze so Frodo has a chance”
*arrives at the Black Gates*
Aragorn: pspspspspsps
ksksksksksksks
Omg, that made me laugh so hard
turns out Gandalf's staff was a laser pointer
😂🙌
Love how everyone is so focused on Sauron formerly being a cat that no one mentioned Gimli the Elf was rescued. We salute thee. 😼
Tolkien's world was not anywhere close to settled then, though this might be explained away by the Dwarves' use of other languages for their public names.
Gimli is a gnome, unless my ears are cheated by a spell. "Beren, and an old gnome named Gimli." - 10:10
@@joren_combs 1:08 timestamp mentions that elves we're referred to as gnomes as well
If the Professor had gone forward with this idea then we would have so many "Why didn't the Fellowship distract Sauron with a laser pointer?" theory videos.
😂😂
Or jarn ball. 😅
Or "Why didn't the Fellowship toss cucumbers at Tevildo?"
"Tevildo was angered to have his rest disturbed. "
So Tevildo was a typical cat.
*Adds this to my list of potential names for my future black cat*
It's too similar to another D word that ends in ildo 😂
Tevildo or Miaulë?
@@Enerdhil Yes
@@AskMia411
First name "Tevildo," last name "Miaulë?"
My black cat's name is Sauron
The Dark Lord… Whiskers
In some alternate universe, Gandalf diverts Sauron's gaze from Frodo and Sam by going "Here, kitty kitty"
Catnip!!!
pspspspsps
pssspssspssspsss
Pst pst
Does he use a very concentrated light spell that appears like a very bright small dot?
So Sauron's earliest biddings of evil doings was essentially being Melkor's "Mr Bigglesworth"? Now all I can see is Melkor acting like Dr Evil.
“Why must I be surrounded by such fricken’ idiots?!”
-Melkor, maybe
Sauron: "I wanna be a cat!"
Morgoth: "Um... no."
Sauron: sad cat face
You are a cat, Sauron. That's why you have nine lives.🤪
The name Tevildo is a variation of Tybalt, it’s a Shakespeare homage. Mercutio insults Tybalt calling him Prince of Cats. 🐈⬛
How could I have missed this Shakespeare ref?
@@kaysimpson actually to be more accurate, it’s more like a reference to Reynard the Fox Middle Age fables and the character Tibert, a cat. Which Shakespeare himself would be referring to.
@@David.Bowman.one day... you'll come to know of that night Tolkien had one too many beer and thought about changing the name Melkor in Meowlkor... and the universe around you will suddenly collapse.🤭😉
@@eugeniosoccorsialiforni8145
Hahaha! Yeah... I love the cat-cook's name, (phonetically): Meow-lë! (It's a great bit of onomonipia)
@@bholdr----0 you mean to say there is a certain... RING to it? (Ba-dum! Csh!)
... sorry... you served me this one on a silver platter... couldn't pass up😉
Tevildo: “Build me a Litter Box Worthy of Mordor!”
🤣🤣🤣
The Dark Lord does his business when and where he pleases. All of Mordor is his litter box.
miauwdor
Mordor is the Litter Box
That kitty would be getting so much cuddles
"Frodo, you must take the catnip to mordor."
Naming my next kitty Tevildo, and, no, you can't stop me.
With a nickname of "Tev" or "Tevvy?"
Sadly, very few people would understand the reference
Angband Deep with in its depths - Balrog " What is that noise " ? sounds of a Palantíri rolling across the floor . Melkor at the top of his voice " NO TEVILDO NO BAD CAT "
He was a Neko-Mancer that use the spell Hairball instead of Fireball 😂
😆🤣😂
Those of us who know the Japanese word "Neko" (cat) will get the joke. 👍👍👍
More like Furball :D
I am number 69 like. (NICE!) 😂
Imagine the grin of (cat Sauron) as He sits on the lap of Melkor, purring away while his mentor smashes middle Earth 😅
Melko would tell Tevildo to get back to work and throw him out of the throne room.😾
the original CherShire cat grin with disappearing methinks
I mean, it explains his disdain for all other living things and his willingness to just stay indoors for like 1000 years at a time...
