In Middle-earth, there was a wraith-world or Unseen world where creatures like Ringwraiths had a distinctly different presence than that observable in the normal world. A member of the race of Men wielding apparent magical powers would be referred to as a sorcerer, whether for good or evil. Aragorn, played by Viggo Mortensen, is the heir to the throne of Gondor and is known for his use of the One Ring.
Despite the limitations, the Elves used these rings to aid them in the use of spells and magical craft, making them widely popular. Sauron, then known as “Lord of the Gifts” or Annatar, claimed he wished to use magic. The most powerful wizards in The Lord of the Rings are a fascinating group of characters who all find different uses for their magical abilities.
In The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf is one of only three characters to appear in all six films of both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies, the other two being Galadriel and Sauron. Most of the magic used in The Lord of the Rings is innate to the practitioner. Gandalf, Sauron, and Saruman are the main antagonists in the film trilogy, with each character having their own unique abilities.
Several races of Middle-earth are inherently able to work magic, including the godlike Ainur (including Wizards and Balrogs) and the powerful Maia (Sauron). Frodo and Sam were both capable of using magical weapons and artifacts given to them. Most characters in Middle Earth who have an affiliation with magic are not demons, but elves, wizards like Gandalf, and even Dwarven doors leading into the Mines of Moria have some connection to magic.
📹 Lord of the Rings Mythology Explained
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Did Dumbledore create any spells?
In the Harry Potter series, the Deluminator, introduced by Albert Dumbledore, is a notable magical spell that traps and returns light to lamps or candles. It also has other secret functions, such as helping Ron return to his true place in the Deathly Hallows. Lord Voldemort, another wizard, likely invented many spells, including the Horcrux protections and the Emerald Potion. However, the Unsupported Flight spell, exclusive to Voldemort in the books, shocked the Order of the Phoenix members.
Severus Snape, a skilled wizard, was known for his love for spells. After losing his best friend, Lily Evans, Snape took on the name Half-Blood Prince and documented his magical inventions in his Potions textbook. The most notorious spell was Sectumsempra, which Harry unwittingly used on Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, demonstrating his downward spiral into the Dark Arts. Inventing spells seemed to be a right of passage for the most skilled wizards in the series.
Did Harry cast any spells?
The film depicts the education of witches and wizards in the casting of spells at a magical academy. While Hermione, Ron, and Seamus Finnigan are depicted as capable of casting spells, Harry is not. The closest approximation of this occurs when Harry waves wand candidates around the Ollivanders wand shop. Snape’s initial interaction with Harry is a coded message, masked as a secret code of benevolence cloaked in a sarcastic reprimand.
Does Galadriel use magic?
Galadriel, the greatest of the Ñoldor, is known for her powerful magical powers, primarily derived from her Ring of Power, Nenya, or the Ring of Water. This Ring, created by Celebrimbor and the Gwaith-i-Mírdain of Eregion, was created in the Second Age for preservation, protection, and concealment from evil. Galadriel uses Nenya to protect Lórien from attack, but after the destruction of the One Ring in the Third Age, all Rings of Power lose their abilities.
In addition to her magical possessions, Galadriel possesses a magic mirror, a silver basin of water that grants visions of the past, present, and future. In “$! /$”, Galadriel shows Frodo Baggins the mirror, allowing him to see images of the Scouring of the Shire in the future.
Galadriel is also gifted with the gift of “ósanwe”, the ability to communicate through thoughts. She is one of the wisest and perceptive Elves, and her idea is to hide the Rings of Power from Sauron. Although she could wield the One Ring, she recognizes the danger and resists the temptation.
Is Galadriel an elf or witch?
Galadriel, a royal Elf of the Noldor and Teleri, was a leader during the rebellion of the Noldor and their flight from Valinor during the First Age. She was also close kin to King Ingwë of the Vanyar through her grandmother Indis. At the end of her stay in Middle-earth, she was joint ruler of Lothlórien with her husband, Celeborn, known as the Lady of Lórien, the Lady of the Galadhrim, the Lady of Light, or the Lady of the Golden Wood.
Tolkien described Galadriel as “the mightiest and fairest of all the Elves that remained in Middle-earth” and the “greatest of elven women”. Scholars liken her to a celestial lady of medieval allegory, a guide-figure like Dante’s Beatrice and the pearl-maiden in the 14th-century English poem Pearl.
Meanwhile, modern songwriters have created songs about Galadriel, with Tolkien’s Quenya poem ” Namárië” set to music by Donald Swann. Galadriel has appeared in both animated and live-action films and television, with Cate Blanchett playing her in Peter Jackson’s film series and Morfydd Clark playing her in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Does Arwen have magic?
Arwen, an elf with a natural large reserve of strong magic power, is capable of casting multiple spells without tiring out and regenerating lost magic power faster than other races. She has a natural affinity for cold and ice-based magic. Arwen’s signature spell is the snow cloak, which temporarily surrounds her in a snow wall and protects her from others. It also blocks enemy vision and allows her to escape.
Frost Bite is another spell Arwen can use, projecting a continuous stream of frost from her hand, slowing down enemies while injuring them. She is skilled enough with this spell to cast and use it for extended periods without losing any magic power. Icy Spear allows her to shoot a single ice spike with enough force and speed to pierce through metal.
Frost Rune is another spell Arwen can use, allowing her to shoot a single ice spike with enough force and speed to pierce through metal.
Do dwarves use magic in LOTR?
The races of Middle-earth, including dwarves, men, hobbits, and orcs, are devoid of intrinsic power and are thus incapable of performing magical effects. However, there are exceptions to this rule, such as Men of Elven descent, exemplified by Elros, the brother of Elrond, who is regarded as half-elven.
Are there spells in Lord of the Rings?
Magical beings, including the Wizards and Sauron, were present in Arda during their lives. Wizards like Gandalf and Saruman could cast spells that induced various effects through language, symbols, or materials. Magic items and constructions, such as the Doors of Durin in Khazad-dûm, are examples of magical constructions. The ithildin and its response to a password are supernatural and magical. Moon-letters were discovered by Elrond on Thorin’s map of the Lonely Mountain, revealing the method of opening the Side-door.
In The Hobbit, Thranduil uses “magic doors” to guard his palace, making it nearly impossible for anyone to enter or exit against his will. The trolls Tom, Bert, and William lived in a cavern blocked by a large rock with powerful magic, which even Gandalf failed to open despite using multiple spells.
Did Galadriel use magic?
Galadriel, the greatest of the Ñoldor, is known for her powerful magical powers, primarily derived from her Ring of Power, Nenya, or the Ring of Water. This Ring, created by Celebrimbor and the Gwaith-i-Mírdain of Eregion, was created in the Second Age for preservation, protection, and concealment from evil. Galadriel uses Nenya to protect Lórien from attack, but after the destruction of the One Ring in the Third Age, all Rings of Power lose their abilities.
In addition to her magical possessions, Galadriel possesses a magic mirror, a silver basin of water that grants visions of the past, present, and future. In “$! /$”, Galadriel shows Frodo Baggins the mirror, allowing him to see images of the Scouring of the Shire in the future.
