The Complete Travels of Gandalf | Tolkien Explained
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- Опубліковано 24 лис 2024
- Gandalf is known for his many travels far and wide in Middle-earth. Today, we cover all of the known journeys of the great wizard. From his dwelling in Aman during the first and second ages to his deeds in overthrowing Sauron and return to the Undying Lands, we will see where Gandalf goes, and explain why.
Unlike Saruman, Gandalf never sets down roots, preferring to travel far and wide in his efforts to fight Sauron. Whether you call him Mithrandir, Tharkûn, or Gandalf, you'll enjoy seeing every one of his journey's during his centuries in Middle-earth.
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Dwarf - Gaudi Buendia
G for Grand - Ink Yami
Gandalf and Frodo - Anrea Piparo
Gandalf Falls with the Balrog - John Howe
Gandalf, A light in the Dark - Matthew Stewart
Gandalf - Ethan Cunningham
Gandalf in Minas Tirith - Anke Eissmann
Gandalf Attacks Dol Guldur - John Howe
Necromancer - FirstRingProject
Gandalf vs the Balrog - Nicolas Siner
Gandalf and the Balrog on Celebdil - Ted Nasmith
Gandalf Returns - Ted Nasmith
Gandalf and Thorin in Bree - Ted Nasmith
Gandalf and the Nazgul - Ted Nasmith
Nazgul at the Walls - Ted Nasmith
Shadows of the Past - Donato Giancola
Dol Guldur - Angus McBride
The White Sapling - Darrell K Sweet
Cormallen - Tolman Cotton
The Last Homely House - Alan Lee
The Door of Durin - Alan Lee
Anger of the Mountains - Ted Nasmith
At Beorn's Hall - Ted Nasmith
Bilbo and the Arkenstone - Ted Nasmith
Elessar marries Arwen - Brothers Hildebrandt
Elessar's Coronation - Brothers Hildebrandt
Gandaf, Aragorn, & Samwise - Donato Giancola
The Goblin King - Alan Lee
Zikakzigil - John Howe
Old Friends - momofukuu
Olorin Arrives - leewlundin
Sam and Frodo - Ted Nasmith
Winter in the Shire - Ralph Bakshi
The Siege of Minas Tirith - Jesse Vandijk
The Black Rider and the Gaffer - Stephen Hickman
Departure at the Grey Havens - Ted Nasmith
Elves in the Woody End - Ted Nasmith
At the Inn of the Prancing Pony - Ted Nasmith
A View of Hobbiton from the Hill - Ted Nasmith
The Spiders of Mirkwood - Ted Nasmith
Winter in the Shire - MintDr
#gandalf #tolkien #lordoftherings
"Gandalf returns to bag end looking for someone to share in an adventure."
And every fantasy and literature fan smiles at that concept.
When your bag end, there is one place to fill.
:D i would like go an adventure too one day
@@lukeluckynblue1873 me too
Right!!!! Omg I smiled immediately when I heard that
It should be me in the adventure I will accepte it
That talk between Gandalf and Tom! Imagine the pipe smoking and singing and comfort.
Tom's wife is hot, why Gandalf refused to leave.
Two years! That's a talk the ents would be proud of!!
Imagine if they did a series on Gandalfs journeys. Damn, 8 to 10 season show.
Two god-level psychonauts talking with Eru for 2 years...! I hope they invited Radagast and Goldberry, too 8)
@@epsppath4854 it's a bad idea and also I can't believe you copy pasted this stupid comment from someone else lol
He probably is the most important person of the 3rd age. Without him all would be lost.
He was a major pain in Sauron's butt every step of the way.
"Without him all would be lost"
I can say the same about Frodo, Sam, Gandalf, Gollum, Bilbo, and etc. One of the best things* in the Lord Of The Rings book/trilogy/franchise, is the variety of characters and how most of them are so important to the story.
@@agnomenamedgrimblegromble3735 You are right, but Gandalf I Think is in the unique position to have decided key moments, like bringing the riders to liberate Helms Deep, acknowledging Sauron in Dol Guldur, helping everyone and his mother to come together, helping each other, etc. I Think the third age is Gandalf’s age.
@@H4lminator You couldn't be more right. Gandalf is essential to the third age, without a doubt.
... and without the hobbitses, Gandalf would be lost.
.
1) First he was afraid of Sauron, 2) later he didn't want to be a leader, 3) at last he gained his courage by knowing the brave little hobbits and protecting them.
The fact that Shadowfax got to join him on the ship got me crying. I did not remember that from the book.
Maybe that’s because Shadowfax didn’t go on the ship from the havens!!😮
@@julielevinge266 It did !
Shadowfax was dope!!
Shadowfax did not take the boat to the west
@@hurin_thalion11 I don't really remember. It's been too long since I read the book. I only read it once.
Gandalf took 200 years to plan a solo trip to Mirkwood. What a guy!
Tolkien is a goddamn genius, honestly.
Max Cody -He plays on the Zoroastrian theme of good versus evil really well and I often wonder if life beyond Earth is subject to this law of the universe. Did Tolkien have access to a deeper , hidden history?
@@gordonbryce its so well written it would make u believe that there is a lreal ost history told to Tolkien by an Elf that he met in the 1915 or something
@@RealBadGaming52 "If you think this shit is bad, let me tell you a story..."
-Some elf at the Somme.
