"Young" Master Gandalf

[shadow_lady]

Hi!! I'm new in this forum and I think this is one of the best forums out there dedicated to the works of Tolkien!

I just have a question.

Why did Treebeard call Gandalf as "Young Master Gandalf"?

We know that the Ents were in Arda since the beginning of the creation and they are the older race there - pls forget thoughts and discussions about Tom Bombadil now - But Gandalf is a Maia who existed even before the creation of Middle-Earth. He was even mentioned in Valaquenta in Sil.

So, Why did Treebeard call him young? :confused:

[Nirvana II]

Treebeard was one of the first Ents....Ents first appeared in the FIRST AGE......Gandalf came at the beginning of THIRD AGE, when his life technically began, as he was in the Undying Lands, or Valinor

[The Only Real Estel]

Echoing Nirvana, I think Treebeard was referring to Gandalf's actual life in Middle Earth.

[Nirvana II]

i thought of another reason.....disregard the powers bequeathed to Olorin in the beginning by Iluvatar.......Ents are still really old, and compared to them Gandalf would still be really young

[Kransha]

Is there an echo in here?

Yes, I believe Treebeard was merely referring to the fact that Gandalf and the other Istari only appeared physically on Arda in the Third Age, whereas Ents have been around since the first. Also, one could say that Gandalf is technically of a mortal age, though he's still Maiar. The Ent, Fangorn, has seen more of the world than Gandalf.

[Nirvana II]

im glad to get an echo from ya'll

[Noxomanus]

Originally posted by Kransha
Is there an echo in here?

Yes, I believe Treebeard was merely referring to the fact that Gandalf and the other Istari only appeared physically on Arda in the Third Age, whereas Ents have been around since the first. Also, one could say that Gandalf is technically of a mortal age, though he's still Maiar. The Ent, Fangorn, has seen more of the world than Gandalf.

I suppose that's the case and plus, Treebeard didn't know what the Istari were.

[Nirvana II]

Treebeard did know what the Istari were, Mithrandir told him in the beginning of the third age when they met.

[symestreem]

Maybe he did it to get Gandalf's goat.

[peonydeepdelver]

I think it was simply to show that Treebeard had been in Arda much longer than Gandalf, and so was in a way older than him. Almost like how Legolas called Aragorn and Gimli children on the edge of Fangorn Forest (which happens in the book).

[Noxomanus]

Originally posted by Nirvana II
Treebeard did know what the Istari were, Mithrandir told him in the beginning of the third age when they met.

Where do you have that one from?? Don't forget Treebeard himself said in TT in the 'Treebeard'-chapter that he didn't know much about the Wizards and he also calls Curumo 'the young Saruman at Isengard.'

[Nirvana II]

i believe he said the War of the Ring was a WIZARDS war, the only known people called wizards are also known as the Istari.

[Noxomanus]

Originally posted by Nirvana II
i believe he said the War of the Ring was a WIZARDS war, the only known people called wizards are also known as the Istari.

Knowing what is a Wizard and what isn't does not mean you know what the origins or intentions of the Wizard are.

For example, I might know what a dog is and what isn't but I might still not know they were bred from wolves.