Galadriel is also gifted with the gift of “ósanwe”, the ability to communicate through thoughts. She is one of the wisest and perceptive Elves, and her idea is to hide the Rings of Power from Sauron. Although she could wield the One Ring, she recognizes the danger and resists the temptation.
Does Aragorn use magic?
In the 1954 letter draft, Tolkien emphasized the difference between the use of “magic” in The Lord of the Rings and “lore” or spells. He noted that magic is an inherent power not possessed or attainable by Men as such, and Aragorn’s healing might be considered a blend of magic, pharmacy, and hypnotic processes. However, Gandalf mentioned knowing every spell in all the tongues of Elves, Men, or Orcs used for such purposes.
Tolkien was uncertain on the total exclusion of Men from spellcasting, as they did not have the natural skill to weave their own spirit into things or ideas. He also asked if the Númenóreans used “spells” in making swords. In a later work, the Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth, the Tale of Adanel, the strongest and cruellest of the fallen Men who worshipped Morgoth were given “gifts” and “knowledge that they kept secret” which made them “powerful and proud”, and with their new power, they enslaved the other Men. In this later text, men could be given artefacts or taught lore, but magic remained a noninherent trait.
Who uses magic in LOTR?
Middle-earth is a world with a diverse range of races, including the godlike Ainur, immortal Elves, Dragons, and Dwarves. Men and Hobbits, though not directly able to work magic, could use magical artefacts made by others, such as Númenorean swords and the Phial of Galadriel. The One Ring, made by the Dark Lord Sauron, is the most powerful. Tolkien believed a magical cosmology was necessary to counter modernity’s war against mystery and magic. Magic, the use of power to dominate others, is considered evil and associated with technology.
Enchantment, on the other hand, is the opposite, as Frodo experiences it in the Elvish realms of Rivendell and Lothlórien. However, this can be a trap, as the Elves must let their Rings and realms fade, just as the Fellowship of the Ring must let the One Ring go, corrupting the wearer’s mind to evil. Middle-earth is described as both natural and supernatural, with magical powers shared by many races and a variety of magical artefacts.
Can Galadriel use magic?
Galadriel, the greatest of the Ñoldor, is known for her powerful magical powers, primarily derived from her Ring of Power, Nenya, or the Ring of Water. This Ring, created by Celebrimbor and the Gwaith-i-Mírdain of Eregion, was created in the Second Age for preservation, protection, and concealment from evil. Galadriel uses Nenya to protect Lórien from attack, but after the destruction of the One Ring in the Third Age, all Rings of Power lose their abilities.
In addition to her magical possessions, Galadriel possesses a magic mirror, a silver basin of water that grants visions of the past, present, and future. In “$! /$”, Galadriel shows Frodo Baggins the mirror, allowing him to see images of the Scouring of the Shire in the future.
Galadriel is also gifted with the gift of “ósanwe”, the ability to communicate through thoughts. She is one of the wisest and perceptive Elves, and her idea is to hide the Rings of Power from Sauron. Although she could wield the One Ring, she recognizes the danger and resists the temptation.
📹 The Powers of the Istari (Wizards) | Tolkien Explained
We’ll highlight not only how the wizards were bound to their physical bodies, but also the instances where we get glimpses of their …
Two thoughts, one minor correction and one clarification on a fascinating point. One: Melkor did not create dragons and trolls as part of the world through his music as you suggested, but they were created as desecrations of preexisting creatures after he became Morgoth, the Dark Enemy. The trolls were corruptions of ents, as orcs were of elves (if you are confused as to how a troll could be related to a talking tree, Tolkien described the ents less like vaguely humanoid sentient trees, as they are often depicted, and more like large humanoids with many tree-ish aspects of their appearance, such as gangly, knobby proportions, odd numbers of digits and thick, tough hides among them), while the dragons were created much later than any of the other races after many years of genetic engineering. Two: The fundamental difference in the nature of elves and humans was only vaguely hinted at in the article, but it is an incredibly deep topic. Elves were born of the earth itself, given life by Illuvitar but a part of the world from which they sprang. Their souls are a part of the song that wove the nature of reality itself and their souls and bodies are one, both belonging to the earth, so that they linger on with it forever, their souls remaining even when they are killed of unnatural causes (as you said, their power in the world fades with time, forcing them to leave or dwindle and fade, but they do not leave physical reality, going to the undying lands in Valinor somewhere in space after its separation from the earth.
Here’s a couple of extra facts that people might find interesting. Even though Sauron generally gets a fiery vibe, what with the red eye and the cracks of doom, Morgoth (called Melkor here) actually had a cold domain. He was responsible for making the dragons, but also… Snow! Yeah, odd right? Eru explains that even if Melkor tries to mess up his creation, it will all turn out as Eru intended in the end. The Dwarves even though they weren’t made directly by Eru, did get their sentience from him. After being created by Aule as essentially biological automotons, Eru “adopted” them as his children as well and gave them proper souls. The reason that Sauron is especially powerful is that Melkor poured too much of his own power into him. That’s how Melkor tended to sway Maiar to his side. Being a very high ranking lieutenant, Sauron got a lot of Melkors power. It’s partly because of this giving away power stuff that led to Melkors defeat.
I very much appreciate this condensation of so much of Tolkien’s rich material into such a comprehensive and concise article! As a Tolkien scholar I do have two minor suggestions, one of which is very easily fixable the other more an interesting topic of discussion. The easily fixed error is the spelling of Saruman’s name which in the article was spelled “Sauruman” (clearly echoing Sauron, but Tolkien as an exacting philologist would have pointed out the different linguistic roots of the names to show that the exact spelling is quite important. The “saur” of “Sauron” means “abhorrent” or “abominable” in the Elvish language Quenya, while Saruman translates as “man of skill.” I’m sure Gandalf would have suspected Saruman from the beginning if his chosen name meant “abhorrent”! The other issue is around the creation of creatures. In Tolkien’s cosmology only Eru, also called Ilúvatar can bestow sentient life and free will upon other beings through what is called the Secret Fire or the Imperishable Flame that resides only in Eru. So while Aulë made the physical bodies of the Dwarves and Yavanna the forms of the Ents, only Eru can give them free life. This is why Melkor (later Morgoth) did not make Orcs or Trolls but corrupted the sentient beings of Elves and Ents. Balrogs and dragons are both spiritually Maiar corrupted by Morgoth but not made by him, as the article mentioned in reference to Balrogs. I just wanted to bring this up because it was important for Tolkien to differentiate the divine act of creation from what he called sub-creation—or the creativity we are each bestowed with under God that is an inherent human desire.
To be exact, Tolkien later rejected the idea that Melkor created Orcs by mutilating Elves. He had several ideas as to how they could’ve been brought about, but was not happy with any of them, so there’s really no confirmed story for their origins. The story presented in the Silmarillion is there by Christopher Tolkien’s choice simply because he thought there has to be one, even if it’s a discarded one.
I kinda like the idea that Hobbits are the unexpected result of an unexpected harmony of the songs that created the 3 other major races. Think about it; They have the pointed ears, and nature affinity of the elves, live underground and are short like the dwarves, and are mortal and get stuff done like the humans. But they were unintended, so when they just kinda showed up all the angels were like “WTF? Who made you?” Never realizing that they’d done it without realizing, or as Bob Ross or your parents would say, “Just a happy little accident.”
