Gandalf Vs. The Witch King

[Essex]

Originally Posted by CSteefel

.... it makes no sense to have him sent back as a Maia with apparently enhanced powers and then have him ignominiously de-staffed by the Witch King.

As mentioned on this thread here many moons ago and here: http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showthr...ighlight=staff

What's so important about breaking Gandalf's staff? It's really just a symbol rather than a weapon really. OK, so Gandalf broke Saruman's staff, but he was just showing what power he himself had at that point. I think that's what PJ may be trying to do here, to show that the Witch King has grown in power too.

As I mentioned on the thread above. to summarise:

here's where I can see the use of gandalf's staff in lotr

breaking the bridge in moria

making a faggot burst into flame on caradhras

Facing the wargs he held his staff up to ward off the wargs, but used a flaming branch and a spell to finish them off, not his staff

He tried to use his staff to open the doors of moria to no avail

He used it as a torch in moria and to flash a bolt of light to see what was about

He ‘lifted up his staff’ - possibly to ward off the blows of the 3 hunters when he met them in fangorn

He raised his staff in edoras making ‘a roll of thunder and to blot the sunlight out

But notice this: no mentioned of his staff against saruman – “He raised his hand, and spoke slowly in a clear cold voice. 'Saruman, your staff is broken.”

And notice saruman has a staff when the company overtakes him – but obviously no power to run ‘through’ it.


So really I see the staff as possibly a conduit of his power. But I don;t really believe Gandalf needs a staff to use his power.

Indeed, he uses his hand to break Saruman's staff, both movie and book wise, and his hand to ward off the nazgul on the pellonor fields bookwise

My final point from another thread where I (sacrilegously maybe) blame the Author:

the staff makes it EASIER to cast spells, why does he not use his staff on the two of the most important confrontations - 1/ on the door to the chamber he had to say a Word of Command - which spent him of most of his power and 2/ breaking Saruman's staff - neither of these occasions did he use his staff, but in the case of number 1 - Ten minutes later he DOES use his staff to break the Bridge. Very confusing I have to admit....... a mistake by the Author??????