@@gordonbryce As a Catholic, Tolkien was well acquainted with themes of good versus evil.
I honestly can't believe how deep and awesome middle earth is. There is so much behind Lord of the Rings that you don't see right away
That was such a good telling of Gandalf's travels that it didn't even feel as though nearly half a hour had passed. I could have listened to an hour of this and I wouldn't have noticed how much time had passed until the video ended.
Excellent video and execution!
Thanks so much! So glad you enjoyed it!
@@NerdoftheRings Yooooouuuuu'rrrrree welcome!
Thought the same thing 🎉
Imagine if they did a series on Gandalfs journeys. Damn, 8 to 10 season show.
No, they';d ruin it
As exciting as it seems at first, I feel that they would completely fail to deliver. Or it would turn into the Mandalorian..
@@michiel-vdheuvel what’s wrong with the mandolorian
@@shauncanuto7380 It feels thin, sort of stretched. Like butter scraped over too much bread.
Imagine all the walking through very depressing roads in the rain with a lot of mud...
You just *know* that he snuck a couple of pipe-weed seedlings onto the boat to Valinor
Nah, you know Yavanna's got the good stash.
Maybe he got a patch?
@@General12th Fun fact : Aulë came up with the idea for the Dwarves while he was high with his wife's weed .
@@valentinkambushev4968 "yaah dude, what if humans...but short"
@@dodojesus4529 "Oh and their women were identical to the men!"
I dont know if any other single character in middle earth had more of an impact on its history. He really is one of the most awesome characters, and couldnt be portayed any better in the movies by Sir Ian Mckellen.
well gangelf didnt have any real impact til thrid age this whoe story i bull pile from the first second
@@daletorrisi4038 why do i have to laugh about gangelf so much :'D
@Jovieta i said he was sufficient but barely so. for me he's not transcendent or ideal in terms of casting, scriptural problems notwithstanding. also, he is not great with greenscreen-type situations as compared to his past live theater or more organically collaborated/coordinated ensemble performances. in short, he was just ok. he was phoning it in a bit. often overconfidently heavy handed in scenes requiring humble subtlety and balance, way too cutesy in some of the scenes requiring true gravitas, mannerisms too phony too often, all too few risks taken. of course Jackson in the planning stages and editing room was big factor no doubt. i feel both he and McKellan misunderstand Gandalf in several key aspects. i feel Tolkien would no doubt agree with me but here i risk overconfidence myself. i have biases and this discussion, i suppose, is more a matter of taste than fact though in my gut i suspect otherwise. i don't buy Gandalf in that adaptation and it's unforgivably distracting and disappointing, especially considering how central is the character. fans of Sir Ian's performance, i'm guessing, enjoy their art spoon-fed rather than soul-burningly earned. the entire enterprise (and motive) of filming those novels is questionable at best. i hope that makes some degree of sense, clarifies my perspective a little more, answers your valid and very much appreciated question. i hope you enjoy those films but i have always struggled to do so. i would love to love them but the novels are too good, too sacred. i respect McKlellan and the whole Jackson team, even if i wish they made different choices or that they never produced those films in the first place.
@Jovieta no disrespect to so great an actor but McKellen was only sufficient. he was not transcendent. wrong choice. flawed script as well. too much focus on box-office instead of honoring Tolkien's vision. i believe a much better portrayal was then and is still possible. in my opinion Sir Ian may be the worst aspect of those films, quite ironically considering how much he is revered as the perfect Gandalf. Alec Guinness or O'Toole's version would've made McKellan's seem like cute amateur night.
@Jovieta you're welcome! i have those goggles on for certain things too, and perhaps i too often wear the old gray goggles that obsure the beauty in some things as well. if i can add one thing, for contrast/context i think Jackson's casting of Ian Holm as Bilbo, and Holm's performance were perfect, risky yet nailed it, balanced in all the ways i mentioned above. wellness to you.
the third age was pretty much Gandalf vs Sauron
Honestly, this is the real open world video game we need.
@@Duiker36 that would be a badass game if it was done properly. It would most likely have more mission lines than Skyrim.
@Daniel Deering just because he was prohibited to match Sauron power for power, he was still sent there specifically because of Sauron and his threat and power. Gandalf even specifically said he should not be sent because he didn't think he could match Sauron's power, which made him even more obviously the right pick for Manwe to match him. He was the most pure and least likely to try and dominate free people.
Daniel Deering for sure. While Gandalf did play a significant role, ultimately it was the Men (Gondor, Rohan, Dale and Rangers), Elves (Lorien, Mirkwood), Dwarves of Erebor and Hobbits that would defeat Sauron.
Would love how the story would go if he used the ring.. gandalf would go super sayen
In two thousand years of wandering, Gandalf must have shat in about half a million bushes
Holy shit
@@samapple490 holly shit, while he walked in Eregion
Now that's deep lore.
hahahahahahah I had a good laugh at this one
He could single "handedly" fertilized Mirkwood
Boy, am I tired of those travels!
Lol
To bad tom bombadil isn't here to tell us what you can't remember
@@tonybates4308 but his boots were still Yella when Gandalf the White whent back to the Havens
@Aleksandre Sarachi Shhhh... Not here! Be silent. The Enemy has many spies in his service; birds and beasts. He will invade the market!
Hang on there my dear wizard!
