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#1 |
Blossom of Dwimordene
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: The realm of forgotten words
Posts: 10,495
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I don't know. He might still be pretty happy to hang out among the nature he loves even in bodiless form. I think it's a possibility. Though on the flip side the loss of a physical body could indeed be the wake up call that reminds him of his initial purpose there and of the land that may be awaiting his return.
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You passed from under darkened dome, you enter now the secret land. - Take me to Finrod's fabled home!... ~ Finrod: The Rock Opera |
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#2 | |
Overshadowed Eagle
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: The north-west of the Old World, east of the Sea
Posts: 3,958
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In the case of Radagast, he loved the natural world, and that was not gone. Assuming he even could 'die of old age' (denethorthefirst, you assert that he must, but I don't know what you're basing that on), I'm inclined to the view that he would stay because of that love. He may not be able to create a new body, but so what? He could still linger over the things he adored, in the same manner as Tolkien originally saw the elves doing. Of course, part of the reason I think this is that I remain convinced he's supposed to be someone or -thing from mythology. Like how Numenor is the source of the Atlantis story, or Frodo's song became 'the cow jumped over the moon', the passing-mention wizard whose name ends in 'gast' - and how close is that to 'ghost'? - really seems like a character from the primary world sneaking his way into the Legendarium. There's even a thread on the Downs about that... |
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#3 |
Haunting Spirit
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 81
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Because Tolkien wrote that the Istari aged. For example Saruman had black hair when he arrived in Lindon in ca 1000 T.A. but by the time of the War of the Ring his hair was almost completely white. So his appearance went from middle-aged to rather old. Same with Gandalf. Frodo noticed that Gandalf looked older: "but secretly he thought that Gandalf looked older and more careworn" (Lord of the Rings, The Shadow of the Past). The aging process cant go on indefinitely, can it? If Saruman went from middle-aged to very old in a rather short time period (2000 years, that is nothing for a Maia), then how much longer could he go on? The bodies of the Istari are essentially human. In my opinion they would, eventually, "die", it would only be a matter of time.
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#4 | ||
Gruesome Spectre
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Heaven's doorstep
Posts: 8,039
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Music alone proves the existence of God. |
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#5 | |
Haunting Spirit
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 81
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I have wondered about the quote you mentioned: "because of their noble spirits they did not die, and aged only by the cares and labours of many long years.". But I have always interpreted that quote to mean that the bodies of the Istari did not die during a specific time (from the in-universe-writers perspective, almost 2000 years, from their arrival in Lindon until the War of the Ring). A normal human being would have died during that time period, but the Istari did not, because of their spirits. They survived for 2000 years, for 2000 years their spirits powered their human bodies. At least thats how I have always understood that quote. The quote does not state that the Istari will never die of old age. Just that they did not die of old age during a specific timespan, but that does not mean that they will not, eventually, die. If their bodies are unable to die of old age, then how do you explain the aging process? Is the mentioned aging just cosmetic? Will it stop at some point? Then why did Tolkien mention it at all? Of course one could argue that the Elves also aged (and even grew beards and developed signs of old age, for example Cirdan), but were still immortal (except for the inevitable "fading" of their bodies). But the elven aging process (beyond maturity) seems to be more a physical manifestation of psychological experiences and trauma. Maybe the aging of the Istari worked in a similar way? Last edited by denethorthefirst; 03-12-2019 at 02:22 PM. |
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#6 | ||
Gruesome Spectre
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Heaven's doorstep
Posts: 8,039
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The above quote references that, I think. The aging would help in not scaring the mortals in ME. There are other references to the Istari being clothed in forms "weak and humble" for the same reason. And it is noted in the essay that on landing at Mithlond, Gandalf was already grey-haired, and looked more aged than the others. I impart that to a general theme in Tolkien's works that humility accomplishes more than pride, and since Saruman was described as having a "noble mien and bearing", maybe that has some weight.
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Music alone proves the existence of God. |
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