Love the article, but one little inaccuracy threw me off a wee bit. Dwarves were not created in cooperation with Iluvatar. Aule became impatient while waiting for the coming of the “Children of Iluvatar” (men and elves) and so secretly created a race of his own: the dwarves. He could not, however, find out how to give them free will, and as a result they were bound to the will of Aule. Of course, Aule couldn’t keep them a secret from Iluvatar (basically God), who became enraged by this and almost destroyed Aule’s creations. But as he was about to smite them he was moved by their pleas for pity, spared them, and bestowed the gift of independence on them. They became known as the “adopted children” of Iluvatar, but were put to sleep deep beneath the mountains until the coming of the elves in Arda.
Just finished reading the Silmarillion. It’s the most powerful book I’ve read so far, and made me willing of going deeper and deeper into Arda and Middle Earth’s mythology. In my opinion it’s way more fascinating than LotR and TH, because they did not manage to give birth to the astonishment the Silmarillion gave me. Moral? READ IT, everybody! 😀
From the Silmarillion: “No theme may be played which has not its innermost source in me, nor may any alter the music in my despite. For he that attempteth this shall but prove mine own instrument in the devising of things more wondrous, which he himself hath not even imagined.” -Eru Iluvatar The best quote from Tolkien’s best book.
Since this mythology has a lot of similarities to Christianity, I’m guessing that there is an afterlife for all of these races. Which means that having a shorter life was actually a pretty good gift cuz it meant they got to be with their god(I forgot his name already) a lot sooner than the other races.
I have always loved that, in the Silmarillion, the origin of evil was pride, and its first fruit was the destruction of harmony. This resonates very strongly with many people’s sense of morality, I think. As Gandalf put it, in the beginning, not even the Dark Lord was evil. Of course, he meant Sauron when he said this, but I think this holds true for Melkor as well. The parallels between Melkor and Lucifer are obvious, but I strongly deny allegations that Tolkien intended a Christian allegory by this. It’s simply a storytelling necessity when you have a benevolent god and you wind up with a world full of suffering – at some point you’ve gotta write a rebellious angel or demigod into the story.
Sauron started out as a Maiar of the Valar Aule, the smith god of the Tolkien universe, who also created the Dwarves. Which explains why he had such a knack for creating artefacts of enormous power. He betrayed the Valar, switched sides, became Melkor’s/Morgoth’s lieutenant and later Middle Earth’s new dark lord. It’s really strange that Sauron and Gandalf/Olórin were both Maiar, but their difference in power seemed to be worlds apart. Gandalf almost died fighting a low level Maiar/Balrog while Sauron almost conquered Middle Earth.
My understanding was, and anyone correct me if I’m wrong, no evil things could be ‘created’. All of creation went through Eru and Eru was purely good. So anything evil in the world (Middle Earth) was simply twisted versions of what was once good (Elves -> Orcs and Ents -> Trolls). This is why Melkor’s work was blasphemous.
You misspelled Saruman. Dwarves actually are on a level with the Children of Illuvatar though, since they were specially granted free will by him. They otherwise could not have ever done anything that was not specifically willed by Aule. One alternate theory of the origin of the Orcs (Tolkien himself was never definitive about it) is that Melkor made them in the same way but was forced to grant them — not exactly free will per se, but at least a measure of autonomy — by infusing a portion of his own substance into them. Which is why, among other reasons, he was much reduced by the time of the exile of the Noldor. And it also explains why they simply dropped everything and ran at the end of LotR as soon as Sauron’s driving will was removed. Yavanna didn’t exactly create the Ents. It was said that her desire for some sort of protection for her larger immobile creations summoned new spirits into the world for that purpose. Tolkien never really gets around to saying anything more about them, which (like the Hobbits) is kind of a seam showing in his integrating the world of The Hobbit with his original myths. The two were never really intended to go together.
Dwarves were basically the adopted Children of Iluvatar, which is one the reasons why Elves and Dwarves don’t get along, although that intensified with the dispute over the White Gems of Lasgalen, to which Tolkien never answers as to which side was in the right or wrong. Anyway, Elves view Dwarves as beings that weren’t apart of Eru Iluvatar’s plan. It’s sort of like a rivalry between a couple’s trueborn child and their adopted child.
I have a human paladin in WoW named Nienna, and one of my hunter pets (a dragonhawk) I named Valaraukar, which is the elvish (I think) name for the Balrogs. I also have ab orc warlock named Valaraukar too. XD I also had a fish named Morgoth. Plus I have my Middle Earth map on the wall next to my bed. ^_^ I love The Silmarillion. It’s so amazing and beautiful, and I hope it’s never ruined by the media like The Hobbit was.
Hey, this is easily one of if not your best article ever. But, he made one mistake. Note that I don’t want to be that one guy who points out every single little detail but I just want to clear a minute incorrect statement. The Ents were not made by Yavana but were actually made by Eru himself. Yavava was worried that the dwarves would plow down all the trees(that you got correct) but instead of her making the ents she goes to eru and asks him to make a species that would protect the trees and be distant from the others. He takes pity and makes the Ents. Again. This is an amazing article and you did an amazing job writing, researching, and creating this but for everybody else who is here I just wanted to make a correction.
Within the context of how middle earth works, mortality really is kind of a gift. Men, while individually corruptable, are not tied to the fate of middle earth in the same way the other races are because of their unique life cycle. This is why Gandalf tells Elrond that they must place their hope in men for the future, despite their past failings.
The Elves were actually growing to envy Men’s mortality. Why? Well, imagine that you have lived, in The Silmarillion’s wonderful phrase, “Ten Thousand Centuries.” You look back on your life, and what do you see? Near continuous loss and sorrow. You’ve lost everything you’ve grown to love or care about, with the possible exception of your family. Every house you’ve built has long since burned down or rotted. Every garden you’ve planted has long since been choked with weeds. If you’re an artist, every painting or sculpture has been ruined. Every country you’ve fought for has crumbled away or been conquered.Now you try imagining what your life will be like for the next “Ten Thousand Centuries” and due to the nature of Time (see Gollum’s riddle in “The Hobbit”) and the world, you know it will be just more of the same.Looked at that way, the idea of Death as a gift makes a lot of sense.
There are different types of hobbits. Some around Bree have interbred a bit with men and tend to enjoy their company more. Others are a bit related to dwarves and are the only type that can grow beards. Finally some (like Frodo for example) are closer to the elves. They are the tallest of the hobbits and the most in tune with nature.
Sad to see so many people doing their best to find problems instead of enjoying Tolkien’s vast and wonderful world. What puzzles me is that most people who are hating don’t seem to have actually read the books or even have a decent understanding of them. So it’s all assumption and ignorance. Which is not only sad, but stupid.
2:40 is wrong. – According to the Silmarillion, the Gift Ilúvatar gave men was freedom, not mortality. Rather, he had to give them short lives because their ‘free’ hearts constantly decided to turn to evil. “…for it seems to the Elves that Men resemble Melkor most of all the Ainur… It is one with this gift of freedom that the children of Men dwell only a short space in the world alive, and are not bound to it, and depart soon whither the Elves know not.” (Quenta Silmarillion last two paragraphs). Your article is funny and all, but be true to Tolkien, please.
