Character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Legendarium Name Gandalf Other names See Names and titles below Titles See Names and titles below Race Ainur Culture Maiar of Manwë and Varda Book(s) 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 character in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, where he appears as an archetypal wizard (though to a great extent that archetype originated with him), taking a key role in the latter book's War of the Ring. Tolkien's Legendarium (ISBN 0-313-30530-7 is a collection of scholarly essays edited by Verlyn Flieger and Carl F Concept and creation Humphrey Carpenter in his 1977 biography relates that Tolkien owned a Postcard entitled Der Berggeist ("the mountain A title is a prefix or suffix added to a person's name to signify either veneration an official position or a professional or academic qualification Concept and creation Humphrey Carpenter in his 1977 biography relates that Tolkien owned a Postcard entitled Der Berggeist ("the mountain This is a list of all animals that appear in J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth legendarium In J R R Tolkien 's Fantasy legendarium, the Ainur (singular Ainu) are spirits who are direct representatives of Eru Ilúvatar ( Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic The Maiar (singular Maia) are beings from J R R Tolkien 's Fantasy legendarium. Background Manwë was (with his brother Melkor ie Morgoth the greatest of the Ainur and the one that best understood the will of Eru. Varda Elentári is a fictional character in J R R Tolkien 's legendarium. The Hobbit or There and Back Again is an award-winning fantasy The Fellowship of the Ring is the first of three volumes of the epic novel The Lord of the Rings by the English author J The Two Towers is the second volume of J R R Tolkien 's High fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J R R The Silmarillion is a collection of J R R Tolkien 's mythopoeic works edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in Tolkien's Legendarium (ISBN 0-313-30530-7 is a collection of scholarly essays edited by Verlyn Flieger and Carl F The Hobbit or There and Back Again is an award-winning fantasy The Lord of the Rings is an epic An archetype ( pronounced: /ˈɑːkɪtaɪp/ (Brit or /ˈɑrkɪtaɪp/ (Amer In the fiction of J R R Tolkien, the Wizards of Middle-earth are a group of five beings outwardly resembling Men but possessing much greater physical In the fictional Fantasy -world of J R R Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth He is a member and later the head, after Saruman's betrayal and fall, of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West. Concept and creation Saruman first appears in 1954's The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of the Fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings In the fiction of J R R Tolkien, the Wizards of Middle-earth are a group of five beings outwardly resembling Men but possessing much greater physical The Fellowship of the Ring, or Company of the Ring, as described in the first volume of The Lord of the Rings, which bears the same name is

Contents 1 Concept and creation 2 Characteristics 3 Appearances 3.1 The Hobbit 3.2 The Lord of the Rings 3.2.1 The Fellowship of the Ring 3.2.2 The Two Towers 3.2.3 The Return of the King 3.3 The Silmarillion 3.4 Unfinished Tales 4 Names and titles 5 Adaptations 6 In popular culture 7 References 8 External links

Concept and creation

Humphrey Carpenter in his 1977 biography relates that Tolkien owned a postcard entitled Der Berggeist (German: "the mountain spirit"), and on the paper cover in which he kept it, he wrote "the origin of Gandalf". Humphrey William Bouverie Carpenter ( April 29 1946 – January 4 2005) was an English biographer, Author, and Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays A postcard or post card is a rectangular piece of thick Paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an Envelope and The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. 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 red cloak, and a white fawn is nuzzling his upturned hands.

Carpenter said that Tolkien recalled buying the postcard during his holiday in Switzerland in 1911. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Manfred Zimmerman,^[1] however, discovered that the painting was by German artist Josef Madlener and dates to the mid–1920s. Josef Madlener (1881&ndash1967 was a German artist and illustrator Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar Carpenter acknowledged that Tolkien was probably mistaken about the origin of the postcard.

The original painting was auctioned at Sotheby's in London on 12 July 2005 for 84,000 GBP. Sotheby's ( is the world's second oldest Auction house in continuous operation (the oldest being Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674 Events 1191 - Saladin 's garrison surrenders ending the two-year Siege of Acre. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency The previous owner had been given the painting by Madlener in the 1940s and recalled that Madlener said the mountains in the background were the Torri del Vaiolet, peaks of Dolomites. The Dolomites (Dolomiti Dolomiten Dolomitis are a section of the Alps. ^[1]

When writing The Hobbit in the early 1930s Tolkien gave the name Gandalf to the leader of the dwarves, the character later called Thorin. Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Characteristics Thorin is described as being very haughty stern and officious The name is taken from the same source as all the other Dwarf names (save Balin) in The Hobbit: the "Catalogue of Dwarves" in the Völuspá. Balin is a fictional character in J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium. Dvergar or Norse dwarves ( Old Norse dvergar, sing dvergr) are highly significant entities in Norse mythology, who associate Völuspá ( Prophecy of the Völva) is the first and best known poem of the Poetic Edda. He came to regret his decision, calling it a "rabble of eddaic-named dwarves, … invented in an idle hour". ^[2]

