[Subtitles have probably tons of mistakes]
In many modern fantasy stories and alike we
can see supernatural elements, like powerful magic, spells, curses and prophecies. The stories of the Hobbit and Lord of the
Rings definitely influenced modern works with the wise, long bearded old man, carrying a
staff and probably wearing a big pointy hat. But if you think about it, magic is actually
rarely used in Tolkien's works and it seems there are only 5 wizards in Middle-earth. Most famously we have Gandalf the Grey with
his pointy hat, the kind old man that visits the Shire from time to time and is famous
for his brilliant firework. We have Saruman the White, the mysterious
old man residing in the ancient black tower Orthanc in Isengard guarding the gap of Rohan. He is the leader of the Wizards and even the
powerful seek his advice. (note that the “r” in Tolkien's languages
is in most cases rolled, you will hear that quite often in this video). We have Radagast the Brown, a strange old
Hermit living in the forests in harmony with nature, not much is known about him. And we have the two mysterious Blue Wizards,
who wandered far to the east. But who actually are those men? As always in Tolkien's works the answer to
this is quite complicated and surprising. The group of the 5 Wizards is called the Istari
in Quenya, which means something like “those who know”. In this context it is quite interesting, that
Tolkien deliberately chose the term wizards for them, because the word wizard itself includes
the Middle English word “wys”, which means wise. These are the men who know, so to say the
wise. And this is quite fitting for what they have
to do on their mission, but we come later to this. All the known Istari, I would assume the same
goes for the 2 Blue Wizards, seem to be old men, but actually they are no men. They are Maiar. If you have seen some of my other videos you
know this term, but for all, who don’t, here a short explanation: Besides Elves, dwarves, men - including Hobbits
- and orcs in Lord of the rings, there is another species, called the Ainur. Those are powerfull spirit entities, that
existed before the world was created by the God of the Tolkien universe, Eru Iluvatar. Eru created them to help him shaping world
through the so called Music of the Ainur. You could say they are like angels. They are also divided into at least 2 known
groups: First we have the Valar - they are only few,
but the most powerful Ainur. Like angels of higher rank and direct helpers
of Eru. They influenced the shape of the world to
a massive extend and are comparable with a god pantheon from other ancient mythologies. And then we have the mentioned Maiar, who
are like angels of lower rank and are the helpers or servants of the Valar. Even though I said they are spirit beings,
they usually choose a suitable physical form and can even change it. When they lose it, this can result in a huge
loss of power, but ofc they are immortal. So they have a physical component and mostly
live on the western continent Aman, probably in Valinor. That is also where the elves are going, when
they sail to the west and leave Middle-earth or where their spirits go when they die and
where they can get resurrected. And with this the nature of the Istari becomes
a bit more clear. They as Maiar are the servants of the Valar
and were sent on a secret mission to Middle-earth, to help the people there against the powerful
and evil Sauron, who is a Maia himself and the servant of the evil Vala Morgoth - the
creator of Orcs, Dragons, Balrogs, who are also Maia and all sorts of terrible beings. To be precise Morgoth did not fully create
them, he just altered the form of existing beings into these terrible things, because
he can’t create life on his own. Only Eru can do this with his so called Secret
Fire or Flame imperishable. You probably remember Gandalf saying on the
Bridge in Moria, that he is a servant of the Secret Fire to the Balrog, calling him flame
of Udûn. Udûn is one of Morgoth’s mighty fortresses
during the Years of the Trees, so even before the First Age. If you watched Lord of the Rings carefully
or red the books, you see what a powerful entity a Balrog must be. Gandalf manages to defeat him after 10 days
of battle, but died himself. Strangely Gandalf did not really look that
powerful before. But both are Maiar. Why is only the Balrog looking so frightening
and powerful, appearing as an entity made of shadow and flame? The reason for this is a little extra detail
to the mission of the Istari. To explain this in-depth, we would have to
go back to the First Age, and go through centuries worth of events and stories, I have partially
explained in other videos already, So if you want to know those stories in more detail
maybe check the first parts of the Sauron Lore video and the Glaurung and Ancalagon
part of the Dragons lore video. The lore of the First Age and before is always
very complicated. But here is an extremely imprecise short version: The Vala Melkor or later known as Morgoth
once tainted Middle-earth with his evil. It was him, who found the elves first, when
they awoke and he also found men first, when they awoke, giving them a hard time and trying
to corrupt them. Over the centuries things escalated and the
Valar rarely interfered until Morgoth was troubling elves, men and dwarves to an unbearable
degree, so that after the bidding of men and you could say elves the Valar had to do something. And so they came for help and a giant war
called the War of Wrath started at the end of the First Age. The entities clashing in this war were so
powerful, that it changed the shape of the continent Middle-earth, with its west coast
called Beleriand being destroyed and sunk into the ocean. Morgoth was captured and banned into the void,
but his highest servant Sauron escaped and should become the new Dark Lord until his
master returns. However the Valar probably decided to not
interfere on that level any time soon again, probably so the world does not get destroyed
further. Realizing, that Sauron, even though he was
a very different evil compared to Morgoth, became very powerful and was almost able to
conquer whole Middle-earth, they decided to sent some special agents to aid and help the
peoples of Middle-earth. The Istari. The Valar did not want their emissaries to
go with their complete divine power, challenging Sauron directly, but instead go a very subtle
path. So they had to take the form of old men, weakening
themselves and becoming like men, even able to bleed, wandering Middle-earth in secret,
and aiding Elves, men and dwarves with advice, wisdom, far sight and knowledge of the world
and Sauron, instead of sheer power and force. Remember, Istari means “those who know”. We can read about them in the Unfinished Tales:
“mighty, peers of Sauron, yet forgo might, and clothe themselves in flesh” Only few in Middle-earth actually knew about
their true nature. One of those who knew was Lord Círdan, the
elvish Shipwright in Mithlond. Also Círdan deserves a lot of praise. He is one of the elves that is not often mentioned
and only an extra in the movies, but he deserves a lot of credit for his actions and foresight
throughout the ages. Now with all this said, we can have a look
at the 5 Istari and what they did before they came to Middle-earth. Saruman’s name in Valinor was Curumo. He was a powerful Maia of the Vala of smithing
Aulë. Together with his old friend Mairon, who later
should become or be known as Sauron. It’s quite interesting, that the two probably
knew each other and have served the same Vala. This also explains their extensive artefact
knowledge, though it seems Sauron clearly surpassed him, when it comes to crafting. Curumo was chosen by Aulë to go on this mission,
probably volunteering, at the Council of Manwë. Manwë is the leader of the Valar, comparable
to Zeus or Odin. And so Saruman became the first of the 5 Istari. Then we have Radagast, or as he is known in
Valinor Aiwendil. He is obviously a servant of Yavanna the Vala
of nature. Saruman did not want to take Radagast with
him, but he had to, to please Yavanna, the Queen of the earth. He was probably the last ordered to go on
this mission. And we have Gandalf. His name in Valinor is Olórin. He is a servant of Manwë himself, but has
served other Valar before. Like Varda, the lady of the Stars and Queen
of the Valar - she is Manwë’s wife. But also Irmo the Vala of dreams and Nienna,
the Lady of pity and mourning. Gandalf learned much from her, like pity and
patience. He was also considered one of the wisest of
