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Character from Tolkien's Legendarium Gandalf Other names See Names and titles below Titles See Names and titles below Race Ainur Culture Maiar of Manwë and Varda The Hobbit The Fellowship of the Ring The Two Towers The Return of the King ''The Silmarillion

In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Gandalf is a central character in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, where he appears as a fairly archetypal wizard, taking a key role in the latter book's War of the Ring. He is a member of the order known as the Istari — and later, head of that order after deposing Saruman — and leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West.

Concept and creation

Mythical roots

The Old Norse name "Gandalfr" appears in the list of dwarves in the Völuspá of the Elder Edda; the name is made up of the words gandr meaning both "wand" and (especially in compounds) "magic" and alfr meaning "elf" or in a wider sense (mythological) "being". Hence "magic-elf/-being" or wizard (non human). Tolkien took the name along with the dwarves' names when he wrote The Hobbit in the 1930s. He came to regret the creation of this "rabble of eddaic-named dwarves, [...] invented in an idle hour" (The Return of the Shadow:452), since it forced him to come up with an explanation of why Old Norse names should be used in Third Age Middle-earth. He solved the dilemma in 1942 by the explanation that Old Norse was a translation of the language of Dale. The figure of Gandalf has other influences from Germanic mythology, particularly Odin in his incarnation as "the Wanderer", an old man with one eye, a long white beard, a wide brimmed hat, and a staff (see ): Tolkien states that he thinks of Gandalf as an "Odinic wanderer" in a letter of 1946 (Letters no. 107). Gandalf is also in many ways similar to Väinämöinen, a powerful sage in the Finnish national epic Kalevala.

Der Berggeist

Tolkien had a postcard labelled Der Berggeist (German: "the mountain spirit" or "the mountain ghost"), and on the paper cover in which he kept it, he wrote "the origin of Gandalf" at some point. The postcard reproduces a painting of a bearded figure, sitting on a rock under a pine tree in a mountainous setting. He wears a wide-brimmed round hat and a long cloak, and a white fawn is nuzzling his upturned hands.

Humphrey Carpenter in his 1977 biography said that Tolkien had bought the postcard during his 1911 holiday in Switzerland. However, Manfred Zimmerman (1983) discovered that the painting was by German artist Josef Madlener and dates to the late 1920s. Carpenter concluded that Tolkien was probably mistaken about the origin of the postcard himself. Tolkien must have acquired the card at some time in the early 1930s, at a time when The Hobbit had already begun to take shape.



The original painting was auctioned at Sotheby's in London on 12 July 2005 for 84,000 GBP.^[1] The previous owner had been given the painting by Madlener in the 1940s and recalled that he had stated the mountains in the background of the painting were the Dolomites.

Characteristics

The first description of Gandalf is in the first pages of The Hobbit, dating to the early 1930s. Gandalf's fame is alluded to even before his physical description ("Tales and adventures sprouted up all over the place wherever he went, in the most extraordinary fashion."), directed by the author to the reader, while the protagonist's ("unsuspecting Bilbo's") impression is that of

an old man with a staff. He had a tall pointed blue hat, a long grey cloak, a silver scarf over which a white beard hung down below his waist, and immense black boots. (Chapter 1, "An Unexpected Party".)

Also in The Hobbit, Tolkien adds that Gandalf has a sharp nose and

bushy eyebrows that stuck out beyond the brim of his hat. (Chapter 1, "An Unexpected Party".)

Gandalf is the archetypical wizard, combining kind wisdom with the ability to perform magical feats, particularly those involving fire.

Appearances

Literature

Arrival in Middle-earth

As revealed in The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales, Gandalf the Grey was one of the Maiar of Valinor, a servant of the Valar, and of Ilúvatar (the creator of the universe). In Valinor, he was known as Olórin and was said to be the wisest of the Maiar. He lived in the gardens of Irmo under the tutelage of Nienna, the patron of mercy. When the Valar decided to send the order of the Wizards to Middle-earth in order to counsel and assist all those who opposed Sauron, Olórin was proposed by Manwë. Olórin initially begged leave to be excused as he feared he lacked the strength to face Sauron.

In the Order, he had a strained relationship with Saruman, its leader. The order was commanded only to counsel Men, Elves, and Dwarves, and was forbidden to use force to dominate them as Sauron did - a decree Saruman broke.

