"...until my task is done..." - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Lost One · 02-17-2004, 06:26 PM

The idea that Gandalf was the only member of the Istari faithful to his trust was an idea Tolkien developed some time after writing LOTR, as part of his tendency to play up a fiew major figures - Gandalf and Galadriel above all. In the LOTR there is no indication that Radagast is anything other than a functioning wizard held in high regard by the other leaders of the west: 'the honest Radagast' as Gandalf describes him. We see him doing the bidding of Saruman, head of theWhite Council, and then fuflilling Gandalf's request, and thus in effect rescuing him from Orthanc. Elrond' messengers seek him out after the Council of Elrond, but he is away from home, perhaps still carrying out his task of rousing the good birds and beasts, and who knows what he did during the War - was active in Mirkwood or assisted the Beornings perhaps.

Tolkien also revisited the Istari question on several occasions, and the idea that Gandalf was the only faithful one was not always maintained, even in the later writings - he did not have a settled view.

02-17-2004, 06:26 PM	#8
Lost One Haunting Spirit Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 67	The idea that Gandalf was the only member of the Istari faithful to his trust was an idea Tolkien developed some time after writing LOTR, as part of his tendency to play up a fiew major figures - Gandalf and Galadriel above all. In the LOTR there is no indication that Radagast is anything other than a functioning wizard held in high regard by the other leaders of the west: 'the honest Radagast' as Gandalf describes him. We see him doing the bidding of Saruman, head of theWhite Council, and then fuflilling Gandalf's request, and thus in effect rescuing him from Orthanc. Elrond' messengers seek him out after the Council of Elrond, but he is away from home, perhaps still carrying out his task of rousing the good birds and beasts, and who knows what he did during the War - was active in Mirkwood or assisted the Beornings perhaps. Tolkien also revisited the Istari question on several occasions, and the idea that Gandalf was the only faithful one was not always maintained, even in the later writings - he did not have a settled view.