the Maiar. With so much credibility, Manwë suggested
him for this mission, but he did not wish to go, because he feared Sauron. But Manwë saw even more potential in this
fear and ordered him go as the Third Istar. Varda commented, that he may go as the Third,
but he is not. And then we have the 2 Blue Wizards. The Vala Oromë, the huntsman of the Valar,
chose Alatar as the Second Istari. He brought Pallando as his friend with him. They should become the Ithryn Luin, which
means the Blue wizards. A reason, why they are associated with Oromë,
could be, that he had the greatest knowledge about the far east regions of Middle-earth
and that is also where the blue wizards should go. Oromë found the Elves after Morgoth – as
mentioned - and probably initiated the elves’ great Journey to Aman, so they would not be
under Morgoth’s influence anymore, I explain this in more detail in my Sauron video, where
I also talk about the “War for Sake of the Elves” and the great Journey of the elves. It is also important to note, that the names
of the Blue wizards are not mentioned in the main works of Tolkien. Tolkien wrote some notes about the duo, but
never published them, only parts of it in a letters. Fortunately his son Christopher Tolkien would
later publish them. So they were probably a bit work in progress,
and that is why only so few things are actually known about them and why some parts contradict
each other. And these are the 5 Istari, chosen by the
Valar during the Council of Manwë. As mentioned there were some conflicts in
this group. The leader of the Istari Saruman didn’t
think much of Aiwendil and had to take him with him against his will. In addition Saruman was jealous of Gandalf. He was still the leader, but Gandalf’s credibility
and potentially strong position was probably trouble for him, even though Gandalf behaved
very wisely and tried to work together with him as good as possible. About Saruman’s relation to Alatar and Pallando
we don’t know much, but we know that Saruman initially also went to the east of Middle-earth
like the Blue Wizards. Maybe they had similar goals or he was more
willing to work together with them. Now with the members chosen the Istari left
Aman and sailed to Middle-earth around ..., well here the chaos begins. Esp. when it comes to the Blue Wizards. Originally they all arrived around Third Age
1000. But Tolkien later changed his early concept
completely and made the Blue Wizards arrive during the Second Age, when the Rings of Power
were forged and the war in Eriador was on its way. So let’s talk a bit about the Blue Wizards,
which is probably quite interesting, because they are the least known. A little warning: I will cover each Istar
separately, but their stories are often tied to each other, so I will repeat my self a
bit in each section, but I try to focus on different details every time. In Lord of the Rings only Gandalf, Saruman
and Radagast are mentioned. But when Gandalf the White confronts Saruman
at the doors of Orthanc, the latter reveals, that there are a total of 5 Istari, so 2 more,
but they are not mentioned by name. In the Unfinished Tales Christopher Tolkien
published notes of his father. Here the two missing Istari are introduced
as the Ithryn Luin – the two Blue Wizards. J.R.R. Tolkien originally planned to provide some
information about them probably in the appendices of the Lord of the Rings publication, but
that never happened. From these notes we know a few things: There was the mentioned council of Manwë
in Aman. Five Istari were sent, the Blue Wizards were
chosen by Oromë, at least Alatar was. He was the 2nd Istari and sent to the eastern
regions of Middle-earth. It also seemed that all arrived around Third
Age 1000. In Tolkien’s letter 211, he mentions, that
his plans for the blue wizards are not really fleshed out and suggests, that they have failed
their mission in the east and became founders of secret cults and 'magic' traditions that
outlasted the fall of Sauron. So in this early version, they failed as most
of the other Istari, with Gandalf being the only exception - to some degree. However for the History of Middle-earth book
“The Peoples of Middle-earth”, he managed to find more information in his fathers notes
and published his results. It seems that he later changed his idea about
the Blue Wizards failing their mission, saying, that they actually were successful and had
great impact in the east, weakening Sauron’s Easterling forces, so that they could not
outnumber the forces of the west. What's also quite interesting is, that the
blue wizards now arrived with Glorfindel in Middle-earth. Glorfindel was an elf who fought in Gondolin
during its fall in the First Age, close to the mentioned War of Wrath. He sacrificed himself and managed to defeat
a Balrog, but got pulled by the evil entity and both fall to their death. The elf was allowed to leave the halls of
Mandos – that is where the “spirit” in Tolkien's universe usually goes, when someone
dies – getting so to say a new body. In addition he received new powers and was
now more like a Maia. Later he was sent to help Elrond in the war
of the elves and Sauron in Eriador, when Sauron forged the One Ring and started to conquer
Middle-earth, also to get the Rings of Power back, at around Second Age 1600. According to Tolkien's later notes, the 2
Blue Wizards arrived together with Glorfindel at this time and were known in the eastern
parts of Middle-earth as Morinehtar, which means Darkness-slayer, and Romestamo, which
means East-helper, ofc their task was different from Glorfindel’s and as one of the names
indicate directed to the east of Middle-earth. After the Blue wizards arrived, they wandered
to the far east and were not known in the west at all, which is why they have no names
there. In the east they successfully helped eastern
tribes, who resisted Morgoth and Sauron, which resulted in weakening the eastern forces,
who otherwise would have outnumbered the west in the Second Age - for example when it comes
to the Battle of the Last Alliance - and in Third Age - when it comes to Sauron's countless
activities until the War of the Ring. It also seems like they searched Sauron, when
he hid in the east after he lost his One Ring to Isildur, but they failed to find him. And that is pretty much all we know about
them. It’s a bit sad, that Tolkien never finished
their stories. It’s also quite interesting, that Gandalf
mentions the 2 Blue Wizards in the first Hobbit movie, because they are only known as Blue
Wizards from sources other than the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, but Middle-earth Enterprises,
the company who has the movie rights, only has rights for the Hobbit and the Lord of
the Rings. So they built in a little reference here. Knowing that their relationship with the Tolkien
Estate is not the best, I'm curious if that brought them some trouble. Speaking of Tolkien's main works, there is
also the famous Wizard Radagast the Brown, who is known in Aman as Aiwendil. He is a Maia of Yavanna, Queen of the Earth. So he is definitely close to nature. As mentioned before Yavanna begged Saruman
to take Aiwendil, with him. Saruman had no choice, but he was not a fan. We come later to that. Radagast arrived most likely together with
Gandalf in Mithlond around Third Age 1000. As mentioned the Blue Wizards already arrived
during the Second Age. While Saruman tried to aid men and Gandalf
the elves, Radagast was close to the wild life and nature and probably got lost there
a bit. Gandalf says about him, that he was never
a traveller unless driven by great need, so it makes sense that Radagast settled somewhere
and did not roam Middle-earth constantly like the others did. His home was Rhosgobel, which is located between
the Carrock, that’s an eyot in the river Anduin, and the Old Forrest Road at the western
borders of Mirkwood. Beorn from the Hobbit lives somewhere in this
region too and Radagast visits him from time to time. The Skin-Changer mentioned, that he is not
bad for a Wizard in the Hobbit book. What is interesting in this context is also,
that Rhosgobel is relatively close to Dol Guldur and with this close to where Sauron
hid later. Ofc nobody knew it was Sauron for a long time,
but it can be assumed, that Radagast kept an eye on the Necromancer's activities in
the forest, which was slowly flooded by his evil. Maybe it was also him who called Gandalf’s
attention to further investigate the strange things going on in the forest, but that is
just a theory of mine. It is stated in the Silmarillion, that Gandalf
