Gandalf The Superhero

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

Well, I don't think it's ever said anywhere, but one could assume him to be rather good in such things since he travelled a lot (and never got lost)...

But honestly the image of Gandalf tracking deers or foraging for food seems strange to me. It is definitely not the typical thing he would do. Most of the time, I can imagine him traveling the used roads whenever possible and usually having his horse and carrying supplies with him. After all, he was not Radagast: he traveled from people to people, and not to desolate places; and helped the nations of Middle-Earth, thus, he spent most of the time in "civilisation".

Now, that is interesting. Of course he was afraid of Sauron, because he had the wits to be. I don't think he was not self-assured, more likely he was just being realistic. He knew he was less powerful than Sauron (if we think about the word "powerful" narrowly here) and that he had just one way of winning, and there ws only the fool's hope for its success...

Hmm, not really sure. At least my feelings from that part of the "Council of Valar" (although of course it's just a feeling and thus not a real proof) were that Gandalf was afraid even though he was up to the task (because the Valar seemed to know, at least Varda, that he IS up to the task - it seemed to me the same as when Elrond or Galadriel were with Frodo: they also seemed to "know", or hope at least, in a quite big part, that Frodo would succeed, while he was afraid a lot). I don't think there was any rational calculation like "Sauron is more powerful than me, I am not going", but rather just "I am afraid I don't have enough strength" - not taking into account at all whether he does or does not really have it. I don't think Gandalf, resp. Olórin was realistic at this moment at all (and later in M-E in some moments also): he was only afraid, just as he says.