Not all youtube essayists are good at writing. Not all have soothing voices and accents. Not all of them are informative or even well informed. Lamentably, not all of them discuss the Lord of the Rings in exquisite, nerdy detail where I learn something new every video. This channel is a blessing and manages all of these things.
Love how Pippin by accident twice helped rid Middle Earth of darkness both in getting Gandalf to dispatch the Balrog and with distracting Sauron at the right moment.
My favourite little linguistic joke in LOTR is that Pippin's surname 'Took' is quite literally synonymous with the word fool. So when Gandalf exclaims, 'You fool of a Took!!' He's really saying, 'You fool of a Fool!!'
I like to think that there may be a deeper meaning here. A fool is not an idiot - intelligent people can be foolish - on their journey towards gaining wisdom through experience.
Over 50 years for me since I was introduced to the Hobbit in the early 70's. But what really breaks my brain is it has been nearly 25 years since the first of the Peter Jackson films was released.
My Tolkien binge is approaching 35 yrs, and showing no signs of stopping. Part of my brain still thinks of the Peter Jackson versions of Merry and Pippin as Pete and Steve, the old roommates I saw those movies in theatre with. Yeah, it's been a while!
That line appears only in the films, not in Tolkien's writing. Though an epic line indeed! In the book he says "I threw down my enemy, and he fell from the high place and broke the mountain-side where he smote it in his ruin."
Gandalf is the anti-sauron - sauron is proud and domineering, Gandalf is humble and guides gently - sauron remains stationary stop his tower, Gandalf moves around constantly at ground level - sauron is black and red and molten, Gandalf is grey and white and cold - sauron is selfish and cruel, Gandalf is selfless and kind In pretty much every way you can think of, Gandalf is the polar opposite of sauron; his direct antithesis. And, of course, they are both maiar. Sauron is the lieutenant of Morgoth, and Morgoth is the brother of Manwe. It's my personal theory that Gandalf is to Manwe what sauron is to morgoth. But opposite. Of course, sauron failed and Gandalf didnt; there is another inversion. This is really _A Song of Sauron and Gandalf_ , the battle of the maiar
One fact to add to "Gandalf perspective", which is easily missed: between visiting Crickhollow and Bree, Gandalf was sure that Nazgul had taken Frodo and Ring, and now all what remains is to pursue them and hope to rescue them. This was probably the darkes hours in his life.
Honestly, Gandalf (and the other protagonists of LotR) make me want to be a better person. If there is a God and a Heaven, I want to do good here so that I may be received well there. "Finish the fight. Stay the course. Like Gandalf did."
I like that gandalf didnt just take over everything or use his vast power, that wasn't his job, and the age to come wasn't meant to be his age it was to be the age of men, so he worked to show men who had lost faith that they were strong and capable of defying the dark power and can work to make the world a brighter place
Exactly. Gandalf's job was to help the Free Peoples of Middle Earth help themselves, not fight the war for them. That's the main reason why Gandalf was the best-suited to the Istari's mission - he was the only one who we know had enough of a fascination and respect for the peoples of Middle Earth to interact with them on a regular basis. He doesn't just travel around and visit places like the Shire because it's his job; he genuinely cares about the people he visits, and forms long-lasting friendships with many of them (we know he was friends with the Old Took even before the time of The Hobbit). That's why he could be the friend, counselor, ally, and beacon of hope to so many of the key figures in LotR.
He didn't have vast power really. He was sent to help as an old man and was limited by his physical body greatly. His power wasn't great enough to take over, and thus had to rally the people of middle earth to do the fighting.
The perfect emissary sent by Illuvatar. You are spot on with that comment. Gandalf is the embodiment of Tolkien's vision of what a good person should do in our world. You can't save the world yourself no matter how good your heart is or your ideas are... No more than Tolkien himself could save his people of the time. The best he could do and the best we can do is to influence others around us to be their best selves and perpetuate our most wholesome human qualities. I believe that's why Tolkien himself came to our world in the first place... In a very ironic sense he is Gandalf embodied in our real world for the same purpose. Perhaps he was sent here in the same way as an emissary in our darkest times. "Tolkien the Gray.... That's what they called me. That was my name" ;-)
He always makes sure to leave and let the people do the adventure lol. He only shows up if he is absolutely needed. He really is the fatherly chaperone guiding the younglings but making sure they have time to grow and mess up and learn on their own.
The Valar had also learned their lesson about directly intervening. They eventually intervened in the war with Morgoth, and won handily. And sank a CONTINENT in the process. They knew better than to risk the collateral damage that a war between gods and angels would inflict on the now much smaller world.
'But my rolling days are ending, and now we shall have much to say to one another.’ I plan to use the full quote to describe myself on the day of my retirement, and I look forward to that day.
The nuance Tolkien invests his characters with is astounding, especially with Gandalf. And Robert has a way of feeling it out and saying what is most important to understand to grasp that nuance. I'm in awe of them both,
The main complaint I have with the movies is in the extended edition when Gandalf faces the witch king at the battle of minas tirith that he loses to the witch king after the restrictions are removed from him when in the books he held off all 9 while his abilities where limited.
This video made me cry tears of joy over a story I have known for almost 2 decades now and yet, somehow, hearing it read out loud and focusing the details of how Gandalf tried to guide and lead by example even in the most dire of circumstances just makes me happy.
@@Wolfeson28 Book Denethor was a much more sharply drawn, richer character with plenty of nuance. He resented his role as Steward, believing himself to be King-worthy - this was seed planted in him by Sauron via the Palantir and it festered. It's also quite likely that his antipathy to Faramir was similarly a subversion by Sauron, likely because Sauron recognized Faramir as the greater of the two brothers and the one most likely to thwart him.
Part of me has the feeling that the talk that Gandalf had with Tom was Gandalf trying to convince Tom and Goldberry that it was time for all of them to leave. That the world is forever changed, and that it was time for mortals, for good or for ill, to take their place as the guardians and masters of the world.
'Fool being his favorite affectionate insult.' My favourite little linguistic joke in LOTR is that Pippin's surname 'Took' is quite literally synonymous with the word fool. So when Gandalf exclaims, 'You fool of a Took!!' He's really saying, 'You fool of a Fool!!'
@@ChristianAkacro Yes, mostly used as an adjective. "Tokig", meaning someone is crazy these days more than foolish. But both sort of apply. It is not used on Norwgian and Danish though, which are usually pretty similar in many ways. At least it's easy for Danes and Norwegians to understand Swedish and vice versa.
Gandalf literally used "fly" to mean "flee" earlier in the same chapter. Glorfindel also used the word "fly" to mean "run away as quickly as possible" earlier in the same book. I have always loathed the "Gandalf was telling them to use the Eagles" BS.
