Gandalf the Gr『a(VI🕂°)y』

                                                         ⮩ α  χ  ω ⮨

Ετυμολογία 

αχώ < μεσαιωνική ελληνική αχώ < ηχώ

Ρήμα Verb

αχώ    I have 有

At crossroads, @ moment of choice, when One must answer the call of Gravity, fall〜or else be drawn and drown〜to fight the Resident Evil一Biohazard一 the Kraken (originating from the Old Norse word kraki), the Leviathan1 (לִוְיָתָן, Līvəyāṯān) that mythical creature with the form of a sea serpent coiled at the bottom of the sea in a non-verbal environment.

Marble slab with Chi-Rho monogram and Alpha and Omega in a circle; traditionally associated with St. Ambrose (4th century) and possibly indeed of this period. A frame with inscriptions was added in the baroque period (supposedly in 1669, when it was moved to a "baroque corner" of the refurbished dome after it had been kept in storage since 1577). The inscription above reads Chrismon Sancti Ambrosii (i.e. "oracle of St. Ambrose", whence the name chrismon for the Chi-Rho monogram), the one below gives an interpretation of the symbol,

Circulus hic Summi continet nomina Regis

Quem sine principio et sine fine vides

Principium cum fine tibi denotat Α Ω

"The circle here contains the name of the Highest King, whom you see without beginning or end; Alpha and Omega signify the beginning and end for you"

肚臍同心八針

At the Bridge of Khazad-dûm*, the Fellowship (comprising nine representatives of the free peoples of Middle-earth) encounters "Durin's Bane", a fearsome Balrog from ancient times. Gandalf the Gray faces the Balrog to enable the others to escape. After a brief exchange of blows, Gandalf breaks the bridge beneath the Balrog with his staff. As the Balrog falls, it wraps its whip around Gandalf's legs, dragging him over the edge. Gandalf falls into the abyss, crying "Fly, you fools!".

"The Balrog reached the bridge. Gandalf stood in the middle of the span, leaning on the staff in his left hand, but in his other hand Glamdring gleamed, cold and white. His enemy halted again, facing him, and the shadow about it reached out like two vast wings. It raised the whip, and the thongs whined and cracked. Fire came from its nostrils. But Gandalf stood firm. "You cannot pass," he said. The orcs stood still, and a dead silence fell. "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn. Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass."

一J. R. R. Tolkien, "The Fellowship of the Ring book 2, ch. 5, "The Bridge of Khazad-Dum"

The Battle of the Peak was the climax of the fight between Gandalf the Grey and the Balrog (Durin's Bane) atop Zirakzigil** after they ascended the Endless Stair from the depths of Moria. After their fight at the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, Gandalf and the Balrog both fell into the deep chasm. Gandalf was burned by the Balrog's fire on the way down, then almost froze in the water at the bottom. He pursued his foe for days through dark tunnels, and then all the way up the Endless Stair to the top of Durin's Tower in the living rock of Zirakzigil, where the two engaged in a two-day long battle at the pinnacle of the Silvertine above the clouds. They fought in a narrow space upon Celebdil, above the mists of the world. The sun shone fiercely, but all below was wrapped in clouds so that anyone watching from below would think they saw flashes from lightning and heard thunder. A great smoke of vapour and steam rose about them, and ice fell like rain.

Battle of the Peak - Two Towers

There they fought until at last Gandalf threw down his enemy, and the Balrog broke the mountain-side as it fell. Then darkness took Gandalf, and he passed away shortly afterwards, and his body lies on the peak while his spirit travels "out of thought and time". The battle had left Durin's Tower (XVI) in ruins and caused the destruction of the Endless Stair. The entire battle, from the confrontation on the Bridge of Khazad-dûm to the mutual demise of the Balrog and Gandalf, had taken ten days.

"Then darkness took me, and I strayed out of thought and time, and I wandered far on roads that I will not tell."

—Gandalf the White.

Gandalf's body lay on the peak for nineteen (XVIIII) days, until he was resurrected by Eru Ilúvatar, "The One," and sent back to Middle-earth alive to complete his task. For three days he lay in a trance, until he was found by the Windlord Gwaihir and carried to Caras Galadhon in Lothlórien, where he was healed and clothed in white robes by Lady Galadriel² who bore Nenya, one of the three Elven rings of power, and thus became Gandalf the White, more powerful than ever before.

"This, then, is my counsel," [said Gandalf.] "We have not the Ring. In wisdom or great folly, it has been sent away to be destroyed, lest it destroys us. Without it, we cannot by force defeat [Sauron's] force. But we must at all costs keep his Eye from his true peril... We must call out his hidden strength so that he shall empty his land... We must make ourselves the bait, though his jaws should close on us... We must walk open-eyed into that trap, with courage, but small hope for ourselves. For, my lords, it may well prove that we ourselves shall perish utterly in a black battle far from the living lands; so that even if Barad-dûr be thrown down, we shall not live to see a new age. But this, I deem, is our duty."

