Flame of Anor

In The Fellowship of the Ring, both the novel and the film, Gandalf claimed to be the wielder of the Flame of Anor. Many people think this means the Elvish Ring of Power he has (Narya, the Ring of Fire), but many also wonder why he would reveal this secret to such a powerful enemy. No one knows what he really meant by the Flame of Anor. Some believe it is possible he could be referring to Durin's Bane (a Balrog) as being the Flame of Anor, as the Balrog is said to light itself aflame at will. The Balrog, therefore, could be classified as a being of fire. This is highly unlikely though, since Gandalf also tells the Balrog 'The dark fire shall not avail you, flame of Udûn!' This suggests that it is most likely that the Flame of Anor refers to power inherent in Gandalf himself, possibly because of his status as a Maia. This, however, is only speculation, as the meaning has never been revealed.

It is interesting to note that Minas Tirith was formerly known as Minas Anor, or "Tower of the Sun." This could suggest that the Flame of Anor is the light of the Sun - an ancient symbol of the one omnipotent being, Ilúvatar. As a Maia and a wizard charged with aiding the peoples of Middle Earth in the battle against evil, it's possible that Gandalf's powers are linked to the power of the sun and given by Ilúvatar himself. This seems supported by the fact that most of Gandalf's wizardly powers have something to do with blinding white light.


 * Flame of Anor means the flame of the Sun, so he is the servant of Light and it's guardian, it is a metaphysical concept, whoever wrote that Flame of Anor relates to a an item is so far from the idea behind LotR, as Democracy is from the World. ***