I stand by my argument that the eagles are proud powerful sapient beings. If they’d knowingly born the ring-bearer, Frodo would have ended up cast to his death and the ring on the talon of the new dark lord of the four winds inside of half an hour.
Precisely 👆 The idea that Gandalf meant to literally "fly" is a result of english comprehension going down. We are a society that interprets everything as literal now, rather than a balance of figurative and literal depending on context
@ i disagree with the theory too, but it isn’t a question of English comprehension going down. It’s the idea of a word having a double meaning and it could be mistaken for meaning something else (Gandalf telling them to meet the eagles but being mistaken for just meaning fleeing) It’s WRONG. That is not what happened. But the people who came up with the clever theory were not failing to understand that fly can mean flee.
@@glamourweaver Who are you even talking to? It's _not_ a clever theory though. It's literally just misunderstanding the text. When it comes to the books, "fly" is used synonymously with "flee" & "run away as quickly as possible" multiple times. As I stated, it's literally used that way at least twice before Gandalf's fall. When it comes to the movies, it's still a lack of media literacy because people should be aware of the poetic or olde tyme language being used in the movie's world by that point. Having never discussed the Eagles at all, and given the use of language for the previous 2 hours at that point, then taking the line "fly, you fools" to mean "use the Eagles to fly" is _still_ just a lacking literacy of media & _not_ a clever theory.
One of my favorite Gandalf moments was near the end after Aragorn had been crowned King. He takes Aragorn to a nearby mountain where he leads him to a sapling of the White Tree. Throughout the story you get the sense that Gandalf and Aragorn are, essentially equals. But this scene really hammers home the truth that Gandalf really was a mentor to Aragorn, and that this was the last moment between a teacher and pupil.
What a beautiful, concise, and in-depth analysis! I've been reading The Lore for fifty years now, but you never fail to shed a new light or uncover a different perspective on Middle-earth mythology. Your videos are undoubtedly a labor of love. I wish to convey my deepest appreciation (along with so many others) for your work. Your site has to be at or near the summit of hope for some (at least) of the developers of RUclips. OKAY, so get back to it and may you never run out of material!
Oh, Robert; this was SO much fun!! I've enjoyed most of your other "The LOTR from N.'s perspective" videos. This one, from Gandalf's, was really satisfying. Thanks for doing the work of tracing his POV, and making it into such an enjoyable story for us. I love how you assume that we know certain things, and especially your insider jokes for those who know Tolkien's main works. A true gem in your sparkling collection. Thanks again!
In a sea of endless voices doing this type of content there’s something about this channel that makes it better than the rest.
2 месяца назад+10
I think there's another part to the compassion with Pippin and the Orthanc stone. I think the comment, _"It will be better for him than lying in the dark while others sleep,"_ also shows Gandalf's thinking about Pippin's state of mind and how it'll be too full of worry to sleep. Particularly if he's just sitting around with nothing to do but think. Going with Gandalf obviously making him feel safer but also keeping him occupied and his mind off of his fear.
There’s no other channel where I immediately click Like as soon as the video loads. With literally every other channel, I wait to see whether the video earns my Like. Robert is just so ridiculously good and consistent that I’ve never watched a single video that I didn’t enjoy.
As for strategy, Gandalf in the Hobbit is fantastic. Not only did he help the dwarves in hopes to rebuild dwarven strength, but also to possibly rid the world of a potential ally of Sauron in Smaug. The Professor was utterly genius in writing Gandalf.
From a story telling perspective his excuse for leaving was a lot weaker in the Hobbit though. At least it made sense in LotR, but in the Hobbit he just ups and leaves. And you need him to leave because he'd solve all the problems and it'd be a boring story. You just need a good explanation for it actually in the story, not in compendiums and notes released fifty years later.
"You have 5 Wraiths behind you, where the other 4 are I cannot say." Arwen, The Fellowship of the Ring. (They were fighting with Gandalf. Good job Peter Jackson.)
There were so many who played major roles in the defeat of Sauron but I view Gandalf as being the true architect of the victory of the Free Peoples. He had the deepest commitment to his task and the best understanding of those he had been sent to aid.
It's always simultaneously amusing & annoying to see comments like this: you're acting as if you came to some conclusion on your own, when in reality you're just voicing what the story outright says as if you had to use brain power to come to that conclusion. I see this way too often in Tolkien spaces specifically. Your comment, for example, is spoken outright by Aragorn & other characters in the book itself. Great analysis 🙄
@@Richard_Nickerson Kind of unnecessary to harp on something like this. People sharing their thoughts, however trivial you might deem them, should never be discouraged. Especially not if they do indeed say something correct. Literally no harm done. If you want in depth analysis, you got a lot of it in this channel and there is no need to scour the comments and belittle others just cause they state something obvious to you. Or can you explain to me how them doing that is harmful towards you or others?
@@Richard_Nickerson Your comment is so rude and uncalled for! You should not make others ashamed of sharing their thoughts and observations and it makes you look very very foolish by doing so. @istari0 Thank you for your observation and for being a catalyst of conversation and thought.
@@jamesflood7985 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣 So rude! So uncalled for! So beyond acceptable! So atrocious! Neither you nor Srynan actually read my comment, given you both responded with "they're just sharing their thoughts!" 🙄🙄🙄🙄 My entire point is that it's not an original thought. It's not an original analysis. It's not even an analysis when the text states it outright. Why tf should I pretend someone repeating what the text says itself is contributing literally anything at all?
i love how gandalf low-key struggles with his own courage. it really humanizes him. he keeps his doubts to himself for the most part, and always rises to the occasion. a practical optimist of the highest order. this is gonna be pretty controversial, but gandalf is cool af
I am very glad for your take and interpretation of the work, because I think it’s the only one on all the internet that has me thinking; dang, I relate on a fundamental almost spiritual level to Gandalf. Old soul, love for the beautiful world and good natured people.
I feel like Gandalf zooming around on Shadowfax, getting to places before the hobbits and others do, is almost like Gandalf is the video game main character who uses fast travel too much 😋
Since you brought up semantics, I do think the way it's worded in the video is correctly stated, if not wholly complete. For brevity's sake it makes sense as it goes to the heart of the situation. Mandos is something of a gate keeper. That's it. Although it was Mandos who would have sent Gandalf back physically, it wasn't Mandos who basically promoted Gandalf and told him his task was not yet done. Gandalf and Mandos both are serving Elu's will at this point, perhaps a bit more directly than usual. I've always considered his shift in tact as getting new orders in light of the betrayal of Saruman. Gandalf died, drifting for awhile until he could touch base with his superiors. Once they get his report, they approved his plan, putting him in charge and sent him back. Mandos opens the way for Gandalf to return, but not before given the word from others.