Berta Lovejoy You are a troll. For two reasons. 1. You attack a fictional fantasy story that has nothing to do with inequality in any form (especially since eowyn, a woman, kills one of the most powerful and dreadful enemies in the story, the witch king (a man) through virtue of simply being a brave woman) 2. By viewing your profile pic, I’d say you could pass for a cave troll in the movies. Did you play the troll in the mines of moria in the fellowship of the ring? I can see the resemblence
Honestly, leaving the only origin story of hobbits as “related to men” is such a rockstar move. Like, you’re cruising along creating the most comprehensive and well-crafted fictional universe of all time and you get to the race of the main characters of your story and then you just say… “related to men.” What a mic drop. Awesome.
I refuse to read the Lord of The Rings books or watch any of the movies because i’ve been told that no females were part of the fabled Fellowship of the Ring. Assuming that males and females were created equally in Tolkien’s universe, wouldn’t it make sense that they bring along some females to help out on the dangerous voyage? It’s a good thing that modern day authors like Suzanne Collins exist to write the “Hunger Games” saga. Took long enough for a series to come along with a strong independant female as the protagonist. Berta Lovejoy, Feminist, Promoter Of Equality, Love, and Peace.
While I love this, I do wish the article had touched on what Men being “mortal” actually means. Because they’re tied to the world, Elves (and Dwarves) don’t actually leave it when they die. Their souls just get transported to a physical location, called the Halls of Mandos, which are bigger on the inside, located in Aman, the Undying Lands in the far West ruled by the Valar. Basically, to oversimplify it in a silly way, it’s like a stationary TARDIS cafeteria populated by dead people. Men’s souls, on the other hand, are not bound to the world and its fate. What this means is not entirely clear, since no one, besides maybe Eru Iluvatar, knows where they go. Hobbits are even less certain. It’s my opinion though that since they’re generally more in tune with nature than their “Big People” counterparts, that they also have a place in Mandos. Ditto the Ents, though they’d probably be more comfortable hanging with Yavanna. Maybe they’d be reunited with the Entwives…
Note: Of the silmarillion, that article sums up about 10% of it. Also note that IN the Silmarilion, the whole bending destiny to their will is the real “Gift of Men,” but mortality is a side effect of it, because having immortal beings that can fiddle around with destiny would be absolute chaos very quickly.
Discounting Tolkien’s writing because it was a bit racist is like discounting Aristotle’s science/philosophy because he thought the Earth was the center of the universe. Tolkien, like Aristotle (and like all of us) was a product of his time. He grew up in the same time period that tried to use evolution to prove that white people were superior to all other races. I’m not saying that we should glorify any inherent racism of the stories! But I am saying we can read the tale for what it is as a singularly masterful work of fantasy literature while being aware of the context from which the author was writing and where society has moved since then. also, as a point of interest, I find it overlooked in all these vitriolic comments that two of the main characters in LOTR are made all the more special by the fact that they overcome centuries of racial divide to become companions for life. Pretty progressive if you ask me!
LOL this comment section is such a troll fest! Let’s just set the record straight and be done with it. To all the feminists: The reason Tolkien didn’t put that many independent women in his novels is because feminism wasn’t a thing in the mid 1900’s, nor were independent females. He didn’t leave them out entirely though, we have Arwen and Eowen, But hell, Eowen took down the damn Witch King in both the books and the films, a feat which no man was able to do. You would think that such a nod to the other sex would be received graciously by you girls, but once again you prove that feminists can never be satisfied no matter what. To people complaining about racism: Middle Earth is based off of an ancient Europe. That being said, there were no black people in ancient Europe, so historically speaking you shouldn’t be asking for their inclusion. There are some middle eastern people though, on the borders of Mordor, the Haradrim and the Soldiers of Rhun, so yeah…not racist, just geographically, racially, and historically accurate. Tolkien didn’t hate black people, just didn’t think of putting him in his story. Offended? No one cares. To the atheists: These Tolkien-created-a-religion-better-then-Christianity comments are so ignorant and dumb. “The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work…unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision. That is why I have not put in, or have cut out, practically all references to anything like “religion”, to cults or practices, in the Imaginary world.
Actually… if you read The Silmarilion… you will see dwarves were created by 1 Valar without permission of Iluvatar (hidden in a cave). Ilúvatar was angry but he forbidden the Valar, because he made it trying to make something good. Dwarves were not created with the participation of Ilúvatar… this article is wrong. I don’t need to earn likes, but like it so everyone can see it.
3:16 Its worth noting that the reason why Melkior couldn’t create his own creatures was not due to a lack of ability, but due to a lack of genuine creative desire. He is described as having the powers of all the other Valar, meaning in theory he could do anything that they could. However, whereas other Valar created out of the joy of creation, Melkior created only to aggrandize himself, to have slaves. This made him incapable of true creation, and rather he could only corrupt and dominate what others had created. Its a running theme in LOTR that mighty beings lose their powers upon becoming evil. This also happens with Saruman. Also, even the other Valar could only create sentient beings if Iluvatar assisted them, because he reserved for himself the power to create sentient life. Melkior could never get such assistance, since he was acting in evil.
Im so happy i never seen any of the movies. I finished reading The Hobbit, and i just got to chapter 1 of book 4 of LOTR – The Taming Of Smeagol Only taken me like 2 months to get this far lol. Its pretty long. But ive got some tips for anyone who wants to start Tolkien’s Lore. First, if its possible, to read the book before perusal any of the movies. I highly suggest not perusal them until youve atleast finished the hobbit and LOTR, without spoiling it for yourself, if its not too late. dont skip The Hobbit, thats a huge injustice. Obviously it should be read in order of publication (for the most part). Also another suggestion is to buy the books in seperate series. Although i love the look of my giant single volume. After reading, and handling, the spine of the single volume book will be stretched and flimsy, and ive handled my copy with care. It might be a good idea to get a seperate map too. The map is very important to imaging the world of middle earth properly, and its a hassle to constantly flip to the back of the book. There is a really cool app that runs kinda like google maps of middle earth. It even has the paths of each of the characters.
One reason that comes to mind when I hear that “Men” are the favourite creations of Illuvitar is that magic is fading away from Middle Earth. As the Valar (by choice), Maiyar, elves, etc are bound to the world by magic, they too are to fade away with time. Species like Ents are already near extinction and most of the elves prefer to migrate away as well. The gift of mortality might just be in the sense they can take root in new places faster and can adapt to the changes.
From an imaginative and phycological standpoint, Sort of experiencing something fundamental in, kind of human experience. It is a big idea that captures the imagination, that really taps into something important in the human psyche, connects with people’s souls. That’s why I think it is not just something that was popular at a particular period of time with a particular group of people but continue s to touch generation after generation.
This combined with some googling on the wiki is very helpful for piecing things together. So Gandalf and the Balrog (Balrogs?) are both maiar, which is why he and the balrog “Durin’s Bane” (title more than a name) were on similar footing during that scene in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Even though they were made by completely different valar? Not sure about their origins, which seems to be the case for the wiki too. And Gandalf, being the human form of Olórin, was one of the istari, which is just a fancy name for five specific maiar who took the form of old men to help stop Sauron the first time? Hoo, I’m gonna forget all of this. It’s the fancy names that does it.