Gandalf was the last Istar to arrive in Middle-earth, landing in Mithlond. He seemed the oldest and least wise of them, but Círdan the Shipwright felt that he had the highest inner greatness on their first meeting in the Havens, and gave him Narya, the Ring of Fire. Saruman learned of the gift and resented it. Gandalf hid it well, and it was not known (except apparently to the Elves Elrond and Galadriel) until he left with the other ring-bearers at the end of the Third Age that he and not Círdan was the holder of the third of the Elven-rings.

Early adventures

As explained in the appendices of The Return of the King, Gandalf entered Dol Guldur in the Third Age, thinking that it might be the hiding place of Sauron's spirit. He was right, and Sauron, then known as the Necromancer, fled Dol Guldur, but without Gandalf finding out whether or not his suspicions were right. A few years later, the White Council was founded. Galadriel proposed that Gandalf be made the head of it, but the position of leadership was instead given to Saruman.

Some twenty years later, Gandalf re-entered Dol Guldur. He found that the Necromancer was indeed Sauron himself, and also discovered the dying dwarf Thráin II, who gave to him the map and the key of Erebor. When Gandalf brought this information to the Council, he urged them to attack and drive out Sauron, but Saruman disagreed and overruled him, saying that Sauron had no power yet.

Quest of Erebor

In The Hobbit, Gandalf arranged and partially accompanied a band of thirteen dwarves and the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins for the quest of reclaiming the lost Dwarven treasure of Erebor from the dragon Smaug. It is on this quest that Gandalf found his sword, Glamdring, in a troll's treasure hoard, and that Bilbo found the One Ring (though at the time it was mistaken for a lesser ring).

The story behind The Hobbit is elaborated upon in Unfinished Tales, which tells of a chance meeting between Gandalf and Thorin Oakenshield, Thráin's son, in the inn of the Prancing Pony in Bree. Gandalf had for some time foreseen the coming war with Sauron, and knew that the North was especially vulnerable. If Rivendell were to be attacked, the dragon Smaug could cause great devastation. Thorin was also keen to regain his lost territory, and the quest was born. Unknown to the dwarves or Bilbo, Gandalf had joined the quest in order to investigate what he suspected to be the resurgence of Sauron (or the "Necromancer", as he is referred to in The Hobbit) in Mirkwood. During the dwarves' quest, Gandalf twice vanished — once to scout their path, the second time to "attend to other pressing business", the nature of which he refused to discuss.

When Bilbo found the One Ring, Gandalf was immediately suspicious of the Hobbit's story of how he acquired it, due to Bilbo's uncharacteristic lie about the matter. He privately confronted Bilbo and forced the truth out of him, and was deeply troubled by his story of the Ring's powers, as they seemed eerily familiar.

After escaping from the Misty Mountains pursued by Orcs and Wargs, Gandalf called out to the Great Eagles, who took the dwarves, Bilbo, and himself to safety. It was also through a clever plan that Gandalf was able to convince the great Beorn — who did not like uninvited guests or dwarves — to house the small company.

Before the company entered Mirkwood, Gandalf departed, saying that he had pressing business to attend to. This pressing business was a meeting of the White Council, which finally decided to act on Gandalf's information of Sauron in Dol Guldur and drive him out of Mirkwood, which they did soon after.

Gandalf got back to Esgaroth and the Lonely Mountain before the dwarves and Bilbo. He disguised himself in Esgaroth and only revealed himself when it seemed the Men of Esgaroth and the Elves of Mirkwood would go to war with Thorin over Smaug's treasure. When an army of Orcs and Wargs arrived and attacked all three parties involved, the Battle of the Five Armies began. After the battle, Gandalf accompanied Bilbo back to the Shire and revealed what his pressing business had been: the White Council had attacked Dol Guldur and driven the Necromancer from it.

The War of the Ring begins

As explained in The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf spent the years between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings travelling Middle-earth in search of information on Sauron's resurgence and Bilbo's mysterious ring, while befriending Aragorn. He spent as much time as he could in the Shire, however, strengthening his friendship with Bilbo and befriending Bilbo's heir, Frodo. It was also at about this time that he first began to be suspicious of Saruman, especially after Saruman occupied Isengard.