—J. R. R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

After the war is won, Gandalf crowns Aragorn as King Elessar and helps him find a sapling of the White Tree of Gondor. He accompanies the Hobbits back to the borders of the Shire, before leaving to visit Tom Bombadil, Sauron's Antagonist3

Two years later, Gandalf departs Middle-earth forever. He boards the Ringbearers' ship in the Gray Havens and sets sail to return across the sea to the Undying Lands; with him are his friends Frodo, Bilbo, Galadriel, and Elrond, and his horse Shadowfax.

° VI & 🕂 Cross Pommee: L'AMOVREVX & A cross pommy (Croix pommée) that has a round knob at the end of each arm, as in the coat of Penwith (which derives from two Cornish words, Penn meaning 'headland' and wydh meaning 'at the end') District Council, England. The Penwith peninsula sits predominantly on granite bedrock that has led to the formation of a rugged coastline with many fine beaches. The contact between the granite and the adjoining sedimentary rock (mostly shales) is most clearly seen forming the cliffs at Land's End, the most westerly point in the district and this geology has resulted in the mining that has made Cornwall famous. Tin and copper have been mined in the area since pre-Roman times.

First & last, Alpha (Α or α) and omega (Ω or ω) first and last letters of the Greek alphabet and a title of Christ & God in the Book of Revelation. This pair of letters is used as a Christian symbol and is often combined with the Cross, Chi-rho, or other Christian symbols.

Arms: Or on a Chevron enarched between in chief two Cornish Luggers Sable sails set Gules and in base within an Annulet Sable a Cross Pommy Gules four Bezants conjoined by a Chain throughout Gold.

Crest: On a Wreath Or and Sable within a Mural Crown of six Merlons Argent garlanded with Ivy a Mount thereon in front of a representation of the Mine Stack on Cape Cornwall a Paschal Lamb proper nimbed Gold.

Supporters: Two Cornish Choughs reguardant proper each gorged with a Riband pendent therefrom by a Ring the Head of a Cornish Cross Gold.

Badge: A Sun in Splendour Or charged with a Chevron enarched Sable thereon four Bezants conjoined by a Chain throughout Gold.

Motto 'KENSA HA DEWETHA' Cornish (Standard Written Form: Kernewek or Kernowek) - First and Last.

Kensa [Kensa] /’kɛnzɐ/ Cornish for ‘first’ or ‘primary’

Dewetha: extreme, final, last, late, later, ultimate

⮩ an-dewetha: latest

⮩ an-dewetha-saw-onen: penultimate

⮩ dewetha-gér: ultimatum

1 The name לִוְיָתָן‎ is a derivation from the root לוה‎ lvh "to twine; to join", with an adjectival suffix ן-‎, with a literal meaning of "wreathed, twisted in folds". Both the name and the mythological figure are a direct continuation of the Ugaritic sea monster Lôtān, one of the servants of the sea god Yammu defeated by Hadad in the Baal Cycle. The Ugaritic account has gaps, making it unclear whether some phrases describe him or other monsters at Yammu's disposal such as Tunannu (the biblical Tannin). Most scholars agree on describing Lôtān as "the fugitive serpent" (bṯn brḥ) but he may or may not be "the wriggling serpent" (bṯn ʿqltn) or "the mighty one with seven heads" (šlyṭ d.šbʿt rašm). His role seems to have been prefigured by the earlier serpent Têmtum whose death at the hands of Hadad is depicted in Syrian seals of the 18th–16th century BC.

Sea serpents feature prominently in the mythology of the Ancient Near East. They are attested by the 3rd millennium BC in Sumerian iconography depicting the god Ninurta overcoming a seven-headed serpent. It was common for Near Eastern religions to include a Chaoskampf: a cosmic battle between a sea monster representing the forces of chaos and a creator god or culture hero who imposes order by force. The Babylonian creation myth describes Marduk's defeat of the serpent goddess Tiamat, whose body was used to create the heavens and the earth.

* The caves of Moria, where the Dwarf city-kingdom of Khazad-dûm was founded, were situated under Silvertine; their mouth overlooked Dimrill Dale, which contained many waterfalls and a long, oval lake that reflected stars even in daylight. Perceiving these stars as a crown glittering above his head, Durin took this as an auspicious sign, named the lake Kheled-zâram, the Mirrormere, and chose the eastward-facing caves above it for his new stronghold.

The caves led to the Black Chasm, a subterranean abyss 坎 (kǎn), some fifty feet wide and of indeterminate depth, which was crossed only by Durin's Bridge, "a slender bridge of stone, without kerb or rail". It forced any group wishing to cross to go in single file, limiting the power of any attack.