The wizard that was to become Gandalf was originally named Bladorthin. Georg von Rosen (1843-1923 was a Swedish painter known for his treatment of subjects from Swedish history and Norse mythology. Year 1843 ( MDCCCXLIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[3][4] Tolkien later assigned this name to an ancient king who had ordered some spears from the dwarves. ^[5] The Old Norse name Gandalfr incorporates the words gandr meaning both "wand" and (especially in compounds) "magic" and alfr meaning "elf" or in a wider sense "(mythological) being". Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age Magic, sometimes known as sorcery, is a Conceptual system that asserts human ability to control the natural world (including events objects people and An elf is a creature of Norse mythology. The elves were originally imagined as a race of minor nature and fertility gods, who are often pictured as youthful-seeming Hence Gandalf means roughly "magic–elf/being" or wizard (non human). This may have led Tolkien to transfer the name from the leader of the dwarves to the wizard.

Throughout the early drafts, and through to the first edition of The Hobbit Bladorthin/Gandalf is described as being a 'little old man', distinct from a dwarf, but not of the full human stature that would later be described in The Lord of the Rings. Even in The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf was not tall; shorter, for example, than Elrond^[6] or the other wizards. ^[7]

Tolkien refers to Gandalf as an 'angel incarnate' in a letter of 1954. An angel is a Spiritual Supernatural being found in many Religions Although the nature of angels and the tasks given to them vary from tradition to tradition Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) ^[8] In the same letter Tolkien states he was given the form of an old man in order to limit his powers on earth. Both in 1965 and 1971 Tolkien again refers to Gandalf as an angelic being. Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ^[9][10]

In a letter of 1946 Tolkien stated that he thought of Gandalf as an "Odinic wanderer". Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[11] Other commentators have also compared Gandalf to the Norse god Odin in his "Wanderer" guise – an old man with one eye, a long white beard, a wide brimmed hat, and a staff. Odin (ˈoʊdɪn from Old Norse Óðinn) is considered the chief god in Norse paganism. ^[12]

Characteristics

Tolkien discusses the characteristics of Gandalf in his essay on the Istari, which appears in the work Unfinished Tales. In the fiction of J R R Tolkien, the Wizards of Middle-earth are a group of five beings outwardly resembling Men but possessing much greater physical Unfinished Tales (full title Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth) is a collection of stories and essays by J He describes Gandalf as the last of the wizards to appear in Middle-earth, one who: "seemed the least, less tall than the others, and in looks more aged, grey-haired and grey-clad, and leaning on a staff". Middle-earth refers to the fictional lands where most of the stories of author J Yet the Elf Círdan who met him on arrival nevertheless considered him "the greatest spirit and the wisest" and gave him the elven Ring of power called Narya, the Ring of Fire, for his aid and comfort. In J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium, an Elf is an individual member of one of the races that inhabit the lands of Arda. The First Age Círdan may have been among the Elves who awoke at Cuiviénen, although Tolkien never explicitly states this anywhere The Three Rings of the Elves of Eregion are fictional magical artifacts in J Tolkien explicitly links Gandalf to the element Fire later in the same essay:

Warm and eager was his spirit (and it was enhanced by the ring Narya), for he was the Enemy of Sauron, opposing the fire that devours and wastes with the fire that kindles, and succours in wanhope and distress; but his joy, and his swift wrath, were veiled in garments grey as ash, so that only those that knew him well glimpsed the flame that was within. Fire has been an important part of many cultures and religions from pre-history to modern day and was vital to the development of civilization Sauron (ˈsaʊrɒn Quenya: /sawrɔn/ literal meaning "Abhorred") is the title character and the principal Antagonist of the Fantasy Merry he could be, and kindly to the young and simple, yet quick at times to sharp speech and the rebuking of folly; but he was not proud, and sought neither power nor praise. . . Mostly he journeyed unwearingly on foot, leaning on a staff, and so he was called among Men of the North Gandalf 'the Elf of the Wand'. The race of Men in J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth books such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, refers to For they deemed him (though in error) to be of Elven-kind, since he would at times work wonders among them, loving especially the beauty of fire; and yet such marvels he wrought mostly for mirth and delight, and desired not that any should hold him in awe or take his counsels out of fear. . . . Yet it is said that in the ending of the task for which he came he suffered greatly, and was slain, and being sent back from death for a brief while was clothed then in white, and became a radiant flame (yet veiled still save in great need).