actively tried to find out what was going on there, while Saruman, the White Council
and also Radagast seem to be more passive in this regard. If you have seen the Hobbit movies, all this
should sound a bit familiar, but they tell the story a bit differently. Even before the White Council was formed Gandalf
visited Dol Guldur Third Age 2063 and tried to find out, what was going on there, but
the Necromancer feared to be revealed and retreated to the far east for almost 400 years. This timespan is also called the Watchful
Peace. When Sauron returned to Dol Guldur at around
Third Age 2460, the White Council was founded and summoned by Galadriel Third Age 2463 probably
as an response to the Necromancer’s return, they were at least aware of him, even though
it took them quite long to decide on what to do. 400 years later Gandalf finally checked this
place again and this time found Thráin imprisoned there, who gave him the map and key to Erebor,
which led to the events of the Hobbit. Gandalf also confirmed that the Necromancer
is in fact Sauron. Then Gandalf returned to the White Council
and suggested to attack now, but Saruman disagreed and convinced them, that the One Ring was
dragged into the ocean, not a threat anymore and that they should stay passive for now,
watching Sauron carefully. The part with Gandalf being captured is not
in the books and does not work lore wise. And here we slowly come back to Radagast. Why was Saruman against attacking, when he
knew Sauron was there? During this time Saruman in secret searched
this area and the Gladden Fields for the One Ring, because he wanted it for himself. His plan was to give Sauron enough time and
with this strength, so the One Ring would reveal itself again, so it could get back
to its master, but he would be there first – ofc he did not tell anyone. To Saruman’s surprise at some point Sauron’s
forces were also looking for the One Ring in the Gladden Fields and so Saruman became
alarmed and had to withdraw from there. Saruman now asked Radagast for help and he
helped him out with birds and beasts to spy on foes and this area, continuing to search
for the One Ring himself. But why did Radagast help Saruman in his evil
deeds? The answer reveals some characteristics of
this character. He was quite naive, not able to see through
Saruman’s plans and was manipulated by him. Much later Saruman gave the task to Radagast
to search for Gandalf and to ask him, to come to Isengard. When Gandalf talked to Saruman in Orthanc,
and reported, that Radagast had told him about the movement of the Nine and his concerns,
Saruman revealed his scorn against Radagast calling him, Radagast the Bird-tamer! Radagast the Simple! Radagast the Fool! And here is the most interesting part of this
quote: “Yet he had just the wit to play the part
that I set him.” Saruman used him to achieve his goals, like
getting access to Radagast’s beasts and birds to spy for him or luring Gandalf to
Orthanc, while Radagast thought he was actively working against Sauron. Gandalf also remarks Radagast’s honesty
and that he could find no wrong in his eyes or voice, else he would not have visited Orthanc. Radagast was acting on good faith and maybe
it was even him who asked Gwaihir, a friend of him and the swiftest and greatest of the
Giant eagles in Middle-earth, if he could bring news to Orthanc. And so Gwaihir found Gandalf on the top of
the Black Tower and rescued him, which is an interesting irony, that Radagast, who was
used by Saruman, probably accidentally rescued Gandalf. But it is not directly stated, why the eagle
flew over Isengard in the books, but if you read between the lines, it seems plausible. In the movies it is Gandalf sending a moth
- probably directly to Gwaihir. After those events nothing more about Radagast
is mentioned. Around the time of the Council of Elrond,
Elrond’s scouts looked for him, also in Rhosgobel, probably to invite him to his council,
but they could not find him. How big his part in the War of the Ring was,
is hard to say, but at least saving Gandalf can be considered as quite important, even
though it was probably by accident so to say. With all of this we have already talked a
bit about Saruman and I think, it’s a good idea to look at him before, we talk about
Gandalf. It’s a bit difficult to separate these three
Istari, because their actions are often connected. So I have to repeat my self a bit. Saruman – but ofc also Gandalf - is in contrast
to the other three Istari a very fleshed out character. And because you can see their actions in the
movies or read about them in the books, I won’t go through every detail we know from
these, but talk about the details that are less known, their background, some book and
movie differences and some interesting references to the main stories. As mentioned Saruman or Curumo as he was known
in Aman, was a Maia of Aulë, like Sauron once. It is stated, that Saruman had the most knowledge
about the Dark Lord’s devices, probably because of their time as servants of Aulë,
possibly even knowing each other. Also Saruman studied the Rings of Power and
the One Ring a lot in Middle-earth and as a servant of Aulë, he had without a doubt
knowledge about jewel smithing and artefacts. When we look at the foundation of the Istari
in Aman, we can already learn a few things about his character. Saruman loves order, is ambitious, pride and
self-confident. All his names mean Man of Skill or even the
Cunning One. He wants to go on this mission, he is the
first Istar and becomes their leader. But his pride and ambitions are also dangerous,
as they are the root of jealousy and arrogance. When Gandalf has to join the Istari, even
though he does not want to go, Saruman fears, that Gandalf could undermine his position
and weaken his authority in the order of the Istari, because Gandalf was known as one of
the wisest of the Maiar and was chosen by Manwë. So Gandalf or Olórin as he was known in Aman
did not volunteer and did not want to go, but Manwë, the Elder King, leader of the
Valar himself, wanted him on this mission. And not only that, Manwë’s wife Varda,
Queen of the Valar, Lady of the Stars noted, that he might go as third, but he is not. Well that is a commendation which fuelled
Saruman’s jealousy further, because he feared chaos. Gandalf could disturb the order, Saurman wished
and the Istari were sent, maybe even challenging his position. A great conflict for Curomo. He probably could not see, that for this very
important mission, only the best would be chosen, and he was one of them. Not only that, he was also their leader. However with this and the forced addition
of Radagast, trouble and the potential of failure was almost inevitable. I really like how Tolkien wrote this conflict
into the background stories of those characters. They are meant to help, but start with a conflict
among themselves, that nearly causes the failure of their mission and with this the ruin of
Middle-earth. This also explains Manwë’s answer to Gandalf,
when the latter expressed his fear of Sauron and concerns about his abilities. Manwë answered, that exactly this fear was
all the more reason for him to go. It is also interesting, that the word fear
probably in English as in my native language can be meant as a concept of “respect”
and being careful, not trying to underestimate something. Like in the expression “fear of god”. That does not mean being afraid and panicking,
but acknowledging a certain distance and respect. And here we see a huge difference in the characters
of Gandalf and Saruman. Saruman does not have this respect, distance
and carefulness. In this regard he is the anti-thesis of Gandalf. He is the Man of Skill, the leader of the
Istari, proud and confident in his powers. He thinks, he can play with Sauron or even
wield the One Ring himself, to bring order. Gandalf is in this regard totally different,
which also explains, why he is considered the wisest of the Maiar. And I think this contrast makes Saruman such
an interesting and important character for the story. You can say his actions are not wise, but
they make the story thrilling, giving colour to it. And this sentence makes more sense, than you
might think. We come later to this. Saruman arrived in Mithlond long after the
Blue Wizards, but before Olórin and Aiwendil. The elves called him Curunír, which also
means Man of Skill. This was around Third Age 1000 and is also
around the time, when Sauron returns from the far east to the north-western part of
Middle-earth after his last defeat. The Dark Lord hides in Dol Guldur, which does
