Today's Tolkien Fact is about Gandalf.
Who exactly IS Gandalf? He is a wizard, but where do wizards come from? Are their colonies somewhere of wizards?
All the wizards (there were more than just Gandalf and Saruman) were minor "gods" in Tolkien's world. I say "gods" because he does not use that word. He called them the Maiar...the lesser spirits. They came from Valinor, where the others live and where the elves are leaving for in the movies. Sauron is a Maiar too.
The enemy before Sauron was a more powerful spirit named Morgoth. After his demise, his most powerful servant, Sauron, continued his campaign. What's that have to do with Gandalf? Well, the Middle Earth was having to contend with Sauron on their own, so the Valar decided to send the wizards to help out. There were several: Saruman the White, Radagast the Brown (who is in the book, briefly), Gandalf the Grey, and two blue ones, but I foget their names and they do not pertain to the LOTR. Their mission: destroy Sauron.
Saruman was deemed the wisest and so he was set as the leader of the order--the Istari. He researched the evil arts, but delved too deeply and became corrupted.
Other examples of Maiar are Tom Bombadil and the Balrog (orginally there were 7).
This kind of explains Gandalf's little vision when he is explaining how it is that he is now white--it also explains how he surivived that fall. He says that he returned by he was sent back. The Valar sent him back to complete his task. Another little tidbit is that he bears one of the rings of power. Think back to the beginning of the first movie. Sauron made 3 for the elves...Galadriel has one and Gandalf has another. His is the "secret fire". On the bridge he says to the Balrog, "I am the weilder of the secret fire...the flame of Auin will not avail you". His ring gave him powers resistant to the fire. That's why a little sheild surrounds him in the movie when the Balrog's blade strikes.
That is probably too much info for most, but I thuoght it valuable and interesting...stay tuned for more...Yeah, I'm a huge Tolkien nerd
All the wizards (there were more than just Gandalf and Saruman) were minor "gods" in Tolkien's world. I say "gods" because he does not use that word. He called them the Maiar...the lesser spirits. They came from Valinor, where the others live and where the elves are leaving for in the movies. Sauron is a Maiar too.
The enemy before Sauron was a more powerful spirit named Morgoth. After his demise, his most powerful servant, Sauron, continued his campaign. What's that have to do with Gandalf? Well, the Middle Earth was having to contend with Sauron on their own, so the Valar decided to send the wizards to help out. There were several: Saruman the White, Radagast the Brown (who is in the book, briefly), Gandalf the Grey, and two blue ones, but I foget their names and they do not pertain to the LOTR. Their mission: destroy Sauron.
Saruman was deemed the wisest and so he was set as the leader of the order--the Istari. He researched the evil arts, but delved too deeply and became corrupted.
Other examples of Maiar are Tom Bombadil and the Balrog (orginally there were 7).
This kind of explains Gandalf's little vision when he is explaining how it is that he is now white--it also explains how he surivived that fall. He says that he returned by he was sent back. The Valar sent him back to complete his task. Another little tidbit is that he bears one of the rings of power. Think back to the beginning of the first movie. Sauron made 3 for the elves...Galadriel has one and Gandalf has another. His is the "secret fire". On the bridge he says to the Balrog, "I am the weilder of the secret fire...the flame of Auin will not avail you". His ring gave him powers resistant to the fire. That's why a little sheild surrounds him in the movie when the Balrog's blade strikes.
That is probably too much info for most, but I thuoght it valuable and interesting...stay tuned for more...Yeah, I'm a huge Tolkien nerd
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shame on you for your spoiling abotu gandalf -
spoiling? That was supposed to be revealed in the 3rd movie or something??? -
i'm a tolkien fan and all... but you're so far out of my league it's not even funny. -
Yeah, you're like a walking talking Encylopedia of Arda!
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you would get along with my dad really good. -
Actually I've done some browsing on that Arda site. You know way more than it does. And you already had it linked, duh
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I mean spoiling about the ring thing. It should be in there, but might not
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I enjoy reading your weblog.
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my mom just showed me her new "biker" jacket when she goes out riding with my dad. It says "Rohan" ...ha...ha...
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NO MORE, I BEG YOU. MAKE IT STOP!!!!!! :) -
more you say? We can give you more! mwa ha ha
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Here's a thought. Why didn't the ring bother Tom Bombadil in the same way it did Gandalf? If my brother says they are both Maia, what is the difference? The fact is, Tom's identity really is never told to us. He is a Maia by elimination/guess. It is quite possible he was of a different branch than the Wizards,
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or possibly he had no evil in him. The debate is/has been hot in the Tolkien arena, but finally people are told to be quiet because they will never know
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Yes, it is an "intentional ambiguity" rather than a "gaping plot hole"
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Tom is revealed as a Maiar in one of the books -- maybe the unfinished tales -
Retraction: Must have read that part about Tom somewhere else. Just looked it up and it doesn't ID him as anyhting. He is an enigma.
Kennon
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