Asgard Application

[oldconjurer]

 

Character Name; Gandalf the White

Canon; Hobbit & Lord of the Rings http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Gandalf

Canon Point; Return of the King  Chapter 9, The Last Debate in which the decision is made to march upon the Black Gate of Mordor in an attempt to buy Frodo and Sam time.

Age; Unknown. About 2,000 years if the count begins when he appears on Middle Earth.

Gandalf is a wizard, an Istar, and one of the five sent by the Valar to Middle Earth in the Third Age.  Their purpose was this: Nearly 1,000 years after Sauron’s defeat, signs of his returning strength began to emerge.  Dragons reappeared and a shadow crept into the Greenwood. The five Istari were charged with the task of pushing back the darkness.  That in itself would have been challenge enough even without the catch added by the Valar.  The Istari were not allowed to match Sauron’s power with their own, and they were forbidden to command Men and Elves through use of fear or force.   Of the five, Gandalf is the one who stays the most true to the task given to him.  It takes him roughly 2,000 years, but in his subtle, and in sometimes not so subtle, ways he is able to help unite the peoples of Middle Earth against Sauron and help set in motion events that eventually lead to the Dark Lord’s demise.  Unfortunately for Gandalf, he is unaware of this due to the point from which he is pulled and can only speculate.

Gandalf has ever been a wanderer and never sets up a permanent residence.  Instead, his time on Middle Earth is spent in large part learning from the peoples of the North, West, and South.  The East he avoids as it is the stronghold of Sauron.  He is a dedicated student of folk lore, history, and magic.  Faramir recounts to Frodo that it was the libraries of Gondor that first drew the wizard to their city.  It almost goes without saying that Gandalf has a prodigious memory for what he has studied.  While puzzling over the entrance riddle at the Gates of Moria, Gandalf informs the rest of the Fellowship that he had once memorized every spell in the tongues of Elves, Men and Orcs that was used as a password and can still recall ten score off of the top of his head. 

In his travels, Gandalf becomes familiar with many different groups of people, Men, Elves, Dwarves, and Hobbits alike and gives them assistance where he can.  He wins allies in some cases, but not in all.  In the Shire there are Hobbits who consider him a disturber of the peace as he tends to bring the unusual into their preferably ordered and predictable lives. Theoden of Rohan labels him Stormcrow, a harbinger of trouble.  Though Theoden is under the influence of Grima and Saruman’s manipulations at the time he says it, his words have some basis.  Both Denethor of Gondor and Thranduil the Elvenking also remark at different times and with different intent that when the hour is dark, that is when Gandalf usually arrives.  

Thus Gandalf can be seen as a busybody, a meddler.  The wizard is continually looking at the bigger picture, which is the defeat of Sauron.  From helping the Dwarves reestablish a stronghold in Erebor to keeping an eye on the Shire, nearly everything he is involved in is in pursuit of that end.  Not everyone sees this, nor does Gandalf often explain.  He generally guards the reasons behind his actions and recommendations. This, in turn, can lead to people misinterpreting or not trusting his motives founded as they may be in good sense and practicality.  Even though he ever looks to the big picture, he does not overlook or undervalue the small details.  As he says, the smallest things – objects, people, acts of kindness – are what often make the biggest impact. He cares about things that many others, especially those with power, would disregard.

Compassionate may not be the first word to come to mind when thinking about Gandalf.  He has a strong personality.  Depending on the situation, he can come across as cantankerous, irritable, or impatient.  Peregrin Took more than once catches Gandalf’s temper due to his carelessness. Bilbo, in the Hobbit, is chided for his “absurd” actions.  Nearly everyone in his company is, at one time or another, denounced as a “fool”.   Despite this, he does care deeply for his companions. His insults and snappish comments are not said with the intent to hurt, but to get people to pay attention and make them think.  The words are many times taken back once things are resolved.  For an example, as much as Pippin can get on his last nerve, Gandalf maintains a great respect for the Hobbit’s bravery and resilience and does not shy from telling him so when it is appropriate.  Love for his companions and for the good in Middle Earth also compels Gandalf to take on the Barlog in Moria so that the others would have a chance to escape.

On the lighter side, he is not without a sense of humor and appreciates a good joke as much as the next person.  His own brand of humor is dry, subtle, and even a little mean, though not the malicious sense. If someone thinks they’ve angered him, he likes to make them sweat a bit before letting them know they are off the hook.  Samwise Gamgee learns this when he is caught eavesdropping on Gandalf’s conversation with Frodo and is allowed to think that he might be turned into something terrible as a punishment.  He is clever, knows this, and is not above showing off a little bit if circumstances allow.  On the other hand, Gandalf is also humble.  He is the first to admit that he does not have all the answers and that he is not above making mistakes.

But perhaps what defines Gandalf the most is his ability to hold onto even a small shred of hope and move forward in the faith that things just might turn out right in the end.