@@AristophMarloque True. I just loved the mental image of Sam rolling into Valinor with dozens of seeds each from every known varietal of pipe-weed (along with a few of his own devising).
@@andrewjuby6339 Oh, no, it's even better! When Sam shows up 60 years later he blows everybody's minds with how potent all the new strains have become!
This is so well done and very clear to understand. You also don’t go on tangents about things that have to do with the topic but don’t need to also go into full detail. Wow this was so nice. Thank you!!! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽❤️
5:45 “Where to mate?… Rivendell? North of the Greyflood at this time of night?! You’re having a laugh! Tell you what, I’ll take you to Edoras, you can get the night bus from there”
I like how Gandalf's plans almost get ruined so many times before he reuintes with Frodo in Rivendell. Getting imprisoned by Saruman, transported miles away to Edoras, losing the hobbits at Bree, then getting jumped on by Nazgul. When he says "i was delayed" in the Fellowship of the Ring film, he wasn't kidding lol. I also like to think that even though he trusts everything will work out one way or another, the arrival of the Eagles was a moment of genuine relief and surprise, as if to remind him his own words: "there are other forces at play in this world, besides the will of evil", and that Manwë isn't being a completely lazy bum in regards to Sauron wrecking havoc on Middle Earth
The interesting thing to me about Gandalf is that the majority of those he encounters probably just assumed he was a human whose tricks gave him old age, or maybe some Numenorian blood in there. It’s almost inconceivable to the average middle earth citizen that he’s not of their world, and he never takes that for granted.
"And if we where ever in any doubt about the strength of Gandalf what happened next should put us right." I see somebody has been watching a certain edition of return of the king where a certain Nazghul broke Gandalf staff. At least according to Peter Jackson. Well at least we now know In Deep Geeks opinion about THAT scene.
We dont really, because the witch King is more powerful at minas tirith than wethertop. „Added demonic powers“ as Tolkien described it. I think it was already mentioned some other time on this channel but im not sure.
Excellent story-retelling, and I especially enjoy the inclusion of Tolkien's original text and it's context. That last quote sounded like Gandalf wanted to have a wonderful and utmostly natural fling with Tom, a man who needs no magic to appreciate the moment. Oh la la! I can't imagine a better ending for an old and wonderful wizard.
😅 I was shocked hearing "Eowyn marry Aragorn" at 16:24 , not looking at the screen, my world stopped until i looked back on screen and realized it was: . . . . . . . . . . "Eowyn, Merry, Aragorn, ..." ... I see what you did there! Eowyn can stop blushing now 😅
Gandalf revisiting Tom is Tolkien's way of saying that he wished to write more about Tom. Unfortunately Tom being such a homebody at this point when the world has been revealed in all of its vastness doesn't lend itself to very interesting stories.
I think a lot of it, too, was Tolkien acknowledging that Gandalf wanted rest, too, but he spent his time in Arda fulfilling his duty. Not that he was miserable, but I do think that he would have liked a simpler life, much like Tolkien himself.
@@errantwinds-up8uu It was also a recognition that Gandalf's duty barred him from conquering the Shire on behalf of the four Hobbits - his appointed role was to advise and encourage where neeeded, but to intervene only against foes that were beyond mortals - Durin's Bane, the Nazgul, Saruman at the height of his power, but not after being cast down - and even then, he was enjoined against facing Sauron directly. It was for the Hobbits to sort out their own problems, and they'd been equipped to do so, so Gandalf left them to it - visiting Bombadil was, in part, a convenient reason to accompany them most of the way, but still turn aside without making it too obvious...
@@rmsgrey > his appointed role was to advise and encourage where neeeded, but to intervene only against foes that were beyond mortals Is this your deduction from the text as a whole? Is there a specific passage in the books spelling this out?
Gandalf is one of my favourite characters. But I liked him better when all I knew about him was what I read in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. He seemed a wise and highly educated human. He was part of an order (perhaps one of many) of wizards with Saruman as its head. I always felt that learning that he is an immortal being, diminished him. His order consisted of just five such beings, only three of which are ever mentioned in the main story. Rather than being part of a wider class of magicians.
And he didn’t want to go. Olórin (that’s Gandalf’s real name) was afraid of Sauron, and believed himself too weak to oppose him. But Manwë and Varda persuaded him to accept the task anyway. What I find remarkable is that Olórin expected to oppose Sauron as part of a team of five Istari. The last thing he expected was that Alatar and Pallando would disappear into the east, Radagast would abandon his mission, and Saruman would turn evil, leaving Gandalf to complete the mission by himself. It was a worst-case scenario, but he didn’t hesitate. Gandalf assembled a new team and developed new strategies that turned his apparent weakness into strength. He used stealth and misdirection to keep Sauron off balance while he used his secret weapon-the hobbits-to bring down the Dark Lord.
@@MundaneGray I myself am not convinced Olórin was any lesser in might than Mairon (Sauron) was even in the beginning. I think he is far too humble and uninterested in domination to give us an accurate assessment on the topic.
Gandalf was my mentor growing up, and to this day, he is my all time favourite character from all of my favourite fantasy series. And Sir Ian Mcculen was the perfect choice to play him in the films.
This was fabulous! After many readings of the LOTR starting 52 years go and many many viewings of the movies since, I always still long for more. Long for other points of view and reiterations of what I've already surmised. And this view of LOTR's biggest bad *ss was wonderful! Thank you. ❤❤❤
So Gandalf already had possession of Shadowfax way before Fangorn Forest. I suppose that's a major change from the PJ trilogy where he was introduced to Shadowfax after falling in Moria.
Pretty sure he already did? And recently? Or maybe he re-uploaded one that was originally posted a couple years ago. I'd have to go look, but I thought he covered the Barrow "swords" (daggers).
@@boatratdaggers of Westernesse would probably bring up some good results in a search. That would focus on the information we have from the book, as opposed to the portrayal of the daggers in the movies
So you're telling me the movies left out one of the most epic battles in the entire franchise? Gandalf vs. The Nine, AT NIGHT?! Why would they leave that out???
this was an amazing video , being dyslexic reading Tolkien's work is hard , so things like this help fill in the gaps in my knowledge , the best escapism their is.
Awesome idea showing the pov of one character! Hope there's more to come from this concept! I love how you put everything into greater context and filled in all the blanks of my knowledge. This is one of the videos where I soaked in each and every second and will never forget what I learnt for years to come!