There is very, very subtle inference in some of the extended backstory that Hobbits effectively began as human-dwarf “half-dwarves”, eventually establishing themselves in a kind of middle ground between the two. Underground, but not too deep; reclusive, but not guarded; greedy, but only sofar as food (and impressing the neighbours). Of course, this kind of undermines the Hobbits’ narrative function of being actual relatable humans in a world where “Men” have divinely-appointed kings and magic swords, which is why Tolkien never really went anywhere with it.
I kind of wish the upcoming Amazon series would have set itself in the East following the Blue Wizards, along the lines that they were doing their part, somehow crucial, to defeat Sauron in the 3rd age. Maybe start seven years before the end of the age, include appearances from familiar characters from time to time without contracting the books or the spirit/philosophy behind the books, that sort of thing. 🤷♂️
Great vid. Men where given the gift of death because the world was mortal. The elves were created without melkor in mind and so were immortal but melkor introduce death into the world, meaning that elves are immortal in a mortal world. When creating men eur had this in mind and so made them mortal. Also human souls aren’t tided to arda (the world) and won’t perish in the end times
Rather than thinking of the Ainur as higher and lower Choirs of Angels, it always made more sense to me to think Creator>Valar (major Gods)>Maiar (minor Gods)>everything else, but then I suppose I’m looking at it from a traditional fantasy perspective (many fantasy fictions have lots of Gods running around), rather than an Abrahamic monotheistic model.
Pretty big mistake here. Only Erú can truly create, and there are only two broad classes of beings: the Children of Illúvatar (both original and adopted; looking at you Dwarves), and the Ainur. All intelligent creatures in Tolkien’s universe belong to one of these two groups, and that includes Dragons, Giants, etc (which are all fallen Maiar).
Great article…but one thing: The Elves of Middle Earth, were not lazy…just too wise to get involved in the worldly issues of the more immature species sometimes warring with one another. But when it was time to honor their allegiance to mankind to fight against evil, they did remembering they were needed to help to fight the spreading darkness before their own ascension.
I think the hobbits not having a lot of information is done on purpose In a way, they are supposed to be the ultimate wildcard, with nobody really knowing what their deal is now. like, they are “lazy” (more like, simply vastly prefer the comfy/”good life”) yet when they set their mind to it, they can have grand destinies, as is shown by the main character of both the journey to Smaug and the journey to return the ring to mordor both having hobbits in their “lead” role
I consider the Ainur as Lower Gods and the Maiar as Angels because the Ainur are masters of things like how Poseidon is God of the Sea and like how HE is God of the Forging and blacksmithing. And the Ainur are angels because they can actually go to earth or in this case middle earth or the mortal part of the universe.
Little is written about Hobbits because Hobbits were made up for The Hobbit, which was rather loosely based on Tolkien’s cosmology. He wrote most of his stuff for his own amusement and that of his friends, and never intended it for publication. The Hobbit was his first attempt to write something marketable. After the fact he had to fit them into the whole scheme, which he summed up by simply saying that “the world is full of strange creatures” and suggesting that nobody ever paid much attention to the Hobbits, but they’d been around the whole time. The movie put pointy ears on them AND the Elves, which was a mistake because it falsely suggested a kinship between them. The books nowhere mention “pointy ears” on anyone, much less Hobbits. That bugged me. But it’s hard to represent Elves since there are no Elves to audition. Something had to set them apart visually. In the books you definitely know you’re talking to an Elf simply because they’re an Elf. You “feel” it more than anything else. Hobbits, of course, are tiny (between 2 and 4 feet high at adulthood, usually trending toward the shorter end of that scale) and they have furry feet. But they’re “humans” nevertheless. THEY don’t think so, but they are. They also live longer than average humans, though not by a lot. About 20 years or so. A hundred is the new eighty.
This is very inspirational for my own fantasy world. I am drawing ideas from Asian, Polynesian, Indigenous, and African religions such as; Shintoism, Zen Buddhism, Shamanism, bear worship, traditional, Taoism, Hinduism, etc. World building is such an exciting, but intimidating, process. I’m going to do my best to give every group their dues so I have a lot of research to look forward to. 😊💖
I personally think that maybe the Hobbits are a mix breed of men and dwarves, how that would’ve happened? I dunno, same reason (I can’t remember any of their names) fat Dwarf fell in love with Hot and brute-ish (More brut-ish than that of an elf or a female, other than Celebrimor, of course, but he’s a diffrent story) Female Murr.
This article killed the origin story of the fantasy writing project I’m on. I am copyright infringing without realizing, and I mean hard. – Nine gods sang the universe into being – Eight of the nine filled the world with life to the amusement of the king among them – Man was intentionally made with a disconnect from their creator(s) (basically Melkor created man) – King of the gods takes offense at man’s disloyalty and makes OP flying molten fire spewing lizards with no free will to purge the world of all life unless the other seven intelligent organisms can do so first under the guiding hands of their individual masters who each want to gain leverage/favor over one another. It isn’t exact, or specific a synopsis of the origin, but it is far too similar for my taste.
The Valar are rather imbalanced in power and responsibility. There are just five who created most of the important stuff: One created air, one created water, one created and shaped the earth, one created all life, and one created the sun, moon and stars (after the original giant light-trees of the world were destroyed). There are a few others that created more intangible stuff, such as the elven afterlife, dreams, etc. There are some who are mighty warriors who fought valiantly in the wars against Melkior, but didn’t really create anything. And then there is Nessa, who doesn’t seem to have ever done anything important, nor to have any special power other than running fast. Apparently she wasn’t even classified as a Valar in earlier versions, so its possible Tolkien included her just to give Tulkas a valar wife.
Pretty sure only the ainur who went to arda are divided into valar and maiar and there are many more who stuck around with Illuvatar And Dragons were not made my singing. Glaurung wad an experiment when they were all already down on arda The dwarves were made against illuvatars will by aule, but he showed mercy and gifted them with the touch of the flame of life. And the ents were not made by yavannah, she saw aule make the dwarves, panicked and asked Illuvatar to make something to protect her plants. Not bad, but I’ve seen you do better.
Orcs never were Elves. Tolkien said that the most canon correct way Melkor breed them was from some minor Orc-shaped Maiars, mixed with some animals. Just like the Balrogs took demonic and terrorific shapes, according to their inmense level of power they had. The resulting creatures, named Orcs or Goblins, got their sort of intelligence from their divine ancestors. But they were mixed once and again so many times, with so many other creatures, that orcs didn’t developed own will, they were always attached to Melkor’s will, also because he gave them some of his power, so they can grow, agrupate, and hate men and Elves even if he isn’t there to command them. They’re basically intelligent animals, they have the language Melkor gave them, but they just repeat words after words as a recorder does. They can’t achieve abstract thought, or doubt the will of their dark lord. They aren’t Elves, they won’t have the Elven destiny, they don’t have Maiar blood anymore, so they can’t use magic. And of course, they don’t came from mud and magic like in the movies.
I like this, but there was a mistake with Gandalf being you low-level angel and being equal to a balrog is incorrect. Bell rugs are not being held back from their full potential whereas the istari like Gandalf are being held back from their full potential not even knowing who they truly are at times their true identity and how powerful they really are before they took this rule to help Middle Earth. This bit of information makes a huge difference
Interestingly, when CGP says that Men have the Gift of Mortality, he means that literally. Elves literally cannot die. Their physical form in ME can be destroyed, but then they are immediately sent to Valinor to wait in the halls of Mandos for reincarnation. They won’t die until the entire world does.
