List of Middle-earth Elves - S

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• Saeros

Saeros is one of the few Elves of Middle-earth to be portrayed in a negative light. Tolkien wrote little about him except the account of his dealings with Túrin Turambar.

Said to be very arrogant, Saeros was one of the Laiquendi who fled to the safety of Doriath after the First Battle of Beleriand. Over the next five centuries, he became a high councillor of Elu Thingol, King of Doriath.

On the twelfth anniversary of his departure from his mother and home, Túrin returned to the king's halls from warfare on the marches of the realm. Weary, hungry, and saddened by the anniversary, Túrin sat in an unoccupied seat at the king's table, the seat of Saeros. Soon, Saeros appeared and was greatly offended by the "usurpation" of his place. Taking a seat opposite Túrin, he insulted his unkempt appearance. As Túrin had long, uncombed hair, Saeros asked if his female kin behaved like animals, running "clad only in their hair". At this, Túrin threw a goblet at his mouth, wounding him. Horrified with himself, Túrin fled the hall immediately.

The next day, Saeros ambushed Túrin as he was walking in the woods. Despite the advantage of surprise, he was disarmed in the resulting fight. At this, Túrin forced him at sword-point to strip naked and run through the woods. Not understanding that Túrin did not intend to harm him farther, Saeros ran quickly and carelessly at a river crossing and fell to his death. Seeing this, and expecting to be judged guilty of murder, Túrin fled the realm forever, despite the pleas of Mablung for him to stay.

In a trial in absentia conducted some time afterward, the elf-maiden Nellas led Thingol to judge Túrin not guilty by speaking of the ambush (which she witnessed) and stating that Túrin did not intend to kill Saeros.

Saeros was originally named Orgof in the first version of Túrin's story, found in The Book of Lost Tales 2, part of the History of Middle-earth series edited by Christopher Tolkien, the author's son. Here he is killed outright by Túrin's goblet. The younger Tolkien, in re-editing the Túrin material for The Children of Húrin, discovered that his father had decided to rename this character Orgol, with negative meaning in Sindarin, and permitting a pun on Old English orgol, orgel "pride", cognate, but not ancestral, to Modern English orgulous. Nevertheless, Saeros was retained for the book as it was judged too late to replace.

• Salgant

Salgant is a noble of Gondolin, the Lord of the House of the Harp from The Book of Lost Tales. He is described as a coward, fawning over Maeglin.