Gandalf dying in LOTR?

Question

In the Fellowship of the Ring when Gandalf fights the Balrog and dies how does he return back to life and who sends him back? Both the book and film never fully explain this and i've always been confused as to how he returns from the dead.
Is it the wizard council who sends him back - or Galadriel or because he's a wizard is he very difficult to kill?
Hope some LOTR fanatics can help me out on this way as it is never properly explained.
Cheers

Answer 1

Gandalf passed into darkness out of thought and time. As Gandalf the Grey, he died. But because Gandalf had willingly sacrificed himself and in so doing had placed his fate in the hands of a higher power, Eru sent him back to Middle-earth to complete his task. He became Gandalf the White, greater in wisdom and power.

Answer 2

Gandalf belongs to a powerful, immortal race of beings known as the Maiar. Therefore, he cannot truly "die" as we understand death. The Balrog belongs to the same race, but is an agent of evil.
In his battle with the Balrog, Gandalf is drained of his energy, which could be considered a sort of "death". He is then sent back by the Valar, or "gods", even more powerful than before. This is necessary because he was sent to Middle Earth in the 1st place to do battle with Sauron.
Read "The Silmarillion" to learn more about the history & mythology of Middle Earth.

Answer 3

The opening sequence of the Two Towers (part 2 of the trilogy) shows Gandalf didn't die after falling from the cliff- he managers to defeat the Balrog during his fall and escape the pit.

Answer 4

James T klerk has it pretty much spot on and deserves the best answer points.
He did die, and is returned the as THE WHITE because of Saruman's treachery. Gandalf was gone an eternity in his own mind which is why he is so vague on returning, although it is only a matter of weeks between dying and returning on middle earth
I have to say the music in the film is hauntingly moving, and although I had read the books a couple of times before sitting down to watch the films, still moved me to tears.
(How sad am I?)
Great question.

Answer 5

No one sends him back. He just...comes back. I think the idea is that he never really died, he just came really close during his fight with the balrog. Part of it might be that thing about being Sauron's opposite and so on so it's necessary for him to survive until Sauron is defeated. I can't be sure, it's not like I've analyzed the books or anything.

Answer 6

Who's Gandalf?

Answer 7

In the Silmarillion it is explained that Gandalf is actually a Maia, one of an order of semi-divine entities who act as servitors to the ruling powers of the world, the Valar. He is one of several Maia sent to Middle-earth by the Valar to try to find and contain the evil Sauron, a renegade Maia. Saruman is another Maia in this group who becomes corrupted by the temptations of Middle-earth.

When Gandalf fights the Balrog, his physical body is killed and his spirit returns to Valinor, the mystical land of the West where the Valar and Maia dwell. He is then permitted by the Valar to return to Middle-earth temporarily to ensure the One Ring is destroyed and the threat of Sauron ended. This is why he seems so disoriented when he returns as Gandalf the White - he really was killed.

Answer 8

If it's not in the book, there is supplemental stuff about this story, either in one of the appendices or in one of the other books such as Unfinished Tales or The Silmarillion...

I'm sure he explains some of it to Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli in Fangorn Wood in The Two Towers... "long time I fell, and he fell with me..."

I also seem to recall he was sent back by the gods who live over the sea in the West, as his task was not complete. You can find out more about them in The Silmarillion.

Answer 9

If you read The Silmarillion, it talks about an uber-god that definently could've sent him back. It also says that Gandalf really isn't even human, but a sort of demi-god. I forget the actual names being that it's been a while since I've read it.

Answer 10

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