I always loved that Olorin/Gandalf was considered the wisest of the Maiar, and he was the one who didn’t want to go. He was afraid of Sauron, and unsure of his abilities. In the end though, it was his wisdom and tempered nature that allowed him to reject the allure of power, and allowed him to guide the forces of Good to victory. He was the one Istari who completed the quest that they were sent forth to perform. I don’t think there will ever be another writer quite like Tolkien.
There is and interview with Mckellen and Lee, where they talk about how they played their characters, and what’s the approach to playing a character who isn’t human. They both show excellent understanding of the differences between Gandalf and Saurman. Ian says he plays Gandalf as mostly human. He accepts his human like form that gets weary and has many of the limitations of a physical body. Lee theorized that Saruman resents his physical form, that such a powerful entity should have to endure mortal limitations and interact with lesser beings. So he decided to play him with a more inhuman air. It was truly perfect casting for Ian to get Gandalf and Christopher (who wanted Gandalf) to be told you’d make a better Saruman. Plus with what we know about the power of the ‘Voice of Saruman’ I can’t think of a better voice for pulling that off.
the fire metaphors in the legendarium are so interesting. on the one hand, fire is associated with light, warmth, and creation. on the other it’s associated with terror and destruction. it’s associated with Eru (the “secret fire”) but also with Sauron. the ring is created and destroyed by fire. the balrog and Gandalf use the opposing sides of fire magic against each other. fire lights the beacons between Gondor and Rohan; but fire also nearly kills Faramir. the great eye is wrapped in flame–but the stars Sam sees in the sky that bring him hope are also great balls of flame. fire is power itself, and it can be good or bad based on who wields it and how they treat it.
One of my favorite things about LotR is how when Tolkien reaches his creative limits (wide limits indeed), he blends them so cleanly with the limits of the reader’s own knowledge. The Wizards’ abilities are a perfect example of this. They’re a shadowy mix of conventional “magic” and spell systems, chemistry, technology, and other “secret crafts” that our world just doesn’t have parallels for. What I’m saying is, even though Tolkien can’t really go into detail on things like that, which are just beyond our real-world understanding, he blends it so well with a tantalizing air of mystery that it’s almost satisfying in itself.
I imagine that Sauron might have taken a while to realize what the Wizards were, but after the did he probably wondered who they were specifically. When he got ahold of Saruman I imagine he was like “Ah Curumo! It’s been a while. You work for me now”. He never bothered with Radagast so much, but when Gandalf battled him with his mind, I wonder if he was “OLORIN? REALLY? You dare to face me student of Nienna?” and 10 seconds later he figured out that it was precisely Olorin who had been thwarting his plans all along.
I do wish there had been more of a showing of a “good” Saruman, to make his eventual fall actually feel more tragic, but then sources tell us he was bitter, and angry, practically from the beginning, when Cirdan gave Gandalf his ring, and Galadriel sought to give Gandalf leadership of the White Council. He might’ve been bad even in the east, before we knew anything of his actions, and we don’t really get scenes odmf his decency, even if marred by pride. It almost makes me wonder if Aule and Yavanna were actually a happy couple? He created Dwarves, and Yavanna, panicking for what these beings might do with axes, to stoke fires of hearth and forge, asked for Eru to create the Ents to protect her forests. Ayle chose Saruman, and even as he was then, Yavanna feared, and begged they take her Radagast with them. Granted, the Smith had a poor track record; he taught Sauron, and Sauron fell. He taught Feanor (alleged), and Feanor created the Silmarils, which then caused several conflicts, and he refused to part with to literally change the world. His knowledge went to Celebimbor, through Sauron, and we get the Rings of Power, which cause more conflicts. Had he not also made chains to bijd Morgoth, I might question everything he had a hand in, though I know he, at least, is not malevolent. I wonder why such a skilled craftsman couldn’t see the obvious flaws in his tool (Saruman), while even his own loving wife seemed concerned every time he made another new thing.
We are told explicitly in the first two chapters of the Silmarilion, that all the Ainur (no distinction other than “power level” actually sets Valar apart from Maiar) can clothe themselves in forms of their choosing. More importantly to this discussion, they can walk Arda UNCLAD. In this form, even the mightiest of the Noldor can’t detect their presence. I think it’s likely that Tolkien considered this in creating Radagast, and Iwendil was a master at moving about while remaining almost impossible to detect. Most people infer that Saruman killed Radagast, or had him killed, but I can’t find a passage that is even close to definitive on that subject. I think it possible that Radagast decided to do his best to protect his favourite ecosystems and members of them, and he just pieced out and tended to Mirkwood and or Fangorn. He may be visiting Bombadil, they’d probably find it easy to get along, but as fun an image as it is, there isn’t a hint of suggestion that he is off with Tom and Goldberry. However, the familiarity that Gandalf, Elrond, and (I think) Glorfindel speak of Bombadil with suggests that Radagast is very likely to know and be known by old Tom.
In Gnomish, one of Tolkien’s early conceptions of an Elven language, the word for “wizard” is curug (and “witch” is curus). An alternative word is thothweg, also translated as “wizard”. In The Hobbit, while no mention is made of an Order of Wizards, Gandalf tells Beorn that Radagast is his “cousin”. In the Unfinished Tales it is said that the wizards appeared in Middle-earth about 1000, but in The Peoples of Middle-earth a rough note by J.R.R. Tolkien said that the Blue Wizards (Alatar and Pallando, or Morinehtar and Rómestámo) came much earlier in the Second Age. Christopher Tolkien stated that much of the writings about the Istari are rapid jottings and often illegible.
A note on telepathy; it’s strongly implied that Elrond and Galadriel also have this ability. There are at least two passages I can remember directly referencing this ability. Each has their own talents in this regard, but there is a common thread in their abilities which ties to an interesting coincidence. It is interesting to note that the only references (as far as I recall) of such extensive telepathic abilities are only in regard to Elrond, Galadriel and Gandalf, the bearers of The Three. It does stand to reason that, given the nature of the Ring of Power, this is an ability the three rings focus and amplify in these three individuals as opposed to them simply possessing telepathy at this level of proficiency. I personally believe this to be the case. Of course, there are a couple of potential issues with this. One specific mentioned instance comes after the One Ring is destroyed. However, it is mentioned that The Three more faded than lost their power all at once. Plus, when the trio are engaging in their “mind speech” at this point, they are all in close proximity. The other potential issue is with Olorin being mentioned as inspiring the dreams and thoughts of the elves in the early days. While this is a form of telepathy, it’s not as refined or focused as what is mentioned the trio possessing. So it is possible that there is some innate ability among them that the rings are able to amplify and focus.