This world is amazing, the detail, the world building, all the story lines, Tolkien was a mastermind
Can we also appreciate how the reason why Gandalf was so nutritious for his “fireworks” was more maybe to do with the fact he wore the Elven ring of fire (so they are more “works of fire”). Also if you analyse most of Gandalfs magic you come to realise it is fire based. He, as an istari, only has a very small percentage of his actual power. So the ring amplifies it a little but also focuses on fire magic.
Gandalf himself said "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor." Early drafts had said "white flame" but rewrites changed this to "flame of Anor" which there is not much other info on .But Iluvatar speaks of the 'Secred Fire' at the heart of the world that gave Life and Reality. It was this flame the Melkor sought as he thought with it he could creat life and when he was denied he rebelled.
The Sacred Fire can be compared to consciousness or awareness.
*notorious
I never get tired of LOTR lore. I can look at the map of Middle Earth to daydream and escape the Balrog that 2020 has turned into. 😀
Well you should definitely subscribe to the channel! 😁 All LOTR content, all the time!
Thanks for watching!
Yes, at 17 I was the same. LOTR touches a deep note in my memory and imagination-a time of the barbarians, late Romans and our King Arthur.
2021 is here and i miss 2020. staying home was so fun. people suck
Do you have one of those middle earth maps made of silver from the new Zealand mint?
@@jbp7473 get out more and meet new people. Don't let the anti human itch stir
Man gandalf sure is an inspiration. I mean, he ddnt even wanna go to middle earth coz he was scared of sauron. And despite the betrayal he got from saruman whom he confide so dearly, he still managed to pull the W! Gandalf, u d real MVP!
Gandalf's fear of Sauron is what kept him dedicated to defeating Sauron and never negotiating a treacherous plan like Saruman or Denethor .
Often those that do not wish to lead, do not feel they are worthy of leadership, of the power and authority it brings, are the ones that are actually the best at it. Perhaps it is their reluctance of leadership, their fear of abusing the power and authority they would have, that makes them more cautious and mindful of their actions and decisions.
Really enjoyed this. So many casual viewers of LotR don’t realise the immense timelines laid out by Tolkien; thousands of years. But when you got to the events of that book my eyes filled with tears once again!
Thank you! This means a lot to know my videos resonate with people!
@@NerdoftheRings I definitely teared up as well.
Though the end of the events of the LOTR are a happy ending, it is bittersweet to know that the magic fades from Middle Earth, and that future generations of Hobbits, Dwarves and Men will never know the majesty of the Elves, and that they will never see Gandalf putting on a fireworks show.
Very bittersweet indeed
"The sole member of the Istari to remain true to his mission, Gandalf takes his final journey, sailing to Aman and becoming Olorin once more"
Love that closing line, sent shivers down me spine.
I read this line as soon as he said it!
Definitely a great line to end on.
And the background music just added some icing to the cake…perfectos 😁
I don't think we can conclusively state that he was the only Istari to remain true to his mission. We do not have evidence that the other four all failed. This closing statement is unfair to probably three of the others.
I vaguely remember Radaghast also sailing back, or am I wrong?
One thing I wonder is if Gandalf, now back to being Olorion, ever visited with Bilbo, Frodo and Sam after they made it to the West. I will wager he did but who knows?
I had never seen the extended edition of LOTR until about 7 years ago. My buddy kept saying “the mouth of sauron” and I would ask why Gandalf never used his staff in later battles and he’d say “cause the witch king shatters it.” I would argue and ask how he knew that and he asked how I didn’t. Then he rewatched the non-extended edition and realized it never shows any of that.
the staff is shattered in the extended edition of return of the king at minas tirith, I watched it tonight
@@zga042 I know...but my best friend argues me and said “how can you not know his staff is shattered? It happens in the regular edition too.” I said no, it doesn’t, because I’ve never seen the extended (this was back when they came out). I forced him to rewatch that part in the originals and turns out I was right. For some weird reason they never show the witch king breaking his staff in the originals.
@@jdwylde7 Quite the silly scene really.
I just finished watching the extended version’s for the first time a few days ago. Surprised how much stuff is missing that helps explains the story
@@sdtobey9225 I know right. I was confused for a few months as to why he was saying things that weren’t in the original.
I honestly expected this to be so dry I'd quit a few minutes in. But this was really well done. Just subscribed.
Glad I could exceed your expectations! 😁 Thanks for subscribing!
Hmm, so Gandalf was the main character this whole time.
Looks like Gandalf did his legwork back in the day. I bet he got to his 10 000 steps everyday.
Why??? He has Shadowfax...??
@@victroiki7321 Riding a horse is still a workout. It just exercises different muscles.
@@keithgoreham1463 - Gandalf's buns of steel.
There's a reason they called him the Grey Wanderer!
Lol, this is what these heroes get for not being able to invent a motorbike in like 10.000 years...
I can’t imagine how much research went into these videos. I love the quality, maps, and the linear timeline you include, it really brings another level of immersiveness in the story.
I really didn’t realize how much power Sauron had in the North before the Hobbit, or how much Gandalf really contributed to every major story in LOTR. Other than the 2 Blue Wizards (who’s accomplishments are debated), Gandalf was truly the Istari that fufilled his quest to the fullest. Thanks again!
Thanks so much, my friend! It’s great to know my work is appreciated. It was definitely a good amount of research involved! I actually discovered an error on the LOTR Project’s map page after double checking something in the original text. I felt so scholarly. Haha!