Appearances

The Hobbit

In The Hobbit, Gandalf the Grey arranged (and frequently accompanied) a band of thirteen dwarves and the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins to reclaim from the dragon Smaug the Dwarves' lost treasure in Erebor. The Hobbit or There and Back Again is an award-winning fantasy Bilbo Baggins is the protagonist of The Hobbit and also makes an appearance in The Lord of the Rings, two of the most well-known of Smaug is a fictional dragon character in The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien. In J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth Legendarium, the Lonely Mountain ( Sindarin Erebor) is a Mountain in the northeast To the quest, Gandalf contributed a map and key to Erebor, which he had received from Thráin II while exploring the dungeons of the Necromancer. Thráin II is a fictional character in J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium. It was 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 thought to be a lesser ring). The following list of weapons and armour of Middle-earth includes all weaponry and Armour directly taken from J

After escaping from the Misty Mountains pursued by Orcs and Wargs, the party was carried to safety by the Great Eagles. In J R R Tolkien 's Fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains (also known by its Sindarin name of Hithaeglir Gandalf then devised a clever plan to convince Beorn — who did not like uninvited guests or dwarves — to house and provision the company for the trip through Mirkwood. Appearances Literature He lived with his animals (horses dogs and ponies among others in a wooden house between the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood

Gandalf left the company before they entered Mirkwood, saying that he had pressing business to attend to. But he turned up again, disguised as an old man, before the walls of Erebor, revealing himself when it seemed the Men of Esgaroth and the Elves of Mirkwood would fight Thorin and the Dwarves over Smaug's treasure. The Battle of the Five Armies ensued when hosts of Goblins and Wargs attacked all three parties. J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth fantasy writings include many wars and battles set in the lands of Aman, Beleriand, Númenor, and After the battle, Gandalf accompanied Bilbo back to the Shire, revealing at Rivendell what his pressing business had been: the White Council had attacked Dol Guldur and driven the Necromancer from Mirkwood.

The Lord of the Rings

The Fellowship of the Ring

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, spurred particularly by Bilbo's initial misleading story of how he had obtained it as a "present" from Gollum. The Fellowship of the Ring is the first of three volumes of the epic novel The Lord of the Rings by the English author J During this period he befriended Aragorn and first became suspicious of Saruman. Aragorn II is a fictional character from J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth Legendarium. He spent as much time as he could in the Shire, strengthening his friendship with Bilbo and Frodo, Bilbo's heir.

He returned to the Shire for Bilbo's "eleventy-first" (111th) birthday party, bringing many fireworks for the occasion. After Bilbo, as a prank on his guests, put on the Ring and disappeared, Gandalf strongly encouraged his old friend to leave the Ring to Frodo, as they had planned. Bilbo became hostile and accused Gandalf of trying to steal the Ring — which he called "my precious", much as Gollum, the previous owner of the Ring, had done. Character overview Originally known as Sméagol, this character was later named Gollum after his habit (Isildur, who earlier possessed the ring and was destroyed by it, had written that "it is precious to me"). Isildur is a fictional character in J R R Tolkien 's legendarium. ^[13] Alarmed, Gandalf impressed on Bilbo the foolishness of this accusation. Coming to his senses, Bilbo admitted that the Ring had been troubling him, and leaving it behind for Frodo, he departed for Rivendell. Rivendell ( Sindarin: Imladris) is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a Fictional realm created by J Though Bilbo would never be entirely free of the desire for the Ring, he was the first to give it up willingly.

Over the next seventeen years, Gandalf travelled extensively, searching for answers. With Aragorn he sought to find Gollum. Aragorn eventually succeeded, and Gandalf questioned Gollum, threatening him with fire when he proved unwilling to speak. Gandalf learned finally that Sauron had forced Gollum under torture in Barad-dûr to tell what he knew of the Ring. For the album by black metal band Summoning, see Lugburz. Barad-dûr ( Sindarin "Dark Tower" sometimes given This reinforced Gandalf's growing suspicion that Bilbo's ring was the One Ring.

Returning to the Shire, in T.A. 3018, Gandalf confirmed his suspicions by throwing the Ring into Frodo's hearth fire and reading the writing that appeared on the Ring's surface. The Third Age is a time period from J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth fantasy writings He told Frodo the full history of the Ring, and urged him to take the Ring to Rivendell; for he would be in grave danger if he stayed in the Shire. Gandalf said he would attempt to return for Frodo's fiftieth birthday party, in order to accompany him on the road thereafter; and that meanwhile Frodo should arrange to leave quietly, as the servants of Sauron would be searching for him.

Outside the Shire, Gandalf encountered Radagast the Brown, another of the Istari, who brought the news that the Nazgûl had ridden forth and crossed the River Anduin — and a request from Saruman that Gandalf come to Isengard. Literature Radagast like the other Wizards, came from Valinor around the year 1000 of the Third Age of Middle-earth and was one of the Maiar In J R R Tolkien 's fictional Middle-earth, Anduin is the Sindarin name for the Great River of Wilderland, the longest River Gandalf left a letter to Frodo (urging his immediate departure) with Barliman Butterbur at the inn in Bree, and headed towards Isengard. Barliman Butterbur is a Fictional character from J R R Tolkien 's epic Fantasy The Lord of the Rings. There Saruman revealed his true colours, urging Gandalf to help him obtain the Ring for his own use. Gandalf refused, and Saruman imprisoned him at the top of the tower of Orthanc. For the assault on Isengard by the Ents see Destruction of Isengard. Eventually Gandalf was rescued by Gwaihir the Eagle. In J R R Tolkien 's Fictional universe of Middle-earth, the eagles were immense flying Birds that were sapient and could speak

