Radagast, the absent wizard...
 

I have always wondered what is up with radagast, he does almost nothing, and is barely mentioned...I know almost all there is to know about him, and that isnt anything..

Radagast The Brown is the lowest of the 3 wizards of middle earth, his specialty is in plants, herbs, and animals. He told gandalf to go see sauruman, and sent the eagles to rescue gandalf when he was trapped.

Does anyone else know anything more about radagast? It almost seems like tolkein forgot about him, and just mentioned him a few times...You would think a wizard deserves for than a 3 sentence description..

-willkill

I don't think that I know anymore about him than you do but I think that tolkien might have wanted to expand on his character but never got to doing it. Maybe tolkien needed him only for thoses few small parts to make things work. Or tolkien might have felt that there wern't enough wizards in middle-earth and decided to add a character but forgot to develop him.

Those are my guesses, I'm in the same boat as you.

There were actually 5 wizards in Middle-earth: Curumno, Olórin, Aiwendil (sp?), Pallando, and Alatar. (The first three are, respectively, Saruman, Gandalf, and Radagast.) The last two went est when they arrived in ME and never returned. Saruman dwelt in Isengard, Gandalf pretty much anywhere he wanted to, and Radagast near Mirkwood.

In the Unfinished Tales, it comments on how Gandalf was the only wizard to furfill the mission given to them (as a group) by Manwë. Saruman fell to darkness (which is what most likely happened to the other 2), and Radagast became enamoured with Middle-earth. He pretty much forsook the mission (to combat Sauron) to live with the trees and animals. His only dealings with the "outside world" were with some Elves, Saruman, and Beorn. He never had a major role in any historical event (save perhaps the attack of the White Council on the Necromancer at Dol Guldur). In fact, he wasn't even supposed to come to Middle-earth...he only tagged along with Saruman (at Yavanna's request, I think).

Since he had little part in LotR, he wasn't expanded on at all. But if you look hard enough, there's more about him then you think.

It's suggested in The Hobbit that he had dealings with Beorn. Other than that, I'm clueless. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Manwe! You're too fast. We posted at the same time and now I look like an idiot! [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

Btw., Saruman only settled in Orthanc/Isengard after Rohirim came to Rohan, didn't he? i have the impression that before that he was a wandering wizard, much like Gandalf.

I even seem to recall that Gandalf later suspected that Saruman only settled in Orthanc in the hopes of finding the Palantir there - which he, as we all know, did.

I think that Tolkien deliberately left us with only hints about Radagast. He's yet another lose end (who are Tom Bombadil and Goldberry?; what's behind that door in the Paths of the Dead? and many more).

I first read LoTR long before the publication of The Silmarillion. In those days, there were many more lose ends to worry about; The Hobbit and LoTR are full of references to the history and legends of earlier Ages which wern't explained until the Silmarillion became available.

Tolkien used these lose ends to try to convince us that we have been privileged to glimpse just a part of what is a much fuller
story.

He was a bit of a tree-hugger, in my opinion. Thoguh the question I ask is did he really fail his mission? He was sent my Yavanna to look after the animals, like Gandalf was associated with elves and Saruman with men.

Radagast is only vaguely mentioned I agree. I would definately like to find out more about him as he is a wizard, a member of Gandalf's order. If anyone finds anything else please post it!

I don't know, there is something about obscure characters that I love. Radagast has been an interest and favorite of mine for ages. It's a pity we didn't learn more about him. What happened to him after LOTR anyway? I need tor reread FoTR to find out what Gandalf said about him. After Saruman used him what happend anywho?

I don't know why i'm saying this but somewhere i'm sure i read that Saruman killed Radagast , maybe that was somebody speculating in another post about what could have happended to Radagast not sure ? !
It's always interested me actually that the istari must have had a mission and WHY was gandalf the only one to succeed ? What was it about gandalf's character of person that led him to succeed over others ? This really applies to the rest of the fellowship as -well maybe i'll make a new post about it!

I suppose the reason Tolkein didn't mention Radagast more is that, first of all, Radagast was a MUCH weaker istari than Gandalf and saruman for sure, and I think he was also a lot weaker than the blue wizards. In Fact, he wasn't supposed to be sent to Middle Earth with the other four, but Yavanna begged Eru (or was it manwe?) to send him with the others. He was always the weakest.
Because of this, he couldn't play as big a part as gandalf or saruman (no way could he have tackled the balrog at khazad-dum, for instance) and also because he was so obsessed with the trees and birds and stuff: he wasnt too bothered by his mission. He wouldn't have been nearly as interested in the ring saga as gandalf and saruman, and even if he had been he wouldn't have been capable of making much of an impact.

Good question! I think in the Silm. or Unfinished Tales (can't remember which one) when Manwe is briefing the wizards before they set off Gandalf begs Manwe to stay becuase he fears Sauron. Manwe says that is the more reason why he should go. Thats why I believe Gandalf succeeded above Sauraman (who was too big headed but probably had the power to help counter Sauron) and Radagast and the Blue Wizards who were too weak.

But can you really assume that radagast was that weak? We know he was the weakest of the istari, but was he that weak? He probably would have been able to make a difference..he could of easily used the great eagles to help, along with the elves of mirkwood..and he probably was a strong enough wizard to do many things..

-willkill

well he did help run the necromancer out of southern mirkwood with the white council.

Is it said anywhere that Radagast was part of the White Council. I assumed that he wasn't but maybe that is just me.

