the lord of the rings - Is there any significant meaning behind the term "Saruman of Many Colours"?

When Saruman reveals his betrayal to Gandalf, he says the following:

"And here you will stay, Gandalf the Grey, and rest from journeys. For I am Saruman the Wise, Saruman Ring-maker, Saruman of Many Colours."

Is there any significance behind the term "of many colours" ? I always assumed that he simply used this term to disassociate himself from the colour White. This is just my interpretation of it but I would be interested in any other opinions, or preferably any cast iron meaning of it explained in any other literature outside of Lord of the Rings.

Answer

The answer is revealed immediately after Saruman shows his "colours" (pun intended).

' "White!" he sneered. "It serves as a beginning. White cloth may be dyed. The white page can be overwritten; and the white light can be broken."

' "In which case it is no longer white," said I. "And he that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom."

Tolkien had Saruman choose to move from White to Many-Coloured because it is what white can be broken down into. Saruman thinks this choice reveals his wisdom (prisms and the splitting of light may have been unknown prior to him), but Gandalf explains the reaction as Tolkien, disliker of modernity and machinery (as described in Letter 154, "I am not a 'reformer' (by exercise of power) since it seems doomed to Sarumanism."), would have it - it signifies that Saruman "has left the path of wisdom".

Comments

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