Gandalf (Tolkien)

Drawing of Gandalf the Gray.

Gandalf the Gray (later: the White ), also known as Gandalf Graurock , Mithrandir (Sindarin for: Gray Pilgrim ), Olórin (his name in Valinor) or Gandalf Stormcrow , is one of the main characters in JRR Tolkien's novel series The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings , as well as its film adaptations . In the fictional world of Middle-earth he is a Maia , a kind of demigod , in the form of one of the five Istari , a group of five powerful wizards. In the films he is played by Sir Ian McKellen .

Surname

The name Gandalf comes from the Old Norse ( Gandálfr ) and means magic elf . In the older Edda , a dwarf with this name is mentioned in Völuspá 12 in the context of the so-called Dvergatal . In terms of meaning, however, Gandalf is an elf name, as the ending suggests.

Original :
Veggr ok Gandálfr,
Vindálfr, Þorinn,
Þrár ok Þráinn,
Þekkr, Litr ok Vitr,
Nýr ok Nýráðr,
nú hefi ek dverga,
Reginn ok Ráðsviðr,
rétt um talða.

Translation after Simrock :
Weigr, Gandalfr,
Windalfr, Thrain,
Theckr and Thorin,
Thror, Witr and Litr,
Nar and Nyradr;
now these dwarfs,
Regin and Raswidr, are
correctly listed.

Appearance

A role model for Gandalf: The god Odin as a wanderer on a work by Hans Thoma .

The appearance of Gandalf corresponds to the conventional image of a typical magician. He has a slightly wrinkled face, wears a pointed hat, a long gray coat and a gray scarf. With him he carries a long wooden magic wand with a small gemstone on the tip as well as a sword, which is known under the name Glamdring or enemy hammer and once belonged to the king of Gondolin, but disappeared after the fall of this kingdom and only in the third age of Gandalf, Bilbo and the dwarves was found in a troll cave. He is also in possession of an oversized tobacco pipe with which he occasionally creates some tricks such as smoke rings, flying smoke butterflies and smoke ships sailing in the air. Gandalf is also visibly based on the Germanic magic and war god Odin ( Woden , German Wodan ), the Scandinavian Rudolf Simek describes the magician in Tolkien's work as an "Odin leader figure".

Quotes

In the film version (2001-2003)

Gandalf to Frodo via Gollum

“Many who live deserve to die. And some who die deserve to live. Can you give it to them? Then don't be so quick with a death sentence at hand. "

Frodo and Gandalf in Moria

Frodo: “I wish I had never got the ring. I wish none of this had ever happened. "

Gandalf: “Everyone who experiences such times does that. But it is not in their power to decide. You just have to decide what to do with the time that is given to you. "

Pippin and Gandalf during the fight in Minas Tirith

Pippin: "I never thought it would end like this."

Gandalf: “End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another road we must all go. The gray rain curtain of this world pulls back and everything is transformed into silver glass. And then you see it ... "

Pippin: “What, Gandalf? What do I see?"

Gandalf : “White beaches. And behind it ... a distant, green land under a rapidly rising sun. "

Pippin: "Then it's not bad ...?"

Gandalf: "No that's not it."

Gandalf and Bilbo when Gandalf hands him the sword stab

Bilbo: "I've never wielded a sword in my life."

Gandalf: “And I hope you don't have to. Remember! True courage does not mean being able to take a life, but rather to preserve it. "

swell

Individual evidence

↑ http://etext.old.no/Bugge/voluspa/voluspa1.html
^ Rudolf Simek: sv Gandálfr, in: ders .: Lexikon der Germanischen Mythologie, 3rd edition, Stuttgart 2006, p. 125.

[1] ttp://etext.old.no/Bugge/voluspa/voluspa1.html

[2] Rudolf Simek: sv Gandálfr, in: ders .: Lexikon der Germanischen Mythologie, 3rd edition, Stuttgart 2006, p. 125.