Gwaihir set Gandalf down in Rohan, where Gandalf appealed to King Théoden for a horse. Rohan, is a fictional realm in J R R Tolkien 's Fantasy era of Middle-earth. Early life Théoden was the only son of King Thengel and Morwen of Lossarnach (a region of Gondor) Théoden, under the baleful influence of Gríma Wormtongue, Saruman's spy, told Gandalf to take any horse he pleased, but to leave quickly. Gríma, called (the Wormtongue, is a fictional character in J It was then that Gandalf met the great horse Shadowfax, one of the mearas, who would be his mount and companion for most of the rest of the war. This is a list of all animals that appear in J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth legendarium This is a list of all animals that appear in J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth legendarium Gandalf pursued the horse for two days^[14] before Shadowfax permitted Gandalf to ride him. Gandalf then rode hard for the Shire, but did not reach it until Frodo had already set out. Knowing that Frodo and his companions would be heading for Rivendell, Gandalf began to make his own way there. He learned at Bree that the hobbits had fallen in with Aragorn. He faced the Nazgûl at Weathertop but escaped after an all-night battle, drawing four of them northward. In the fiction of J R R Tolkien, Weathertop ( Sindarin Amon Sûl, "Hill of Wind" is a significant Hill in the Eriador Frodo, Aragorn and company faced the remaining five on Weathertop a few nights later. Gandalf reached Rivendell just before 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. The Lord of the Rings is an epic He also revealed that Saruman had betrayed them and was in league with Sauron. When it was decided that the Ring had to be destroyed, Gandalf volunteered to accompany Frodo – now the Ringbearer – in his quest. He also persuaded Elrond to let Frodo's cousins Merry and Pippin join the Fellowship. Meriadoc Brandybuck, usually referred to as Merry, is a Fictional character from J Biography Pippin was the only hobbit who had not yet reached his 'coming of age' when the Fellowship set out (being eight years younger than Merry while Frodo himself was 50

Taking charge of the Fellowship (comprising nine representatives of the free peoples of Middle-earth, "set against the Nine Riders"), Gandalf and Aragorn led the Hobbits and their companions south. After an unsuccessful attempt to cross Mount Caradhras in winter, they crossed under the mountains through the Mines of Moria, though only Gimli the Dwarf was enthusiastic about that route. In the Fictional universe of J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth, Caradhras, also called the Redhorn (the literal English translation In the fiction of J R R Tolkien, Moria was the name given by the Eldar to what had once been an enormous underground complex in north-western Middle-earth In Moria, they discovered that the Dwarf colony established there earlier had been overrun by Orcs. The Fellowship fought with the Orcs and Trolls of Moria, but were no match against "Durin's Bane," a Balrog from ancient times. This article deals with J R R Tolkien's Balrogs For other uses see Balrog (disambiguation. At the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, Gandalf faced the Balrog to enable the others to escape. In the fiction of J R R Tolkien, Moria was the name given by the Eldar to what had once been an enormous underground complex in north-western Middle-earth

After a short exchange of blows, Gandalf broke the bridge beneath the Balrog with his staff. As the Balrog fell, it wrapped its whip around Gandalf's knees, dragging him into the abyss. As his friends looked on in horror, Gandalf fell into shadow, crying "Fly, you fools!" as he went.

The Two Towers

Neither Gandalf nor the Balrog was killed by the fall into the deep underground lake under Moria. Gandalf pursued the Balrog for eight days until they climbed to the peak of Zirakzigil. Minor places in Middle-earth#Place Name -->;Place name description1 Further description prefix with Here they fought for two days and nights. J R R Tolkien 's High fantasy book The Lord of the Rings concerns itself with among other things the War of the Ring, a war waged by the In the end, the Balrog was cast down and broke the mountainside with its fall. Gandalf himself died during this ordeal, and his body lay on the peak while his spirit travelled outside of time.