Hi Geek! It's worth pointing out the differences between Gandalf the Grey and Gandalf the White. Even in their personalities, there are many. It's clear that the man who fell into Moria is not the same man who popped out of Fangorn Forest. His angelic nature was allowed to flourish... but his connection to Middle Earth had waned considerably. I like to think Gandalf slowly regained some of his old personality and memories during the campaign, which is why he's even vaguely personable when he drops the kids off at the Shire, but still. And I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes more angelic as they sail to Valinor, so by the time the reach the shores, even Galadriel and Elrond find him a distant stranger, and he might as well be a complete alien to Frodo and Bilbo.
That depiction of Gandalf on the hill outside the gates of Mordor as they do battle with Sauron's Orcs is pretty much a representation of how Moses would stand in a similar spot during the Exodus and when his staff was raised, the Israelites would prevail in battle and while the staff was lowered (from tiredness) the tide of the battle would turn against the Israelites.
Amazing essay. I wonder how much healing, mentally that is, Gandalf did by staying with Tom, just enjoying Arda, surrounded by nature. The amount of trauma Gandalf endured was immense. He loved the free people and saw them died and nature corrupted. Going to stay with Tom and his Wife is another sign of Gandalf wisdom, humility and inside about himself.
Only a genius can write someone so powerful and keep them in the story. The powerful mentor almost always dies for the protagonist to come to the fore, but not here. Not permanently at least.
"...all the host of Rohan burst into song, and they sang as they slew, for the joy of battle was on them." One, if not the most epic quotes in the "Lord of the Rings."
Robert, you are the absolute best at what you do, and I'm likely not the first but definitely won't be the last (Iarwain Ben-adar redolence anyone? lol) to say that you are as good or better than the best professors I ever had in any subject. Thank you so much for the amount of effort you expend in every one of your videos, it is always a salve for any world that grows cold... long story short and not be overbearing, you are the Richard f'in Attenborough of the legendarium to me. Cheers and never stop !
A lot of people think the eagles are just eagles. But they aren't. They're servants and symbols of Manwe, chief of the Valar. When eagles show up, it is a sign to the reader that the cause they support is a cause approved of by the divine. The eagles aren't deus ex machina exactly. They are a blessing from the gods.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Not all youtube essayists are good at writing. Not all have soothing voices and accents. Not all of them are informative or even well informed. Lamentably, not all of them discuss the Lord of the Rings in exquisite, nerdy detail where I learn something new every video. This channel is a blessing and manages all of these things.
he needs to do an audiobook of LOTR etc
well said!
@@darrylmasters5032 I don't usually listen to audiobooks, but I'd listen to that one!
Hear here!
@@unitedstatesofmordorHear hear****
"Fool being his favorite affectionate insult"
Pippin sobbing in the corner
😅
Love how Pippin by accident twice helped rid Middle Earth of darkness both in getting Gandalf to dispatch the Balrog and with distracting Sauron at the right moment.
My favourite little linguistic joke in LOTR is that Pippin's surname 'Took' is quite literally synonymous with the word fool. So when Gandalf exclaims, 'You fool of a Took!!' He's really saying, 'You fool of a Fool!!'
@@ChristianAkacro So it was somewhere along the lines of
"YOUR WHOLE FAMILY IS A BUNCH OF IDIOTS, BUT YOU, MAN, YOU FUCKING EXCEL AT IT!!!"
I like to think that there may be a deeper meaning here. A fool is not an idiot - intelligent people can be foolish - on their journey towards gaining wisdom through experience.
@@Chalepastel Hahaha, yes, I would believe that is just about the spirit of that message.
I’ve been on this Tolkien binge for like 23 years now it’s crazy
Over 50 years for me since I was introduced to the Hobbit in the early 70's. But what really breaks my brain is it has been nearly 25 years since the first of the Peter Jackson films was released.
@@enlacostaizquierda please stop making me feel old. thank you :(
Approaching 50 for me.
In a few more seasons.
My Tolkien binge is approaching 35 yrs, and showing no signs of stopping.
Part of my brain still thinks of the Peter Jackson versions of Merry and Pippin as Pete and Steve, the old roommates I saw those movies in theatre with. Yeah, it's been a while!
Omg is it CrAzY ong frreal
“Until at last, I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside.” ~ Gandalf
One of the sickest lines ever put to paper.
Agreed
@@jeromesullivan4015
Wtf did you just compare Trump to Tolkien? Why tf are you bringing politics into this?
@@Richard_Nickerson well said. No call for it. I feel bad for trolls. Their lives must be really empty.
That line appears only in the films, not in Tolkien's writing. Though an epic line indeed! In the book he says "I threw down my enemy, and he fell from the high place and broke the mountain-side where he smote it in his ruin."
@@m.j.5681 thanks for the info. That’s a good line too, but that’s one thing that the films did better.
As Aragorn noted, when he was crowned king, "Gandalf has been the mover of all that has been accomplished. And this is his victory.."
Gandalf is the anti-sauron
- sauron is proud and domineering, Gandalf is humble and guides gently
- sauron remains stationary stop his tower, Gandalf moves around constantly at ground level
- sauron is black and red and molten, Gandalf is grey and white and cold
- sauron is selfish and cruel, Gandalf is selfless and kind
In pretty much every way you can think of, Gandalf is the polar opposite of sauron; his direct antithesis.
And, of course, they are both maiar. Sauron is the lieutenant of Morgoth, and Morgoth is the brother of Manwe. It's my personal theory that Gandalf is to Manwe what sauron is to morgoth. But opposite. Of course, sauron failed and Gandalf didnt; there is another inversion.
This is really _A Song of Sauron and Gandalf_ , the battle of the maiar
One fact to add to "Gandalf perspective", which is easily missed: between visiting Crickhollow and Bree, Gandalf was sure that Nazgul had taken Frodo and Ring, and now all what remains is to pursue them and hope to rescue them.
This was probably the darkes hours in his life.
I actually got emotional at the very end thinking of the reward Gandalf received for his fidelity to his long, weary labors. Thank you 🙏🏼
Honestly, Gandalf (and the other protagonists of LotR) make me want to be a better person. If there is a God and a Heaven, I want to do good here so that I may be received well there. "Finish the fight. Stay the course. Like Gandalf did."
I like that gandalf didnt just take over everything or use his vast power, that wasn't his job, and the age to come wasn't meant to be his age it was to be the age of men, so he worked to show men who had lost faith that they were strong and capable of defying the dark power and can work to make the world a brighter place
Exactly. Gandalf's job was to help the Free Peoples of Middle Earth help themselves, not fight the war for them. That's the main reason why Gandalf was the best-suited to the Istari's mission - he was the only one who we know had enough of a fascination and respect for the peoples of Middle Earth to interact with them on a regular basis. He doesn't just travel around and visit places like the Shire because it's his job; he genuinely cares about the people he visits, and forms long-lasting friendships with many of them (we know he was friends with the Old Took even before the time of The Hobbit). That's why he could be the friend, counselor, ally, and beacon of hope to so many of the key figures in LotR.
