Gandalf. Gandalf himself is definitely influenced by the Norse god Odin. Gandalf's character's name appears in the Poetic and Prose Eddas. Odin is often described in the old texts as The Wanderer, an old man with one eye, a long white beard, and a broad hat, wearing a cloak and wielding a spear.

Who is Gandalf based off of?

The figure of Gandalf is based on the Norse deity Odin in his incarnation as "The Wanderer", an old man with one eye, a long white beard, a wide brimmed hat, and a staff. Tolkien wrote in a 1946 letter that he thought of Gandalf as an "Odinic wanderer".

Who is Gandalf in Norse mythology?

Gandalf (Old Norse: Gandálfr [ˈɡɑndˌɑːlvz̠]) is a Dvergr (Norse dwarf) in Norse mythology, appearing in the so-called 'Tally of the Dwarves' within the poem Völuspá from the Poetic Edda, as well as in the Prose Edda.

Who does Gandalf represent?

There is no single Christ-figure comparable to C. S. Lewis's Aslan in his Narnia books, but the characters of Gandalf, Frodo, and Aragorn exemplify the threefold office, the prophetic, priestly, and kingly aspects of Christ respectively.

What mythology is Lord of the Rings based on?

Tolkien was influenced by Germanic heroic legend, especially its Norse and Old English forms. During his education at King Edward's School in Birmingham, he read and translated from the Old Norse in his free time. One of his first Norse purchases was the Völsunga saga.

15 Oldest Beings and Creatures of Middle Earth

Is The Lord of the Rings Inspired by Celtic mythology?

J. R. R. Tolkien derived the characters, stories, places, and languages of Middle-earth from many sources. Among these are the Celtic legends and languages, which for Tolkien were principally Irish and Welsh. He gave multiple conflicting reasons for his liking for Welsh.

How is Gandalf similar to Odin?

Gandalf and Odin had many similarities. Both were associated by name as someone who carries a staff or wand. The god Odin had a large number of names–one name was Wand-Bearer, which draws up images of Gandalf with his staff.

Is Aragorn based on Jesus?

Aragorn reflects Christ in his humble beginnings as well as his noble heritage. Strider is a ranger, a rough man dwelling in the wild not too unlike John the Baptist.

Who was Jesus in Lord of the Rings?

Frodo, as the Ring-Bearer, emerges as a Christ figure, the one who bears the Cross, and with it the sins and the hopes of humanity. He emerges also as an Everyman figure, in the tradition of the mediaeval Mystery Plays, who takes up his own cross in emulation of Christ.

What element is Gandalf associated with?

Gandalf is focused on the mission to counter the Dark Lord Sauron by destroying the One Ring. He is associated with fire; his ring of power is Narya, the Ring of Fire. As such, he delights in fireworks to entertain the hobbits of the Shire, while in great need he uses fire as a weapon.

Who is Gandalf to the Elves?

Gandalf was the servant of Manwë or Varda, but was a lover of the Gardens of Lórien, and so knew much of the hopes and dreams of Men and Elves. Radagast, servant of Yavanna, loved the things of nature, both animals and plants. As each of these Istar learned from their Vala, so they acted in Middle-earth.

Which Maia was Gandalf?

The wisest of the Maiar, Gandalf was created by Ilúvatar before the Music of the Ainur. At the beginning of Time, he was amongst the Ainur who entered into Eä. In his "youth" he was known as Olórin and lived in Lórien. Yet his ways often took him to Nienna, from whom he learned pity and patience.

What is Gandalf's true form?

Though he appeared to the characters of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring to be an aged wizard, Gandalf was actually an angel-like being known as a Maia. He was created by the god of Tolkien's works, Eru Ilúvatar, to help with the creation of the universe.

What mythological influences the Hobbit?

Tolkien introduced to Norse Mythology. Tolkien never made it to Iceland for a visit, even if he wanted to. Still, as we have already said, his works were inspired by Iceland, its stories and its language. For example, the trolls in The Hobbit are inspired by Icelandic folktales, and Gandalf is the incarnation of Odin.

Was Dumbledore based off of Gandalf?

Gandalf The Grey/Albus Dumbledore

Rowling might have initially imagined Dumbledore as a wizard who was as old as the rocks, rather droll, and happened to be Harry's safe haven -- not really someone who exuded the kind of grandeur as did Gandalf the Grey.

Is Gandalf inspired by Merlin?

Was the character Gandalf in Lord of the Rings inspired from Merlin The Magician? Gandalf was inspired by Odin, of the Norse mythology, who very likely was also the inspiration for Merlin. But Tolkien knew his archetypes; that is what mythology is made of.

Is Gandalf an allegory for Jesus?

However, in J.R.R. Tolkien's books, he does not have one representation of Jesus but rather three: Gandalf, Aragorn, and Samwise Gamgee (perhaps representative of the Holy Trinity, the concept of 'God in three persons'). Each of these characters symbolizes a different aspect of Jesus Christ.

Is LotR based on the Bible?

As a Medieval scholar, Tolkien drew on both the biblical concept of the Divine Council and later Medieval ideas in his depiction of creation. While the Ainulindalë depicts God as the primary power behind creation, Tolkien also gives a significant role to God's divine council (whom the elves call the Valar).

Is Lord of the Rings a metaphor for ww2?

Tolkien deliberately avoided saying much about the effect of the war on Middle-earth, and specifically denied that The Lord of the Rings was an allegory of the Second World War as some critics had supposed.

Who does Frodo represent in the Bible?

Frodo, as the Ring-bearer, emerges as a Christ Figure, the one who bears the Cross, and with it the sins and hopes of humanity… Although Frodo emerges as the most obvious Christ Figure insofar as he is the Ring-bearer and insofar as the Ring can be seen to signify sin.

Is Aragorn technically related to Elrond?

Aragorn was a descendant of Elros Tar-Minyatur through the line of the Lords of Andúnië to Elendil, High King of Arnor and Gondor. Like all of the kings before him, he was related to Elrond through the House of Elros.

Who does Saruman represent?

The wizard Saruman, on the other hand, represents the latter vision of evil. He was once a figure of good, the leader of Gandalf's order. Saruman was not born evil; rather, he has become corrupt out of arrogance and ambition.

Who is Gandalf based on?

Tolkien mentioned the postcard with an old man called Der Berggeist (“The Mountain Spirit”) by Josef Madlener as his inspiration for Gandalf. Odin has also been mentioned as an influence.

Did Galadriel and Gandalf have a thing?

For those that haven't read Tolkien's work, it's easy to see why many audiences suspect Gandalf and Galadriel are in love. After all, many of their interactions in The Hobbit trilogy practically scream romance. However, their relationship remains purely platonic in Tolkien's source material.

What mythology inspired Lord of the Rings?

The dwarves were master craftspeople. One dwarf, Andvari, forged marvelous creations. He often took the form of a fish and, one day, he swam to the land of the water nymphs, who guarded mounds of gold.