I never thought Radagast failed in his mission. Maybe he thought birds and beasts were the way to go.

Gandalf could still be on the top of Isengard right now.....

Mattius, it is never said he didn't help the council in helping drive sauron out of Mirkwood. He might have helped or he might not have. He probably did, since Dol Goldur was so close to his home, and Sauron was burning all the trees, which Radagast's needed for toilet paper.

exactly!

at least i know the real reason why he is called the BROWN wizard now

Wasn't Radagast also involved (indirectly) in the daring Eagle rescue mission for Sam and Frodo after the ring is destroyed? He certainly had the friendship of Eagles which is no small thing in itself.

I apologize for not haveing references, but I seem to recall that when the wizards came over they had to "relearn" and "reaquaint" themselves to the wisdom and knowledge of the world. If this is true, it would seem that regardless of there inherent power ranks, proper study and practice would have to be actualized for them to realize their wizard potential. Gandalf was the only wizard to pursue that end properly, that is why he was the most powerful wizard in the end. while Radagast may have been the inherently weakest wizard, his true weakness came from a diversion from pupose. Some have said that perhaps Radagast was not foresaking his purpose being that the birds and plants needed to be cared for as well, but I would argue that his interest was still misapportioned.

gotta go, maybe more later.

But they were sent to aid the free peoples of Middle-earth - not the animals. That was only Yavanna's intention.

Even if Radagast had a special affinity for birds and plants and what-not, Men and Elves are the children of Iluvatar and any regard for the well being of birds and plants whould have to be tempered, if not all out focused through, a regard for men and elves. If Sauron recovered the ring Radagast's precious interests would have been destroyed. His focus shifted from the eternal to the temporal. Sauraman's focus shifted to the temporal as well, although his choices were for self preservation and power, had he succeeded he still would have come to a bad end eventually. as a maiar he should have known that as well or better than anyone.
Radagast, although not a "bad" guy in a wordly sense, was a terible wizard.

agreed, he was rubish.

It wasn't so much that he feared Sauron but that he did not want to leave Valinor. All he wanted to do was stay and learn from, oh I can't remember her name. You know, the Valar of sadness, the one that's always crying. He wanted to learn wisdom from her and did not want to be tempted by earthly power. I think thats how it went.

[ December 15, 2002: Message edited by: Salocin ]

and scared

Hmmm... I am glad my attention has been drawn to this very pressing issue. I strongly believe that...

...Radagast would've used leaves for toilet paper, and not paper.

I also believe that he did indeed fail in his mission, at least the mission as originally defined - he didn't seem to have much to do with the Defeat of Sauron. I assume that he was part of the White Council simply because he was one of the Istari, although I'm sure he was probably daydreaming at most of the meetings. I'm sure that he's the brown wizard because it's a nice earthy colour, and maybe he's some kind of version of St. Francis the patron saint of animals, who would have worn brown monk robes.

I think it's likely that Radagast did some very good things on a small level, like nurturing injured squirrels back to health. It's quite possible that living so close to Mirkwood he was too busy with his own troubles to fight a war. Once you get those Mirkwood weeds in your vege patch, you never have a free Saturday again!

Just a side note. When St.Francis was alive, Catholic monks, priests, and clergy in general wore black robes like the ones the Eastern Orthodox and Copts still wear.

In The Hobbit Beorn asks Gandalf who he is and Gandalf answers that he is Radagast's cousin.

I guess he says Radagast (man,I love that name) was his cousin because it had to be believed the Istari were men.

Raefindel--
Could you give us a more spicific citation for that please.

I believe that Radagast would have had a bigger role in the events that afterwards took place, if he hadn't been tricked by Saruman. I think his spirits were destroyed by the deception and that he never forgave himself.

I also believe that Radagast was somewhat more powerfull and successfull than most people think. The Istari's main purpose was to push and motivate the peoples of Middle Earth to stand up and fight for themselves. He was different than Gandalf and Saruman in that he affected nature instead of people. If you look at it, he did have a relationship with most of the powers of nature. Maybee his unseen initial push to Treebeard, Beorn, Gwahir(sp?), ect. is what started them getting involved. These creatures/spirits are also very stubburn, making the job all the harder. If he hung in there, he may have made a considerable contribution. Who knows, maybee he could have motivated Tom Bombadil to action. Ah, it's nice to dream. In battle, his unrivaled summoning power may have made him more formadible than he seemed. Of course, this is a lot of speculation, but I believe there is a method to my madness (at least that's what I'm telling myself). Thanks.

Direct quotes from The Hobbit:

Very few had any ideathat the Wizard's were Maia. In a snese they're all related to each other, springing from the mind of Eur, so why not say he's a cousin, it may literally be true in a sense!
I seem to remember in "Letters" Tolkien saying what some of you said, thta because his attention drifted to too much focus of animals and plants instead of Men and Elves and Dwarves, he effectively failed, though not so far as Gandalf. That's why he doesn't go to Valinor with Gandalf; but he may go later if he makes up for it by helping the rational races more.
Also: I believe he would have had a large role to play in the stuggle agaisnt Dol Guldur, near his home. When Elrond sends messangers to look for him when Frodo is in Rivendell, they can't find him. It would therefore seem that he's busy preparing for something - probably the invasion of Dol Guldur which took place a few months later.
Also: Gandalf calls him "a master of shapes and hues." He could proabbaly go into a raging Beorn-like bear shape, and I wouldn't call him useless to his face when he was like that. [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img]