He didn't have vast power really. He was sent to help as an old man and was limited by his physical body greatly. His power wasn't great enough to take over, and thus had to rally the people of middle earth to do the fighting.
The perfect emissary sent by Illuvatar. You are spot on with that comment. Gandalf is the embodiment of Tolkien's vision of what a good person should do in our world. You can't save the world yourself no matter how good your heart is or your ideas are... No more than Tolkien himself could save his people of the time. The best he could do and the best we can do is to influence others around us to be their best selves and perpetuate our most wholesome human qualities. I believe that's why Tolkien himself came to our world in the first place... In a very ironic sense he is Gandalf embodied in our real world for the same purpose. Perhaps he was sent here in the same way as an emissary in our darkest times. "Tolkien the Gray.... That's what they called me. That was my name" ;-)
He always makes sure to leave and let the people do the adventure lol. He only shows up if he is absolutely needed.
He really is the fatherly chaperone guiding the younglings but making sure they have time to grow and mess up and learn on their own.
The Valar had also learned their lesson about directly intervening. They eventually intervened in the war with Morgoth, and won handily. And sank a CONTINENT in the process. They knew better than to risk the collateral damage that a war between gods and angels would inflict on the now much smaller world.
“He is a moss-gatherer, and I have been a stone doomed to rolling”. This is such excellent, surpassing stuff as to make me long for dotage.
'But my rolling days are ending, and now we shall have much to say to one another.’
I plan to use the full quote to describe myself on the day of my retirement, and I look forward to that day.
i believe this line inspired led zeppelin in stairway to heaven.
This might be my favorite IDG video to date. And it’s the first time I’ve ever heard someone use the word ‘eucatastrophe’ out loud.
The nuance Tolkien invests his characters with is astounding, especially with Gandalf. And Robert has a way of feeling it out and saying what is most important to understand to grasp that nuance. I'm in awe of them both,
The main complaint I have with the movies is in the extended edition when Gandalf faces the witch king at the battle of minas tirith that he loses to the witch king after the restrictions are removed from him when in the books he held off all 9 while his abilities where limited.
This video made me cry tears of joy over a story I have known for almost 2 decades now and yet, somehow, hearing it read out loud and focusing the details of how Gandalf tried to guide and lead by example even in the most dire of circumstances just makes me happy.
small detail: Aragorn looking in the palantír in Minas Tirith is movieverse; in the books he looks in Helm's Deep, several days earlier.
I'm still waiting for LOTRs From Denethor's Perspective, especially the exploration of how Denethor merely viewed Sauron as a political adversary.
Weirdo
That would be a good one. Would be a great opportunity to explain the differences of Denethor in the books versus in the movies.
Absolutely. And a deeper explanation for his attitudes toward Gandalf, Aragorn, Boromir, and Faramir. How did Denethor truly view his role as Steward?
As a political rival only?
@@Wolfeson28 Book Denethor was a much more sharply drawn, richer character with plenty of nuance. He resented his role as Steward, believing himself to be King-worthy - this was seed planted in him by Sauron via the Palantir and it festered. It's also quite likely that his antipathy to Faramir was similarly a subversion by Sauron, likely because Sauron recognized Faramir as the greater of the two brothers and the one most likely to thwart him.
Part of me has the feeling that the talk that Gandalf had with Tom was Gandalf trying to convince Tom and Goldberry that it was time for all of them to leave. That the world is forever changed, and that it was time for mortals, for good or for ill, to take their place as the guardians and masters of the world.
I’m a simple man. I see Tolkien, I click play.
They CALL ye a GREY/WHITE Neck, reckon that You AM?🤷🏼♂️ 🤓😎🖖🏻
@@paulsarnik8506wit
Haha!
You’re the Samwise of RUclips viewers
I'd praise the comment for being original, buuuuut.........
'Fool being his favorite affectionate insult.'
My favourite little linguistic joke in LOTR is that Pippin's surname 'Took' is quite literally synonymous with the word fool. So when Gandalf exclaims, 'You fool of a Took!!' He's really saying, 'You fool of a Fool!!'
It's a Swedish word I believe. At least they are still using it actively there.
@@didgruntleddansnyderfan I just asked my wife, who's Swedish, and she confirms this is true. Though it's 'Tok' in Swedish.
@@ChristianAkacro Yes, mostly used as an adjective. "Tokig", meaning someone is crazy these days more than foolish. But both sort of apply. It is not used on Norwgian and Danish though, which are usually pretty similar in many ways. At least it's easy for Danes and Norwegians to understand Swedish and vice versa.
@@didgruntleddansnyderfan Cool beans
This is one of your most moving work, Robert. Not that my opinion counts for much, but I dare say others will feel the same way.
Thank you!
Gandalf literally used "fly" to mean "flee" earlier in the same chapter.
Glorfindel also used the word "fly" to mean "run away as quickly as possible" earlier in the same book.
I have always loathed the "Gandalf was telling them to use the Eagles" BS.
I stand by my argument that the eagles are proud powerful sapient beings. If they’d knowingly born the ring-bearer, Frodo would have ended up cast to his death and the ring on the talon of the new dark lord of the four winds inside of half an hour.
@@glamourweaverI always got a chuckle out of imagining them dropping Frodo into mount doom from 35,000 feet like a JDAM
Precisely 👆
The idea that Gandalf meant to literally "fly" is a result of english comprehension going down. We are a society that interprets everything as literal now, rather than a balance of figurative and literal depending on context
@ i disagree with the theory too, but it isn’t a question of English comprehension going down. It’s the idea of a word having a double meaning and it could be mistaken for meaning something else (Gandalf telling them to meet the eagles but being mistaken for just meaning fleeing)
It’s WRONG. That is not what happened. But the people who came up with the clever theory were not failing to understand that fly can mean flee.
@@glamourweaver
Who are you even talking to?
It's _not_ a clever theory though. It's literally just misunderstanding the text.
When it comes to the books, "fly" is used synonymously with "flee" & "run away as quickly as possible" multiple times. As I stated, it's literally used that way at least twice before Gandalf's fall.
When it comes to the movies, it's still a lack of media literacy because people should be aware of the poetic or olde tyme language being used in the movie's world by that point. Having never discussed the Eagles at all, and given the use of language for the previous 2 hours at that point, then taking the line "fly, you fools" to mean "use the Eagles to fly" is _still_ just a lacking literacy of media & _not_ a clever theory.
This was the "LOTR from ... perspective" I was most expecting to watch! And man, it was worth the wait! Amazing content.
