Two Questions about Gandalf in the Undying Lands

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Mumriken

I imagine Gandalf would change his form into a younger more energetic form. He loved hobbits, and it wouldn't suprise me if he took the form of a hobbit, just like Aule did when he settled in the old forest.

I don't know that I buy Bombadil as Aulë, but that's another thread.

It seems to me much more likely that Gandalf would have appeared, to the hobbits at least, just as he did in Middle-earth.
If he indeed, as I think, wasn't bound to any particular form and could change at will, why not keep on the "clothing" with which his friends were familiar?

Originally Posted by Mumriken

Radagast was probably allowed back, Bombadil and Tom are most likely Valar and so they could do as they pleased. Shelob was just a spider...xD

I haven't the time for searching at the moment, but I recall a very good thread here about the fate of Radagast in the not too distant past. If I think of it later, I'll edit it in here.
Basically, Radagast, to my mind, failed in his primary task, since it was said the ultimate mission of the Istari was to rally Middle-earth against Sauron. Radagast instead got caught up in flora and fauna. He was probably allowed back to the West eventually (if he even wanted to return, that is).

[Alfirin]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I don't know that I buy Bombadil as Aulë, but that's another thread.

It seems to me much more likely that Gandalf would have appeared, to the hobbits at least, just as he did in Middle-earth.
If he indeed, as I think, wasn't bound to any particular form and could change at will, why not keep on the "clothing" with which his friends were familiar?

It sort of depends on how "accurate" the clothing was. In other words, did Gandalf in his Middle earth guise merely look like an old man, or since it was an incarnate body, would he also feel like an old man. It is mentioned that the only thing that aged the Ishtari was the rigors of their labors, but Gandalf's labors were pretty rigorus (not to mention that, if the UT tales chapter is taken as canon, Gandalf came in a form much older than any of the other Istari right off the bat. They all have staffs, but Gandalf is the only one specifcally described as NEEDING one to get around.) If the latter, I can imagine Gandalf, once he was permitted to do so, might very well at least take on the form of a somewhat younger man; one free of whatever aches and pains the age of his "Greycloak" incarnation plauged him with. He could still look enough like his old self to be recognizable to his friends as Gandalf, just a healthier, fitter, more nimble Gandalf.

[Mumriken]

If I'd be Gandalf I would take the form of a young woman. Like after having spent some thousand years as an old man it would be nice to try something different.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Alfirin

It sort of depends on how "accurate" the clothing was. In other words, did Gandalf in his Middle earth guise merely look like an old man, or since it was an incarnate body, would he also feel like an old man. It is mentioned that the only thing that aged the Ishtari was the rigors of their labors, but Gandalf's labors were pretty rigorus (not to mention that, if the UT tales chapter is taken as canon, Gandalf came in a form much older than any of the other Istari right off the bat. They all have staffs, but Gandalf is the only one specifcally described as NEEDING one to get around.) If the latter, I can imagine Gandalf, once he was permitted to do so, might very well at least take on the form of a somewhat younger man; one free of whatever aches and pains the age of his "Greycloak" incarnation plauged him with. He could still look enough like his old self to be recognizable to his friends as Gandalf, just a healthier, fitter, more nimble Gandalf.

Well, in Middle-earth Gandalf was given that particular body for a reason, I think.
Even though his spirit, as divined by Círdan. was the "greatest", his physical embodiment was the weakest-appearing. Perhaps the purpose of that was to reinforce his humility, with a side-effect of reducing his chances of being able to intimidate weaker beings by his looks.
In the west though, he would no longer have been "trapped" in that body, and could therefore have had any body he chose without it affecting how he felt physically.

[elbenprincess]

Tolkien sadly never said what happened after they arrived in Aman, but I like to imagine that they had a first stop at Tol Eressea (cause the Hobbits can´t enter Valinor, so they had to stay on Eressea I think) and that there were solemnities to honour the ringbeareas for their work against Sauron and all important people of Valinor attended, maybe even some Valar. Then, after a few days the elves would continue to Valinor itself (the hobbits of curse would have gotten a nice home) and there I think Gandalf would change his appeariance.

[Tuor in Gondolin]

The fate of Radagast is interesting and can be argued either way. But since Saruman, even after Wormy whacked him, tried to seek the West you'd think Radagast would be admitted back in Aman---if he wanted to.