The Dwarves excavated most of Khazad-dûm out of their solid rock, leaving polished walls. Minerals included gold, gems and iron ore. However, the principal mineral was mithril, a fabulously precious and versatile metal found nowhere else in Middle-earth. It was the source of Khazad-dûm's huge wealth, but ultimately its mining was the cause of its downfall. Beginning under the Silvertine, the Dwarves mined ever deeper, and down towards the roots of Mount Caradhras. There they unearthed the Balrog, which drove the Dwarves into exile. Avarice, principally for mithril, drove the dwarves to go too deep and awaken the Balrog that killed Durin VI, the Dwarf-King of Khazad-dûm, whereafter it was called Durin's Bane by the Dwarves. From this time Khazad-dûm was known as Moria, Sindarin for "Black Pit" or "Black Chasm"

Far below even the deepest mines of the Dwarves lay a primordial underworld of tunnels, streams and lakes in perpetual darkness, inhabited by primitive creatures. The tunnels were "gnawed by nameless things" from the beginnings of Arda, and, as Gandalf suggested, from this underworld the Watcher in the Water may have emerged.

Tolkien was a professional philologist, a scholar of comparative and historical linguistics. The Balrog and other concepts in his writings derived from the Old English word Sigelwara, used in texts such as the Codex Junius to mean "Aethiopian". He wondered why the Anglo-Saxons would have had a word with this meaning, conjecturing that it had formerly had a different meaning. He emended the word to Sigelhearwan, and in his essay "Sigelwara Land", explored in detail the two parts of the word. He stated that Sigel meant "both sun and jewel", the former as it was the name of the Sun rune *sowilō (ᛋ), the latter connotation from Latin sigillum, a seal. He decided that Hearwa was related to Old English heorð, "hearth", and ultimately to Latin carbo, "soot". He suggested from all this that Sigelhearwan implied "rather the sons of Muspell than of Ham", a class of demons in Northern mythology "with red-hot eyes that emitted sparks and faces black as soot". The Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey states that this both "helped to naturalise the Balrog" and contributed to the Silmarils, which combined the nature of the sun and jewels. The Aethiopians suggested to Tolkien the Haradrim, a dark southern race of men.

A real-world etymological counterpart for the word "Balrog" existed long before Tolkien's languages: the Norse bál "fire"; an epithet of the Norse god Odin was Báleygr, "fire-eyed". Balrogs are tall and menacing beings who can shroud themselves in fire, darkness, and shadow. They are armed with fiery whips "of many thongs", and occasionally used long swords. In Tolkien's later conception, they could not be readily vanquished—a certain stature was required by the would-be hero. Only dragons rivalled their capacity for ferocity and destruction, and during the First Age of Middle-earth, they were among the most feared of Morgoth's forces.

Tolkien invented the name "Balrog", providing an in-universe etymology for it as a word in his invented Sindarin language. He may have gained the idea of a fire demon from his philological study of the Old English word Sigelwara, which he studied in detail in the 1930s. Gothmog "Dread Oppressor" is Lord of the Balrogs.

** Zirakzigil (Khuzdul for Silvertine, Celebdil in Sindarin), is one of three peaks of the Misty Mountains of Moria (along with Caradhras and the Fanuidhol) below which lie the cavernous halls of Moria, the ancient dwarf-home of Khazad-dûm and whereupon stood Durin's Tower. A tine is a point or prong. Celebdil is derived from celeb meaning "silver" and til (modified to -dil) meaning "horn," or "point." The translation of Zirakzigil is most likely "silver spike," but it is not clear which element means "silver" and which means "spike." A note written by J.R.R. Tolkien proposed that zirak meant "silver" and zigil meant "spike" but a later note said the reverse - that zigil meant "silver" and zirak meant "spike." It was the Dwarves that called the mountain-summit Zirakzigil. In ancient times, they built the Endless Stair - a spiral staircase of many thousand steps - from the roots of the mountain up to its peak. On an eyrie, atop the mountain, they built Durin's Tower. It is said that Durin the Deathless once stood upon that peak, but this knowledge is lost, deep in the memory of the Ages and by the end of the Third Age, the stair and the tower were remembered only in legend.

In more recent times, a great battle of flame and lightning took place upon Zirakzigil, and the mountainside was broken. Anywho chanced to behold the great battle thought a terrible storm raged in the mountains. The truth only became known at a later time: on January 23, 3019, Gandalf and the Balrog climbed the Endless Stair to the summit of the Silvertine. There they fought the Battle of the Peak, which lasted three days. During the battle, Durin's Tower was destroyed and the stairs were blocked. The Balrog of Moria was finally destroyed. Gandalf the Grey died and was afterwards soon returned to life as Gandalf the White. He was rescued from the Silvertine by Gwaihir, also known as Gwaihir the Windlord, lord of the Great Eagles during the Third Age, on February 17, 3019. The name Gwaihir comes from the Sindarin terms gwaew ("storm, wind") and hîr ("lord, master"), translating his name to "Wind-lord".