One of my favorite Gandalf moments was near the end after Aragorn had been crowned King. He takes Aragorn to a nearby mountain where he leads him to a sapling of the White Tree. Throughout the story you get the sense that Gandalf and Aragorn are, essentially equals. But this scene really hammers home the truth that Gandalf really was a mentor to Aragorn, and that this was the last moment between a teacher and pupil.
What a beautiful, concise, and in-depth analysis! I've been reading The Lore for fifty years now, but you never fail to shed a new light or uncover a different perspective on Middle-earth mythology. Your videos are undoubtedly a labor of love. I wish to convey my deepest appreciation (along with so many others) for your work. Your site has to be at or near the summit of hope for some (at least) of the developers of RUclips. OKAY, so get back to it and may you never run out of material!
Just as _The Lord of the Rings_ does every time I re-read it, to my astonishment this video brought tears to my eyes. Well done.
Oh, Robert; this was SO much fun!!
I've enjoyed most of your other "The LOTR from N.'s perspective" videos. This one, from Gandalf's, was really satisfying. Thanks for doing the work of tracing his POV, and making it into such an enjoyable story for us.
I love how you assume that we know certain things, and especially your insider jokes for those who know Tolkien's main works.
A true gem in your sparkling collection. Thanks again!
In a sea of endless voices doing this type of content there’s something about this channel that makes it better than the rest.
I think there's another part to the compassion with Pippin and the Orthanc stone. I think the comment, _"It will be better for him than lying in the dark while others sleep,"_ also shows Gandalf's thinking about Pippin's state of mind and how it'll be too full of worry to sleep. Particularly if he's just sitting around with nothing to do but think. Going with Gandalf obviously making him feel safer but also keeping him occupied and his mind off of his fear.
Gandalf: Oh no! Nazgul! But, hang on, there's no-one else around so I guess I can... FIREBALL! MAGIC MISSILE! HASTE! LIGHTNING BOLT!
POWER WORD: SCRUNCH
And when all else fails: Knights of the Round
Just use a Phoenix down on the damn thing and be done with it
@@PortCityBalrog Sorry Squall, I think you're in the wrong universe again.
@@Jordan_C_Wilde
Khamul the Easterling: "Shit man, this wizard war is fucked."
There’s no other channel where I immediately click Like as soon as the video loads. With literally every other channel, I wait to see whether the video earns my Like. Robert is just so ridiculously good and consistent that I’ve never watched a single video that I didn’t enjoy.
As for strategy, Gandalf in the Hobbit is fantastic. Not only did he help the dwarves in hopes to rebuild dwarven strength, but also to possibly rid the world of a potential ally of Sauron in Smaug. The Professor was utterly genius in writing Gandalf.
From a story telling perspective his excuse for leaving was a lot weaker in the Hobbit though. At least it made sense in LotR, but in the Hobbit he just ups and leaves. And you need him to leave because he'd solve all the problems and it'd be a boring story. You just need a good explanation for it actually in the story, not in compendiums and notes released fifty years later.
I wasn't aware that gandalf took on all the nazgul simultaneously near weathertop - epic offscreen moment.
A real hero doesn't show off his achievements.
Puts the Balrogs power levels into serious perspective
"You have 5 Wraiths behind you, where the other 4 are I cannot say."
Arwen, The Fellowship of the Ring.
(They were fighting with Gandalf. Good job Peter Jackson.)
The Nazgul were never much good at fighting. Aragorn drove away five of them using nothing but a torch.
@@RHColeThe Balrog is a Maia. The Nazgul are just shadows of their former selves, except The Witch King's power however is bizarrely potent.
There were so many who played major roles in the defeat of Sauron but I view Gandalf as being the true architect of the victory of the Free Peoples. He had the deepest commitment to his task and the best understanding of those he had been sent to aid.
It's always simultaneously amusing & annoying to see comments like this: you're acting as if you came to some conclusion on your own, when in reality you're just voicing what the story outright says as if you had to use brain power to come to that conclusion.
I see this way too often in Tolkien spaces specifically.
Your comment, for example, is spoken outright by Aragorn & other characters in the book itself. Great analysis 🙄
@@Richard_Nickerson Kind of unnecessary to harp on something like this. People sharing their thoughts, however trivial you might deem them, should never be discouraged. Especially not if they do indeed say something correct. Literally no harm done. If you want in depth analysis, you got a lot of it in this channel and there is no need to scour the comments and belittle others just cause they state something obvious to you.
Or can you explain to me how them doing that is harmful towards you or others?
@@Richard_Nickerson Your comment is so rude and uncalled for! You should not make others ashamed of sharing their thoughts and observations and it makes you look very very foolish by doing so. @istari0 Thank you for your observation and for being a catalyst of conversation and thought.
@@Srynan
That's literally my point though: it's NOT their thoughts and they're pretending they are.
Literally the entire point of my comment.
@@jamesflood7985
😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
So rude! So uncalled for! So beyond acceptable! So atrocious!
Neither you nor Srynan actually read my comment, given you both responded with "they're just sharing their thoughts!" 🙄🙄🙄🙄
My entire point is that it's not an original thought. It's not an original analysis. It's not even an analysis when the text states it outright.
Why tf should I pretend someone repeating what the text says itself is contributing literally anything at all?
i love how gandalf low-key struggles with his own courage. it really humanizes him. he keeps his doubts to himself for the most part, and always rises to the occasion. a practical optimist of the highest order. this is gonna be pretty controversial, but gandalf is cool af
I am very glad for your take and interpretation of the work, because I think it’s the only one on all the internet that has me thinking; dang, I relate on a fundamental almost spiritual level to Gandalf. Old soul, love for the beautiful world and good natured people.
Amazing how much artwork has been made, and good God the writing is poetry.
Is it? 70 years since publication, 23 years since the movie, and now AI art is a thing... seems perfectly reasonable & I expect there to be even more.
I feel like Gandalf zooming around on Shadowfax, getting to places before the hobbits and others do, is almost like Gandalf is the video game main character who uses fast travel too much 😋
Very good.
Two points;
You forgot the river at rivendell. Gandalf enhanced the flood.
Also, eru did not send him back, that was mandos.
Well done.
Since you brought up semantics, I do think the way it's worded in the video is correctly stated, if not wholly complete. For brevity's sake it makes sense as it goes to the heart of the situation.
Mandos is something of a gate keeper. That's it. Although it was Mandos who would have sent Gandalf back physically, it wasn't Mandos who basically promoted Gandalf and told him his task was not yet done.
Gandalf and Mandos both are serving Elu's will at this point, perhaps a bit more directly than usual.