Sleeping the whole 1000 years away.😂
"Good king of cats, nothing but one of your nine lives." - Mercutio, to Tybalt
"And Beren methinks is being soundly scratched by Miaule my cook in the kitchens of my castle for his clumsiness there an hour ago." This left me in stitches 😂😂😂
"But the delight and pride of Miaulë is in the deed of scratching, and in the thing scratched"
There's definitely comedy there, for example when Beren heard Luthien's voice' causing him to startle and break lots of plates.
Did he cook everything from scratch? 🤔
@tompark5047 ouch
All they needed was Catnip and chin rubs to subdue Sauron in the end
Much more fairy tale than high fantasy, but still fascinating to hear.
💯
High fantasy is also a fairy tale by Tolkien's definition
"lick thyself unharmed.." 😂 almost choked on my coffee
Sauron: Cat! I am kitty cat! And I dance dance dance and I dance dance dance
HAHAHA!! Oh man, that brought back memories and I laughed so hard just now.
Duuuude that really brings back memories 😂
I had repressed memories of that
Ding!
Is the Catwalk is different from the Moonwalk? 🤔
I see that his distaste for cats carried over to Queen Beruthiel and her freaky cats (as well as Sauron thinking of Shelob as his cat too)
Also, Tolkien included Wolves, Wargs, and Werewolves in his Legendarium, but no lions, tigers, Panthers, etc.
I see Queen Beruthiel as making her cats do evil deeds, but when they were banished from Gondor, the cats took over the ship and made sure that the evil queen never darkened Middle Earth's shores again.
@@CarolinaPine
I like that ending, but I think she outlived all of them.😞
@@Enerdhil panther appears in one of sam's poem
@@kotarojujo2737
Really? Which one? I just skimmed through three in FotR (cat and the fiddle; Gil-galad, and Trolls) and I didn't find a reference to "panther" anywhere.
So....safe to say Tolkien was a dog person?
He seems like more of an eagle person...
Or spiders
Is there any record of Tolkien having either as pets?
Tevildo, Morwen, any other evil cat references?
@@Hag_of_Fangorn Queen Berúthiel of Gondor had ten of them and "trained the cats to go out on evil errands throughout the night to spy on her enemies or to terrify them…"
-> Tolkien Gateway
Sauron's eye was described as cat like in the mirror of Galadriel. I wonder if that's an intentional call back to Sauron being Tevildo.
*catlike
@@slappy8941cringe
This story hints of the First Age as it might have been: absolutely filled to the brim with Maiar cosplaying as animals playing out every kind of fairytale before being one by one driven out or having their hroa destroyed and leaving the world only for the elves and men and dwarves.
🤣🤣😂😆🤣😂
I just visualized Werewolf Saurons wearing a giant cat costume that looks like something from Hello Kitty or San Rio.😂🤣😆
@@Enerdhil werewolf sauron done up in an old peasant woman's nightgown, laying in bed, when Beren kicks down the door "My, what big teeth you have grandma!"
Now that at least explains why he got his ass kicked by a magical doggo 😂
i can't help but snicker a little at the fact that one of the dark lords who are almost embodiments of evil almost would be a cat
All cat owners are laughing with you. We know well and understand.
Sauron: meow meow
Meaüron
Every cat is an aspiring tyrant and every cat person knows this
It's true. Their selfishness drives them to be that way.
That´s why we love them!
Miaule is a great joke for two reasons: 1. It sounds like "meow" and 2. It sounds like "maul." ("Beren methinks is being soundly scratched by Miaule my cook").
Don't leave out "Aulë." 😉
@@Enerdhil What do you mean, exactly?
@@colinbaldwin313
The name "Aulë" is clearly in Mi-aulë. That can't be a coincidence. Sauron/Mairon becomes one of the Maiar of the Valar Aulë.
@@Enerdhil That makes sense. Thank you.
I'm now imagining Sauron taking a dump in an litter tray and hiding it furiously with cat litter
Gandalf in booming voice: “I like chicken, I like liver, meow mix meow mix please deliver!”
Elrond: “Never before has anyone dared utter words of that tongue here, in Imladris…”
😂😂😂
Lmao. In my 20 years of fandom i've never heard of this. The most in-depth channel about lotr, as usual.