It is quite curious that for all modern high fantasy and D&D owe to Tolkien and his work, his style of magic is so very different from what we are used to now. Specially with D&D we see magic as a science of sorts, a thing to study, to classify, spells to be researched and then applied through formulas, artifacts developed with the precision of machines, schools of magic not unlike our colleges. And yet Tolkien would have none of that and might have even found the idea of it rather comical or even senseless… his magic is a thing of wonder and mystery, a thing of mind and soul. It would seem that for the Istari and the Eldar, the work of their arts and lore (which they emphatically do not refer to as magic), is as an act of the will upon the world, to manifest the ethereal into the physical through a mastery of the spirit, and knowledge of the world seen and unseen, well beyond the understanding of the younger races (readers included). That is why there can be no hard and clear rules, mechanisms and limitations, for such are the ways of the material plane, while their powers exist in another, and to try to understand it in terms more familiar to us is folly, instead one ought to just marvel at it and bask in the beauty of Tolkien’s work, a magic of its own.
Ive always been hesitant in perusal articles on Tolkien’s work. I feel like these kinds of articles are usually opinion based and people tend to interpret his work in all manners of ways. You have changed my mind. Your voice work, the dedication to detail, while actually pulling from the source material, and your disarming tone make these articles easy to digest. Subbed! Time to binge.
You left out one of Gandalf’s powers, although it may be more attributable to his ring. The power to give courage and heal the spirit. He not only does this with Theoden, but in Gondor during the siege. As Gandalf passes among the men of Gondor, he is able to counter (at least briefly) the effects of Sauron’s cloud of blackness.
Learning from this website that Saruman’s greatest power was his voice it just tickles my heart that Christopher Lee (RIP) got to play him. That man could read a Wendy’s receipt and send chills down your spine. I had read that he would’ve much preferred to play Gandalf, but he wasn’t physically capable of meeting the physical demands for the role due to his age, but I think they could never have found a better person to play Saruman and I can only imagine how much he contributed on set being such a fan of Tolkien, most notably the stabbing scene that I’m sure everyone perusal this article knows about.
Tolkien is more well known for his linguistics rather than his diction, and many readers find his writing dry. Then you read this. “Saruman, your staff is broken.”. That, to me, demonstrates the ability for straightforward prose to inspire and evoke fantasy. In a single line, Tolkien indelibly demarcated the wizard archetype: learned ones in tall towers possessed of secret knowledge, with staves to show both their office and their strength, who speak words of power. How absolutely magnificent of an ending for one of the top chapters of the whole six books.
I think another ability (that wasn’t mentioned I think) that can be safely counted among Gandalf’s powers is the ability to inspire hope and courage. Of course that’s not necessarily a supernatural ability, but those things are hard to nail down in the diffuse and ambiguous magic of middle earth. Also I really love that you didn’t try and force hard rules on Tolkien’s magic, I can’t stand it when people try to apply some hard framework to a soft magic system.
New listener to your website, this is good stuff, thanks man! I’m sure it’s come up on this website before, but the BBC radio drama does a great job of Gandalf and Saruman’s final interaction. You can get the audio book for the entire LOtR BBC radio drama on audible. Ian Holm plays Frodo, Bill Nighy plays Sam, Michael Horderns command presence as Gandalf is incredible.
Such a phenomenal website. Been binging your content for the last week or two. Your writing and narration are excellent, the editing flows very smoothly, and the art selection really brings it all to life. I read The Hobbit and LOTR when I was young, but never got into Tolkien’s other works, and learning all this expository information, it’s just really cool. Makes me wanna read The Silmarillion, which I almost tried years ago. Thanks for all your work.
Adding to the list: – Lightning spells. In The Hobbit Gandalf is awakened from his sleep by Bilbo and a flash of light and a loud bang later several of them drop dead. Perhaps more lightning magic like he uses against the Nazgul and Balrog? Those battles are described as flashes of lightning and the hobbits find burn marks at the battle side (Weathertop) later. – Fortitude and stamina. Gandalfs battle with the Balrog lasted several days and nights. That includes non-stop fighting and climbing the mountaintop all the way from the lake they fell in (from a great height which would kill a normal person). – Some kind of magic armor? Gandalf never wears armor despite being on several war battlefields. In the Hobbit an arrow gets stuck in his hat, yet he never feels the need to protect his body from stray arrows and is never hit. – Different disarming spells. In addition to Denethor, when Gimli, Aragorn and Legolas mistakenly attack Gandalf in Fangorn, Gimli’s axe becomes too heavy, Aragorns sword becomes to hot and Legolas arrow misses and bursts into flame. – Superhuman reflexes. Continuing on the above point, Legolas is capable of drawing his arrow faster than Eomer can blink. Yet Gandalf can protect himself against Legolas. – Whatever that light thing was he did against the Nazgul to rescue Faramir. – Presumabily all Maiar know Counterspell as was done by Durin’s Bane. People often talk about how Gandalf uses little magic. However he seems fairly consistent in choice of magic use to me: lightning spells against supernatural enemies (or if startled) and using his will to empower others during war (which we see Saruman and Sauron do as well).
After perusal the TV series, it made me want to watch both the cinematic trilogies. From The Hobbit : An unexpected Journey all the way to Lord of the rings : The Return of the King. And tbh at the end of it all I found myself wanting more and not satisfied enough. It just couldn’t end there, so I’m glad to say I have decided to engulf myself in the world of Tolkien. And have purchased the Four book set on Amazon. 😁 Can’t wait for the 31st of OCTOBER 🎉. Also want to thank websites like this, for making the decision that much easier and exciting. If there’s one positive the loyal fans of Tolkien can take away from this Amazon series, it’s that it is convincing people like me to read and enjoy the books. To further advance our knowledge of the world of Tolkien.
I have not heard the names of the blue wizards Alatar and Pallando since I was a teenager (c35 yrs ago) but I have continually used these two names when describing what the two missing Istari were to friends etc. They would give me that ‘wtf are you talking about fool’, look and I had started to think this was just something I had read in the many Rolemaster/MERP game modules I played with friends and that it was not original lore but something dreamt up to flesh out the world by ICE (Iron Crown Enterprises wrote/published the rolemaster game modules). Delighted to hear the full detail after so many years – all that is forgotten is not lost.
Saraman must have possessed the ability to shape-shift or, more than likely, cast illusions. At the edge of Fangorn Forest, Gimli sees an old bent man leaning on his staff and wrapped in a great cloak. The old man vanished when Gimli roused Legolas & Aragorn. Later, when the three meet Gandalf the White, Gimli asks if the old man was Gandalf. Gandalf denies it was him. Gandalf also tells Gimli that “Saraman could look like me in your eyes, if it suited his purpose with you.” Eomer also mentions “phantoms of Saraman” when meeting the three hunters, but this could simply be colorful speech.
I know soft-magic systems don’t fully define abilities, but if we had to I’d say the Istari abilities are: 1. Command: (ability to speak statements that immediately materialize as facts “your staff is broken”) 2. Telekinesis: (move objects with their minds (Saruman swinging Gandalf around)) 3. Telepathy: (Gandalf speaking to Frodo) (swerves into mind-control with Saruman, perhaps in conjunction with Command.) 4. Transformation: (Radagast, but Valar and Maiar generally have this ability) 5. Nature Control: (ability to break/manipulate rocks, expand fire, make lights, wind/storms, control animals) (I’d place Saruman’s snow avalanche here + Command speech) 6. Protective Barriers: (the spell in Moria, but also Gandalf’s shield when battling Durin’s Bane) 7. Premonitions: (having a connection to the future, knowing what will happen, at least in a vague sense.) (a bit like Galadriel but not as powerful) — I think these 7 powers covers most things? What did I miss?