I've always considered his shift in tact as getting new orders in light of the betrayal of Saruman. Gandalf died, drifting for awhile until he could touch base with his superiors.
Once they get his report, they approved his plan, putting him in charge and sent him back. Mandos opens the way for Gandalf to return, but not before given the word from others.
Gandalf, upon arrival in the Blessed Realm after the defeat of Sauron: "I forgot to bring pipe-weed! We have to go back!"
Some time later Sam shows up and is all, "of course I brought pipe-weed and seeds to sow who do you think I am Gandalf?"
@@andrewjuby6339 You gotta be joking if you think for one second Bilbo didn't tug on his robe immediately and hand him a freshly packed pipe. LMAO
@@AristophMarloque True. I just loved the mental image of Sam rolling into Valinor with dozens of seeds each from every known varietal of pipe-weed (along with a few of his own devising).
I get it! Nothing worse than going on a road trip without weed.
@@andrewjuby6339 Oh, no, it's even better! When Sam shows up 60 years later he blows everybody's minds with how potent all the new strains have become!
I love how tactfully Robert informs his viewers that, no, Gandalf was not instructing the Fellowship to use the Eagles.
The best Tolkien RUclipsr.
He is now. Men of The West sold out while IDG redeemed himself not even covering RoP anymore
Yes !!!!
Man... i love you, i love how effortlessly you explain the intricacies of the Film/book(s) we all love.
This is so well done and very clear to understand. You also don’t go on tangents about things that have to do with the topic but don’t need to also go into full detail. Wow this was so nice. Thank you!!! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽❤️
5:45 “Where to mate?… Rivendell? North of the Greyflood at this time of night?! You’re having a laugh! Tell you what, I’ll take you to Edoras, you can get the night bus from there”
Oh boy your profile pic... wait til you find out which side Tolkien supported during the spanish civil war.
Lmao! The night bus 😂
I like how Gandalf's plans almost get ruined so many times before he reuintes with Frodo in Rivendell. Getting imprisoned by Saruman, transported miles away to Edoras, losing the hobbits at Bree, then getting jumped on by Nazgul. When he says "i was delayed" in the Fellowship of the Ring film, he wasn't kidding lol.
I also like to think that even though he trusts everything will work out one way or another, the arrival of the Eagles was a moment of genuine relief and surprise, as if to remind him his own words: "there are other forces at play in this world, besides the will of evil", and that Manwë isn't being a completely lazy bum in regards to Sauron wrecking havoc on Middle Earth
I just can't say enough how much I love listening to Robert's videos.
I'm loving these updated episodes!
One of the best channels on RUclips. Full stop
The interesting thing to me about Gandalf is that the majority of those he encounters probably just assumed he was a human whose tricks gave him old age, or maybe some Numenorian blood in there. It’s almost inconceivable to the average middle earth citizen that he’s not of their world, and he never takes that for granted.
"And if we where ever in any doubt about the strength of Gandalf what happened next should put us right."
I see somebody has been watching a certain edition of return of the king where a certain Nazghul broke Gandalf staff. At least according to Peter Jackson.
Well at least we now know In Deep Geeks opinion about THAT scene.
Literally reading this comment of yours, when our Narrator voiced these words ( 7:20 ), so I'll un-pause the video now to hear "la suite" 🎉
We dont really, because the witch King is more powerful at minas tirith than wethertop. „Added demonic powers“ as Tolkien described it. I think it was already mentioned some other time on this channel but im not sure.
Yeah, that part made no sense to me, ever.
Especially not since Gandalf still has his staff later on 🤣
Excellent story-retelling, and I especially enjoy the inclusion of Tolkien's original text and it's context. That last quote sounded like Gandalf wanted to have a wonderful and utmostly natural fling with Tom, a man who needs no magic to appreciate the moment. Oh la la! I can't imagine a better ending for an old and wonderful wizard.
😅 I was shocked hearing "Eowyn marry Aragorn" at 16:24 , not looking at the screen, my world stopped until i looked back on screen and realized it was:
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"Eowyn, Merry, Aragorn, ..."
... I see what you did there! Eowyn can stop blushing now 😅
Absolutely fantastic. Thankyou for making it. Takes me far away from the current craziness of the world.
'Take it off, take it off, fool of a Baggins!' XD
Gandalf revisiting Tom is Tolkien's way of saying that he wished to write more about Tom. Unfortunately Tom being such a homebody at this point when the world has been revealed in all of its vastness doesn't lend itself to very interesting stories.
I wish Beorn had joined Tom and Gandalf then.
I think a lot of it, too, was Tolkien acknowledging that Gandalf wanted rest, too, but he spent his time in Arda fulfilling his duty. Not that he was miserable, but I do think that he would have liked a simpler life, much like Tolkien himself.
@@errantwinds-up8uu It was also a recognition that Gandalf's duty barred him from conquering the Shire on behalf of the four Hobbits - his appointed role was to advise and encourage where neeeded, but to intervene only against foes that were beyond mortals - Durin's Bane, the Nazgul, Saruman at the height of his power, but not after being cast down - and even then, he was enjoined against facing Sauron directly.
It was for the Hobbits to sort out their own problems, and they'd been equipped to do so, so Gandalf left them to it - visiting Bombadil was, in part, a convenient reason to accompany them most of the way, but still turn aside without making it too obvious...
@@rmsgrey > his appointed role was to advise and encourage where neeeded, but to intervene only against foes that were beyond mortals
Is this your deduction from the text as a whole? Is there a specific passage in the books spelling this out?
@@lqr824 The text, the History of Middle Earth, Tolkien's letters on the subject...
Gandalf is one of my favourite characters.
But I liked him better when all I knew about him was what I read in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
He seemed a wise and highly educated human. He was part of an order (perhaps one of many) of wizards with Saruman as its head.
I always felt that learning that he is an immortal being, diminished him.
His order consisted of just five such beings, only three of which are ever mentioned in the main story. Rather than being part of a wider class of magicians.
Thank you very much. One of the most interesting episodes on this channel.
Loved this video. Gandalf truly was something special
I love your videos. You bring life to this story in a truly engaging and dynamic way.
Imagine being told to go and help save the world. You have to leave home and stay in middle earth for over 2000 until Sauron is defeated.
Over 3000* years
And he didn’t want to go. Olórin (that’s Gandalf’s real name) was afraid of Sauron, and believed himself too weak to oppose him. But Manwë and Varda persuaded him to accept the task anyway.
What I find remarkable is that Olórin expected to oppose Sauron as part of a team of five Istari. The last thing he expected was that Alatar and Pallando would disappear into the east, Radagast would abandon his mission, and Saruman would turn evil, leaving Gandalf to complete the mission by himself.