He returned to the Shire to attend Bilbo's "eleventy-first" (111th) birthday party, bringing many fireworks and a giant flying firework "dragon". At the end of the party Bilbo put on the Ring and disappeared at the end of his speech, as a prank on his neighbours. Troubled by this, Gandalf confronted his old friend and tried to persuade him to leave the Ring to Frodo. Bilbo became hostile and accused Gandalf of trying to steal the Ring — which he called "my precious," much as Gollum, the creature from whom Bilbo took the ring in The Hobbit, had previously done. Horrified, Gandalf stood to his full height and almost ordered Bilbo to leave the Ring behind. Bilbo returned to his senses, and admitted that the Ring had been troubling him lately. Bilbo then departed for Rivendell and never possessed the Ring again, leaving it in Frodo's keeping. Though it troubled both Gandalf and Frodo that Bilbo appeared to miss it on occasion, Gandalf stated that he was nevertheless the first bearer of the Ring to give it up willingly.

Over the next seventeen years, Gandalf travelled extensively, searching for answers. Having long sought for Gollum near Mordor, Gandalf met in Mirkwood with Aragorn, who had captured the creature. Gandalf interrogated Gollum, threatening him with fire when Gollum proved initially unwilling to speak. Finally, he learned that Sauron had forced Gollum under torture in Barad-dûr to tell what he knew about the ring, adding to Gandalf's suspicions that Bilbo carried the One Ring.

Upon returning to the Shire, in 3018, Gandalf confirmed his suspicions by throwing the Ring into Frodo's hearth fire and reading the writing. He then told Frodo the full history of the Ring, urging him to leave with it and make for Rivendell, the home of the Elves, knowing he would be in grave danger if he stayed at home. He also told Frodo that he would attempt to return for Frodo's fiftieth birthday party so as to accompany him on the road thereafter, and that Frodo had to leave quietly as the servants of Sauron would be searching for him.

Riding near the Shire, Gandalf encountered Radagast the Brown, another of the Istari, who told him that he had been sent for by Saruman. Radagast had to see Gandalf immediately because the Nazgûl had come forth and crossed the River Anduin. Gandalf left a note for Frodo with Barliman Butterbur, an inn-keeper in Bree, and headed towards Isengard. Once there, he was disturbed by the way Saruman spoke to him, including insulting Radagast and mocking the way Gandalf addressed him. Soon enough, Saruman revealed his true colours and betrayed Gandalf, quickly imprisoning him at the top of the tower of Orthanc. Saruman had previously come under the influence of Sauron by using the palantír of Orthanc. Eventually Gandalf was rescued by Gwaihir the Eagle after witnessing Saruman begin building his army.

Gwaihir set Gandalf down in the kingdom of Rohan, where Gandalf appealed to its king, Théoden, for a horse. Théoden, under the influence of Saruman through his servant Gríma Wormtongue, told Gandalf to take any horse he pleased as long as he left. It was then that Gandalf met the great horse Shadowfax, one of the mearas, and pursued the horse for several days before Shadowfax permitted Gandalf to ride him. Gandalf rode for the Shire, but did not reach it until after Frodo had set out. Knowing that Frodo and his companions would be heading for Rivendell, Gandalf began to make his own way there. He faced the Nazgûl (Sauron's chief servants) at Weathertop but was driven off after all-night battle and pursued by four of them afterward; Frodo, Aragorn and company would face the remaining five wraiths in the same place a few nights later. Gandalf reached Rivendell just ahead of Frodo's arrival.

In Rivendell, Gandalf helped Elrond drive off the Nazgûl pursuing Frodo and played a great part in the following council as the only person who knew the full history of the Ring. It was then he also revealed that Saruman had betrayed them all by seeking the Ring himself. When it was decided that the Ring had to be destroyed, Gandalf volunteered to join and help Frodo – now the Ringbearer – in his quest. He also was the one who persuaded Elrond to let Frodo's cousins Merry and Pippin join the Fellowship.

Death and resurrection

Taking charge of the Fellowship (nine representatives of the free peoples of Middle-earth "set against the Nine Riders"), Gandalf and Aragorn led the Hobbits and their companions on an unsuccessful effort to cross Mount Caradhras in winter. After this failure to cross the mountains, they decided to go through the Mines of Moria. When the Company entered, they discovered that the Dwarf colony that was once there had been overrun by Orcs, and Balin had died. During an ensuing fight with the Orcs of Moria, Gandalf led the company across the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, until a Balrog came to face the company. The ancient demon – known as Durin's Bane – faced the Grey Wizard on the bridge of Khazad-dûm.