RIP Bernard Hill who died today aged 79 - he will be so missed 😩😩 Another great LOTR actor we’ve lost
There was a fiddle playing cat in Bilbo's song about the Man in the Moon, and Bob the hobbit of Bree, had a cat. Neither were evil.
Good point. That could be the only positive depiction of cats in the Legendarium.
Sometimes, with titles and premises like this one, I feel like I have to check and see if the video was published on April 1st.
Tolkien was wild. I love it.
So did he father any offspring in this form? Specifically is he the ancestor of Beruthiel's cats?
"These are no mere housemice, for they re said to be as fierce and large as the other larger but still small house pest with which mice are often lumped with" Lmao that was so funny to me for some reason.
“One gold collar to rule them all,
One gold collar to find them,
One gold collar to bring them all, and in the darkness of his shadow bind them, for as near and approached the whole dark will as is possible”.
Make a video on vampires please.
They were just giant bats
Melko sounds like the place evil buys all its gear.
"Our only wish
To catch a fish
So juicy sweet."
- Tevildo, Lord of the Mews
I love that you did this episode now- right after I just finished Lost Tales Vol 2! It reminded me of The Hobbit at times because of the more whimsical feel it has and many moments of humor. I'm really enjoying reading the History of Middle Earth books. It's cool to get these older unfamiliar versions. Great job as always!!
Melko to Huan: “No, we don’t gnaw on our kitty. No, leave pre-Sauron alone. Just love him and stroke him.”
Minion: My Lord, I apologize there were some unforeseen consequences to the unfreezing process.
Melko: Look what you did to Telvildo!!!
No amount of catnip is going to defeat this kitty. A laser pointer might do the trick.
When I came upon this story I was so intrigued. I'm a cat person so I loved this story even though the cat is the bad guy and defeated. It's a such a wild take on a character we thought we knew so well. The Lost Tales are very good.
Me, too.😁👍
And nine, nine lives were given to Tevildo, who above else desired head scratches.
When you talk about Tevildo and the fay, it reminds me of the cath sith from Scottish folklore
The Cait Sidhe is from Celtic folklore in general, both Irish and Scottish. An interesting story too.
100% would still try to pet
I did not expect this tale to be the origin of the emnity between cats and dogs!
Maybe Grandpa Simpson was on to something? 😉
I really dig vids like this, about the deep/early lore that underpins the finished versions of the stories.
I had no idea about this feline form of Sauron's in Tolkien's earlier writings! Fascinating stuff - need to read those Unfinished Tales books methinks. Also, if I ever get a black cat as a pet, I will be naming them Tevildo, or Tev at least!
I know I’m a month late, but I honestly thought this was an April Fool’s joke.
Well done, sir. Well done.
This is a fascinating video! Great stuff MOTW! Imagining Sauron as an evil cat is so cool. The artwork of Melkor holding the cat and of the Cat with the one ring like collar is awesome.
Ever play Akinator? I was so proud to stump it with Tevildo. 🤣
I really enjoyed this telling of an early version of Sauron. Thank you. It would be great if you could cover more of these versions that Tolkien discarded. That are every bit as interesting as your normal canon work. Thanks again! Keep going ❤
Nice work, Matt! 😁👍
RIP Bernard Hill..
Never knew Sauron was a cat
"Tevildo"
To-Evil-Do. Haven't watched the video yet, but that's what I got from the name.
This was so good!
So my catboy sauron fanart IS canon after all
Wait wait wait there was an evil cat called Miaule?
Now I know what to name my future cat 🐈⬛
Tevildo or Miaulë?
@@Enerdhil i’m getting two some both
Awesome video bro!
Tevildo resembles in form the name Tybalt from William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, who also has the title of "Prince of Cats".
Also noteworthy is Cath Palug, a monstrous cat in Welsh legend. In some Arthurian stories there are also mentions of a fight between King Arthur himself and a evil cat (sometimes named Cath Palug). In some stories Arthur is victorious, but in others the king is killed by the cat.
Tiberth is a referral to a cat "Tibert" in the medieval European story collection Reynard the Fox.
That could be one way he managed to hide from the valar after Morgoth's fall. Take cat shape and disapear from view.
I get the distinct impression that the Professor was not a cat person.
