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Gandalf

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{{otheruses}} {|align=right |- |{{Infobox LOTR | image_character = Gandalf.jpg| image_caption = Ian McKellen Sir Ian McKellen portrays '''Gandalf''' in Peter Jackson's ''The Lord of the Rings film trilogy The Lord of the Rings'' films | character_name = Gandalf | character_alias = The Grey, The Grey Pilgrim, The White, Stormcrow, The White Rider, Greyhame, Mithrandir, TharkÃ»n, OlÃ³rin, IncÃ¡nus | character_title = Istari (Wizard) | character_race = Ainur | character_culture = Maiar of ManwÃ« and Varda | character_gender = Male | character_realm = Middle-earth, Valinor| character_sub_realm = | character_lifespan = Immortal. In Middle-earth: ca. 1000 Third Age T.A. – 25 January 3019 T.A. and 14 February 3019 T.A. – 29 September 3021 T.A. | character_weapon = Glamdring and a magical staff | character_actor = Sir Ian McKellen | }} |} '''Gandalf''' is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy epic, ''The Lord of the Rings''. As a pre-eminent, ancient mage, Gandalf takes a leading role in the War of the Ring. He elicits the fell nature of the One Ring, establishes the Fellowship of the Ring, and confronts dreadful foes on his numerous journeys. Gandalf's wisdom and mystical powers are rivalled only by other Maiar in Tolkien's universe, Middle-earth. In this mythical world, Gandalf is a warm friend to several Hobbits and Dwarves, and is respected and welcomed by Shire folk and Elves. However, he is often held in suspicion by Men, and is an enemy to Orcs and other servants of Sauron. Along with Merlin (wizard) Merlin, he is often considered the archetype archetypal wizard in Western fiction. {{spoiler}}

Biography

Origin
Gandalf is the best-known of the Maiar of the people of Valinor. He was known as '''OlÃ³rin''' who dwelt in the gardens of Irmo and was the pupil of Nienna. When the Valar decided to send the order of the Wizards (Middle-earth) Wizards to Middle-earth, OlÃ³rin was proposed by ManwÃ«, in order to counsel and assist all those in Middle-earth who opposed Sauron. He is said to be one of the wisest of that order, rivalling Saruman, with whom he had a strained, competitive relationship. Upon his arrival in Middle Earth at the Grey Havens, the Shipwright CÃrdan seems to sense this, and entrusts Gandalf with the Narya, the Ring of Fire â€” one of the three Three Rings Great Rings of the Elves.

Pre-War of the Ring
Since 2941 Third Age T.A., Gandalf appears to the Hobbits of the Shire (Middle-earth) Shire, where he spent a great deal of time, as little more than a vain, fussy old conjurer who entertained children with fireworks during festivals and parties. He appears as an old man with a white beard, a grey cloak and a large, pointed blue hat. Gandalf reveals (partially) his true nature and power to Bilbo Baggins, when he arranges and accompanies (part way) a band of thirteen Dwarves (Middle-earth) Dwarves to regain the Dwarvish treasure of the Lonely Mountain that was stolen many years before by the Dragons (Middle-earth) dragon, Smaug. It is on this quest that Gandalf finds his sword, ''Glamdring'', and that Bilbo finds the One Ring (though at the time it is mistaken for a lesser ring). 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 vanishes — once to scout their path, the second time to "attend to other pressing business", the nature of which he refuses to discuss. Some years before, he had encountered ThrÃ¡in II, father of the quest's leader, Thorin Oakenshield, dying in Dol Guldur, and the Dwarf king entrusted him with a map to Erebor. As Dol Guldur had once been one of Sauron's strongholds, Gandalf feared that Sauron's agents were at large again. He met Thorin years later and agreed to go on the quest as a way to investigate further. He insisted, however, on bringing Bilbo along as a "burglar", someone who could sneak into places Dwarves couldn't access and gather information. When Bilbo finds the One Ring, Gandalf is immediately suspicious of the Hobbit's story of how he acquired it. He privately confronts Bilbo and forces the truth out of him, and is deeply troubled by his story of the ring's powers, as they seem eerily familiar. Perhaps even more troubling to him is that Bilbo, a proper, honorable hobbit, would uncharacteristically lie about his story. He disappears when the company reaches Mirkwood, and does not reappear again until the Battle of Five Armies breaks out. After the battle, he accompanies Bilbo back to the Shire. Gandalf spends from 2941 to 3001 travelling Middle Earth in search of information on Sauron's resurgence and Bilbo's mysterious ring. He spends as much time as he can in the Shire, however, strengthening his friendship with Bilbo and befriending Bilbo's heir, Frodo Baggins Frodo. It is also at about this time that he first begins to be suspicious of Saruman. In 3001, he attends Bilbo's "Eleventy-First" (111th) birthday party, bringing many fireworks and a giant flying firework 'dragon', indicating his knowledge of chemistry as well as magic. At the end of the party Bilbo puts on the ring and disappears at the end of his speech, as a prank on his neighbors. Troubled by this, Gandalf confronts his old friend and tries to persuade him to leave the ring to Frodo. Bilbo becomes hostile and accuses Gandalf of trying to steal the ring—which he calls "my precious," much as Gollum, the creature Bilbo had taken the ring from, had. Horrified, Gandalf stands to his full height and almost orders Bilbo to leave it behind. Bilbo returns to his senses, and admits that the Ring had been troubling him lately. He then leaves, the first bearer of the One Ring to have relinquished it voluntarily. Over the next seventeen years, Gandalf travels extensively, searching for answers. Having long sought for Gollum near Mordor, he meets with Aragorn, who had captured the creature, in Mirkwood. Gandalf interrogates the wretched creature and learns that Sauron had forced Gollum to tell what he knew about the ring under torture, adding to Gandalf's suspicions that Bilbo carried the One Ring.