not happen unnoticed. Rumours of a Necromancer living there spread. The wise probably assume, that this is one
of the Nazgûl, maybe foreshadowing the return of Sauron. As often mentioned Saruman was for sure jealous
of Gandalf and many little things happened to fuel this jealousy further. When Gandalf arrived he got the Ring of Fire,
the elven Ring of Power Narya from Círdan, because the latter understood Gandalf’s
true nature and could probably foresee the importance of his mission, acknowledging that
Gandalf would need the Ring more than he did. When Saruman found out about it, he was ofc
jealous. It’s very interesting how many little events
like this are placed into the story and it must have driven Saruman insane. What is also interesting, is that he did not
stay in the north and western parts of Middle-earth, but journeyed to the far east, where I assume
the Blue Wizards were still active. It is not known what he did there or if he
met the Blue Wizards, but there is a certain likeliness in it, should they be still on
their mission. He was the leader of the Istari, including
the Blue Wizards. It would make sense for him to check on their
actions and progress, getting some information, maybe even helping out a bit, so he gets a
good overview. To quote Saruman: “It would be wise.” This was also far before Saruman was corrupted. Sadly it’s a bit unclear, when he returned
from the east. Actually it’s quite confusing. But in the Unfinished Tales we can read, that
he continued to travel to the east from time to time. So maybe an indicator of the activity of the
Blue Wizards there. However as mentioned Gandalf visits Dol Guldur
at Third Age 2063, Sauron goes back to the east again and a 400 years long pieriod called
the watchful peace begins. After this Sauron returns to Dol Guldur and
probably as an answer the White Council is established Third Age 2463, at whose foundation
Saruman should be present. So in theory Saruman’s east journey could
have taken him over 1400 years, but I assume he came back earlier, to build a good relationship
with the lords of men at least in Gondor, because Rohan didn’t exist yet. Maybe he knew the Éothéod lords, which should
later found Rohan. We also know, that Saruman started studying
the archives in Minas Tirith at some point - not all at once, but over time. I would assume, that was also after he returned
from the east and before the White Council was established, because he became its leader,
due to his knowledge of the devices of Sauron. Gandalf was also suggested by Galadriel as
leader, which Saruman was not happy about, but Gandalf declined the offer. His reasoning is quite interesting: but Mithrandir refused the office, since he
would have no ties and no allegiance, save to those who sent him, and he would abide
in no place nor be subject to any summons. This indicates a bit, that Saruman in contrast
seems to be wandering less and maybe even settled at a place. Note that Saruman would not take Isengard
until 300 years later. So I assume he was probably often seen at
the same place at this time, maybe in Minas Tirith to study the archives and build relations
to the lords of men, we don’t know. But ofc Saruman still travelled. The election of the chief of the white council,
the acknowledgement of the Necromancer in Dol Guldur and the end of the watchful peace
were the only things noted about the first council. If you have seen my History of Rohan Video,
you have heard about the King of Rohan Fréaláf. He drove the Dunlendings out of Rohan, recaptured
the capital Edoras and the throne and continued Helm Hammerhand’s line as King – Fréaláf
was his nephew. It is noted that Saruman turned more towards
men in contrast to Gandalf, who loved the elves and was more focused on those, so it
makes sense, that Saruman had good connections to the Lords and Kings of men including Rohan,
which was founded Third Age 2510. Fréaláf became King Third Age 2759, so a
lot later Now Saruman saw a good opportunity, because
by this time he probably has found out about the remains of the seeing stones, the Palantíri. At Fréaláf’s coronation Saruman appeared,
bringing gifts and praising the valour of the Rohirrim. He was a welcome guest and considered a friend
afterwards. Saruman also made a deal. He would protect the Gap of Rohan, which e.g.
the Dunlendings had to pass to attack Rohan and Saruman would receive Isengard. Fréaláf accepted and recommended this solution
to the Ruling Steward of Gondor Beren, because Isengard still belonged to Gondor. Saruman became a lieutenant of the Steward
of Gondor and from that point had the command over Isengard. Both factions were happy with this decision,
because they knew, they had a strong friend with Saruman, who brought security to the
region. And at this time Saruman was most likely sill
a friend in truth, on his mission as an Istar. But as mentioned there is also a reason, why
he chose Isengard and with this Orthanc, the dark and almost indestructible Tower, once
build by Númenor. He found out, that one of the Seeing Stones
is still in the tower and who knows what other secrets. So this was a great opportunity, to get his
hands on one of those powerful artefacts, without anyone knowing. With Isengard and a Palantír in his possession,
the ambitious Saruman could establish a great power of his own. And from here Saruman’s path as an Istar
starts to derail. The next known event is Sauron capturing Thorin
Oakenshield’s father Thráin, who was on a journey to Erebor with Balin and Dwalin. The Dark Lord imprisoned Thráin in Dol Guldur
and got his Ring of Power that way, and now had all remaining Rings of Power of the dwarves
back - 3 in total, four got destroyed by dragon fire. With Thráin vanishing in Mirkwood, Gandalf
again visited Dol Guldur 5 years later, finding a dying Dwarf Lord, getting his map and key,
identifying the Necromancer as Sauron and escaping from Dol Guldur. As mentioned that is a bit different in the
films. With this the White Council was summoned again
in Third Age 2851 and Gandalf urges too attack Dol Guldur, because Sauron was still weak. Now remember, what was mentioned in the passage
about Radagast. The cunning Saruman now convinced the white
council that the One Ring was lost in the river Anduin and got flushed into the Sea,
being no threat, and that they should wait and carefully watch Sauron’s actions. The reason for this was, that Saruman wanted
the One Ring for himself and started searching the Gladden Fields and the river Anduin in
secret. Studying the archives, he had a very good
idea of what happened to Isldur and where to search for the One Ring, but ofc he kept
this information secret from the council, same with his posession of one of the seeing
stones. His plan was, if he gave Sauron a little bit
more time to recover his power, that once it was sufficient, the One Ring would reveal
itself and Saruman with his advantage in knowledge would find it before Sauron. So he constantly searched for it and tried
to pick up every news and hint, that could be related. He knew his plan was risky, but he had the
confidence. Gandalf on the other hand was not pleased
with this decision. In the Unfinished Tales, we can read about
a remarkable reference found in the notes of Tolkien, that never made it into the books. Gandalf smoked the Halflings' leaf from the
shire at this meeting, which he never did before. It annoyed Saruman and they had a conversation. Gandalf explained that it helped him to keep
calm and patient, even if angry. At the end of this conversation Gandalf formed
rings out of the smoke and grabbed them, but ofc they vanished in his hands. In later notes Tolkien wrote, that this made
Saruman suspicious and he interpreted it as the Shire having something to do with the
Rings - which should become true centuries later and Saruman maybe thought from this
on, that Gandalf knew it all the time. In a different version of this concept it
was noted - or could be interpreted - as a gesture of Gandalf, foreshadowing Saruman’s
actions to get his hands on the One Ring and how this led to Saruman’s doom. After this Gandalf left. How canon this is, is debatable. Gandalf trusted Saruman until the point of
his imprisonment in Orthanc - at the beginning of Lord of the Rings - and at the time of
the mentioned council meeting, the Ring was not even found by Bilbo - actually he wasn’t
even born yet - which makes the latter option, it being a gesture towards Saruman’s plans
more likely, even though Gandalf probably did not yet see the evil in Saruman. I can see it as a warning out of his anger,