"Nya nya! Am I kawaii, Melkor-sama, UwU?"
*"Play him off, Sauron Cat."*
Been waiting to see if you'd get here!😊 it's one of my favorite go-tos to shock newer fans! That it's the origin of the rivalry between cats and dogs is genius if I also understand why this version didn't make the cut.
Great video!
In an alternate universe this is cannon and peter jacksons lord of the cats film trilogy is still one of the best in cinematic history…
That's so cool! I've read the Tevildo story before, but I had never made the connection with Sauron!
I like how Sauron's version of awkward puberty is assuming the form of, like, a llama while plotting the downfall of mankind.
Then one day he was like "Oh, maybe I should assume the form of badass evil armor, that's more on-brand".
"All shall pet me in a chair."
This is really interesting. It's like a proto-mythology to his legendarium. I never read Lost Tales and probably wouldn't have the patience to because of that accursed Shakespearean language, but I love that it sort of acts to make it feel archaic to the reader, just like Median or Achaemenid myths and legends would seem to the Seleucid culture (there is probably a more recent and better example). The fact it was never "finished" just gives it a touch of authenticity - like the unfinished tome of Mazarbul the fellowship finds in Moria.
In Tevildo, I am reminded of Nephele (Tephele→Tevele→Tevildo) who was molded out of clouds by Zeus in the shape of Hera. Hera also has her "Cat Connection," in that she is almost always accompanied by a Lion in ancient art. Her name reminds me of Vardo Meoita (Vardo... a trickery of Varda). All of these names seem to denote Nebula, after all Nephele is cognate with Nebula in English. Cat's Eye Nebula in the Draco (Dragon) Constellation. And I quote, "his eyes gleamed red and green.... The eye was rimmed with fire, but was itself glazed, yellow as a cat's, watchful and intent, and the black slit of it's pupil opened on a pit, a window into nothing."
I think ‘nephele’ plays a part constructing the name of ‘Nimrodel’ too; neph=nef=niv=nimh + rotella=rodel.
‘Heavenly wheel’ or something similar.
I probably can’t explain it as well you but hopefully you see the path.
This then follows the two branches of Lucifer the ‘light bringer’, one good and one evil, (being Venus/Aphrodite and the other the Devil).
But was he a jellicle cat? Or one of Macavity's ancestors??
Wonder if Tolkien knew of Iceland's Jólakötturinn and if that influenced Sauron's cat form?
"His kitty condo of Barad-Purr is rebuilt in the land of Meowdor."
And in temptation, Melkor said unto Sauron:
Serve me, and I shall give you so many head scritches. And you can sleep on all thine laundry and thee shall be lord of thy house.
And lo', Sauron served the Dark Lord, and there was no laundry, and he was wroth.
Such a fascinating villain :0
Aww such the cutest dark lord
Tevildo barfs hairballs on your bed, you just know it!
Yooo! That image of the werewolf at the start was epic!!
It's a fascinating look at the origins of Sauron but Tolkien was correct to drop Tevildo as cats are wonderful creatures.
"Wonderful creatures?" Tell that to the victims of Queen Beruthiel's cats.😋
Not going to lie i i'm glad we got werewolf Sauron instead of a cat , nothing against cats but i've always loved Werewolves , they are my favorite mythological creature of all time lol
If I was a numenorian, Tevildo wouldn't have to deceive me into worshiping Morgoth. I'll instantly worship Tevildo instead. All hail Tevildo, mightiest of the kitties!
Can't believe Tolkien did Cats so dirty! 😭
Great video and art works in this ❤. Thanks for telling this story. I am reminded of the Cats of Queen Beruthiel, his poem regarding cats and his answer that cats 'belong to the fauna of mordor'. Any insights to his actual relationship with cats?
Looking at my own black cat, who is resting beside me, her imperial highness is a good and sweet cat. Yellow eyed and coal black as she might be. Better than any dog. 🐈⬛
I have been waiting for this. Ever sense Beren and Lutihen came out.
Ya, Tolkien wasn't what you would call a Cat lover. 🤣. I personally think cat's are awesome!...as long as their not Evil! 🤣. Great video Matt, thanks! Happy Starwars day!!! 🖖😎🤘🇨🇦🍻