Gandalf was "sent back"^[15] as a significantly more powerful figure, Gandalf the White. Gwaihir carried him to Lórien, where he was healed of his injuries and re-clothed in white robes by Galadriel. In J R R Tolkien 's Fictional universe of Middle-earth, the eagles were immense flying Birds that were sapient and could speak In J R R Tolkien 's fiction Lothlórien is a Welsh -sounding name given to the fairest forest realm of the Elves remaining in Middle-earth He travelled to Fangorn forest, where he encountered Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas (who were tracking Merry and Pippin). Fangorn ( Sindarin:; "Beardtree") in JRR Tolkien's Legendarium, is a forest located in the fictional world of Middle-earth Aragorn II is a fictional character from J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth Legendarium. Character overview Gimli was a Dwarf of Durin's Folk who volunteered to accompany Frodo Baggins as a member of the Fellowship of the Ring Appearances Literature Legolas was the son of Thranduil, King of the Woodland Realm of Northern Mirkwood, who appears as "the Elvenking"

They travelled to Rohan, where Gandalf found that Théoden had been further weakened by Wormtongue's influence. Rohan, is a fictional realm in J R R Tolkien 's Fantasy era of Middle-earth. He broke Wormtongue's hold over Théoden, and convinced the king to join in the fight against Sauron. Gandalf then set off to gather Erkenbrand of the Westfold and his warriors to assist Théoden in the coming battle with Saruman. Gandalf arrived just in time to shatter Saruman's attack on Helm's Deep. Aglarond Aglarond and Angrenost (later Isengard) were the two fortresses built by Gondor guarding the Fords of Isen. After the ensuing battle, Gandalf and the king rode to Isengard, which in the interim had itself been attacked and conquered by Treebeard and the Ents, along with Merry and Pippin. The Battle of the Hornburg is a fictional Battle in J R R Tolkien 's novel The Lord of the Rings. Literature Spirits were sent by Eru Ilúvatar to inhabit the trees which the Vala Yavana had created along with other plants or olvars Ents are a fictional race of humanoid Trees from J R R Tolkien 's fantasy world of Middle-earth. Gandalf broke Saruman's staff and expelled him from the White Council and the Order of Wizards, and assumed Saruman's place as head of both. Wormtongue made an indecisive attempt to kill Gandalf or Saruman with the palantír of Orthanc, but missed both. A palantír is a magical artifact from J R R Tolkien 's Fantasy legendarium. Pippin retrieved the palantír, but Gandalf quickly appropriated it. After the group left Isengard, Pippin took the palantír from a sleeping Gandalf, looked into it, and came face to face with Sauron himself. Gandalf then took the chastened Pippin with him to Minas Tirith to keep the young Hobbit out of further trouble. This article is about the city in the Third Age. For the First Age tower of the same name see Minas Tirith (First Age.

The Return of the King

Gandalf arrived in time to help order the defences of Minas Tirith. This article is about the city in the Third Age. For the First Age tower of the same name see Minas Tirith (First Age. His presence was resented by Denethor, the Steward of Gondor; but after Denethor's son Faramir was gravely wounded in battle, Denethor sank into despair and madness. Appearances Literature As stated in the early chapters and the Appendices of The Return In J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth legendarium, Faramir is a Fictional character appearing in The Lord of the Rings. Together with Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth, Gandalf led the defenders during the siege of the city. Literature Imrahil son of Prince Adrahil II was born in year 2955 of the Third Age. Edhellond During the Second Age the region had a port used by Elves to return to their home in Valinor, in the land of Aman in the far west When the forces of Mordor finally broke the main gate, Gandalf alone on Shadowfax confronted the Witch-king of Angmar, Lord of the Nazgûl. In J R R Tolkien 's Fictional universe of Middle-earth, Mordor (from Sindarin Black Land and Quenya Land of Shadow Literature Within the context of Tolkien's Legendarium, the Witch-king was originally a great king of Men. But at that moment the Rohirrim arrived, compelling the Witch-king to withdraw 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.

Aragorn and Gandalf then led the final campaign against Sauron's forces at the Black Gate, in an effort to distract the Dark Lord's attention from Frodo and Samwise Gamgee, who were at the same moment scaling Mount Doom to destroy the Ring. There are many elements that show up throughout the fantasy genre in different guises Samwise Gamgee, later known as Samwise Gardner and commonly known as Sam, is a Fictional character in J In a parlay before the battle, Gandalf and the other leaders of the West met the Mouth of Sauron, who showed them Frodo's mithril (Dwarven metal) shirt and other items from the Hobbits' equipment. The Mouth of Sauron is a fictional character in J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth Legendarium. But Gandalf rejected Mordor's terms of surrender, and the forces of the West faced the full might of Sauron's armies, until the Ring was destroyed in Orodruin. Gandalf led the Eagles to rescue Frodo and Sam from the eruption of Orodruin.

After the war, Gandalf crowned Aragorn as King Elessar, and helped him find a sapling of the White Tree of Gondor. In J R R Tolkien 's Fantasy universe of Middle-earth, the White Tree of Gondor stood as a symbol of Gondor in the Court of the Fountain He accompanied the Hobbits back to the borders of the Shire, before leaving to visit Tom Bombadil. Three years later, Gandalf — who by now had spent about 2,000 years in Middle-earth^[14] — departed with Frodo, Bilbo, Galadriel, and Elrond across the sea to the Undying Lands. It was only then that his possession of a Ring of Power became generally known.

