Gandalf is a beloved character in JRR Tolkien’s books, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. He is a wizard who is referred to by different names and ranks. Gandalf relies on intelligence, wisdom, and physicality to fight battles and advises rulers on defeating evil. He is compared to Christ in some ways but has a mischievous sense of humor and resorts to violence with a sense of remorse. Hobbits view him with suspicion but also greet him with glee.
Gandalf is one of JRR Tolkien’s most beloved characters and plays essential parts in both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. He is mentioned by many names in both books. The elves call him Mithrandir, and various men may call him the Gray Pilgrim or the Gray Wayfarer. When readers first meet him in The Hobbit, he is referred to as Gandalf the Grey.
In Tolkien’s world, wizards belong to an order and are designated by colour. The highest in the wizarding order is referred to as “White” and Gandalf is one step below this in rank. In The Hobbit and at the beginning of The Lord of the Rings Saruman is the head of the wizarding order and is known as Saruman the White. Later, he is kicked out of the order by Gandalf, after revealing his association with the evil wizard Sauron.
Tolkien’s wizards are not as many might imagine them. While Gandalf is spoken of as using magic to start a fire, create light, or block a door with a spell, Gandalf tends to rely more on intelligence, wisdom, and physicality to fight most battles. Mention is made of Gandalf’s ability to create beautiful fireworks, but Tolkien focuses more on his wisdom than on Gandalf’s spells. Also, Gandalf is clad in a sword, which he uses quite skillfully in encounters with Goblins and the Balrog, a fiery demon.
Gandalf’s main task is to defeat evil, and above all to prepare himself and the world for the onslaught of Sauron and his armies. Though he resorts to violence when necessary, he primarily acts as an advisor to the rulers of the realms of men and elves. In fact, his advice is valued highly by most rulers, even if they don’t always like what they hear.
An interesting occurrence in The Lord of the Rings has led many to relate Gandalf to Christ. When Gandalf fights the Balrog, he falls and his company considers him dead. After a long and painful struggle in the bowels of the earth, Gandalf “falls away from time” but is sent back to aid in the fight against Sauron. When he is resurrected, so to speak, he assumes the title of Gandalf the White, and at the end of Rings he joins the elves on their way to the Gray Havens, where he will have immortality.
His character clearly refers to Christ in other ways. He has no romantic ties, always advises the most merciful way and has sacrificed his whole life to bring peace to men. However, he is more humanely depicted in his love of the pipe, his sense of humor and his ability to become very angry indeed, sometimes speaking harsh words to his companions. Gandalf has a mischievous and cunning sense of humor which expresses his love of him not only for the highest but also for the common pleasures of mankind. Also, unlike Christ, he resorts to violence as a necessary means to attain ends, but does so with a sense of remorse or pity that violence must occur.
For hobbits, a visit from Gandalf is always seen as an opportunity to hear stories from afar and indulge in a bit of scandalous adventure. Gandalf is viewed by some Shire-dwellers with great suspicion, but the young at heart and hobbit children always greet him with glee. From hobbits comes one of the great sayings about how to deal safely with wizards. Sam Gamgee’s father, Gaffer Gamgee’s remark “Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards for they are subtle and quick to wrath” is often repeated in The Lord of the Rings.
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