to not underestimate Sauron and to be careful when it comes to the Rings of Power and the
One Ring, which Gandalf knew he studied a lot. We talked earlier about, how Gandalf feared
Sauron, but Saruman did not. Another interesting side note is, that Gandalf
probably connected closer to the people of the Shire at this time, because the others
had never seen Gandalf smoke pipe weed before or really knew about it. With the additional information this was the
meeting of the White Council, that we have the most information about. Now it becomes quite interesting, because
Saruman and Gandalf talk far less to each other from this point on and start to make
some moves towards their goals all by themselves. As mentioned Saruman searched for the One
Ring all the time, but at one point Sauron’s forces appeared near the Gladden Fields too
and Saruman had to retreat. He was actually worried and alarmed, that
Sauron also had the knowledge where to search, which he did not expect. So he retreated to Isengard, fortifying it
and convinced Radagast to help him out with animal spies. Ofc Radagast thought he was helping and working
on their mission - he had no reason to believe something different. Spying on the enemy sounded plausible, but
in truth Saruman used the information to carefully orchestrate his plans, to find the One Ring
and to track Sauron’s actions, because he could not let Sauron find it first. A dangerous game he played with the Dark Lord
- probably in pure overestimation of his abilities. Ofc all without the knowledge of the other
Istari or the White Council. Saruman kept playing his game with Sauron,
seeing him as a rival, for some years until he realized, that Sauron grew stronger and
stronger and that driving him out of Dol Guldur, would actually help him, so in Third Age 2941
the White council meets again and he finally agreed on attacking Dol Guldur, driving Sauron
out. But The Dark Lord has already made his plans
and abandoned his hideout. In the movies we have a supernatural fight,
but in the books not much is said about an actual battle. Sauron however returned in secret to his realm
Mordor. What is interesting here is, that Gandalf
orchestrated the Quest for Erebor at the same time. Some speculate, to prevent Sauron and Smaug
to ally. While the dwarves were fighting Smaug, The
council fought Sauron, to keep both factions busy. This also led to the Battle of the 5 armies,
which definitely weakened the orc population - but also the dwarves. Gandalf also participated in that battle,
so he was quite busy at this time. The last meeting of the white council was
Third Age 2953. They debate the rings of power and Saruman
explains, that he knows, that the One Ring was passed down the river Anduin into the
Great Sea. Probably because he did not find the One Ring. It is possible, that he found the body of
Isildur. There are notes about this in the Unfinished
Tales. There it is described, that Saruman found
the golden necklace of Isildur, that once bore the One Ring and the long lost Elendilmir
- the Star of Elendil - the symbol of the Kings of Arnor, that was made in Númenor
once. It was replaced by a new one, made by the
elves for Isildur’s only remaining son, after the disaster at the Gladden Fields. Some may speculate, that Saruman found Isildur’s
bones and burned them in one of his furnaces with dishonour. After the last council Saruman returns to
Isengard, fortifies it further and finally declares it as his own – this has also to
do with the death of the ruling steward of this time, Steward Turgon. He was the grandfather of Denethor II. As mentioned before, the White Wizard was
a lieutenant of Gondor until this point, but from now on, he separated himself, being now
the Lord of Isengard. Saruman also feared Gandalf and started to
spy on him. With this he also found out more about the
Shire and established spies and a spy network in Bree and in Southfarthing. He also started to work against Rohan and
Gondor in secret, gathering their enemies, be it men or evil creature. It must also be during this time, that he
started to influence King Théoden through Gríma Wormtongue, who also spied for Saruman. Third Age 3000 Saruman started using the Palantír
and finally fell under the influence of Sauron directly, with whom he allied. And now slowly the events of the Lord of the
Rings come into place. But there are a few more nuances. Saruman was not under Sauron’s full control,
he still did what he wanted and made his own plans. He even later betrayed Sauron, which is also
a good example of Saruman’s power. He build an army and thought of him and his
tower as a rival for Barad-dûr. When he captured Gandalf, the witchking and
the other Nazgûl visited him. And he used his powerful voice to convince
them, that he had not seen Gandalf or knew about the shire and even the Witchking was
magically convinced, that this must be the truth, a small glimpse at his power through
his voice. They found out later, when the Nazgûl, probably
by accident, captured and terrified Gríma. Wormtongue revealed everything to them in
exchange for his life, even the location of the shire - at least we can read about this
in the Unfinished Tales. Sauron was definitely not pleased to hear
this, but he did not care, because he now had a chance to find the One Ring, because
he knew from Gollum, where it was. Another interesting detail is, that when Gandalf
the Grey and Saruman met in Orthanc for the last time, Saruman clad himself in a robe
that changed its colour, depending from where you looked at him. He also introduced himself now as Saruman
of Many Colours. Earlier in the Saruman part I mentioned, that
this character brings colour to the story and here is the reference. He and Gandalf had a conversation about how
white light can be broken into different colours and how it would be wise to join Saruman's
cause. Quite interesting to read. So he offered Gandalf to join him and was
truly sad that his old friend and rival did refuse his offer. He knew, what both of them could have accomplished,
esp. with Gandalf knowing where the One Ring is. In the films it's not fully clear what Saruman’s
intentions were, but with all this background story you probably understand him a bit better. He did not necessarily want to be an ally
of Sauron, he even betrayed him, by lying to the Witchking, which made Sauron not happy. He wanted to become the new Ruler of Middle-earth. In the books this is more understandable and
you probably now understand why the 2nd book is called The Two Towers. Not The Two Towers who work together, but
the Two Towers, Orthanc and Barad-dûr who rival for power over Middle-earth. In his efforts Saruman almost destroyed Rohan,
not only from within through Gríma or with his orc army, but also with the Dunlendings,
who hated Rohan with passion. In the books his army was not only orcish,
but also had many Dunledings in it. In the Extended Edition we can see this scene
here, with a dunlendish leader vowing his allegiance to Saurman. It is also important to note, that he had
no actual spell on Théoden, like in the movies. His voice was powerful and could convince
even mighty beings e.g. the Witchking and he probably taught Gríma a thing or two. In addition Théoden became sick, which could
be due to Wormtongue poisoning the king in secret. Considering this Théoden had no chance. In the end Saruman had no allies left. He betrayed men, elves, Ents, the white council,
the Istari and even Sauron. His desire for power led to his doom. In the books, Gandalf the White breaks his
staff, which is a symbol of his power as an Istari, probably because they were clad in
flesh, not having all their divine powers. And he was imprisoned by the Ents. But he still had power through his voice and
sought for revenge against the Shire. He managed to convince Treebeard with his
powerful voice to let him go. With his spy network he had still henchmen
in the shire and established partially control over it through sending his evil men. He became known as Sharky and caused a lot
of trouble and misery. In the end during the final confrontation
Gríma, who was strongly tyrannized by Saruman, so that he became a bit like Gollum and was
only called Worm by the others, slit Saruman’s throat from behind, before Gríma got killed
by arrows. This part called the “The Scouring of the
Shire” in the books misses completely in the films. We can read, that Saruman turned to bones
very fast and a grey mist rose from his corpse. Then a wind from the west came and resolved
it into nothingness. In the far west lies Aman, where the Valar