I recently re-watched the cartoon Lord of the Rings classic and thought it would be fun to see how the War of the Ring played out if the role of Gandalf was swapped with a travelling blue wizard who heard news of one of their kind becoming corrupt (Saruman). Or how Saruman of Many Colours would appear in the live-action movies, haha!
Yet another wonderful vid my friend, thanks much! Like most fans, I’ve always been enamoured by the Istari and am blessed enough to have all of Tolkien’s literature (available) on them to peruse. I was disappointed by the childish treatment PJ provided Radagast however, I think he provided astounding depictions of Gandalf and Saruman, courtesy of the trust instilled in the two actors that no others could have bested in such iconic roles. The circumstance and fate of the two “Blue Wizards” is a tantalizing thought. We of course hope to think that in their own way, they prevented Sauron from converting many more of the East to his cause. Whether or not it cost them their ‘human’ lives, we’ll never know but I personally trust they stayed allied to the cause of the just and righteous. 🙂
I remember from reading the books that there’re no formalized spells cast by the istari. When gandalf lights the pinecones on fire to throw at the wargs, he does cry out in Sindarin (edit) but translated is ‘Fire be for saving us’. The movie depicts gandalf perform some kind of healing similarly on Frodo. In Tolkien’s system, magic is more like exertions of will or prayer.
Thank you so much for your website! I never read Tolkiens books, its not my genre and would take up more time than I can spend on that. But I do enjoy the movies, liked RoP, appreciate the whole new world Tolkien created. And lots of times I do like to know what the books add to a specific character or scene. My father loved Tolkien and sometimes I did call him just to ask something about the books to bring (more) sense to the movies. But my father died in 2018.. I “ate” my way through your articles 🙂 You answered so many questions I wanted to ask my father and you brought back childhood memories when my father read “The Hobbit” for me as a bedtime story. Thank you.
In the DnD campaign my friend set up for us, the 2 blue wizards turned…. Became the black, and the red… Built a massive army, swept across Rohan, and captured Minas Tirith… Their goal with the power they had built up…. To open the Doors of Night, releasing Morgoth upon Middle Earth… It was an amazing campaign, and I’m almost sad we were successful, cuz seeing the results of Morgoth being unleashed sounds pretty insane…
I was surprised that the only Wizard that ended up corrupted was the one send by Aule, given that his creation (the Dwarfs) were so resistent to Saurons corruption. But then i remenber that Sauron himself was also a Maiar of Aule, so i guess he made the dwarfs in a way that they will not fall like his Maiars did.
Very interesting and awesome article! The Istari are amazing! I saw another intriguing article on the subject which describes the powers/magic of the Istari being not about casting spells, but about speaking reality into existence through their connection to Eru. For example, when Gandalf says, “Saruman, your staff is broken,” he is not breaking Saruman’s staff, but revealing a truth/law of the universe, that the staff is now broken. This is similar to his statement of “you shall not/cannot pass” to the Balrog. The article explains it better, but it’s very interesting conception of magic to consider. Ah, I found it: youtu.be/O8c79z7tMg8
08:00 I just re-read the trilogy after about a 15 year break. Reminded me that as good as the movies were, they books were still so much better. Gandalfs depiction is one example, he describes himself as more powerful than any being unless he was in front of Sauron himself, fought off 5 of the Nazgul single handedly, and fearlessly faced down the Witch King (opposed to the movie!). Really embodies what you described as hiding power in order to guide people vs taking control through force.
What I’m curious about is this: do the colors of the wizards have an meaning for their powers/strength. To me it seams that Saruman though becoming “many colored” would enhance his power but backfired and Gandalf becoming ” the white” did increase his powers imensly. Along with his line “I am Saurman, rather Saruman as he should have been, to me implies the names they took as Istari were tied to their power as much as their identity and he had the company refer to him as Gandalf for their comprehension not because he was still Gandalf, if that makes sense.
I always imagine the powers of the Istari in the sense of miracles. Especially in the films it often seems the powers of gandalf are as much the clever use of circumstance and chance as they are magical. With the bridge of Khazad Dum, or the charge of the rohirhim at Helms Deep, or even the encounter with the Trolls, Gandalf exploits the situation to swing the balance into the favour of good. This also reflects when Saruman speaks to Caradras, to me he just knows to “shout very loudily” to cause an avalanche. I find this a much more satisfying form of magic, than the more traditional arcane magic.
My favorite interpretation of the magic system of Tolkien’s world is that it’s all music. The world was made by the song of the Ainur, who themselves were sung into existence by Eru himself. Elves, who are more deeply in tune with the song of the world, can seem magical to those who aren’t – most notably in Galadriel’s magic. The Istari, being Ainur themselves, are able to shift and manipulate the music, changing the fabric of reality itself. This also explains why Gandalf is hesitant to use his magic on Caradhras, because it would be like a beacon to those able to discern the world’s song, telling them “Gandalf was here”. Reality being a vast incomprehensible symphony is a key part of Tolkien’s works, and why song itself – such as in the battle between Finrod Felagund and Sauron – is shown to be powerful. Even Samwise Gamgee, in his most dire moment, sings in the tower, and Frodo is able to hear him from far away and answer. Music is magic!
This is one of the few moments where I can point to a fictional character and go “Literally me.” when it comes to Gandalf. When Bilbo gets angry at him, and he responds with “Do not take me for some conjurer of cheap tricks. I’m not trying to rob you, I’m trying to help you.” It’s a wonderful line that says so much. Honesty will absolutely cost you friendships in this life.
Hue means light. It means the light can touch and refelect of them/it making them/it; in this case the valar, physical entities the light can radiate off and not just spirtual in form. Its a beautiful way to describe a physical form, something with shape and hue. Spiritual entities described in this manner would be best put, I feel as an example “And the Valar weren’t cast in a physical form, but rather majestic to mortals, alas, even while being elevate and present, they are an illuminate shadow.” Or “And fleeing wounded, stripped of his physical form, he instead left as an illuminate shadow, weak and transparent, unreachable to mortals.”
1. Saruman the White – Pressure embodied from Gravity (Aule) 2. Alatar the Blue – Dark Energy embodied from Sound (Orome) 3. Pallando the Blue – Dark Matter embodied from Sound (Orome) 4. Radagast the Brown – Mutation embodied from Mass (Yavanna) 5. Gandalf the Grey – Plasma embodied from Matter (Manwe)
I think it’s assumed that they were for want of a better word “Hamstrung” when they initially arrived but when Gandalf defeated the Balrog and came back I’m of the opinion that Eru kinda allowed him to be at full strength if he wanted. Another thing I’ve often wondered about, as Balrogs are corrupted Maiar I wonder if they were unshackled by Morgoth and had access to their full capabilities at all times? Always loved that scene with Gandalf and Saruman at Orthanc.
I do not know about the blue wizards, but Radagast I suspect was sent by what was essentially the goddess of nature to protect nature as the war of the ring unfolded. You showed a picture of Radagast as you commented that some wizards may have forgot why they where on middle earth, and I think you may have done him a disservice. Over wall an excellent article.