After a short exchange of blows, Gandalf broke the bridge in front of him with his staff, which also broke in the process. As the Balrog fell, however, it wrapped its whip around Gandalf's knees, dragging him into the abyss. As the Company looked on in horror, Gandalf fell into shadow, crying "Fly, you fools!"

As revealed in The Two Towers, neither Gandalf nor the Balrog were killed by the fall into the deep underground lake under Moria. Gandalf pursued the creature for eight days until they climbed to the peak of Zirakzigil. Here they fought for two days and nights. In the end, the Balrog was cast down and broke the mountainside with its fall. Gandalf himself died as well during this ordeal and his body lay on the peak while his spirit travelled outside of time.

Gandalf was "sent back", resurrected by Eru and returned as the more imposing figure, Gandalf the White. After being found by Gwaihir, he was healed of his injuries and re-clothed in white robes by Galadriel in Lórien, although he retained his grey cloak for a while. He then travelled to Fangorn forest, where he encountered Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas, who were tracking the Fellowship members Merry and Pippin.

Arriving in Rohan, Gandalf found that Théoden had been further weakened by Gríma Wormtongue's vile influence. He broke Wormtongue's hold over Théoden, and convinced the king to join them in the fight against Sauron. Gandalf then set off in search of Erkenbrand of the Westfold and his warriors to assist Théoden in the coming battle. Gandalf and Erkenbrand with his warriors arrived in time to break the Uruk-hai's attack on Helm's Deep. After the ensuing battle, Gandalf and the king went to Isengard, which, it turned out, had been attacked and conquered by a force of Ents led by Treebeard, along with Merry and Pippin. Gandalf broke Saruman's staff and expelled him from the Order of Wizards and the White Council, and assumed Saruman's place as head of both. He then took Pippin with him to Gondor to aid in the defence of Minas Tirith after Pippin looked into the palantír of Orthanc and came face to face with Sauron.

Winning the war

In The Return of the King, Gandalf relieved Gondor's Steward, Denethor, of command of the city; Denethor had lost his mind in despair after seeing his son Faramir gravely wounded in battle, as well as a vision of the Corsairs of Umbar coming to invade. Together with Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth, Gandalf led the defenders during the siege of the city. When the forces of Mordor finally broke through the gates of the city, Gandalf alone, with Shadowfax, confronted the Witch-king of Angmar, Lord of the Nazgûl. Their duel was never fought, however, since the Rohirrim arrived at that moment, compelling the Nazgûl to leave and engage them. Gandalf would have ridden to their aid, but he too was suddenly required elsewhere — to save Faramir from the now-insane Denethor, who sought to burn himself and his son on a funeral pyre. He organised the city's defences while the main battle raged outside between the forces of Rohan and the Gondorians against Mordor's great army on the Pelennor Fields.

Aragorn and Gandalf then led the final battle against Sauron's forces at the Black Gate, waging an outnumbered battle to distract the Dark Lord's attention away from Frodo and Samwise Gamgee, who were at the very same moment scaling Mount Doom to destroy the Ring. Before the battle Gandalf and the other leaders of the West went to try to negotiate with the Mouth of Sauron, with Gandalf as chief herald and negotiator. The Mouth revealed Frodo's mithril (Dwarven metal) shirt and other items which were part of the Hobbits' gear. Outraged, Gandalf sent the Mouth of Sauron away with a rejection of Mordor's terms of surrender. The forces of the West then held out against Sauron's armies, until Gollum fell with the Ring into the fire, destroying it with him. Gandalf then saved the two Hobbits, riding upon Gwaihir and leading two other Eagles to their rescue on the side of Mt. Doom.

After the war, he crowned Aragorn King of Gondor as King Elessar, and helped him find a sapling of the White Tree of Gondor. He accompanied the Hobbits back to the borders of the Shire, before leaving to go and rest in the house of Tom Bombadil.

Three years later, Gandalf — who by now had spent over 2,000 years in Middle-earth — departed with Frodo, Galadriel, Bilbo, and Elrond across the sea to the Undying Lands.

Adaptations

In the BBC radio dramatisations, Norman Shelley played Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings (1955 and 1956), Heron Carvic played him in The Hobbit (1968) and Sir Michael Hordern played him in The Lord of the Rings (1981).

John Huston provided the voice of Gandalf in two animated television features by Rankin/Bass (The Hobbit and The Return of the King).