Wow, you must’ve been working hard! I know you have put in a lot of effort, and I can’t believe you found an error in a lotr map, nice job lol
Not to mention he feared Sauron and didn't even want to go to Middle Earth. Yet he overcame his fear and helped the people of Middle Earth finally defeat Sauron.
@@NerdoftheRings did you let them know about the mistake?
Was listening to this high and thought of a timeline that made me cry.
As gandalf finds out that Sauron is the necromancer he pleads the white council to try to fight, saruman says no fight, elves abstain, conversation goes long into the night and the option of rehabilitation of sauron is discussed and gandalf eventually agrees to set out on a voyage to find the blue wizards which are known for their dislike, if not animosity, to both camps and the desire for something else.
Gandalf finds one and introduces the plan of powow with sauron. The blue wizard is absolutely extatic at first sign of common sense from gandalf. The blue wizard knows that AraAragorn will exterminate orks and be as sauron was going to be to humans, except worse, and that gandalf will be known as the exterminator.
The two set back to west where they gather the white council, they set a invite to sauron to appear not as flaming eye nor as otherworld beauty but as common man and discuss. Sauron comes with intent of mocking and attack.
Gandalf and saruman using their collective voice compel sauron to discussion, first sauron launches into a monologue with occasional "ahas" from gandalf on the merit of industrialization, much like what you'd hear musk talk to dalai lama. then Gandalf speaks of his vision if he was not bound at all by the benefit of eluvitars or mans desire and in the speech sauron notices that his role would be greater than gandalfs in his previous story, thus a greater opportunity for attack, and he launches to win the ground of the mind of gandalf and eventually the discussion after months or years of sitting in the shade of the trees sauron agrees that, as he did with the humans in his domain, he will not seek complete extermination of eluvitars creation, humans and elves, and ara aragorn agrees that it is unwise to randomly exterminate the orks, the discussions proceed from there, eventually the council agrees to find the one ring and toss it into mount doom after making sauron a non cursed body to reality tying enchanted artifact and end the madness of the ring, sauron will still be sauron but this path is concluded, more like Trump sauron than Hitler sauron, big difference, huge, the biggest difference, maybe ever.
Eventually world settles more into Dragon Age elves = orks and elves = flat earth hippies.
Was so beautiful it made me cry, now you can cry too, for different reasons.
I would love to have read Tolkein's take of Tom and Gandalf's chat... I doubt he would have ever written it, but I think it would have been extremely profound at times.
I can't find my copy of LOTR at the mo, but I think this subject was touched on in one of the appendices.
They talk about pissing farting and cumming
17:37 - he actually only learned in Lorien that Frodo had gone off on his own. When he meets the Three Hunters in Fangorn Legolas informs him that they believe Sam went with Frodo, which lightens Gandalf's heart.
And reinforced his faith in the little hobbits ☺️
Loved the video Matt, really well presented my friend!
Thanks, mellon! I appreciate it!
Very well done. The style of summary is great. JRRT would be proud.
That is a wonderful compliment! Thank you!
@@NerdoftheRings Vi
I
Ibivii
@@NerdoftheRings Vi
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Ibivii
What a great topic Matt! That makes sense as to why it was over twenty minutes, Gandalf did quite a lot lol!
Thanks, mellon! It was definitely the longest I’ve spent on a video. Whew! Looking forward to a relaxing night tonight! Lol
@@NerdoftheRings not long enough... add 20 mins, could easily do 40+ mins of this...
excellent work. Thank you!
@@AmrothPalantir Haha! And I thought I was sleep-deprived doing 25min! I'm gonna have to build up to 40+ minute videos. Although, I have been thinking of covering Morgoth...that could take a while. Thanks for watching!!
Hi tree
Great to see Lord of the Rings UA-camrs supporting each other!
I like to imagine, when Gandalf finally returned home, after his travels, he still wanted to be called Gandalf.
I am no longer Gandalf the White, I am Bob from accounting
He probably would allow Frodo to call him Gandalf while addressed as Olorin by others, the Valar included. He wouldn’t mind either way.
But where is Gandalfs home? He appears to not live anywhere??
Unlike other wizards & everybody else.
@@julielevinge266 My guesses either Aman or the Timeless Halls.
Where was home for Gandalf?
Everyone else has a home except Gandalf???
Where does he make all his fireworks???
I’ve heard a theory I quite like about how Gandalf may have performed one of his truly greatest feats while he was separated from the Fellowship, which we are never told about. On February 25, when Frodo stood on Amon Hen and was seen by Sauron, the ring bearer felt the overwhelming power of the Eye searching him, seeking to read his every thought and crush his will to resist. In that moment Frodo suddenly felt a surge of strength as something else seemed to push back the eye, as if another will had stepped in to battle Sauron’s, and it gave Frodo the chance to break Sauron’s hold on him and get the heck off the seat. The theory goes that the other will that saved Frodo was Gandalf himself, who somehow saw the event from afar and, with no time to loose, stepped into the psionic battle remotely and declared himself to the Dark Lord as Gandalf the White, facing him mind-to-mind in what was surely his greatest battle ever, just long enough to let Frodo escape his sight. That also being Gandalf’s last day in Lorien makes sense, as he probably then looked to see where everyone else was and realized he had no more time to waste, setting out to rejoin them once more in his resurrected form.
Interesting like a Christ like figure giving strength. Has I had always seeing Aragon as more Christ looking. But you are on to something nonetheless.
