sff_corgi_lj | Dec. 9th, 2003

This is, at least in part, for

luminaraunduli, as she had been asking at one point about Gandalf as as allegorical figure.

After re-reading Tolkein's Foreword, which I have undoubtedly not done for nigh unto decades [shame], I realised that the fact that Gandalf the White was able to symbolise both the Christ and the Allfather is not as much intent -- fot JRRT himself strongly refutes any intent toward allegory -- but more of a function of archetype. In other words, a template of a reborn hero/god can be used and re-used without losing its virtue.

But here's the interesting bit. I was looking for some Middle Earth glossaries or somesuch for trivial reasons, and found a mention in one excellent document of 'the Istari or wizards'. Wait, they came from where?

After a bit of digging*, I found (or was reminded) that the wizards, only five of them, had come from the Undying Lands, and were in fact, Maiar in human forms, sent to ‘teach a man to fish' rather than hand them everything that a more spiritual form would find easier. In other words, Gandalf was an incarnated angel.

Olorin (Gandalf) began as a student of Nienna, Valar of compassion and grief, the ‘Lady of Death', but later became close to Manwe, Lord of the Air and the closest of the Valar to Eru. As one of the wisest of his kind, he was chosen to help the created races, those of Middle Earth, in their resistance against Melkor Morgoth, the corruptor of the Song of Eru and many of the Maiar.

The most powerful of the Maiar to be corrupted was, of course, Sauron. The Valaraukar were also fallen Maiar, of lesser power, perhaps. It's interesting to note that in line with Tolkien's general anti-industrial tone, that both Sauron and the incarnate Maia who would later ally/challenge him, Curumo (Saruman) were both Maiar of Aule, the Smith. Such a contrast to the image of the worker-with-metal as presented in, say, The Dark is Rising.

So we have Sauron fending off Saruman's challenge, and Gandalf battling to expiration with a Valarauko, the Balrog of Moria. The greatest individual contests are between higher beings (or the individual being versus the Ring). Ironic that Gandalf passes through fire to be reawakened to his spiritual self (and therefore his native power) again, which may have become overbound to its mortal format, in the same way a good swordblade or other piece of metalwork has to be heated, shaped and tempered by a smith. Aule, after all, was never evil, just... overeager.

Gandalf escapes his mortal form, but as his work is not yet done, he is sent back... but in the interim, has become his old self, his original self, Olorin again, at least briefly. It explains the strange shape of his memory when the Companions rejoin with him. Gandalf was, essentially, a beloved mask, a dear stage-part for the angelic being -- and it took the 'reset' Olorin a little while to remember the illusion of his mortality. (And then, of course, spiritual being or not, he gets back to work.)

Tangent: I was reading about Nienna, and the Encyclopedia of Arda (see below) says this about her:

Of Nienna's appearance we have almost no knowledge. The only hint is in Quenta Silmarillion 9, Of the Flight of the Noldor, where she 'cast back her grey hood'. Given that Gandalf was her student, this might (though somewhat doubtfully) have some relevance to his title, the Grey.

Heh. 'I am grey. I stand between the candle and the star. We are grey. We stand between the darkness and the light.'

* 'Digging:'