Human stature

Gandalf

Gandalf is a fictional character that appears in the novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, written by J. R. R. Tolkien. In these stories, Gandalf appears as an archetypal wizard taking a key role in the latter book's War of the Ring. 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

Humphrey Carpenter in his 1977 biography relates that Tolkien owned a postcard entitled Der Berggeist ("the mountain spirit"), and on the paper cover in which he kept it, he wrote "the origin of Gandalf". 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. Manfred Zimmerman, however, discovered that the painting was by German artist Josef Madlener and dates to the mid–1920s. 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. 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.

When writing The Hobbit in the early 1930s Tolkien gave the name Gandalf to the leader of the dwarves, the character later called Thorin. 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. He came to regret his decision, calling it a "rabble of eddaic-named dwarves, … invented in an idle hour".

The wizard that was to become Gandalf was originally named Bladorthin. Tolkien later assigned this name to an ancient king who had ordered some spears from the dwarves. 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". Hence Gandalf means roughly "magic–elf/being" or wizard. 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 or the other wizards.

Tolkien refers to Gandalf as an 'angel incarnate' in a letter of 1954. 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.

In a letter of 1946 Tolkien stated that he thought of Gandalf as an "Odinic wanderer". 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.

Characteristics

Tolkien discusses the characteristics of Gandalf in his essay on the Istari, which appears in the work Unfinished Tales. 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". 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. Tolkien explicitly links Gandalf to the element Fire later in the same essay:

Biography

Valinor

As recounted in the "Valaquenta", Gandalf was one of the Maiar of Valinor. 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 to be excused as he feared he lacked the strength to face Sauron.

Middle-earth

Gandalf was the last of the Istari 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 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.

Gandalf's relationship with Saruman, the head of the Order, was strained. 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 White Council

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 of Dol Guldur was not a Nazgûl but Sauron himself. He went to Dol Guldur (in ) to discover the truth, but the Necromancer withdrew before him. The Necromancer returned to Dol Guldur with greater force in , and the White Council was formed in response (). 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 "at great peril" and learned that the Necromancer was indeed Sauron returned. (This is when Gandalf found Thráin the Dwarf imprisoned in Dol Guldur and recovered the map and key to Erebor before Thráin died.) The following year 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.

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.

The Quest of Erebor

"The Quest of Erebor" in Unfinished Tales elaborates upon the story behind The Hobbit. It 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 so the quest was born.

In ,, 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. 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. It was on this Quest of Erebor 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).

After escaping from the Misty Mountains pursued by Orcs and Wargs, the party was carried to safety by the Great Eagles. Gandalf then devised a clever plan to convince the king of the Beornings, Beorn — who did not like uninvited guests or dwarves — to house and provision the company for the trip through Mirkwood.

Gandalf left the company before they entered Mirkwood, saying that he had pressing business to attend to. He turned up again, however, before the walls of Erebor disguised as an old man, 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. After the battle, Gandalf accompanied Bilbo back to the Shire, revealing at Rivendell what his pressing business had been: Gandalf had once again urged the Council to evict Sauron, since quite evidently Sauron did not require the Ring to continue to attract evil to Mirkwood. 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.

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. During this period he befriended Aragorn and first became suspicious of Saruman. 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. (Isildur, who earlier possessed the ring and was destroyed by it, had written that "it is precious to me"). 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. 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. This reinforced Gandalf's growing suspicion that Bilbo's ring was the One Ring.

Returning to the Shire, in , Gandalf confirmed his suspicions by throwing the Ring into Frodo's hearth fire and reading the writing that appeared on the Ring's surface. 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. Gandalf left a letter to Frodo (urging his immediate departure) with Barliman Butterbur at the inn in Bree, and headed towards Isengard. 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. Eventually Gandalf was rescued by Gwaihir the Eagle.

Gwaihir set Gandalf down in Rohan, where Gandalf appealed to King Théoden for a horse. Théoden, under the baleful influence of Gríma Wormtongue, Saruman's spy, told Gandalf to take any horse he pleased, but to leave quickly. 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. Gandalf pursued the horse for two days 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. 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. 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.

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 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. At the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, Gandalf faced the Balrog to enable the others to escape.

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.

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. 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 during this ordeal, and his body lay on the peak while his spirit travelled outside of time.

Gandalf the White

Gandalf was "sent back 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. He travelled to Fangorn forest, where he encountered Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas (who were tracking Merry and Pippin).

They travelled to Rohan, where Gandalf found that Théoden had been further weakened by Wormtongue's influence. 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. 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. 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. 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.

Gandalf arrived in time to help order the defences of Minas Tirith. 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. Together with Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth, Gandalf led the defenders during the siege of the city. When the forces of Mordor finally broke the main gate, Gandalf alone on Shadowfax confronted the Witch-king of Angmar, Lord of the Nazgûl. 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. 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 (silver-steel) shirt and other items from the Hobbits' equipment. 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. 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 — 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.

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.
Gandalf Greyhame, Gandalf was his name in the North, meaning Elf with the Staff and Greyhame meaning Greycloak.
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.
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)".

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).
In Dungeons & Dragons Gandalf's demonstrated abilities were on par with a 5^th level Magic-user.
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.
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.

Sir Ian McKellen portrayed Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy directed by Peter Jackson. The make-up and costumes were based on designs by John Howe and Alan Lee. At the time he was cast, McKellen had never read any of Tolkien's works, but he quickly developed his knowledge of The Lord of the Rings and made his performance as close 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. On his personal web site, 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.

In Games Workshop's The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game, Gandalf has the highest Courage statistic (alongside Galadriel) and various magical abilities.

In the Battle of Five Armies (2005), also published by Games Workshop, Gandalf has the highest command value of any Good commanders.

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

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. At Chicago's Lifeline Theatre, Gandalf was played by Charles Picard in The Two Towers (1999).