live, who once sent him. He was, like Sauron after his final defeat,
punished, lost all his powers and was not allowed to ever enter Mandos’ Halls. This diminished him to a shadow until the
end of time. A fate, that he shares with Sauron after the
destruction of the One Ring. And Finally we come to Gandalf. A lot of his story you can already find in
the sections of the other Istari, esp. in Saruman’s. I try to not repeat my self too much, but
it's unavoidable. As mentioned before Gandalf was known as Olórin
in Aman and was a Maia of Manwë and Varda. But also served Irmo and Nienna. Nienna was the Lady of pity and mourning and
it is said, that Gandalf learned a lot from her, like patience and the ability to feel
pity for others. Probably through this he was considered one
of the wisest of the Maiar. We clearly see the contrast to the pride Saruman. Also in contrast Olórin feared Sauron and
doubted, that his abilities were sufficient for the mission of the Istari. He actually did not want to be one of the
Istari, but the leader of the Valar Manwë ordered him to go, noting, that this fear,
is all the more reason for him to go. In addition, Varda said, that he might go
as third, but he is not, pointing out his potential and importance, maybe even foreshadowing
what would happen thousands of years later. So Gandalf definitely had the potential to
be the leader of the Istari too, which Saruman knew and disliked, fuelling his jealousy. When Olórin arrived in Middle-earth at the
Grey Havens most likely together with Aiwendil around Third Age 1000, Círdan the shipwright
as one of the few people in Middle-earth knew their true nature, when he saw them. He knew, those emissaries of the Valar would
need the power of the elven Ring Narya more, than he did and so he gave it to Gandalf. It is said, that it could inspire the hearts
of others and it was ofc one of the legendary elven Rings of Power. With Sauron not having the One Ring, it was
save to wear and definitely made a difference in Gandalf's work. Looking at the timeline, it can be assumed,
that Gandalf wanders Middle-earth, except for the far east, for a very long time. He loved the elves, another reason why he
was chosen, and built connections to the elven lords in Middle-earth. But he also visited men and dwarves and smaller
folks, like the Hobbist later. Elves called him Mithrandir, which means „Grey
Pilgrim” or Grey Wanderer. The Men of the far North, but also many others
knew him as Gandalf the Grey, which means Wand-Elf - it’s probably Old Norse. Most likely because he did not die or change
over the centuries and could use magic, so many people thought he was an elf. Later the people of Rohan called him Greyhame,
which means Greymantle. But also in the far south he was known as
Incánus, which could mean “North-spy”. But If it’s Quenya it could mean Mind-ruler
or even Greymantle. In Latin it means Grey haired, which is probably
not a coincidence. And the dwarves knew him as Tharkûn, that’s
Khuzdul for Grey-man or Staff man. So Gandalf - as some of the other Istari - had
many names, which is definitely an indication for all his travelling. He was known pretty much everywhere, except
for the east. It is explicitly stated, that he never went
there. The reason for this is unknown. Maybe the Istari assigned every member a certain
area. It was probably territory of the Blue Wizards
and partially Saruman as their leader. But that is just my assumption. There is also the story of the Elessar. A jewel once made in the ancient elven city
of Gondolin, probably by Celebrimbor, the elf who later made the Rings of Power. He made the Elessar as a gift for Galadriel. Through various complex events, it went to
Aman and there is a note, that Yavanna gave it to Olórin, who brought it back to Middle-earth. Gandalf gave it again to Galadriel foretelling,
that she would not keep it for long, as she would give it to someone with the same name. And as we know, Galadriel later gifted it
to Aragorn, who in the end becomes King Elessar, fulfilling Gandalf’s prophecy. What is also important to note is, that Gandalf
was once a Maia of Irmo, Master of Visions and Dreams. But not sure how canon this story is. Also one of Irmo's other names is Lórien,
which is also the name of his realm in Aman. But back to Gandalf’s early story. Around Third Age 1100 the wise became aware
of an evil entity, called the Necromancer in Dol Guldur. Because of the evil spreading in Mirkwood
Thranduil has to move with his people further into the north. It is also interesting to note, that Mirkwood
was probably until around this time called Greenwood the Great, but got the name Mirkwood,
when the Necromancer spread his evil there. Gandalf as a Maia of Imro often showed a lot
of foresight and thought about it being related to Sauron, foreshadowing his return. The strange thing is now, that he is not really
mentioned for the next 950 years. He probably wandered a lot and was maybe somehow
involved in the big events of the peoples of Middle-earth. We have the Witchking establishing Angmar
and slowly destroying the Kingdom of Arnor, we have the Great Plague, the Kin-strife,
many Easterling invasions, Corsairs of Umbar and Haradrim attacks, the awakening of Durin’s
Bane, the Orcs multiplying in the Misty Mountains and finally the Fall of Arnor. Actually a lot of things are going wrong and
one could assume, that all this must be related to Sauron. As a traveller and usually a quite active
part of the later established White Council, Gandalf explores Dol Guldur Third 2063, as
the power there seems to grow stronger, but Sauron manages to escape without being identified. As mentioned in the Radagast part, maybe he
has talked with Radagast, because he lives in this area. In the Hobbit movies this is also indicated,
but in the books Gandalf explores Dol Guldur first, not Radagast. This was also before the White Council was
established. It is interesting to note, that the name or
the concept of the White Council is probably a reference to another White Council that
was founded in Second Age 1700 after the War of the elves and Sauron. Elrond and the King of the Noldor Elves Gil-galad
were probably members. Gil-galad gave his Ring of Power Vilya to
Elrond at this time and it's decided that Imladris or Rivendell will be the elvish stronghold
of this region and not the devastated realm of Eregion. But back to the Third Age. After Sauron escaped, an era known as the
Watchful Peace starts thanks to Gandalf. But it will end after 400 years. The Nazgûl prepare the return of their master
and so Sauron returns to Dol Guldur Third Age 2460 with new found strength. Which is noticed after some time and in response
Galadriel summons the wise to found a new White Council. She suggests Gandalf as leader of the council,
but Gandalf declines the offer, Quote: but Mithrandir refused the office, since he
would have no ties and no allegiance, save to those who sent him, and he would abide
in no place nor be subject to any summons. This also points out how Gandalf loved or
focused on roaming and exploring Middle-earth. Now as mentioned Saruman visited Rohan's King
Fréaláf at his coronation, setting up the deal to get the keys for Isengard. This was after a very long and harsh winter,
called the Long Winter. Gandalf aided the Shire during this time and
developed an interest and love for the land and its people Third Age 2758. He explains how he was impressed by their
courage and pity for one another, while threatened by freezing to death and starvation. Having witnessed these extreme events, he
developed a strong connection to the hobbits and knew about their strength of will and
courage, probably nobody else knew about. Also we know that Gandalf probably from this
point on visited the Shire regularly and developed a love for pipe-weed. Around this time a young Thorin II, who would
later become Thorin Oakenshield, lives in the Lonely Mountain, not knowing about the
trouble, that will come soon in form of a dragon. The Unfinished Tales indicate, that until
the dwarves from the Lonely Mountain lived in exile, Gandalf had not much contact with
them. This should change after Smaug or Smaug invaded
Erebor and the dwarves had to find a new home. Thráin, Thorin and parts of their people
found a new home in the Blue Mountains – far in the west. After Thrór was murdered by the orcs in Moria,
the dwarves wanted revenge and so the War of the Dwarves and Orcs started, ending in
the final Battle of Azanûlbizar. In the end they decided against retaking Moria,
because of Durin's Bane and their heavy losses. Gandalf probably knew about their movements