War of the Ring
Image:Cover lotr green gandalf.jpg thumb|right|200px|Gandalf in the rain, from a book cover by [[John Howe]] Upon returning to the Shire, in Chapter 2 of ''The Fellowship of the Ring'', he confirms his suspicions by throwing the Ring into Frodo's hearth fire and reading the writing. He tells Frodo the full history of the Ring, urging him to leave with it and make for Rivendell, the home of the Elves, knowing he is in grave danger if he stays at home. Riding near the Shire, Gandalf encounters Radagast (Middle-earth) Radagast the Brown, who asks him to seek out Saruman because the NazgÃ»l have come forth and crossed the River Anduin. Gandalf leaves a note for Frodo with Butterbur, an inn-keeper in Bree (Middle-earth) Bree, and heads towards Isengard. Once there, he is betrayed and held captive by Saruman, who had already come under the influence of Sauron due to his use of the PalantÃr. Eventually rescued by Gwaihir the Eagle, Gandalf only reaches the Shire after Frodo has set out and does not meet up with him until Frodo reaches Rivendell on October 20. Taking leadership of the Fellowship (nine representatives of the free peoples of Middle-earth "set against the Nine Riders"), he and Aragorn lead the hobbits and their companions on an unsuccessful effort to cross Mount Caradhras in winter. Then they take the "dark and secret way" through the Mines of Moria (Middle-earth) Moria, where they meet an ancient demon, a Balrog, more commonly known as Durin's Bane, one of the Maiar corrupted by Melkor in the First Age. As they faced each other, Gandalf broke the Bridge in front of him, but as the Balrog fell it wrapped its whip around Gandalf's ankle, dragging him into the abyss. As the Company looked in horror, Gandalf cried "Fly, you fools!" and was gone. Neither he nor the Balrog was killed by the fall, and 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 it broke the mountain-side as it fell. Gandalf himself died following this ordeal and his body lay on the peak while his spirit travelled outside of Time. Gandalf was "sent back", resurrection resurrected by Eru IlÃºvatar Eru, returning as a more imposing figure, '''Gandalf the White'''. After being found by Gwaihir he was healed of his injuries and reclothed in white robes by Galadriel in Lorien. This is significant, for he has been sent back to replace the corrupt Saruman as the chief of the Wizards. In the book, he says that he has himself become what Saruman should have been. In Fangorn forest, he encounters the Three Walkers (Aragorn, Gimli (Middle-earth) Gimli, and Legolas) who were tracking Fellowship members (and Frodo's cousins) Meriadoc Brandybuck Merry and Peregrin Took Pippin. Arriving in Rohan, Gandalf finds that its king, ThÃ©oden, has been weakened by Saruman's agent, Grima Wormtongue. He breaks Wormtongue's hold over Theoden, and convinces the king to join them in fighting Sauron. They then go on to prosecute the war against Orthanc and Barad-dÃ»r. After the overthrow of Saruman, Gandalf breaks his staff and banishes him from the Order of Wizards. He then takes Pippin with him to Gondor to aide in the defense of the city. Gandalf buys the city precious time by facing off against the Witch-king of Angmar, the Lord of the NazgÃ»l, giving the Rohirrim enough time to reach the city during the Battle of Pelennor Fields. Gandalf leads the final battle against Sauron's forces at the Black Gate (Middle-earth) Black Gate, waging an all-out battle to distract the Dark Lord's attention away from Frodo and Samwise Gamgee Sam, who were at the very same moment scaling Mount Doom to destroy the Ring. Without his efforts, Sauron may well have learned where the two Hobbits were and killed them before they could complete their task. Three years later, Gandalf, now having spent over 2,000 years in Middle-Earth, departs with Frodo, Galadriel, Bilbo, and Elrond across the sea to the Undying Lands.

