Truly one of the most iconic and interesting characters in Tolkien's Middle-earth is Gandalf (who is perfectly portrayed by Ian McKellen in the movies in my humble opinion). Here are assorted excerpts concerning Gandalf from Unfinished Tales that make sense now that the Wizard has departed from Middle-earth. Indeed, of Sauron's overthrow the resistance mainly consisted of Men. Tolkien notes that the Elves were, by and large, not concerned to the point of action. "Galadriel, the greatest of the Eldar surviving in Middle-earth, was potent mainly in wisdom and goodness, as a director or counsellor in the struggle, unconquerable in resistance (especially of mind and spirit) but incapable of punitive action" (p. 395, Unfinished Tales).
To some degree she was akin to the Valar; concerned but not overtly active. Specifically Tolkien notes she is like Manwë. "Manwë, however, even after the Downfall of Númenor and the breaking of the old world, even in the Third Age when the Blessed Realm had been removed from the 'Circles of the World', was still not a mere observer. It is clearly from Valinor that the emmissaries came who were called the Istari (or Wizards), and among them Gandalf, who proved to be the director an coordinator both of attack and defence" (p. 395, Unfinished Tales). Gandalf did not fail as the other Istari did. Saruman's fall is well chronicled in the historical accounts of the Third Age. The two Blue Wizards never seemed to make an impact on Middle-earth and therefore it can be thought that they failed. Perhaps failure is not the appropriate term for Radagast but to say he was distracted from his mission by lesser things would be accurate.
Some, particularly when a shadow of evil arose later in the Kingdom, wondered if perhaps Gandalf was simply Manwë in disguise; but that was not true. "Manwë will not descend from the Mountain until the Dagor Dagorath, and the coming of the End, when Melkor returns. To the overthrow of Morgoth he sent his herald Eonwë. To the defeat of Sauron would he not then send some lesser (but mighty) spirit of the angelic people, one coeval and equal, doubtless, with Sauron in their beginnings, but not more?" (p. 395, Unfinished Tales). Perhaps the magnitude who Gandalf is will remain enshrouded mystery. Or perhaps better stated being the wandering Grey Wizard is enough; as the following poem illustrates. "Wilt thou learn the lore that was long secret of the Five that came from a far county? One only returned. Others never again under Men's dominion Middle-earth shall seek until Dagor Dagorath and the Doom cometh. How has thou heard it: the hidden counsel of the Lords of the West in the land of Aman? The long roads are lost that led thither, and to mortal Men Manwë speaks not. From the West-that-was a wind bore it to the sleeper's ear, in the silences under night-shadow, when news is brought from lands forgotten and lost ages over seas of years to the searching thought. Not all are forgotten by the Elder King. Sauron he saw as a slow menace..." (p. 395-396, Unfinished Tales).
Indeed, Gandalf came to Middle-earth around the same time as Sauron rose to power again. Though he is seldom mentioned in the annals of history of the Third Age. "Probably he wandered long (in various guises), engaged not in deeds and events but in exploring the hearts of Elves and Men who had been and might still be expected to be opposed to Sauron" (p. 397, Unfinished Tales). Though he wandered many places most of his time, and the focus of opposition to Sauron in the Third Age, was spent in the North and North-west of Middle-earth. This dated back to the days of resistance against Morgoth. "...that was so because the movement of Elves, and of Men afterwords escaping from Morgoth, had been inevitably westward, towards the Blessed Realm, and north-westward because at that point the shores of Middle-earth were nearest to Aman. Indeed this fact shows why Gandalf's chief allies were Elrond, Aragorn, and the Dúnedain.
The Hobbits also lived in this region of Middle-earth and they too caught Gandalf's eye. No other being in Middle-earth would have paid attention to the Little People. Perhaps in wisdom or foreknowledge Gandalf perceived just how important they would be. If nothing else Gandalf was drawn to those who seemed to have little worth. "Gondor attracted his attention less, for the same reason that made it more interesting to Saruman: it was the centre of knowledge and power" (p. 399, Unfinished Tales). How true in this world; we are often drawn to those that are perceived to have the most knowledge and power. Most of Gondor's rulers were too proud to listen to a wandering Wizard and it was only as the War of the Ring drew near that Gandalf became more concerned about this southern region.
Middle-earth timeline: Third Age, 1000-3021
Today's reading comes from: Unfinished Tales, pages 395-400
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