and we can later read*, that Thorin heard about Gandalf before, so maybe the Wizard
had established a lose contact at this time or travelled through the area in the Blue
Mountains. Third Age 2841 Thorin's father Thráin, who
was the Lord of the Blue Mountains and possessed one of the dwarven Rings of Power, the key
and the map of the secret entrance of Erebor, started a journey to the Lonely mountain with
Balin and Dwalin. They travelled slowly and came to Mirkwood,
where Thráin suddenly disappeared Third Age 2845. Nobody knew what happened, but he was captured
by Sauron and imprisoned in Dol Guldur. What is interesting in this context: nobody
knew that it was Sauron hiding in Dol Guldur. Also this way the Dark Lord gets the last
Ring of Power back, which also nobody knew, because the dwarf lords, who had a ring of
power kept them and their location secret. However Gandalf searched long for Thráin. In the Lord of the Rings he mentions, that
he even looked in Moria. That is also why he knew the way through Moria
later. But the vanished dwarf was not there and Third
Age 2850 Gandalf decides to enter Dol Guldur again. Here he finds a dying Thráin in the dungeons. The tormented dwarf didn't even know who he
was anymore. But Gandalf now had the map and they key for
the secret door in Erebor. Also Gandalf was able to identify the Necromancer
as Sauron himself. In the Hobbit movie Gandalf is captured, but
in the books he leaves Dol Guldur and summons the council. The council meets Third Age 2851 and Gandalf
the Grey urges to attack Dol Guldur as soon as possible, but as mentioned in Saruman's
part, Saruman convinces the council to say passive, which angered Gandalf. As mentioned Gandalf also smoked his pipe
during the council, which he never did before and which annoyed Saruman. Both talked with each other. Gandalf told Saruman a bit about the Shire
and made small rings of smoke, trying to grab them, but they disappeared in his hands. After this he left the meeting. Tolkien never published this little story
himslef and we only find it in the Unfinished Tales, but it's a nice foreshadowing of Saruman's
plans, doom and the involvement of the Shire. But at this time Bilbo was not even born,
so it was probably a gesture, to warn Saruman, that playing with the Rings of Power and Sauron
was a dangerous game. He knew, that Saruman was studying the Rings,
but he at least trusted Saruman until he was captured in Orthanc over 260 years later. While now Saruman in secret searched the Gladden
Fields for the One Ring, Gandalf started his own agenda. Knowing it was Sauron in Dol Guldur, he started
to establish connections to the dwarves and searched for allies. He also visited the Shire. We can read, that he knew Bilbo from when
he was very young. Also in Third Age 2911 there was another very
harsh winter, called the Fell Winter. In Tolkien Gateway we can read, that Gandalf
and the Dunedain Rangers aided the Shire with food, but I couldn't find that note in the
books I use and there is no source stated for it, but it's possible. 20 years later Aragorn the II is born and
his father Arathorn II is slain. His mother brings him to Rivendell and Elrond
takes him as his foster-son, not revealing his true ancestry to him. He calls him Estel, which means hope. It is quite likely that Gandalf knew about
him and ofc who he truly was. He had most likely good connections to the
Dunedain Rangers at this point. And with this we are close to the events of
The Hobbit. Third Age 2941 Thorin and Gandalf finally
meet in person. In Appendix A and in the Unfinished Tales
we can read, that Thorin meets Gandalf in Bree by accident and invites him to his Halls
in the Blue Mountains, where Thorin tells him his story and seeks his council. At least since now or around this time Gandalf
understood the purpose of the map and the key he had. It must also be noted how important this key
and map is and how important it is, that Bilbo joins the dwarves on their quest. These events are probably the most important
in the History of the whole Third Age and if just one little detail would have been
different, Sauron could have won the war. And it somehow feels like, that Gandalf carefully
orchestrated all of this. But in the end he admits in the Unfinished
Tales, that he did not really knew from the beginning, but he knew in his heart that without
a Hobbit, the Quest for Erebor would fail. And he chose Bilbo, because he felt that he
was the right one. And so Gandalf's advice for Thorin was: the
dwarves need to go in secrecy and that he knows the right person to help them out: Bilbo. Thorin was not happy with this advice. He even thought, that Gandalf would mock him,
but showing him the map and key, Gandalf convinced Thorin and so the Quest for Erebor could begin. While Saruman looked for the One Ring in the
background, he noticed, that Sauron searched the Gladden Fields too and so he had to retreat,
using Radagast's beasts and birds to spy and search. Soon the council was summoned again and Saruman
finally agreed, to attack Dol Guldur. This was in parallel with the events of the
Hobbit. With the defeat of Smaug Gandalf has managed
to weaken Sauron's position, because a potential ally was dead, dwarves would come back to
the region and the position of men would become stronger too. In addition the White Council attacked Sauron
in his hideout and forced him to move. This part is actually very crucial. Indeed Sauron was aware of the attack and
escaped easily. Even Mordor was prepared for his return, but
in the end it turned out to be a mistake. Gandalf later explains, that if Sauron would
have gathered all his strength, he could have destroyed Lórien and probably Rivendell. If he had done so, the Ringbearer and the
resistance had no place to go or hide. Instead he focused on weakening Gondor, which
played almost no part, when it comes to the One Ring. Frodo never went to Minas Tirith during the
War of the Ring, but he was in Rivendell and Lothlórien. What is also important: The Battle of the
Five Armies. Gandalf also participated in this important
battle. He probably travelled to help his friends
after he and the White Council drove out Sauron from Dol Guldur. The Battle of the Five Armies cost many lives,
esp. for the dwarves, but it was also a disaster for the orcs in this region. We can read in the hobbit: Songs have said that three parts of the goblin
warriors of the North perished on that day That are 75% less orcs for Sauron in the northern
regions. A costly defeat for Sauron, because he was
now not able to conquer Lothlórien and Rivendell any more. Gandalf was quite busy in Third Age 2941 and
probably made the difference here for the years to come. Also the One Ring went to the Shire with Bilbo,
without anyone knowing. It was unthinkable, even for Gandalf. In addition Gandalf's interest in the shire
grows further, esp in the Beggings family, having seen Bilbo in action. Third Age 2951 Sauron declared himself openly
in Mordor. Interestingly Elrond reveals to Aragorn his
true name and ancestry in the same year. The White council should meet one last time
again in Third Age 2953. They discussed the Rings of Power, which were
now all except for the 3 elven Rings in Sauron's possession. Saruman did not find the One Ring and claimed
to have knowledge of the ring being flushed into the ocean, probably because he found
Isildur's necklace and maybe even his body, but not the ring - maybe he bluffed. Who knows. Saruman fortifies Isengard further and should
soon start to use the Panatir and fall under the influence of Sauron, ofc without the knowledge
of anyone. Third Age 2956 Gandalf meets Aragorn II in
person and they become friends. Both would work together a lot behind the
scenes against their common foe Sauron. As mentioned Gandalf visited the Shire and
esp. his friend Bilbo and later Frodo quite often from now on. He knew about Bilbo having a Ring and might
have suspected, that his Ring could be one of the Rings of Power, probably one of the
dwarven ones. The exact fate of the Thráin's Ring was actually
unknown, because the dwarf lords who wore it, did never speak about it or showed it
and only shortly before they died, they gave it to the next heir in secret. E.g. at the council of Elrond even dwarf lords
like Glóin thought, that the ring of Thrór is still in Moria, because Thrór died there. This was also one of the reasons for Balin
to go to Moria. Quote:
The Seven are lost to us – if Balin has not found the ring of Thrór, which was the
last Gandalf at this point had the knowledge and