The Silmarillion

As recounted in the "Valaquenta", Gandalf was one of the Maiar of Valinor. The Maiar (singular Maia) are beings from J R R Tolkien 's Fantasy legendarium. Valinor (meaning Land of the Valar) is a Fictional location from J 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. The Valar (singular Vala) are characters in J R R Tolkien 's legendarium. Nienna is a Vala from J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth Legendarium.

In "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age", Tolkien fleshes out some of the history briefly tabulated by date in Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings. Gandalf early suspected that the Necromancer was not a Nazgûl but Sauron himself. He went to Dol Guldur (in T.A. 2063^[14]) to discover the truth, but the Necromancer withdrew before him. Dol Guldur ( Sindarin: "Hill of Sorcery" was Sauron 's stronghold in Mirkwood in the fictional world of J The Third Age is a time period from J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth fantasy writings The Necromancer returned to Dol Guldur with greater force in T.A. 2460^[14], and the White Council was formed in response (T.A. 2463^[14]). The Third Age is a time period from J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth fantasy writings The Third Age is a time period from J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth fantasy writings Galadriel had hoped Gandalf would lead the Council, but Gandalf demurred, declining to be bound by any but the Valar who sent him. Saruman was chosen instead, as being most knowledgeable about Sauron's work in the Second Age.

Gandalf returned to Dol Guldur in T.A. 2850^[14] "at great peril" and learned that the Necromancer was indeed Sauron returned. The Third Age is a time period from J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth fantasy writings (This is when Gandalf found Thráin the Dwarf imprisoned in Dol Guldur and recovered the map and key to Erebor before Thráin died. In J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth Legendarium, the Lonely Mountain ( Sindarin Erebor) is a Mountain in the northeast ^[14]) The following year^[14] the White Council was summoned, and Gandalf urged that Sauron be driven out. Saruman however reassured the Council that Sauron's evident desire to find the Ring would fail, as the Ring would long since have been carried by Anduin to the Sea; and the matter was allowed to rest. But at this time Saruman himself began actively seeking the Ring near the Gladden Fields where Isildur had been killed, not far from Dol Guldur.

In T.A. 2941,^[14] the year of Bilbo's adventure in The Hobbit, Gandalf again urged the Council to evict Sauron, since quite evidently Sauron did not require the Ring to continue to attract evil to Mirkwood. The Third Age is a time period from J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth fantasy writings Then, in an event only tantalizingly briefly described (in The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings), the Council "put forth its power" and drove Sauron from Dol Guldur. But Sauron had anticipated this and withdrew as a feint, only to reappear in Mordor.

Unfinished Tales

The chapter 'Istari', initially written as part of the Appendices of The Lord of the Rings, develops the history of Gandalf, and his place in Tolkien's wider fiction.

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. The Valar (singular Vala) are characters in J R R Tolkien 's legendarium. In the fiction of J R R Tolkien, the Wizards of Middle-earth are a group of five beings outwardly resembling Men but possessing much greater physical Middle-earth refers to the fictional lands where most of the stories of author J Sauron (ˈsaʊrɒn Quenya: /sawrɔn/ literal meaning "Abhorred") is the title character and the principal Antagonist of the Fantasy Background Manwë was (with his brother Melkor ie Morgoth the greatest of the Ainur and the one that best understood the will of Eru. Olórin initially begged to be excused as he feared he lacked the strength to face Sauron.

Gandalf's relationship with Saruman, the head of the Order, was strained. Concept and creation Saruman first appears in 1954's The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of the Fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings The Wizards were commanded to aid Men, Elves, and Dwarves, but only through counsel; it was forbidden to use force to dominate them – an injunction Saruman disregarded. The race of Men in J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth books such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, refers to In J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium, an Elf is an individual member of one of the races that inhabit the lands of Arda.

Gandalf was the last of the Istari to arrive in Middle-earth, landing in Mithlond. The Elven ports of Mithlond or the Grey Havens was an Elvish port on the Gulf of Lune in the northwest of J 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. The First Age Círdan may have been among the Elves who awoke at Cuiviénen, although Tolkien never explicitly states this anywhere The Three Rings of the Elves of Eregion are fictional magical artifacts in J Saruman learned of the gift and resented it. Gandalf hid the ring well, and it was not known (except apparently to 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. Character overview Elrond was Lord of Rivendell, one of the mighty rulers of old that remained in Middle-earth in its Third Age. Appearances Literature Stories of Galadriel's life prior to The Lord of the Rings are collected in the Unfinished Tales.

"The Quest of Erebor" in Unfinished Tales elaborates upon the story behind The Hobbit. Unfinished Tales (full title Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth) is a collection of stories and essays by J It tells of a chance meeting between Gandalf and Thorin Oakenshield, Thráin's son, in the inn of the Prancing Pony in Bree. Characteristics Thorin is described as being very haughty stern and officious Bree is a fictional town in J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth east of the Shire and south of Fornost Erain. 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. Rivendell ( Sindarin: Imladris) is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a Fictional realm created by J Thorin was also keen to regain his lost territory, and so the quest was born.