It was a worst-case scenario, but he didn’t hesitate. Gandalf assembled a new team and developed new strategies that turned his apparent weakness into strength. He used stealth and misdirection to keep Sauron off balance while he used his secret weapon-the hobbits-to bring down the Dark Lord.
@@MundaneGray I myself am not convinced Olórin was any lesser in might than Mairon (Sauron) was even in the beginning. I think he is far too humble and uninterested in domination to give us an accurate assessment on the topic.
Gandalf was my mentor growing up, and to this day, he is my all time favourite character from all of my favourite fantasy series.
And Sir Ian Mcculen was the perfect choice to play him in the films.
Simply? Fantastic!! What a video!! As all!! Many thanks for all these gems!!
This man is a blessing to mankind, love the content
This was fabulous! After many readings of the LOTR starting 52 years go and many many viewings of the movies since, I always still long for more. Long for other points of view and reiterations of what I've already surmised. And this view of LOTR's biggest bad *ss was wonderful! Thank you. ❤❤❤
I’d love to hear a ‘What if Gandalf knew Bilbo had the ring in Rivendell’ video. I wonder how different things would have gone 60 years earlier
I love watching your videos before sleeping! This channel and Retney's Holocron for Star Wars content are such a gift!
He was all like “BIILLLLBO BAGGGINNNSSS”
Greatest little Hobbit of all
So Gandalf already had possession of Shadowfax way before Fangorn Forest. I suppose that's a major change from the PJ trilogy where he was introduced to Shadowfax after falling in Moria.
Wow what a video. You are so great at storytelling.
Heh. “Denethor was busy building himself a funeral pyre”. I snortled at that one.
I chuckered at the word "snortled."
Good Writer: "A touch of providence."
Me: "God yeeted that gremlin into a volcano."
Simply...the best LOTR analysis video I have ever seen! 😊
Can you do a video on Merry's sword? It seems like a key item in the story that only gets a one-sentence treatment in the book.
Pretty sure he already did? And recently? Or maybe he re-uploaded one that was originally posted a couple years ago. I'd have to go look, but I thought he covered the Barrow "swords" (daggers).
@@boatratdaggers of Westernesse would probably bring up some good results in a search. That would focus on the information we have from the book, as opposed to the portrayal of the daggers in the movies
I would love to be a fly on the wall in Bombadil’s cottage when Gandalf came calling. To hear their conversation.
So you're telling me the movies left out one of the most epic battles in the entire franchise? Gandalf vs. The Nine, AT NIGHT?! Why would they leave that out???
In fairness, the books left it out too. Gandalf makes a brief passing reference to it & moves on
this was an amazing video , being dyslexic reading Tolkien's work is hard , so things like this help fill in the gaps in my knowledge , the best escapism their is.
Next up: Lord of the Rings from Farmer Maggot's perspective
This is tha way
Probaly just smoking pipe weed with his bestie tom
Or from Treebeards POV...... It would be a very very very very very very very very long video
Robert has always been a big Farmer Maggot fan, so I can totally see him doing this one at some point 😅
Better than Bill The Poney's perspective.
This is one of your best videos. Thank you.
Another fantastic video, Robert.
Awesome idea showing the pov of one character! Hope there's more to come from this concept! I love how you put everything into greater context and filled in all the blanks of my knowledge. This is one of the videos where I soaked in each and every second and will never forget what I learnt for years to come!
He's done many of these. Be sure and check older videos.
@@Coder6719I will, thank you!
Hi Geek!
It's worth pointing out the differences between Gandalf the Grey and Gandalf the White. Even in their personalities, there are many. It's clear that the man who fell into Moria is not the same man who popped out of Fangorn Forest. His angelic nature was allowed to flourish... but his connection to Middle Earth had waned considerably.
I like to think Gandalf slowly regained some of his old personality and memories during the campaign, which is why he's even vaguely personable when he drops the kids off at the Shire, but still. And I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes more angelic as they sail to Valinor, so by the time the reach the shores, even Galadriel and Elrond find him a distant stranger, and he might as well be a complete alien to Frodo and Bilbo.
That depiction of Gandalf on the hill outside the gates of Mordor as they do battle with Sauron's Orcs is pretty much a representation of how Moses would stand in a similar spot during the Exodus and when his staff was raised, the Israelites would prevail in battle and while the staff was lowered (from tiredness) the tide of the battle would turn against the Israelites.
Amazing essay. I wonder how much healing, mentally that is, Gandalf did by staying with Tom, just enjoying Arda, surrounded by nature. The amount of trauma Gandalf endured was immense. He loved the free people and saw them died and nature corrupted. Going to stay with Tom and his Wife is another sign of Gandalf wisdom, humility and inside about himself.
Only a genius can write someone so powerful and keep them in the story. The powerful mentor almost always dies for the protagonist to come to the fore, but not here. Not permanently at least.
I would love a video titled. Of Names and Naming in Lord of the Rings. There isn't a bad name in the whole series. JRR was a genius with language.
Wanted to let you know i listen to your videos every night. Yoie delivery is veey calming and really helps me sleep
This was a really good one...
"...all the host of Rohan burst into song, and they sang as they slew, for the joy of battle was on them." One, if not the most epic quotes in the "Lord of the Rings."
A video worthy of the individual most solely responsible for the Free Peoples victory in the War of the Ring. Hail, Gandalf!
I'd like one on Grima Wormtongue' perspective. He has fascinating backstory imo
This channel is pure gold! I friggin love every single video ❤
Wookie chair at 11:50
The phrase “basically a form of elevated middle earth-smack talk” coming from rob and his stoic cadence made chuckle …don’t know why lol
Robert, please consider reuploading your heroes of Middle Earth saga! I miss the lore about all my Elf heroes!
Robert, you are the absolute best at what you do, and I'm likely not the first but definitely won't be the last (Iarwain Ben-adar redolence anyone? lol) to say that you are as good or better than the best professors I ever had in any subject. Thank you so much for the amount of effort you expend in every one of your videos, it is always a salve for any world that grows cold... long story short and not be overbearing, you are the Richard f'in Attenborough of the legendarium to me. Cheers and never stop !
A lot of people think the eagles are just eagles. But they aren't. They're servants and symbols of Manwe, chief of the Valar. When eagles show up, it is a sign to the reader that the cause they support is a cause approved of by the divine. The eagles aren't deus ex machina exactly. They are a blessing from the gods.
The fact that it’s a 20 minute video is already all the entertainment I needed tonight 🤣
“Basically a form of elevated Middle Earth smack talk” - I burst into laughter at that 😂
I'm so happy I found your channel. Good work sir.
My goodness! This is one of your very best works!!!!!
I’ve been having a shitty time lately. This video made me smile today.