Gandalf

Am I correct saying that they help Gandalf because he is a Maia that is loyal to the Valar and the west and that these eagles are of the same order as Thorondor?

I notice that during the TA Frodo received the ring around year 3001 (forgive me if they aren’t exact dates) and Gandalf returned from his study of the ring after leaving Frodo some odd 17 years later before he came back and tossed the ring in the fire at the shire. Is there any text that anyone has seen that shows how time passes in relation to ours?

I’m new here, but I’ve been reading lotr since I was in primary school. Also, I’m a huge fan of Gandalf (olorin) for he inspires me always.

Anyway, I wish the stranger, who happens to be an istari, is Gandalf himself. He’s the only reason that makes me to watch that poorly played tv show.

FYI, imma dump all my LOTR art here. So first off, we have the Ork inspired spear.

Second we have on the right, my design of a Morgul blade, and on the left... maybe like first age Angband forged dagger?

Last but not least, we have Gandalf the very, very, grey.

Tell me in comments how bad i did

This one is interesting so tell me what you think.

I think something like Eönwë or Sauron

Who is your favorite hero and/or villain in Tolkien’s legendarium?

My favorite villain: Sauron

My favorite hero: Gandalf

So after rewatching just the beginning of FOTR, I’m thinking that some of the math doesn’t seem to add up. A few minutes in, Galadriel says that around 2,500 years have passed since Isildur (the man who killed Sauron) claimed the ring. Later, however, Gandalf reads that Isildur seems to have claimed the ring in the year 3434. And yet, in FOTR, the year is somewhere in the 1100s. Is this a mistake, or was the record that Gandalf was reading written after Isildur claimed it?

In the Lord of the Rings, the Valar are set up to be the gods of Middle-Earth, with Tolkien himself admitting that, despite his best attempts to conform to Catholic theology, the Valar are strongly based off of pagan gods and attributes. In addition, the Rings of Power series establishes them as gods instead of angels. But this raises questions about the Maiar.

While the Valar are established to be Middle-Earth’s pantheon of gods, what exactly does that make the likes of the Maiar. Are they gods as well? Lessor gods that serve their greater kind? Or are they instead some form of divine spirits? Are they simply divine entities that merely serve the gods, much like the Valkyries of Norse mythology and the Ganas of Hinduism?

Are Gandalf, Saruman, and Sauron gods in human and physical form?

Thanks to everyone who took part!

Gandalf sent 3 Eagles. 2 for Sam and Frodo, 1 for Sméagol.