Gandalf1 the White

04/XII/2020

after his transformation²

道德經 56 The mysterious excellence

知者不言，言者不知。

塞其兑，閉其門，挫其銳，解其分，和其光，同其塵，是謂玄同。

故不可得而親，不可得而踈；不可得而利，不可得而害；

不可得而貴，不可得而賤。故為天下貴。

"Those who know, do not speak. Those who speak, do not know. So shut your mouth Guard your senses Blunt your sharpness Untangle your affairs Soften your glare Be one with All dust. This is the mystery of union. You cannot approach it Yet you cannot escape it. You cannot benefit it Yet you cannot harm it. You cannot bestow any honour on it Yet you cannot rob it of its dignity. That is why the whole Universe reveres it." -   道德經, Dàodéjīng, Chapter 56

Translated by John Mabry

¹ The name Gandalf means "Elf of the wand" or "Wand-elf", from old northern Mannish.

Within Tolkien's legendarium, "Gandalf" is a mysterious name of the meaning "Wand-Elf" (alternatively cane/staff) in old northern Mannish. Most denizens of Middle-earth incorrectly assumed Gandalf was a Man (human), although he was really a Maia spirit (equivalent to an angel).

The name Gandalf is originally from the "Dvergatal", a list of Dwarf-names found in the Völuspá poem of Norse Mythology, from which the names of Thorin and his fellow Dwarves were also drawn.

Other names

• Olórin, his name in Valinor and in very ancient times. It comes from the Quenya olor or olos ("dream"). The name could also be spelt as Olorion.
• Mithrandir, his Sindarin name, used in Gondor and by the Elves. It means "Grey Pilgrim", from the Sindarin mith ("grey") and ran ("wander") or rhandir ("pilgrim").
• Tharkûn, given by the Dwarves), which means "Staff man".
• Incánus, a name of unclear language and meaning. He must have acquired the name from one of his many travels in the south, near Harad. Tolkien several times changed his mind about it, varying between the Latin word incanus (meaning Grey and a possible Westron invention meaning "Greymantle"), a word Ind-cano (meaning Cruel Ruler), or even a form of Southron meaning "Spy of the North".
• Old Greybeard, by the Mouth of Sauron, when they meet at the Morannon.
• The White Rider (when mounted on the great horse Shadowfax)
• Stormcrow (a reference to his arrival being associated with times of trouble), often used by his detractors to mean he is a troublesome meddler in the affairs of others.
• Lathspell, by Grima Wormtongue
• Gandalf Greyhame
• The Grey Pilgrim
• Gandalf the Grey, and later Gandalf the White after he was reborn as the successor to Saruman.
• Gandalf the Wandering Wizard

² Are Gandalf the Grey & Gandalf the White two different people?

There are arguments in both directions, Gandalf the Grey was a Maia clad in mortal flesh, which diminished his wisdom and power, like sunlight being halted by a cloud. When he died in Zirak-zigil, he came back to Eru, outside the circles of the World, and was sent back to Middle-Earth to help the Free Peoples.

Naked I was sent back - for a brief time, until my task is done. And naked I lay upon the mountain-top.

The Two Towers, Book III, Chapter 5: The White Rider

Gandalf is the name Men called him by, his maiarin name was Olórin. He was the same entity, but I would take it as if a veil was lifted from his eyes and now he was able to see without having the hindrances of a mortal mind. He is hinted to use a similar body, which healed when he arrived in Lórien. However, his old body as Gandalf the Grey died after the ordeal.
One could draw an analogy between Gandalf and the myth of the Cave by Platon. In the myth, there are men chained in the darkness of a cave, they only see shadows cast on the wall by people standing behind them with lights and shapes, so these shadows are reality to them, the only one they know.

Finally, one of the men frees himself from his bindings, sees that these shadows were only people playing with lights, a deception; he follows the cave, leaving it behind and finally reaching the surface. He sees the Sun and the real world, he sees reality and not pale lingering shadows on the wall. It is an epiphany.

