As the prototypical wizard, Gandalf plays the role of Middle-earth's guiding light — his carefully measured actions and reactions in The Lord of the Rings can be considered the most crucial elements of the story's victorious conclusion. He first appears in a major role in The Hobbit, where he helps Thorin and his Dwarven Company restore their rule under the Lonely Mountain.
It is during this period that he notices something strange about Bilbo's new piece of jewelry, a modest looking gold ring that possessed the power to render its wearer completely and utterly invisible to the naked eye. Nevertheless, how much does anyone really know about this mysterious entity?
He Is A Celestial Being
One of the infinite Ainur designed by the omnipotent creator, Gandalf is lost among the teeming throng of his brethren in the Timeless Halls (described in great detail in The Silmarillion.)
His name is, was, and will always be Olorin, because that is what he is named by Iluvatar Himself. Gandalf spends his time in quite self-introspection, finding that the complexities of individuality and existence are far more important than the trite political workings of the world.
He Is ___ Years Old
Gandalf resembles an old human male, about 75-80 years old considering his wrinkles, long grey-white beard, as well as using his staff to prop himself up. This is merely the appearance given to him, because his radiant true self would not be able to step into Middle-earth without instantly garnering unwanted attention.
In any case, his real age is unknown, because he was "born" long before the germination of Ea, before the very concept of time was brought forth into reality. Eru might have a clue, though.
He Is Part Of A Wizard Quintet
The Valar, in their limited wisdom, recruit their favorite Maia for the Middle-earth campaign — Olorin (Gandalf), Curumo (Saruman), Aiwendil (Radagast), all of whom appear in the LoTR and The Hobbit film versions.
However, there are five wizards, or Istari, in total, the other two being Romestamo (Pallando) and Morinehtar (Alatar.) Called the Ithryn Luin, or the Sea-Blue Wizards, Alatar and Pallando journey deep into Easterling territory, but it is not known exactly what becomes of them at the end.
He Truly Loves All Of Creation
The cultural entities of Middle-earth are quite diverse, ranging from humans to Elves, Hobbits, Dwarves, Ents, Gollum. Gandalf cherishes every single one of them (as long as they aren't an orc, dragon, or some variety of foul beast). Although tending towards the dangerous realm of fire and combustion, his ways are based on the philosophies of Nienna, the Vala of Sorrow and Mercy.
Apparently, long before the Third Age, Gandalf used to roam around Middle-earth, watching and appreciating the life that dwelt therein, not to mention producing visions of positivity and hope in those he believed were suffering.
He Initially Refuses To Go On His Mission
Gandalf, as Olorin, is pledged by the Vala Varda as her emissary to Middle-earth, but he's far too scared to face Sauron in the beginning. He declares that he is not strong enough to defeat Sauron, at which point Manwe mentions that his fear of evil (or of becoming so) is exactly why he is the Maia for the job.
Gandalf accepts his ruling, along with the caveat that he could not use his powers to influence the world according to his viewpoint, something which Saruman was also forbidden from doing, not that that had any impact on his greed.
He Has Many Names
Aside from his first name, Gandalf's adventures in his adoptive land and the care he shows for its peoples gets him a host of different names. The Elves know him as Mithrandir, meaning "Grey Pilgrim" in the Sindarin dialect, while the Dwarves refer to him as Tharkun, or "Man wielding a staff."
Gandalf is also called Incanus, Stormcrow, the Wandering Wizard, Old Greybeard, the White Rider, and Incanus (whose meaning changes depending on the etymology used by Tolkien.)
He Brings The Elfstone
The Elfstone, also known as the Elessar, is said to represent the beauty of "sunlight through the leaves of trees," and is "a jewel within which the clear light of the sun should be imprisoned," even though the actual gem is green in color. Set inside an aquiline breastpin, it is transported to Middle-earth (through Gandalf) by Yavanna the Vala.
He in turn hands it to the Lady of Lorien, who promises him that it would be inherited by a man whose name is Elessar (Aragorn). The movies remove the Elfstone entirely, instead supplanting it with the Evenstar, a sparkly white pendant given by Arwen to her love.
He Is Sent Back By God Himself
After his mortal form is destroyed by the Moria Balrog, Gandalf's spirit dissipates into the surrounding blizzard and vanishes from Ea itself. However, being fully aware of his crucial status in the War of the Ring, Iluvatar delivers his soul into a new and improved body, Gandalf the White.
Although it seems like a minor point, the last time that God is involved in any kind of direct intervention in his creations' lives is when Ar-Pharazon's audacity almost reaches the gates of Valinor (to avoid any future attempts, the world is transformed into an endless sphere.)
He Wanders Middle-Earth For Two Years
After his role as Fellowship guidance counselor is deemed complete, Gandalf walks the Hobbits all the way back home to Hobbiton, taking a different fork in the road after reaching the Old Forest. It is said that he has extended conversations with the baffling entity called Tom Bombadil, but what transpires there is only for them to know about.
Gandalf may have even spent the entirety of his two years post-victory in the Old Forest, because he is next seen bidding goodbye to Middle-earth forever (at Grey Havens harbor, awaiting his friends, Elrond, Bilbo and Frodo.)
The Etymology Of Gandalf
Tolkien was a philologist, which means he took an interest in the historical, political and cultural ramifications of various literary texts and records. As such, he borrowed a lot of his terminology and naming systems from Anglo-Saxon, Germanic and Nordic languages.
While Gandalf refers to "Wand Elf" in the tongues of Men, the actual word is most likely derived from a Norse poem written as part of the Poetic Edda — it belongs specifically to the Dvergatal, or Dwarven directory (which also provided the names for many of the Dwarf characters.)