Portrayal in adaptations
Image:Mckellen gandalf ttt poster.jpg thumb|[[Ian McKellen|Sir Ian McKellen portrays '''Gandalf''' in Peter Jackson's ''The Lord of the Rings film trilogy The Lord of the Rings'' films.]] John Huston provided the voice of Gandalf in two animation animated television features by Rankin/Bass (''The Hobbit (1977 film) The Hobbit'' and ''The Return of the King (1980 film) The Return of the King''). In the 1978 in film 1978 animated film of ''The Lord of the Rings (1978 film) The Lord of the Rings'' by Ralph Bakshi, Gandalf was voiced by William Squire. (It's not known whether Squire played him in the live-action recordings used for rotoscoping.) In the BBC radio dramatisations, Heron Carvic played him in ''The Hobbit'' (1968) and Sir Michael Hordern played him in ''The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series) The Lord of the Rings'' (1981). Ian McKellen Sir Ian McKellen was Gandalf in the The Lord of the Rings film trilogy ''Lord of the Rings'' movie trilogy directed by Peter Jackson. Sean Connery was originally considered for the role of Gandalf, but turned it down because he didn't want to spend so long in New Zealand, where the film was shot. Patrick McGoohan was also offered the role but turned it down due to health reasons. McKellen's interpretation of the role was widely praised. He was nominated for an Academy Awards Academy Award for his portrayal of Gandalf in ''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (film) The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'', 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. McKellen noted that personally he preferred portraying Gandalf the Grey to Gandalf the White, as Gandalf the Grey required a more nuanced performance.

Names
*'''''OlÃ³rin''''', his name in Valinor and in very ancient times. "OlÃ³rin was my name in my youth in the West that is forgotten". It is Quenya, and its meaning is associated with dreams (perhaps "dreamer" or "of dreams"), from the root ''Ã“LOS''-. *'''''Mithrandir''''', his Sindarin name, used in Gondor, and meaning ''Grey Pilgrim''. *'''The White Rider''' (when mounted on the great horse Horses of Middle-earth#Shadowfax Shadowfax) *'''Stormcrow''' (a reference to his arrival being associated with times of trouble), often used by his detractors to mean he is a troublesome meddler in the affairs of others. *'''''IncÃ¡nus''''' (in the south), of unclear language and meaning. Tolkien several times changed his mind about it, varying between the Latin word Incanus meaning Grey, a possible Westron invention meaning Greymantle, an Elvish word ''Ind-cano'' meaning Mind Ruler, or even a form of Southron meaning "Spy of the North". *'''''Lathspell''''' by Grima Wormtongue who said "Lathspell I name you, Ill-news; and ill news is an ill guest they say." in "The Two Towers", "The King of the Golden Hall", p. 117. *'''''TharkÃ»n''''' (to the Dwarves), meaning probably Staff-man. *'''Gandalf Greyhame''' *'''Gandalf the Grey,''' and later '''Gandalf the White''' after he was reborn as the successor to Saruman. Within the Tolkien legendarium, "Gandalf" translates an unknown name of the meaning "Wand-Elf (alternatively cane/staff)" in old northern Mannish. Most denizens of Middle-earth incorrectly assumed Gandalf was a Men (Middle-earth) Man (human), although he was really a Maia spirit (approximately equivalent to an angel). However, a less common misconception that occurred during the beginning of his career in Middle-earth was that for someone to be Immortality immortal and use as much magic (paranormal) magic as he did, he must have been an Elf. Although it soon became apparent to all that he couldn't be an Elf, as he was old and Elves don't generally age, the nickname stuck with him. He later gave it as his name to others he met who didn't know its original meaning.

Trivia
*The Old Norse language Old Norse name "''Gandalfr''" appears in the Norse dwarves list of dwarves in the ''VÃ¶luspÃ¡'' of the Poetic Edda Elder Edda. Tolkien explained that Old Norse was a ''translation'' of the language of Dale (Middle-earth) 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: Tolkien states that he thinks of Gandalf as an ''"Odinic wanderer"'' in a letter of 1946 (''Letters'' no. 107). Gandalf is also similar to VÃ¤inÃ¤mÃ¶inen, a magician in Finnish mythology. *Tolkien had a postcard labelled ''Der Berggeist'' ("the mountain spirit"), 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 white fawn is nuzzling his upturned hands.

References
*Manfred Zimmerman, ''The Origin of Gandalf and Josef Madlener'', Mythlore 34 (1983). *''The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien'', 1st Hough edition, 2000. J. R. R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (Editor), ISBN 0618056998

External links
{{Middle-earth portal}}
- Gandalf on the ''Lord of the Rings'' Wiki
- Gandalf at The Thain's Book
- Gandalf at the Encyclopedia of Arda
- Gandalf at TheOneRing.net {{ainur}}{{Fellowship}} Category:Middle-earth Maiar Category:Fictional magicians Category:fictional smokers bg:Ð“Ð°Ð½Ð´Ð°Ð»Ñ„ bs:Gandalf ca:GÃ ndalf da:Gandalf de:Figuren aus Mittelerde#Gandalf eo:Gandalf es:Gandalf fi:Gandalf fr:Gandalf he:×’× ×“×?×œ×£ it:Gandalf ja:ã‚¬ãƒ³ãƒ€ãƒ«ãƒ• nl:Gandalf no:Gandalv pl:Gandalf (czarodziej) pt:Gandalf ru:Ð“Ñ?Ð½Ð´Ð°Ð»ÑŒÑ„ sl:Gandalf sv:Gandalf th:à¹?à¸?à¸™à¸”à¸±à¸¥à¹Œà¸Ÿ tr:Gandalf zh:ç”˜é?“å¤«

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