Gandalf the White was and wasn’t the same person as before, he is the same Maia spirit, but without the doubts and instabilities that clouded his mind in the past when he was Gandalf the Grey. His limitations as one of the Istari have been lifted (maybe not completely) and he is now a greater version of Gandalf the Grey. As he puts it:

'Yes, I am white now,' said Gandalf. 'Indeed I am Saruman, one might almost say, Saruman as he should have been.

The Two Towers, Book III, Chapter 5: The White Rider

He became the leader Saruman was not, leading the efforts of the resistance as Saruman should have, have him not betrayed them all. So he was Gandalf, with either enhanced wisdom and power, or lifting part of his limitations, allowing him to use more of the might he already had within himself. You may say that he passed to be just a counsellor to take a more active role in the defence of the Free Peoples, but he didn’t make anyone submit to his command, respecting the first rule of not becoming chieftain of Men and Elves.

The difference between Gandalf the Grey and Gandalf the White in Lord of the Rings goes quite beyond a wardrobe change.

After fighting the Balrog in The Fellowship of the Ring and succumbing to his injuries, Gandalf returned to Middle-earth transformed. In The Two Towers, he reunited with the Fellowship but told these Fellows that he isn't the same man. No longer Gandalf the Grey, this new version of the beloved wizard called himself Gandalf the White. 

To first understand what makes Gandalf the Grey different from Gandalf the White, it’s important to know Gandalf's true identity. Although he walked Middle-earth as an old man, his origins were far more divine. He was, in fact, one of the Maiar – a race of beings who assisted the creation of Arda (Earth) and held incredible power. He was essentially a divine emissary sent by the Valar (creation gods) to help Middle-earth fight the trilogy’s main villain, Sauron. Despite his background, Gandalf the Grey chose to roam Middle-earth in battered grey robes, never flaunting his real powers. For hundreds of years, he befriended elves, dwarves, and hobbits alike, learning and sharing knowledge. But he also spent that time gathering information on Sauron’s return and, later, played a vital part in finding the One Ring – which was in the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, and then passed to his nephew, Frodo.

Once the Fellowship was formed with the mission to assist Frodo in destroying the One Ring, Gandalf guided them to the Mines of Moria, where he had apparently died3 一 but that wasn't Gandalf's end. He returned in The Two Towers as Gandalf the White, a similar but seemingly more powerful being. It was that resurrection that Gandalf transformed from Gandalf the Grey to Gandalf the White. The god Eru, a Valar and the supreme deity of Arda sent him back to Middle-earth to continue his mission. To denote this change, Gandalf's staff, clothes, and hair all became white, but there was more to the change than one may realize.

As Gandalf the White, the sole emissary of the Valar, he was given greater powers and wisdom. Although he retained his personality and memories, this “upgraded” knowledge changed Gandalf into someone less open and more cautious. Gandalf the White is less funny and not as down-to-earth as the previous version of the character. This Gandalf didn't have the time to smoke with Bilbo Baggins or entertain hobbits with fireworks. His white wardrobe and staff also represented his new position among the wizards sent by the Valar. Previously, Saruman the White was the head of the order, but he betrayed the forces of good and joined Sauron. By taking his title, Gandalf became the leader of the wizards and was given authority to punish Saruman.

Another difference is that Gandalf the White could be harsher and applied his powers more readily. This can be seen in The Two Towers when he quickly overpowered the corrupted King Théoden, freeing him from Sauron’s influence in front of the entire court. During an extended scene, Gandalf the White easily broke Saruman’s staff despite losing to the wizard the first time. In The Return of the King, he was also shown to be faster, capable of dual-wielding his staff and sword to swiftly battle Sauron’s forces. Other abilities included communicating with his horse, Shadowfax, using his mind, and withstanding fire. While gaining in power and strength, Gandalf the White lost the charm of Gandalf the Grey. Even Gandalf, the most powerful member of the Fellowship, would lose something of himself in the battle against Sauron.

³ Moria means "Black Chasm" in Sindarin, (cf. the connection with the root Mor found in Mordor, Morgoth, Morgul).

Moria is 坎 29 ䷜ the Chasm,  "the abyss" (in the oceanographic sense)