@@Patton7790
Gandalf resurrects...
@@Patton7790 the Christ figure in LOTR is shared between Gandalf, Aragorn and Frodo. A Prophet, a King and a Priest (sacrifice). Those are descriptions of Christ.
I was with you until you failed to spell the word lose. There's only 1 o in lose. Only one.
@@jibblesq you're the woorst
I love how all of the character portraits he uses share a very vague likeness to their cinematic portrayals and then there’s just fucking Martin Freeman
You mean Bilbo Baggins
@@leinagoldman2817 you missed the joke completely.
and elijah wood
Martin Freeman is a baller Bilbo. You can't deny!
I mean some were obviously done after the movies and supposed to show the actors and actresses portraying said characters
Others are older or didn't want to portray the actors and actresses in their roles
This video kinda makes it seem like Gandalf needs to do EVERYTHING lol. He leaves Thorin & co for 1 errand and it all goes to hell lol. And I love Thorin
He was a Thorin the side of the Great Smaug!
.
Smaug is my favorite evil creature, he wasn't a bad dragon he was just drawn that way.
@@nmarbletoe8210 he was a bad dragon.
@@nmarbletoe8210 Well he was absolutely a bad dragon, but incredibly cool. I still can't believe he folded so easily cuz of one little black arrow.
@@warrenvronay9762 One small missing scale, like an achilles heal. I bet Smaug's last thought was "... and I was meaning to fix that..."
Perhaps the Great Worm may live again... in a prequel... Young Smaug!!
Hi, NOTR! I first read Tolkien in 1973, starting with the Hobbit, and then LOTR and other works. Gandolf is my favorite fictional character, of Tolkien or any author. Far from perfect, Gandolf is humble, wise, courageous and influential. A person of many talents: councilor, confidant, historian, horseman, woodsman, wanderer, warrior AND wizard! He acts for the short term and plans for the long haul, associates with kings and queens, and parties with common folk and he parlays with Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits and other folks. Thank you for this amazing compilation and journey down memory lane!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching. There’s plenty more videos on the way! 😁
I've read all the books at various ages throughout my 62 years but I admit I struggled through The Simalrillion...Thank you for a concise reckoning of linear events...It brings back sweet memories of me under my covers reading with my flashlight...
Same here, Matt's videos have helped in my understanding of the Silmarillion. And the audiobook narrated by Martin Shaw has also helped me as well. Speaking of audiobooks, I hear Andy Serkis is going to be conducting a narration of the Silmarillion himself.
23:33 The two-year talk with Tom Bombadil somehow makes me all cozy inside: a never-ending conversation with an old friend after a long journey...
Our lives are too short.
The way you present maps and characters movements are amazing! Thanks for going through the extra effort with that
Hmm, so Gandalf was the main character this whole time.
obivosly
But of course.
@@GandalfThaWhite Gandalf? Let's go have a Smoke. =3
I’m pretty sure it’s Frodo if Gandalf was the main character they would cover what he was doing not the rest.
Tolkien created such a in depth and vast world. Everyone is the main character in their own respects much like our world
Even though I know of the story like the back of my hand, It felt refreshing to see Gandalfs location and what he was doing in chronological order. Great video!
Would be interesting to see something similar to this, but following someone in the first or second age. Maybe Earendil in the first age or Elrond in the Second/Third age.
Thanks for watching! I did a 2nd age Elrond video a while back. I don’t think I was doing the animations to the extent I’m doing them now, but it’s still a thorough rundown of his actions through the age: ua-cam.com/video/Wty0_08Beic/v-deo.html
I have so much ❤️ for Gandalf. Thanks for making an amazing summary of his adventures. 🙏🙏🙏
"Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them?Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the wise cannot see all ends." - Gandalf
I like that Gandalf was like a direct counterpoint and rival to Sauron, but their principles were so different. They were both Maiar with great power who used their influence for evil vs good.
I have to say, once I learned that many of the events in the Lord of the Rings where representations of the experiences that Tolkien experienced during WWI I was blown away. The scenes and the dialog completely changes when you overlay the horrors of WW1 on top of them, like how Crossing Mordor is like crossing No Mans land, or the Bodies in the marsh are like the bodies in the fox holes piled up, etc. Or how Frodo's wound from the Hilltop that never really heals represents the wounds of war no one ever heals from. Heavy Shit when you put it all into context and think about all the races of Middle Earth representing different Countries during WWI, etc, etc. After learning this, rewatching the movies was like watching them for the first time. Especially when a character delivers somes inspirational dialog about how good people will prevail, or when another character has a dialog about how can anyone prevail against such evil. Really Heavy.
@John Barber You get 10 Internet Points for noticing, nope, sorry, make that 12. You're welcome. BTW. I run B&B in New England if you ever want to visit the North East.
@John Barber I was kidding, I aware the points at random when people notice, No worries. You should come visit some time, I have a nice spare room available.
A recent movie on TV in 2021 called Tolkien explored this and other influences.
Indeed. I've been through the same process. I've always felt that Bilbo's personal struggle to overcome his fear of Smaug whilst still hiding in the tunnel in the Lonely Mountain, was a metaphor for the terror all those WW1 soldiers must have felt just before they left the security of their trenches and 'went over the top' into No Man's Land.
Have you not read the forward on Lord of the rings? Tolkien even says none of World War 1 inspired any of his stories and even if they did it was very little at the time he wrote this
I'm so happy this was recommended to me. You just got yourself a new subscriber, my friend. Keep up the good work.