² J.R.R. Tolkien thought of her, along with Gil-galad the Elven-king, as one of the mightiest and fairest of all the Elves left in Middle-earth in the Third Age. Galadriel was originally named Artanis ("noblewoman") which was her Father-name and Nerwen ("man-maiden"), which was her Mother-name (referring to her height and strength). Galadriel is the Sindarinized version of Telerin Quenya Alatáriel, the name given to her by her lover Celeborn, meaning "maiden crowned with a garland of bright radiance", which referred to her hair.

The name Galadhriel was used outside Lórien by the people who did not know the ancient days and Galadriel's history, confusing her name with the Elvish word galadh ("tree") and the name of the Galadhrim, the people of Lórien.

Gil-galad, born Ereinion, was a Ñoldorin Elf and son to Fingon. He was the last High King of the Ñoldor in Middle-earth and bore many titles, including High King of the Elves of the West, King of the Eldar, King of Lindon, Lord of the High Elves, and the Lord of Eriador.

Gil-galad held the highest authority among the Elves he ruled and was respected by both the Ñoldor and the Sindar, thus being considered a "High King" of Elves in Middle-earth. He formed the Last Alliance of Elves and Men with Elendil and led the Elves to war against Sauron during this time. His death marked the end of the Ñoldorin Kingdoms in Middle-earth, though many Ñoldor would still dwell in Imladris later throughout the Third Age. Gil-galad was Sindarin for "Star of Radiance", from Gil ("star") and galad ("light, radiance") ➨ G-G.

His name in Quenya was Artanáro which means "High Flame". In Sindarin, Artanáro translates to Rodnor.

It was first conceived that Gil-galad's birth name was Ereinion instead of his epessë. Ereinion means "Son of Kings", from erain ("kings") and ion ("son").

3 The Tolkien scholar Verlyn Flieger writes that if there was an opposite to Sauron in The Lord of the Rings, it would not be Aragorn, his political opponent, nor Gandalf, his spiritual enemy, but Tom Bombadil, the earthly Master who is entirely free of the desire to dominate, and hence cannot be dominated.

Sauron's opposite, as analysed by Verlyn Flieger

	Sauron	Tom Bombadil
Role	Antagonist	Earthly counterpart
Title	Dark Lord	"Master"
Purpose	Domination of whole of Middle-earth	Care for The Old Forest "No hidden agenda, no covert desire or plan of operation"
Effect of the One Ring	"Power over other wills"	No effect on him "as he is not human", nor does it make others invisible to him
How he sees the Ring	The Eye of Sauron desires to dominate through the Ring	Looks right through it, his "blue eye peering through the circle of the Ring"

Väinämöinen

Tom Bombadil may have been modelled on the demigod Väinämöinen from the Finnish epic poem Kalevala. Painting The defence of the Sampo by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, 1896

The Tolkien scholar David Elton Gay notes that Tolkien was inspired by the Finnish writer Elias Lönnrot's 1849 epic poem Kalevala, a work of modern mythology. Gay suggests with a detailed comparison that Tom Bombadil was directly modelled on the poem's central character, the demigod Väinämöinen.

David Elton Gay's comparison of Tom Bombadil with the demigod Väinämöinen in the 1849 Kalevala

Väinämöinen	Tom Bombadil
Oldest, immortal
Lives in a small forested country that he controls but does not own
Extremely close to his world, exemplifying "naturalness" 自然性
Fearless, because powerful
Power through song and knowledge
Sings for the pleasure of singing
"Day by day he sang unwearied"	Mostly speaks through song
As the oldest living being, he saw the creation, heard names of all beings, knows songs of their origins, helped shape the land	"I am old, Eldest, that's what I am...Tom was here before the river and the trees" "Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn"

Multiple meanings

Jane Beal, writing in the Journal of Tolkien Research, comments that:

By thinking in terms of the four levels of meaning found in medieval scriptural exegesis and literary interpretation, it is possible to consider Tom Bombadil literally, as a wooden doll that belonged to Michael Tolkien in the created world and as “Eldest” in the sub-created world; allegorically, as the spirit of the vanishing English countryside in the created world and a figure of the study of Zoology, Botany, and Poetry in the sub-created world, parallel to the first, prelapsarian Adam. Morally, Tom Bombadil is a storyteller, representative of J.R.R. Tolkien, the author himself. ... Anagogically, Tom Bombadil is also a figure of the second Adam, Jesus.