The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

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- The Books (http://forum.barrowdowns.com/forumdisplay.php?f=9)

- - The Blue Wizards (http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showthread.php?t=373)

The Blue Wizards

What the hell happened to the two blue wizards and what were there names?

Read Unfinished Tales. It's a good book and will answer your questions.

Regarding the Blue Wizards:

Quote:

Of the Blue little was known in the West, and they had no names save Ithryn Luin "the Blue Wizards;" for they passed into the East with Curunír, but they never returned, and whether they remained in the East, pursuing there the purposes for which they were sent; or perished; or as some hold were ensnared by Sauron and became his servants, is not now known. 3 But none of these chances were impossible to be; for, strange indeed though this may seem, the Istari, being clad in bodies of Middle-earth, might even as Men and Elves fall away from their purposes. and do evil, forgetting the good in the search for power to effect it.

Quote:

Whereas in the essay on the Istari it is said that the two who passed into the East had no names save Ithryn Luin "the Blue Wizards" (meaning of course that they had no names in the West of Middle-earth), here they are named, as Alatar and Pallando, and are associated with Oromë, though no hint is given of the reason for this relationship. It might be (though this is the merest guess) that Oromë of all Valar had the greatest knowledge of the further parts of Middle-earth, and that the Blue Wizards were destined to journey in those regions and to remain there.

Unfinished Tales, "The Istari"

[ February 22, 2002: Message edited by: Bruce MacCulloch ]

Hmm, I was wondering that too! Thanks!

Note to self: Finish reading the Silm, move onto the Unfinished Tales.... [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Yes, definitely read UT! Now, anyone want to tackle the Blues in a fan fiction story? I would, but I want to finish the one I started, and that character has a lot to say!

Regarding the Ithryn Luin (Blue Wizards)

Quote:

I really do not know anything clearly about the other two - since they do not concern the history of the N.W. [of Middle-Earth] I think that they went as emissaries to distant regions, East and South, far out of Númenórean range: missionaries to 'enemy-occupied' lands, as it were. What success they had I do not know; but i fear that they failed, as Saruman did, though doubtless in different ways; and I suspect that they were founders or beginners of secret cults and 'magic' traditions that outlasted the fall of Sauron.

Letter 211 of the Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien

I always thought that Billy Graham and David Copperfield were odd!!

[ February 22, 2002: Message edited by: Mat_Heathertoes ]

My guess is--they tried to move the easterlings against Sauron like Gandalf did, but could get nothing out of it so they went AWOL. Similarly to Radagast (if my memory serves me right) they did not get to go back to Valinor. So therefore, they must have abandoned their quest (or been killed by something/someone unnamed and horrible).

Ya know, you only got five wizards. Two go AWOL, one takes off bird watching, and one goes over to the other side. Leaving poor Gandalf to carry the whole ball of wax.

Boy, can those Valar pick 'em or what?

LOL. You know, Saruman didn't want to bring the bird watcher, but the Valar made him. Do you think maybe that's why Saruman didn't like him too much? [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

I'm not sure that Saruman liked anybody that much; people that didn't make him feel important anyway. What a miserable tick.