So glad to hear it! Welcome, mellon! Thanks for subscribing!
That one dislike is from saruman
I hope Sauron won't find this video and dislike it with his orc armies lol
Saruman of many dislikes
@@samsunguser3148 the orcs have come
@@midget420
They are no Orcs... they are Urak-Hai. Their armor is thick, and their shields are broad.
@@universal_wisdom3416 In the book they like to call themselves the "fighting Uruk-hai".
Would be great to have a combined travels video showing how all the major characters zigzag among each other, with zoomed in views on Rivendel, Rohan and Gondor. Showing the different paths around Moria, the White mountains and Osgilliath.
Man, I am really digging this channel. I was never into reading while growing up but a couple summers back while working a summer job with a lot of downtimes given the opportunity to read multiple books/series. Finally, nearly 40 years of age had fallen in love with reading books. I would like to tackle the entirety of Tolkien's books while working this summer but have no clue where to start.
Glad you’re enjoying the channel! Personally, I recommend reading them in order of difficulty
The Hobbit
LOTR
Children of Húrin
Silmarillion
Unfinished Tales
Beren & Luthien
Fall of Gondolin
Enjoy your journeys in Middle-earth! 😊
@@NerdoftheRings - Thanks for the recommendation. I am going to pull together what I can over the next few weeks to get everything aligned. This will likely be my last summer working at 'said' job before moving on to a new career. That job and the last few years was nothing more than a stop-gap, some college classes, fun times, and of course helping my wife work through some health issues.
I want to make this a fun and memorable summer before having to turn back to the 'grind'.
I never liked in the movies that the witch king destroys gandalfs staff like he was stronger when in fact gandalf fought all of the nazgul on Amon Sul.
This
i think peter jackson need the audience to feel the threat on that battle, its also a build up to show how strong the witch king before rohirrim show up. screenplay is really different compare to book story telling. its hard to create a strong moment on screenplay compare to the book that's why they need some build ups.
@@carapel9074 it's also not completely out to lunch that a magic staff, even of one of the most powerful people in Middle Earth can be physically damaged. A man with a man-made sword cut off Sauron's gauntleted finger after all
@@weatheranddarkness Wasn't Narsil made by Dwarves in the first age?
@@Roboticus_Prime_RC honestly I read the Silmarillion to put me to sleep. It could well have been.
Your content is so amazing and addictive, it feels like a movie. Please don't stop making videos like this.
Wouldn’t dream of stopping! 😁 Glad you are enjoying the channel!
Gandalf? "Gandalf"?? ..... Oh yes! I remember: elderly chap, big gray beard, pointy hat. Not seen him since 2013!
You mean 2014? Cuz thats when battle of five armies came out.
@@TheRealSephiroth That's how forgettable that trilogy was. I forgot the third one.
@@smaakjeks ah i see what ya did now
@@TheRealSephiroth No, I wasn't being clever. I honestly messed up, because I honestly thought as I was writing the comment that Desolation was the name of the last movie. You were right in correcting me.
@@smaakjeks lol that trilogy didnt need to exist they actually could have done it in one 4 hr movie and the hobbit was what 310 pages? Spend.1 minute per page that makes 5 hours 10 minutes which most of the extra pages were filler and describing the scene so yeah i personally think they could have done that in 3 1/2 hours maximum
I just started watching your channel and I'm officially obsessed. I feel like I can finally tackle the Silmarillion now that I've gotten much needed context and assistance from these videos. You're a national treasure!
As a 25 year old man who is a grew up with LOTR movies but HASN'T read the books i find your content very informative and friendly to my kind
I was the same. 27 yrs, literally watched all three at least 10 times each, but never read the book (tried once when I was 15 but I was never a fan of reading though I had bothered reading less quality books like HP etc). However, I told myself this summer I would start reading it, and finished last week. By far the best book I've ever read, and never wanted to re-read a book again this badly as with LOTR. I highly recommend reading it, only thing needed is patience. The extra info, the decriptions in the scenes we all love, the different archs such as Faramir, the writing and dialogues by Tolkien between the fellowship (I literally almost cried by the description by Tolkien at Boromir's death and the battle of Minas Tirith), the wisdom and extreme level of articulation you see Tolkien have and gives to the characters (Especially Gandalf, just loved reading his dialogues)
@@ivordundic6095 This is the best way to enjoy Tolkien - slowly, building the world in your mind's eye. There are many paragraphs that are literally poetry in prose, and you can't read that like a Harry Potter book. There's no hurry, Middle Earth is always there 📚
Perfection 👏🏾! Good job, glad you used some scenes, mate 👌🏾. Great that you used some of the faces of the characters too 👍🏾. Thanks!
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it!
This is really cool. Well done, I'm sure this took a long time to put together. I'm reading LOTR for the first time currently and this is a great tool.
Glad you found the channel! Hopefully I can be a good resource for you as you journey in Middle-earth! 😄
Let me start by saying this video is amazing. The creator did a phenomenal job. I particularly like the clip from Fellowship that was inserted on the subject of "the other four" ring wraiths. An observation I made is that the name of the channel is of the utmost accuracy based solely on the narrator's impression of Gandalf after he defeated the Balrog. 100% LOLed.
