Radagast's ultimate fate

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

Originally Posted by Alcuin

I think I met Radagast many years ago in Berkley, California. He was running a Ben & Jerry’s, wore Birkenstocks, had a staff, and was followed around by a couple of deer and lots of birds and furry critters.

Ah, I needed a good laugh!

My personal opinion has always been that Radagast, in focusing too strongly on the flora and fauna of Middle-earth that he so loved, lost sight of his mission to aid and guide the people in the resistance against Sauron, and just plain forgot who and what he truly was, and where he came from. Not evil or malicious in his failing, but failed nonetheless. I believe he remained in Middle-earth either until something happened to kill his human body, or until he finally did something that jogged his memory.

Somewhat facetiously — but not entirely — I once postulated that Radagast was Merlin, who, after helping put Arthur on the right path, was "lured" away by "Nimue," another Maia who was sent to finally bring him home, having at last fulfilled his original mission to help the beleaguered residents of Middle-earth (another member of the board on which I first postulated this was kind enough to write a charming little piece of fan fiction about the event). In an odd way, it makes sense, partly because of the ambiguity about Merlin's origins and fate in the many variations of the Arthur legend, and partly because it would place a small connection between Tolkien's invented British mythology and Britain's most prominent legend.

[Pitchwife]

Radagast as Merlin? That's not such a weird idea at all - especially if you consider the original Merlin we meet in the Black Book of Carmarthen, Myrddin Wyllt, the mad hermit of the Caledonian woods who addressed his prophecies to pigs and apple-trees and appeared at his ex-wife's second wedding riding on a stag. Quite a Radagastly figure.

[Rumil]

And did he turn up later as St Francis of Assisi?

Hmm, who's he now then- David Attenborough?

[doug*platypus]

In the spirit of speculation rather than textual citation, I would hazard a guess that Radagast remained in Middle Earth out of choice after the fall of Sauron, so enamoured was he of the beasts and birds in Mirkwood and around. Whether he actually did help out in the rehabilitation of Mirkwood after it's rebranding as Greenwood the Great is a matter for even more speculation, but I think it's highly possible that without Gandalf and Saruman around to guide his actions, he just did his own thing. He seems to play the part of the disengaged employee in modern terms. As mormegil put it so well in the other thread:

The comparision [sic] between Radagast and Sauruman is equivalent to the difference between a sin of omission and a sin of commission.

Radagast was a failure not because of his actions as Saruman was, but because of his inactions. Not that he was no help at all, it's just that as far as using his abilities to their fullest, he was no Gandalf to put it mildly.

I imagine that eventually over the years, Radagast, Maia though he was, faded as did those of the Firstborn who remained in Middle Earth through the ushering in of the Dominion of Men... what was it, dwindling to a rustic folk of wood and dell. It is possible that eventually when his body faded, which I believe it would do as he was sent to Middle Earth in the form of an old man with the other Istari, with the sole purpose of fighting the good fight against Sauron, that he was able to seek admission back to the Undying Lands. Would his enquiring spirit be swept away as Saruman's was, though? I cannot say. But I think he would stand a better chance of forgiveness and acceptance.

[Boromir88]

Going back to my first post I found the references to the different histories of the Blue wizards I mentioned.

In Letter 211 it seems like Tolkien thought they had a special mission to go east but failed (only in a different manner) like Saruman and Radagast.

"I really do not know anything clearly about the other two- since they do not concern the history of the N.W. I think they went as emissaries to distant regions., East and South, far out of Numenorean range: missionaries to ’enemy- occcupied lands, as it were. What success they had I do not know; but I fear that they failed , as Saruman did, though doubtless in different ways; and I suspect they were founders or beginners of secret cults and ’magic ’ tradiitons that outlasted the fall of Sauron."

This is where the idea that they started their own "cults." However, Tolkien was rather uncomfortable with the cult-practice part of religion in his stories. I think that's where we see a change, and in Home XII: Last Writings it's a completely different history. The Blue wizards actually arrive in the Second Age (when according to LOTR the Istari didn't come until the Third Age). Anyway, Alatar and Pallando were specially sent to the East in the Second Age and crucial in minimizing Sauron's swelling army.

"But the other two Istari were sent for a different purpose. Morinehtar and Romestamo. Darkness-slayer and East-helper. Their task was to circumvent Sauron: to bring help to the few tribes of Men that had rebelled from Melkor-worship, to stir -up rebellion...and after his first fall to search out his hiding (in which they failed) and to cause dissension and disarray among the dark East. They must have had very great influence on the history of the Second Age and Third Age in weakening and disarrayinbg the forces of the East...who would both in the Second and Third Age otherwise have outnumbered the West."

[Galin]

But even this late note might not be Tolkien's last word on the subject. A more legible version appears on the other side of this text, and I compare what's noted in both. When two Istari come in the Second Age and have a measure of success:

'They must have had very great influence in weakening and disarraying the forces of East ... who would both in the Second Age and Third Age otherwise have outnumbered the West.'

In the text on the reverse side of this, the Maiar (all five are referred to before the section I quote here) all appear to come at the same time (a crucial moment) -- and at a time when the resistance of the West was greatly outnumbered.

'Now these Maiar were sent by the Valar at a crucial moment in the history of Middle-earth to enhance the resistance of the Elves of the West, greatly outnumbered by those of the East and South.'

Again who knows which followed the other, but at least (I think) this arguably casts a measure of doubt upon the idea that the other two had this measure of success.

I tend to go with the version that best agrees with The Lord of the Rings...

... or at least is also more legible

[Alcuin]

Originally Posted by Galin

...the Maiar (all five are referred to before the section I quote here) all appear to come at the same time (a crucial moment) -- and at a time when the resistance of the West was greatly outnumbered.

This quote has never bothered me before, but it suddenly does now.

I can see why the Valar would seek to strengthen the resolve of the Elves of the West, but why would it matter that they were outnumbered by other Elves? Surely the Elves of the East and South were not evil!

But the Men of the East and South were under the sway of Sauron, they vastly outnumbered the Men of the West (Dúnedain), and this indeed made a “crucial” difference in whether or not Sauron could seize control of Middle-earth in the Third Age, with or without the Ruling Ring.