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Lost One · 09-30-2003, 04:45 PM

I always feel inclined to stick up for Radagast. Tolkien had this tendency in his later, unpublished writings to 'talk up' his favorite characters, so Gandalf and Galadriel especially got considerably built up, as we see in things like 'Unfinished Tales'. But in LOTR itself there is not a hint of Radagast failing. Gandalf speaks warmly of him ('the honest Radagast'), he does Saruman's bidding as head of the White Council, coming to find Gandalf; he does what Gandalf asks, and sets his animal friends to watch for news, and thus was responsible for Gandalf escaping from Isengard. Elrond sends messages to him after the Council, but he isn't sitting around at Rosghobel, but is presumably off still helping out. Perhaps he helps the Beornings, who knows? He is treated as an active member of the forces of good.

09-30-2003, 04:45 PM	#39
Lost One Haunting Spirit Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 67	I always feel inclined to stick up for Radagast. Tolkien had this tendency in his later, unpublished writings to 'talk up' his favorite characters, so Gandalf and Galadriel especially got considerably built up, as we see in things like 'Unfinished Tales'. But in LOTR itself there is not a hint of Radagast failing. Gandalf speaks warmly of him ('the honest Radagast'), he does Saruman's bidding as head of the White Council, coming to find Gandalf; he does what Gandalf asks, and sets his animal friends to watch for news, and thus was responsible for Gandalf escaping from Isengard. Elrond sends messages to him after the Council, but he isn't sitting around at Rosghobel, but is presumably off still helping out. Perhaps he helps the Beornings, who knows? He is treated as an active member of the forces of good.