Names and titles

• Olórin, his name in Valinor and in very ancient times. Valinor (meaning Land of the Valar) is a Fictional location from J "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. Quenya 'kwɛɲa is one of the fictional languages spoken by the Elves (the Quendi, "those who speak with voices" because when Dreams are the images sounds thoughts and feelings experienced while Sleeping, particularly strongly associated with Rapid eye movement sleep.
• Mithrandir, his name in Tolkien's invented language of Sindarin, used in Gondor and by the Elves, meaning Grey Pilgrim. Sindarin is an Artificial language developed by J R R Tolkien. Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J R R Tolkien 's writings described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the
• Gandalf Greyhame, Gandalf was his name in the North, meaning Elf with the Staff and Greyhame meaning Greycloak. ^[16]
• 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 this several times, apparently trying to devise an appropriate Middle-earth origin for the Latin word incanus (meaning 'grey-haired') that was likely his source. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. ^[17]
• Tharkûn (to the Dwarves), probably meaning Staff-man.
• Greybeard to the peoples of Sauron.

Within the Tolkien legendarium, "Gandalf" translates an unknown name of the meaning "Wand-Elf (alternatively cane/staff)". Tolkien's Legendarium (ISBN 0-313-30530-7 is a collection of scholarly essays edited by Verlyn Flieger and Carl F

Adaptations

In the BBC radio dramatizations, 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). BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927 Norman Shelley ( February 16, 1903 – August 22, 1980) was an English actor best known for his work in radio in particular for the During 1955 and 1956 a condensed radio dramatisation of The Lord of the Rings was broadcast in twelve episodes on BBC Radio 's the Third Programme. Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Heron Carvic (died 9 February 1980) was a British Actor and Writer who provided the voice acting for Gandalf in the BBC Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Sir Michael Murray Hordern ( 3 October 1911 &ndash 2 May 1995) was an English Actor, knighted in 1983 for his services In 1981 the UK radio station BBC Radio 4 broadcast a dramatisation of J Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981

In Dungeons & Dragons Gandalf's demonstrated abilities were on par with a 5^th level Magic-user. Dungeons & Dragons (abbreviated as D&D or DnD) is a Fantasy Role-playing game (RPG originally designed by ^[18]

John Huston provided the voice of Gandalf in two animated television features by Rankin/Bass (The Hobbit and The Return of the King). John Marcellus Huston ( August 5 1906 &ndash August 28 1987) was an American Film director and Actor. The bouncing ball animation (below consists of these 6 frames Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic Rankin/Bass Productions Inc (formerly Videocraft International Ltd J R R Tolkien 's The Hobbit was adapted into an animated Television movie by Rankin/Bass Productions in 1977 The Return of the King is an animated adaptation of the novel by J

In the 1978 animated version of The Lord of the Rings by Ralph Bakshi, Gandalf was voiced by William Squire. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) JRR Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is a 1978 animated Fantasy film directed by Ralph Bakshi. Ralph Bakshi (born October 29 1938 is an American director of animated and occasionally live-action films William Squire ( 29 April 1916, Death - 3 May 1989) was a Welsh actor of film and television

Iron Crown Enterprises' Middle-earth Role Playing , which uses a percentile system, gives both Gandalf the White and the Grey all statistics as being around five points above or below 100, with the main difference being the Level attribute, which raises from 35 to 50, and subsequent raise in spell casting ability. Middle-earth Role Playing (MERP is a Role-playing game based on the writings of J ^[19]

Sir Ian McKellen portrayed Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy directed by Peter Jackson. Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE (born 25 May 1939 is an English stage and screen actor the The Lord of the Rings film trilogy consists of three Live action Fantasy Epic films The Fellowship of the Ring ( 2001 Peter Robert Jackson, CNZM (born 31 October 1961 is a three-time Academy Award -winning New Zealand director producer and writer best known for directing The make-up and costumes were based on designs by John Howe and Alan Lee. John Howe (born August 21, 1957 in Vancouver British Columbia, Canada) is a book Illustrator, living in Neuchatel, Alan Lee (born August 20, 1947) is an English book Illustrator and movie conceptual designer At the time he was cast, McKellen had never read any of Tolkien's works, but he quickly became an expert of The Lord of the Rings and also made his performance as similar to the original source as possible. For his performance in The Fellowship of the Ring, McKellen won a Saturn Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor and was also nominated for an Academy Award of the same category, making him the only individual cast member to be nominated. The Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring is a 2001 Fantasy film directed by Peter Jackson based on the similarly titled first The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in Science fiction, Fantasy The Screen Actors Guild Awards are an annual award given by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG to recognize outstanding performances by members "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. On his personal web site^[20], McKellen has said he would be delighted to reprise the role in The Hobbit and its sequel, should Peter Jackson be involved, which he is, as the executive producer. The Lord of the Rings film trilogy consists of three Live action Fantasy Epic films The Fellowship of the Ring ( 2001