In the 1978 animated version of The Lord of the Rings by Ralph Bakshi, Gandalf was voiced by William Squire.

Sir Ian McKellen played Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy directed by Peter Jackson. Visually Gandalf was based on illustrations by John Howe, who also served as a concept artist along with Alan Lee. McKellen was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in , making him the only individual cast member to be nominated for his performance. In interviews, McKellen has said that, if The Hobbit is ever filmed, he would be delighted to return as Gandalf.

Sean Connery was originally considered for the role of Gandalf, but turned it down. Connery also admits that he "didn't understand" the subject matter and had not read Tolkien's books.^[2]

Gandalf was portrayed by Brent Carver in the three-hour production of The Lord of the Rings, which opened in 2006 in Toronto.

In the United States, Gandalf was portrayed by Tom Stiver in productions of The Two Towers (2002), and The Return of the King (2003) for Clear Stage Cincinnati. At Chicago's Lifeline Theatre, Gandalf was played by Charles Picard in The Two Towers (1999).

In the anime Zero no Tsukaima, Gandalfr was the name of the legendary familiar whose master is the bearer of Void Magic. The main male protagonist Saito, is the reincarnation of Gandalfr in the story. The rune symbol inscribed on Saito's hand also reads Gandalfr.

Names and titles

• Olórin, his name in Valinor and in very ancient times. "Olórin was my name in my youth in the West that is forgotten". The word originates in Tolkien's invented language of Quenya, and its meaning is associated with dreams.
• Mithrandir, his name in Tolkien's invented language of Sindarin, used in Gondor and by the Elves, meaning Grey Pilgrim. See Randir.
• Gandalf Greyhame, Gandalf was his name in the North, meaning Elf with the Staff and Greyhame meaning Greycloak.^[3]
• Gandalf the Grey, and later Gandalf the White after he was reborn as the successor to Saruman.
• The White Rider (when riding the great horse Shadowfax), contrast to the Black Riders (Nazgûl).
• Stormcrow (a reference to his arrival being associated with times of trouble), often used by his detractors to mean he was a troublesome meddler in the affairs of others.
• Incánus (in the south), of unclear language and meaning. Tolkien changed his mind about it several times, varying between the Latin word incanus meaning grey.
• Tharkûn (to the Dwarves), probably meaning Staff-man.

Within the Tolkien legendarium, "Gandalf" translates an unknown name of the meaning "Wand-Elf (alternatively cane/staff)".

References

External links

• The painting from which Tolkien drew inspiration for Gandalf
• Gandalf at fansite: TheOneRing.net
• Gandalf at the Encyclopedia of Arda
• A brief character study of Gandalf

•  • [ e] Ainur from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium
Ainulindal (Music of the Ainur)
Lords of the Valar	Manw Ulmo Aul Orom Nmo (Mandos) Irmo (Lrien) Tulkas
Queens of the Valar (The Valier)	Varda Yavanna Nienna Est Vair Vna Nessa
The Enemy	Morgoth (a.k.a. Melkor)
Maiar	Enw Ilmar Oss Uinen Salmar Sauron Melian Arien Tilion Gothmog Curumo (Saruman) Olrin (Gandalf) Aiwendil (Radagast) Alatar and Pallando Durin's Bane

•  • [ e] The Fellowship of the Ring
Frodo Sam Merry Pippin Gandalf Aragorn Legolas Gimli Boromir

•  • [ e] The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
Volumes	The Fellowship of the Ring The Two Towers The Return of the King
Films
Animation	J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings The Return of the King (TV)
Radio	The Lord of the Rings (1955) The Lord of the Rings (1979) The Lord of the Rings (1981)
Stage	The Fellowship of the Ring The Two Towers The Return of the King The Lord of the Rings
	Frodo Sam Merry Pippin Bilbo Gandalf Aragorn Legolas Gimli Boromir Sauron Saruman Arwen Elrond Glorfindel Galadriel Thoden omer owyn Wormtongue Faramir Denethor Beregond Gollum Witch-king Treebeard Tom Bombadil
Miscellanea	Adaptations of The Lord of the Rings Themes in The Lord of the Rings Works inspired by The Lord of the Rings Middle-earth in video games
Related works	The Hobbit The Adventures of Tom Bombadil The Silmarillion Unfinished Tales The History of Middle-earth The History of The Lord of the Rings Bilbo's Last Song The Children of Hrin The History of The Hobbit

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