explains, that he won't find it in there, because Thrór gave it to Thráin before he
went to Moria. I assume that Gandalf did not know about it
much earlier too, else his assumption of Bilbo's ring being a Ring of Power would only make
sense, when he didn't knew about the fate of the other remaining rings, because there
are so to say no Rings of Power left. The nine are with Sauron and the Nazgûl,
the 3 with Galadriel, Elrond and Gandalf, 4 of the 7 were destroyed by dragon fire,
2 were recaptured by Sauron and the last one had Thráin. But it makes sense, that Gandalf for some
time also believed, that Thrór's ring was lost in Moria, because he knew Bilbo found
his ring also in the Misty Mountains. An interesting little detail. One reason for Gandalf's suspicion was, that
Bilbo was quite youthful and seemed not to age. He also told Gandalf, that he stole it from
Gollum. In Third Age 3001 Gandalf helped to organize
Bilbo's farewell party. He also asked him to let the Ring go, which
Bilbo did after struggling and with Ganalf's help, which is a more than an impressive deed. Only few were able to do that, which is a
testament for Bilbo's power of will. When it comes to mortals unheard of. When it comes to the immortal Tom Bombadil,
who Gandalf knew to some degree, would be the only one, that comes to my mind. The other wise did not even dare to touch
it. After that Gandalf became interested in Gollum
and started a very long search for him together with Aragorn. Gandalf also started to study the archives
in Minas Tirith, maybe catching up with Saruman's knowledge, but he had in addition through
his adventures with Bilbo and the dwarves information that were not written down and
so a big advantage over all others, searching for the One Ring. However Aragorn and Gandalf were too late. Gollum went or was drawn to Mordor and there
was captured and interrogated by Sauron. After he got released, Gollum crossed the
Dead Marches, were Aragorn tracked and captured him again. Poor Gollum had some rough times. This was also Third Age 3017, decades later. Aragorn brought Gollum to Thranduil and the
wooden elves. So they all knew each other including most
likely Legolas. There Gandalf interrogated Gollum and now
received the missing puzzle pieces, but he also learned, that Sauron has captured him
before and knew the names Shire and Beggins from Gollum. After hearing all this and piecing together
the information he had, Gandalf knew, that the Ring in Frodo's possession was not just
a Ring of Power, but the master Ring itself, the One Ring and he hasted to the Shire, explaining
everything to Fordo. Frodo remarks, that it would be better if
Bilbo would have killed Gollum, when he had the chance, but Gandalf reminds him how important
pity for others is and that he feels, that Gollum still has a part to play. We all know the beginning of Lord of the Rings. The movies are a bit different though or let's
say time is more compressed. In the books it takes 17 years from Bilbo's
133rd birthday party to Frodo finally leaving the Shire, travelling to Rivendell. As mentioned Gandalf was quite busy finding
Gollum and he was also prisoned in Orthanc for 2 month. I already talked at length about his meeting
with Saruman there. Saruman as the leader had the authority and
power to imprison Gandalf. The fight we see in the films, is not mentioned
in the books. But Saruman really wanted Gandalf on his side
and was actually sad, that he refused his offer. After Mithrandir was saved by Gwaihir, who
flew over by accident probably sent by Radagast, he flew to Edoras in Rohan. Theoden, under the influence of Gríma, allowed
him to pick any horse he wanted, as long as he leaves as soon as possible. Gandalf chose Shadowfax one of the Mearas,
but ofc he did not allow Gandalf to just ride him or even come close. Gandalf followed Shadowfax for 2 days until
he finally could tame him. Ofc he rode Shadowfax without a saddle. Gandalf at this time misses Frodo several
times on his way to Rivendell. A thing that is not in the movies is, that
Gandalf fought the 9 Nazgûl at the Weathertop 3 days before Frodo arrived there. Gandalf fought them and later mentions light
and flame. He also drew the attention of 4 of the Ringwraith
on him, so that they followed him. That is also the reason, why Frodo and his
friends were only attacked by 5 Riders instead of all 9, which for sure helped the Hobbits
and Strider. In the books it is also the mentioned Glorfindel,
who saves Frodo and rides with him to Rivendell. In the movies Arwen takes his part, but there
are still more differences. For example Fordo and the horse of Glorfindel,
Asfaloth, arrived the river alone and the others were following. Elrond controlled the flood and Gandalf added
the horse shapes into the flood. Now this video is already very long and as
said I won't cover every detail from Gandalf in Lord of the Rings. So we will continue with Moria and Gandalf
the White. Gandalf travels with the Fellowship over the
misty mountains and it is his idea to go through Moria, which is different in the films too. Then in Moria we see Gandalf fight the Balrog. Both fall into the deep. There Gandalf sees the Nameless Things, strange
unknown creatures from ancient times not even Sauron knew about. The Balrog knew the way to the legendary Endless
Stairs once build by the dwarves of Moria, but lost from history. Even the dwarves thought that they were a
legend. He pursued the Balrog up those stairs - they
led from the deepest dungeons to the top of the mountain. After 10 days the battle against Durin's Bane
ended with the death of both Gandalf and the Balrog. But how can Gandalf die and what exactly happens
to him? As mentioned Gandalf is a Maia, but as an
Istar was clad in flesh. As mentioned at the beginning: the Valar decided
to aid Middle-earth in a very subtle approach. I would say with the death of Gandalf the
Grey a big part of the Istari mission – at least in the west and north – has failed. Saruman has betrayed them. Radagast was lost in nature and the Blue Wizards
worked in the far east and could not help the West and North. What happens now is, that Gandalf enters probably
the halls of Mandos, maybe reports what he knows and then was sent back by Eru. He actually is back on that mountain top naked. Maybe a metaphor for his renewal – like
a newborn. But he does not has to stay there for long,
Gwaihir picks him up and brings him to Lothlórien, where he is closed and gets a new staff by
Galadriel, probably still just a symbol of his order and authority. He also calls Shadowfax again. In this new Form, he was not clad in flash
anymore and was the sole emissary of the Valar, allowing him to show more of his powers. He was probably still not allowed to use all
he got, but you see a far more powerful Gandalf from now on, even though he still holds back
and basically continues his old mission. This journey must have been long, as he needs
some time to remember the name Gandalf. In the books we can read, how in Fangorn Forest
Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli first think he's Saruman and try to attack him. They even see him - so to say - moving around
swiftly and moving in supernatural ways – jumping from rock to rock like a Jedi from Star Wars. When they attack him they can not harm him
and he explains, that in this form with their ordinary weapons, they can't even hurt him. They also don't recognize him at first. It seems, that he can see things in the distance,
like Sauron and his plans, more clearly now. His foresight seems even more potent and he
can see events far away. With his new powers he is able to aid the
peoples of Middle-earth as the last Istar of the west, helping Rohan, by healing Theoden
and finding Erkenbrand – in the movies this character fuses with Éomer – and beatig
the invading armies, he dispels Saruman from the White Council and the order of the Istari,
breaking his staff and pretty much replacing him, after Saruman refuses to get back on
track. He also explains, that he is Saruman now,
or as Saruman should have been. In the end he has made the difference before
and in the War of the Ring. His prophecy, that Gollum will play a role
in all of this also comes true, as Frodo in the end fails to destroy the One Ring and
Gollum driven by his desire bites the ring off Frodo's hand, falling into the lava together
with his precious. Gandalf was right. After all of this his mission is completed
and he travels back to Aman in the far west from Mithlond - the Grey Havens - where he
and the others once arrived. Thank you for watching.
