What Was the Purpose of the 2 Blue Wizards

[ItalianLegolas]

i meant LoTR wise

[inked]

They were not integral to the plot of LOTR as were Saruman and Radagast, so they weren't developed there. They certainly could provide a link (however tenuous) to related works by authors other than JRRT - if any had the temerity and ability to produce such for publication. I think none shall dare that, IMHO.

[Beor]

One of them went on to found Hogwarts academy or whatever and the other went on to promote himself through several lego sets labeled the "Dragon Masters" that were released in the mid 1990's.

[Elemmírë]

Interesting theory.

Maybe one went to found Hogwarts and another to found one of the other wizardry schools...

I still go with my original theory (which I haven't posted ):

One became Buddha and the other Lao-tzu.

[Manveru]

they formed a rock and roll group with the easterlings

[Beor]

Hence the Rolling Stones ability to still play

[ItalianLegolas]

hardy har har har, very funny

[me9996]

How about...

1. They are there to provide councle to wizzards.
2. They are in charge of the whether (No, remember what tom bombaldil sayed?)
3. They are useless!

[Sween]

The Blue wizards are a complete mystery for one thing we only really know they went into the east and they were blue. Now i cannot be bothered digging though my volumes of support novels but i think it is in the unfinished tales when they are talking about the Isati there is a rather intresting part about the the council which they had to discuss the subject. There were origionally only going to send 3 but not nessarilly the 3 you would think. Bassically this is the conclusion of the council Gandalf went for Manwe and Varda (they begged him he was not willing as he feared Sauron) Saurman was of course of Aules people (all the baddies are) and Radagast went with Saurman because Yavanna begged it of Aule but the blue Wizzards only one was to go origionally (cannot rember which one but the other went with his as a friend) but they were sent by Orome. Now the fact they were sent by Orome intrests me he would of had great knoledge of the east of middle earth but more importantally he was the hunter and surely that means that these two were hunters of skill.

I thinks a faily safe bet to asume that the blue wizzards job was to hunt out the nasty creatures that had fled at the end of the 1st age a kinda mopping up job if you will now how much succes they had in this would be intresting to know but unfortnally Tolkien didnt get famos till to late we should of been egging him on to write these tales as a young man.

[BeardofPants]

Interesting... but I don't agree. They were sent as emissaries. It is doubtful that the boys in blue would have participated in anything as overtly interfering as that. If there was to have been a 'mop up operation' in the east, it might have been helped along by them, but their roles would have been of the emissary kind, IMO.

[Attalus]

I agree with BoP. The Istari were to inspire and coordinate, not to overtly interfere with their angelic powers.

[Manveru]

i was re-reading the section on the istari in unfinished tales and came across some cool info

Of the Order the number is unknown; but of those that came to the North of Middle-earth... the chiefs were five.

which makes it seem like there were alot more than just five. some were probably sent to other areas of middle-earth where there were other evil powers. it also looks like more were sent to the north of middle-earth, but they were less important

[ItalianLegolas]

so there could have been hundreds, i doubt it, but it is possible

[Wayfarer]

Originally Posted by Manveru

makes it seem like there were alot more than just five. some were probably sent to other areas of middle-earth where there were other evil powers. it also looks like more were sent to the north of middle-earth, but they were less important

I've always suspected was that those five were the few who could actually approach Sauron's level of power and possibly be a match for him one on one - there might have been scores of lesser maia. However, I do also remember reading that Glorfindel came back across the seas with Gandalf (and aided his mission), so it's probably important to consider that 'members of the order' don't all nescessarily have to be ainu.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Originally Posted by Elemmire

An interesting question, I think.

This is, of course, mere conjecture, and I could easily be proven wrong by anyone with more knowledge of HoME.

Gandalf (and arguably Radagast, though to a lesser degree) was the only wizard to remain loyal to the cause that the Valar had given them. He was the only one to stand beside the people of Middle Earth against Sauron in the war at the end of the Third Age.

Making him the only one out of 3 wizards, to me, doesn't have as much of an impact as making him the only one out of 5. If 4 fell two inaction (and in Saruman's case, opposition), to me it speaks more for the difficulty of their task, even for Maiar, than if only 2 were disloyal (again, Radagast can be debated).

It's the only idea I can come up with, at present. Anyone else...

btw, I have no documentation, but I've seen in at least one forum the names "Pallando" and "Alatar" given to the blue wizards. Are these real names?

ps... welcome to the Moot, ItalianLegolas! Hope you enjoy it!

My understanding is that Tolkien's later thoughts were that they organized a resistance in the East against Sauron?

Pallando and Alatar were their "Valinorean names", as I understand it; I remember reading somewhere their Mannish equivalents, but where, I don't know. I'd like to see them again.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Originally Posted by Wayfarer

I've always suspected was that those five were the few who could actually approach Sauron's level of power and possibly be a match for him one on one - there might have been scores of lesser maia. However, I do also remember reading that Glorfindel came back across the seas with Gandalf (and aided his mission), so it's probably important to consider that 'members of the order' don't all nescessarily have to be ainu.

Interesting; I'd never seen that as meaning that Glorfindel was one of the Istari; definitely food for thought.

[Pytt]

echo of Gwaihir.
I didn't know there were sent more than the five. but as Wayfarer says, I don't think they could be of greater power. then they should have been mentioned..

[Radagast The Brown]

Maybe the unmentioned Istari were simply irrelevant to the story. They wouldn't be mentioned if they came to the south, and never got northern to Harad, in my opinion.

[right - sorry. It really wasn't said by Gwaihir...edited]
I don't think Glorfindel was one of the order of the Istari. The Istari were the 5 mentioned, and the other Istari went to the East of Middle Earth. (from the Sil).
From what said in the Sil, I at least understand that there were definitely more than 5.

[Manveru]

well obviously the others werent greater because it says "the chiefs were five"

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Originally Posted by Radagast The Brown

Maybe the unmentioned Istari were simply irrelevant to the story. They wouldn't be mentioned if they came to the south, and never got northern to Harad, in my opinion.

As Gwaihir said- I don't think Glorfindel was one of the order of the Istari. The Istari were the 5 mentioned, and the other Istari went to the East of Middle Earth. (from the Sil).
From what said in the Sil, I at least understand that there were definitely more than 5.

I didn't say that I didn't think he was (presuming you mean me by Gwaihir); just that I'd never thought of it that way. It could go either way in my fuddled brain.