Gandalf: Is this charachter representative of Druidism?

Answer 1

Oh good! You decided to put it to a Q&A session! I should have warned you about the Tolkien's intentions vs. the Reader's gleaned message problem with interpretation of Tolkien's characters, themes and works. I spent a LOT of time on a Tolkien message board once upon a time, and this problem reared its head frequently. (So much so that I got rather tired of it).

NO, Tolkien didn't intend his characters to be allegorical (although the archetypal explanation might fit pretty well), and YES, Tolkien consciously revised his story to fit with Catholic tenets. However, Tolkien doesn't catch himself every time, and the more pagan influences in his works seem to slip in through a sort of surrender to the idea of Faerie, the unquenchable longing for something once heard and never repeated, the hint that a light in the forest might be one of the Elder race, that the evening star is, in fact, a ship bearing Elrond's daddy and the last Silmaril, that the aspects of nature have mythical explanations beyond what can be seen and tested. Tolkien is a myth-maker, and he was an English country gentleman, a hobbit by his own admission. Hobbits lived in harmony with nature, not so much worshipping it but co-existing as if they were almost part of it. Gandalf, too, lived this way, never settling and becoming a slave to civilization, but always on the move, changing as nature changes. The more I think on the theme, the more I like the idea of Gandalf as a sort of Druidic avatar, although he would not be a practitioner to my mind.

Gandalf's fellow Istar, Radagast the Brown, seems more the traditional communer with nature in explicit aspect, as he talks with birds and is friends with the creatures of Middle Earth. He does not concern himself with the affairs of Men so much as Gandalf does. Gandalf is almost like a bridge between Man and Nature. He is the means by which the line of Elros (the brother of Elrond who chose to become human at the beginning of the Second Age) is restored to rule over Middle Earth (Aragorn being of this line). Thus he re-threads the line of the magical beginnings with the more Earthy human race, allowing the possiblity for a closer bond with the original Middle Earth and perhaps a gleam in the eye of someone sitting here in the Seventh Age.

He is the driving force and steward of the events which culminate in the War of the Ring. Gandalf calls himself a "steward." He is, in a way, making it possible for Middle Earth to be purified, to heal the land in many literal ways. But his hand is only shown when he turns from Grey to White. I'd say that Gandalf the Grey is the more Druid, or as I understand it, the more natural, of the two incarnations. The other is more active and more of a leader than a nudging force of nature which the older Grey Wanderer seemed to be. Of course, I am not an expert on Druidism, but I'm one heck of a Tolkien nerd!

Answer 2

It is difficult to really say something is representative of Druidism. Druidism is such an integral part of modern Western society that it can be found anywhere we look hrd enough. The character has a lot of traits and certainly had enough study to have been a druid but it hard to say that he is representative of Druidism. The only character the truly represents Druidism is Papa Smurf. After you have laughed, and I know you did, take another look.

Answer 3

Tolkien specifically stated that Lord of the Rings was not allegorical, so Gandalf did not specifically represent any one person or group.

However, Tolkien was a christian and Lord of the Rings was certainly influenced by his beliefs. It was also influenced by his study of norse, icelandic, celtic and other mythologies, not to mention his experiences in World War I.

So, no, Gandalf is not representative of druidism. He probably has more christian or mythological qualities than those of a druid.

Answer 4

Gandalf in LOTR or Gandalf in R&S?

Tolkien's Gandalf shows up in the appendices to the books - he was sent as a guide from the Eldar and is not native to middle earth.

He was not praticing a religion as such, he was one of the Istari. The Old Norse name "Gandalfr" appears in the Völuspá of the Elder Edda; it is a portmanteau of the words gandr meaning both "wand" and (especially in a portmanteau) "magic" and alfr meaning "elf" or "being". Thus Gandalf is "magic-elf/-being" or wizard (non human). Tolkien borrowed the name.

As to our Gandalf - I don't think he's a druid either.

Answer 5

Tolkien absolutely despised allegory in all its forms.

However he did use a lot of mythical archetypes. If you're familiar with the monomyth and Joseph Campbell's "Hero with a Thousand Faces" and other investigations into myth, you'll see that Tolkien very closely follows the hero pattern.

Consequently, the Jesus story follows the hero pattern to a lesser extent, so you can try and compare the two. But you'd be more justified in comparing Jesus with Dionysus, Osiris, or other son of god saviors in mythology.

Answer 6

I dont know about Druid, but I think that Gandalf is Jesus since he came back to life, and the Nazul are the four (or in this case nine) horsemen of the apocalypse. I havent figured out the rest of the story, but the whole LOTR sounds like revelation to me.

Answer 7

Hmm, most of the commentaries I've read on Tolkien state that Gandalf and Aragon are a split Jesus figure, although JRR himself stated that his works were not allegory and should not be taken as such.

Answer 8

Sci-fi
fiction
fantasy
the same as Alice in Wonderland; Peter Pan and all the others.

Answer 9

Not likely, sinceTolkien was a devout Christian, as evidenced by the testimony of C.S. Lewis about how Tolkien lead him to Christ.

Answer 10

I believe he represents Jesus.
died.
Resurrected.
More powerful.
All wise.
Defeats Sauroman.