Gandalf really is my favourite hero of any piece of fiction. He's wise, powerful, kind, inspiring and a bit mischievous and knows how to have fun with life. Always love the fact he seems to intentionally hold back and somewhat be quite subtle with his powers, never using his full power unless it was necessarily whilst all the while encouraging those around him to draw on their own strengths.
Plus he has that big disappointed dad energy... he's not angry at your foolishness, just dissappointed.
I appreciate your use of the maps/imagery mate, helps with visualising what you're covering
Got recommended and was first afraid that it would be a generic background with a monologue. I was really happy to see you use maps, people and place names (and pictures of course) :') I would be even happier if u 'flashed' the name of the cities you are talking about for a few seconds and added the names yourself of the city/place when it is not written on the map :') anyways, great video and I did subscribe. Keep upnthe great work.
Thanks so much! That’s a good idea to add city names when they’re mentioned. I tried to do that for the major ones. I actually had to add quite a few to map (and delete some second-age names that didn’t apply). I like the idea of at least displaying the name as a graphic though.
Thanks for subscribing!
I wonder if Tolkien ever thought, I should expand upon Gandalf's adventures in Middle Earth. Like, write an anthology of short stories and novellas. It wouldn't surprise me if it had crossed his mind.
I only just discovered your channel and am currently on a tear watching them all. Wonderful videos, they make me want to reread everything now! I look forward to new videos!
That’s awesome! Glad you found the channel. Thanks for watching/subscribing!
Terrific. Captivating. Learned a lot I hadn't known. Gratitude!!
Gandalf’s luck: “When taken prisoner, resurrected or in any sort of other trouble have a 100% to get saved by an eagle”
It should be noted that Gandalf was a Maiar of Manwë (and Varda) and the Eagles are servants of Manwë, so there are probably more forces than Luck at play.
He sent messages thrus moths n butterfly’s. Cus wizard 🧙♂️ n talks with bugs n animals.
@@MinscS2 100%
@@karamlevi He sent those butterfly messages through Radagast, who remained loyal to the cause, just with a different geographic location (Mirkwood).
“You are in the house of Elrond. And it is 10 o’ clock in the morning on October the 24th, if you wanted to know”.
Such a great, well done video! I love it! Thank you for this video, it was so much easier to understand Gandalf after watching this. I never really thought about the whole Moria door like that before and was always confused how he didn't know how to enter again. Thank you!
I like your interpretation of Gandalf's voice.
Olorin is and always be my favorite character in any book ever. THANK YOU MELLON! Keep up the great work!! ECTHELION!
I'm so glad they kept my favourite scene from the books when Galadriel climbs the wall to fight the wildlings and the white walkers on Rings of Power!
🤣🤣🤣
Lol
George Martin probably got the idea from Tolkien's work.
I don't remember this part of The Silmarillion. I also don't Remember that happening in the Unfinished Tales.
I cried at the end of your video. just like i cried at the end of "return of the king". Your vid is beautifull and very interesting. Thanks for your effort that you, obviously, put in this upload.
Gandalf’s real quote before letting go on the bridge out of Moria “sorry boys gotta slay this balrog and level up, I’ll brb”
Nah, fly you fools is too classic
"Fool of a Tuk! 'Tis but a shiny balrog, I'm not passing this up!"
Needs them purples mate
But he did it really on purpose.
Chuckle.
This video is one of the best videos i jave ever seen, the illustrations in this vid r really good
I am glad your channel was recommended to me, although I am an avid bookworm growing in the age of Harry Potter and all things fantastical, I never quite strongly leaned towards LOTR even though I had the books. The movies once again inspired me to pick them up and dive in but their effect waned. Partly because when I open the book everything is so detailed and complex that one needs an entire span of a day and full concentration. As an adult time never lends itself that way, so when I happened upon your channel, I was thrilled to learn everything in depth yet at an accelerated pace, having all my curiosities answered too. Your efforts, research and presentation are excellent and now I think with my newfound knowledge and education given by you, I am now listening to all AudioBooks of LOTR. finally, I can hop onto the LOTR train without any hesitation and full interest cultivated by your videos. Thank you! and keep em comin.
One of my favorite parts of the books is when Gandalf describes how he spent years hunting down Gollum and doing research to try and figure out if they really were in possession of the One Ring.
in the book, from what I remember, all that research time is filled in later, and in even the extended version of the movie it's wholly unclear how much time he's been gone for
Gandalf knew. Just wanted proof.
2:15 "Yeah, why can't we have some meat?"
P.S. This is one hell of a video. Well done making this it's a solid piece of timeline history.
“What about them? They’re FRESH!” 😄
Thanks for watching!!
@@NerdoftheRings "They are not for eating!"
"LOOKS LIKE MEATS BACK ON THE MENU BOYS!" is already THE most requoted phrase from the trilogy.
@@Rivenburg-xd5yfWhat about "They're taking The Hobbits to Isengard!"?
And let's not forget "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!!!"
Ill have to admit at this point "you shall not pass" IS said every day by millions of idiots driving. I call it "pulling a gandolph" when I see it on the road. Should be a bumper sticker.@@gehrigstory6674
I like to think that an important part of why Gandalf stayed true to his goal wasn't just because he'd been given one of the Three Rings. He was fighting for the free people of Middle Earth as much as against Sauron, and walking among them helped him remember why he was there.