In Games Workshop's The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game, Gandalf has the highest Courage statistic (alongside Galadriel) and various magical abilities. The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game or Lord of the Rings SBG rather than Lord of the Rings when The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game (abbreviated as LotR SBG often referred to by players as Lord of the Rings, is a tabletop miniature wargame produced Appearances Literature Stories of Galadriel's life prior to The Lord of the Rings are collected in the Unfinished Tales. ^[21]

In the Battle of Five Armies (2005), also published by Games Workshop, Gandalf has the highest command value of any Good commanders. J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth fantasy writings include many wars and battles set in the lands of Aman, Beleriand, Númenor, and Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Gandalf was portrayed by Brent Carver in the musical production of The Lord of the Rings, which opened in 2006 in Toronto. Brent Carver (born November 17, 1951, Cranbrook British Columbia) is a Canadian actor This article is about the theatrical productions For other uses see The Lord of the Rings (disambiguation. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario

Gandalf was portrayed by Tom Stiver in productions of The Two Towers (2002), and The Return of the King (2003) for Clear Stage Cincinnati in the United States. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Founded in 2003 Clear Stage Cincinnati is a professional theatre company in Cincinnati Ohio, United States, dedicated to developing and showcasing fresh new theatrical At Chicago's Lifeline Theatre, Gandalf was played by Charles Picard in The Two Towers (1999). Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Lifeline Theatre was founded in Chicago Illinois, United States, in 1983 by four Northwestern University graduates Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar)

In popular culture

• Gandalf the Grey and Gandalf the White are mentioned in Lemon Demon's song "Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny. Neil Stephen Cicierega (born August 23, 1986) is an American Comedian, Filmmaker and Musician. The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny, often shortened to Ultimate Showdown, is a comical song and video released on December 7 2005 "
• In the South Park episode "Imaginationland Episode II," Gandalf was among the ruling council at Castle Sunshine. South Park is an animated American television comedy series created and written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for Comedy Central " Imaginationland Episode II " or " The Drying of the Balls " (as it appears on DVD is episode 1111 (#164 of Comedy Central 's animated TV
• In the Doctor Who episode "The Sound Of Drums", the Master refers to the Doctor (whose appearance had been modified to that of an old man) as "Gandalf". Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. "The Sound of Drums" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who.
• The German power metal band Blind Guardian has a song, called "Gandalf's Rebirth". Power metal is a style of Heavy metal music combining characteristics of traditional metal with Thrash metal or Speed metal, often within Blind Guardian is a German heavy metal band which is often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in Power metal and Speed metal Also, in the song "Majesty" from the same album (Battalions of Fear) Gandalf is mentioned in the following lyrics: Running and hiding I'm left for the time/ To bring back the order of divine/ Hunted by goblins no Gandalf to help/ With swords in the night
• Progressive rock band Camel has a song called "Nimrodel - The Procession - The White Rider" in their album called Mirage. Battalions of Fear is the debut album by German metal band Blind Guardian. Progressive rock (often shortened to " progressive " " prog " or " prog rock " is a form of Rock music that evolved Camels are Even-toed ungulates within the Genus Camelus. The Dromedary, one-humped or Arabian camel has a single hump and the A mirage is a naturally-occurring Optical phenomenon, in which light rays are bent to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky In the song it talks about the journey he took with the fellowship of the ring as well as other various incidents. for example in the lyrics; "Once he were grey he fell and slipped away/ Everybody sighed/ The wizard of them all/ Came back from its hole/ This time wearing white" the incident refers to his confrontation with the balrog.
• There is a crust punk band from Oakland called Stormcrow. Crust punk (sometimes simply crust) is one of the evolutions of Anarcho-punk and Hardcore punk, mixed with distorted Extreme metal guitar
• In the popular TV show Family Guy, an episode titled "Petergeist" features Herbert, the elderly neighbourhood pedophile reenacting Gandalf's battle with the Balrog, which is replaced with a giant tree. Family Guy is an animated American television sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane that airs on Fox and regularly on other The term pedophilia or paedophilia has a range of definitions as found in Psychology, law enforcement and the popular vernacular This article deals with J R R Tolkien's Balrogs For other uses see Balrog (disambiguation.
• In a South Park spoof of the movie The Lord of the Rings, the character Eric Cartman plays the role of Gandalf the Grey. Eric Theodore Cartman,commonly referred to by his Family name, Cartman, is one of the four main Fictional characters in the animated series
• There was a Finnish melodic death metal band, called Gandalf.
• The Austrian New Age composer Heinz Strobl uses the nickname Gandalf. Gandalf (born Heinz Strobl, born 1952 is the name used by a New Age composer from Austria.

References

External links

• Gandalf at the Internet Movie Database
• Gandalf at the Tolkien Gateway

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

© 2009 citizendia.org; parts available under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License, from http://en.wikipedia.org
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic