Halbrand/Sauron: the Fisher King symbology and meaning in the show
I was wondering why Halbrand's 'King of the Southlands' emblem is a kingfisher of all things. I've looked for some symbolism or meaning but nothing seemed to fit the narrative.
But when Celebrimbor mentioned the kingfishers just before his death, I knew that it must have a meaning, it must be important.
And then I had an epiphany, the meaning is not a kingfisher, it is the Fisher King! This meaning fits Sauron's narrative in the series perfectly.
The Fisher King is an immortal king in Arthurian legend. He is charged with keeping the Holy Grail.
Sauron is a Maia, a powerful spirit tasked with implementing Eru Iluvatar's will and protecting the world.
However, The Fisher King was wounded, and incapable of performing his tasks himself. Often the wound has been a punishment for a crime that the Fisher King has committed, and it would not heal in time.
The King Fisher's wound is Morgoth's corruption. Because of his terrible life choices, Sauron has been corrupted by Morgoth, and is incapable of fulfilling his sacred purpose as a Maia: creating order and peace in Middle-earth. In the show, this is represented by his inability to create the rings and take the leadership role.
His is impotence affected the fertility of his land, reducing it to a barren wasteland.
Forodwaith, and later Mordor, are wastelands - both are affected by Morgoth, the source of Sauron's wound/curse/corruption
All he could do is fish in the river near his castle and wait for the “chosen one” who would be able to heal him. His strength evaporated with his inactivity and his kingdom fell into waste. The only activity that seemed to give him pleasure was fishing in the lakes close to his castle.
After regaining his human form, Sauron wanders the Middle-earth aimlessly and ends up on a raft. He seemed content with staying in Numenor and working as a smith. The "chosen one" is Galadriel of course.
In the Arthurian legend, the Fisher King appears to the youth, Parsival, first in the form of a fisherman in a boat, then of a mortally wounded king who cannot find redemption for his sufferings.
The imagery is all here - Galadriel first sees Sauron on a raft.
And if you think that it is too subtle, behold the wounded king of the Southlands laying under the kingfisher sigil, watched over by a noble knight on a quest to find him:
In the legend, the noble knight manages to heal the Fisher King in exchange for the Holy Grail.
Galadriel unknowingly offers Sauron forgiveness and redemption through fighting at her side. But we know the outcome of this story - Sauron is not healed.
This could mean that it's a reverse Fisher King story - Galadriel, the noble knight, helps Sauron to take back his power as Morgoth's successor.
But that does not fit with dying words of Celbrimbor. He says that it's a pity how Sauron has silenced the kingfishers - therefore I think that Halbrand, the king of the Southlands with a kingfisher sigil, represents a repentant Sauron who wants to redeem himself.
When Celebrimbor says that Sauron has silenced the kingfishers, it symbolises the fact that Sauron has destroyed his chance at redemption with his actions.
And Sauron knows this at some level, even if he's still deceiving himself that he's committing all the atrocities for a higher good. That's why Celebrimbor's words of him never being able to reach the Undying Lands cut him so deep that he looses control.
And how could have Galadriel healed the Fisher King's wound? That's just my speculation, but returning to Arthurian legends, a knight on a quest for the Holy Grail has to ask the right question. And the right question in this case would be asking Sauron why didn't he come to repent to Valinor?
The only way to heal Sauron from Morgoth's corruption would be to persuade him to return to Valinor, because Sauron is a demigod corrupted by a god, and no one in the Middle-earth can heal him.
And we see this in the show - Sauron tries to repent and fails:
"...and he fell back into evil, for the bonds that Morgoth had laid upon him were very strong"
I'm wondering if we will get the exact moment when Sauron has embraced Morgoth again in the flashbacks in future seasons.
If the showrunners would like to make it very literal, he might have returned to Morgoth's service after Mount Doom's eruption - which could have been a magical event (the eruption was a part of Morgoth's plan in case of defeat). It would tie in nicely with Halbrand's actual would representing Morgoth's corruption.
Or coming back to Morgoth could have been a more gradual process starting with Galadriel's rejection.
(I was also speculating about Morgoth's role in the show here if you would like to read more about it)
(And here's something on ambiguity of Sauron's motives in the show)