4 out of 5 wizards stayed loyal. Gandalf worked in Eriador and Gondor. Radagast in Mirkwood, the Blue Wizards in Rhun. It just so happened that the one ring was brought into Eriador via Bilbo and Saruman betrayed everyone, leaving Gandalf responsible for magic support for both the west kingdoms. Saruman should have done the job in the last half, with Gandalf defending Grayhavens and Radagast defended Greenwood and Dale.
Great video as always! I think even Gandalf would let you pass.
Haha! That is high praise indeed!
This is great. I got into Tolkein in the 70's but never found details explained this well.
I love these, they are so calming and Gandalf is my very favorite.
This story shows how mobile phones would have been really useful.
Apparently, there was a huge controversy over the 5G Palantír...
@@jatsingh3198 Sure, but it'd also be very boring if they had that kind of technology :P
Why not fly the One Ring to Mount Doom by drone, while you're at it? 😉
@@raraavis7782 What if it gets intercepted? ;)
Gandalf 𝖉𝖔𝖊𝖘 𝖓𝖔𝖙 tweet!
Beautiful ending. Almost brought me to tears.
Very good representation of the Balrog at 16:22, far more in keeping with the book.
Oh yeah. No wings for balrogs! 😁
Omg I'm so happy, after 20 years of UA-cam i found a channel that doesn't promote negativity. Very interesting and great listening material. Cheers
this video was less than 25 minutes but it felt like hours. all the details and travelling, so well presented, felt like an entire journey. great video
Sweet topic!!! And 24min long? Yes please!
your video has made me realize that, above all other kinds of worlds to inhabit, when full-immersion VR becomes a thing, and moderately decent gameworlds are created for it, I'd be an immediate life-time supporter of any world that sought to recreate Middle Earth.
Wow, 15:09 really reminded me that in the movies, there is so much going on behind the scenes. Learning the other 4 Nazgul were pursuing Gandalf was crazy
The reasearch that went into making this video and the intricate details is phenomenal.
Just thought I could hear this in the background, but it’s so captivating. You have the voice of a storyteller and this video is amazing.
Wow! Just wow!
These knowledge to fill the gaps of the movies is perfect!
Glad you are enjoying the channel! Thanks!!
I needed this more than I could've possibly imagined. Thank you!
So glad you liked it! Plenty more on the channel, and on the way! 😁
That was excellent. I was able to glimpse a bit deeper into Gandalf's character and his mission. Thank you.
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it! I just released a new one on Galadriel as well: ua-cam.com/video/yDX-2rTxE6Y/v-deo.html
Fantastic! I'm going to the link right now. This gives me more time to procrastinate my unpacking.
Haha! Glad I could help you “pace yourself”. 😁
Dear NOTR, Thank you for this! I came across your video and was enthralled. You did a wonderful job telling the story of Gandalf and the illustrations, fantastic. I will look forward to more of your posts. Thank you again!
I am fresh after rewatching the trilogy. When you mentioned that Shadowfax also boarded the ship, you made me burst into tears again.
Wow what an amazing video! I've read the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit but I really never knew the backstory on gandalf and why he was in middle-earth. Really helps me put together a lot of pieces of the cannon I didn't understand!
the entire lotr universe means alot to me, when I had my first run in with serious anxiety I watched Hobbit and it comforted me to think of anxiety as my own "unexpected adventure". If I could make any book a reality, in would undoubtedly be LOTR and Hobbit
When I die, I don't want to go to heaven or hell, I want to go to Middle Earth x'D
@@azaldie Same here. Then again, there's always a chance that if I were to be reincarnated into Tolkien's Legendarium, instead of being transported there as myself like I'm expecting, I'm reincarnated as Manwë Súlimo of all beings! I would be woefully unprepared for that. 😂
This represents a lot of work. Well done.
This is just amazing. From this video I have again reconnected to the wonders that are Tolkien's. My heart is rekindled and I remember again why I lost my heart to this strange world and it's inhabitants. Thank you! 🙏 I've long intended to read some of the unfinished works of Tolkien. I have just decided now that I will! 😊👌
Hey! Great content, I really liked it :D
I have one thing to add: Before going to Helm's Deep with Erkenbrand, Gandalf rides to speak with Treebeard, achieving the help of some Huorns (key to winning the battle) and informing him about the coming of king Theoden and the three hunters.
Keep up the good work! Love your videos 🥳🥳
I just stumbled upon your channel yesterday, and I'm surprised by the amount of research and content presented in such an entertaining way. Thank you.
Thanks! Glad you are enjoying the channel! There's plenty more vids on the way. :)
Something about the departure of Gandalf and Frodo into the Grey Havens being on my date of birth just makes me feel so touched in a odd way.
I read this comment and thought I hope something happened on m birthday, lo and behold 30 seconds later I find the adventure started on my birthday, love it
The Leaving of the Grey Havens always makes me teary eyed.
You're a Tolkeinian, you're already touched in an odd way. 😂 We all are.
This was soooo well done
Thanks! Plenty more on the channel and more on the way! 😁
It's amazing to think that one person created this entire universe, the creativity is so savage. I mean, just the map alone is so detailed let alone all the events that were covered. The back and forth traveling...it's almost tiresome to think about, but it's what makes the story rich and vivid. The "dark ages" (the time before the internet existed), I would imagine people would gather to tell the story of LOTR, or even excited to just read about it. I would give anything to live in a more personal time such as then. Thank you for your video, it's an appreciative change and breath of fresh air!