Order of Wizards

The five Istari
Istari
Members	Gandalf Saruman (formerly) Radagast the Blue Wizards, Alatar & Pallando
Purpose	To help the Free Peoples of Middle-earth oppose Sauron
Formed	TA 1000
Dissolved	September 29, TA 3021

The Order of Wizards (Quenya: Heren Istarion), or simply Wizards (Q.: Istari), were a group of Maiar sent to Middle-earth by the Valar in the Third Age (possibly the late Second Age).^{[citation needed]} They were embodied as elderly Men and entrusted to aid the Free Peoples against the threat of Sauron's conquest by lending them their wisdom and counsel. They were originally known as Five Guardians and were members of the Guardians around Cuiviénen.

History

After Oromë was called to another Council of the Valar, five Maiar - known as the "Five Guardians" - were sent to join Melian and the other Guardians in watching over the Elves at Cuiviénen and protecting them from Melkor's emissaries.

Guardians of the Free Peoples

In the Undying Lands around TA 1000, the King of the Valar, Manwë, came to believe that Melkor-Morgoth's successor, Sauron, was returning to power. He then summoned a council which concluded with the Valar choosing to send three emissaries to Middle-earth. Their mission would be to both reassure the Free Peoples that the Powers had not abandoned them and guide them against the Dark Lord. Only two Maiar volunteered: Curumo (Saruman) sent by Aulë, and Alatar (Morinehtar), sent by Oromë. Manwë summoned Olórin (Gandalf), asking if he would go as the third messenger. Olórin claimed he was too weak and that he feared Sauron. However, Manwë said that was all the more reason to go, and he commanded him go, whereupon Varda said, "Not as the third." Yavanna asked Curumo to take Aiwendil also (Radagast), and Alatar also took his friend Pallando (Rómestámo) as his companion. The emissaries were expressly forbidden to control the Free Peoples or to match the Dark Lord's power with power and if they deviated from their appointed task they would be cast out and over time their forms would begin to wane.

The five wizards, by Mairon66

The Wizards were known by various names and were arrayed in different colors. Of those who came to Middle-earth, sent by the Valar, five are known. After arriving in Middle-earth, the two Blue Wizards apparently went east before the War of the Ring; whether they played a part in the events of that war is unknown. Radagast the Brown concerned himself mainly with plants and animals, and lived in Mirkwood for many years, before he was driven out when Sauron came to Dol Guldur. Saruman the White and Gandalf the Grey spent their time among Elves, Dwarves, and Men. Saruman was wise and respected, later becoming the head of the White Council in TA 2463. However, he became prideful and jealous of the Grey Pilgrim, whom he viewed as a rival. Saruman gradually abandoned his duties, hindering Gandalf's efforts and seeking to become the quasi-equal of Sauron himself. By TA 3000, the White Wizard was ensnared by the Dark Lord, who made him his vassal. Gandalf, however, stayed true to his mission, becoming the chief mover of the resistance to Sauron. Most notably, he set in motion the Quest of Erebor, which ultimately prevented a potential union between Sauron and the Dragon Smaug.

At the end of the Third Age, the Wizards passed from sight because with the fall of the Dark Lord their work was done. Gandalf had chiefly fulfilled the role of "Enemy of Sauron", having both raised the Free Peoples against him and orchestrated the destruction of his One Ring. After the War of the Ring, Gandalf passed over Belegaer with the Last Riding of the Keepers of the Rings. Radagast remained in Middle-earth, tending to the wilderness for a time but eventually left Middle-earth too and returned home. Having acted out Sauron's will as his two-faced puppet, Saruman was defeated and banished from the Istari order by Gandalf. Saruman later imposed a terror regime in the Shire, but was overthrown and killed by his own mistreated footman; Saruman's spirit was barred from ever returning to either Aman or Middle-earth due to his treachery. The fate of the Blue Wizards is unknown but it is assumed that they too eventually returned to the Timeless Halls.

Relationship with Free Peoples

The Istari became well-known among the various races of Middle-earth over the centuries. Relationships between the Free Peoples and the Wizards varied, however, as the Free Peoples as a whole were unaware of the Wizards' true origins and their true nature as Maiar. Inevitably, questions began to be asked about the Wizards, though no firm answers were ever found.

The Elves most of all strongly suspected that the Wizards were far more than they appeared and, despite their natural form, were certainly not of the race of Men given their preternatural skill in magic and their prodigious physical and mental gifts. As such, the Elves respected and revered the Wizards for their wisdom and power but only to an extent; they were usually disinclined to follow the Wizards' counsel as most Elves still believed themselves superior to the Wizards overall. Men interacted less with the Wizards. They did not suspect the Wizards of being more than they appeared, as the Elves did, but acknowledged that they possessed power and knowledge beyond the understanding or the reach of ordinary men. They too respected the Wizards and looked to them occasionally for counsel, but were prone to misinterpreting said counsel as commands rather than guidance and disliked the thought of Wizards taking charge in their affairs. The Dwarves and Hobbits had the least amount of contact with the Wizards. Hobbits viewed them as little more than unusual and strange magicians that caused unnecessary trouble, preferring that they remain apart (with the notable exception of the Tooks.

Appearance

The Wizards resembled elderly Men, but their age appeared to never advance. Despite their old appearance, they possessed physically strong bodies equal to those of Elves, and highly intelligent minds. Each of the Istari carried a staff, was associated with a color, and possessed a rank within their order. These ranks are not all clearly specified, save for that of Saruman, who was the highest as the White Wizard. After Saruman's treachery, this position was assumed by the reborn Gandalf.

Powers & abilities

Despite their outward appearance as old men and inability to challenge Sauron directly, the Istari were among the most powerful beings to walk Middle-earth. While they could be hindered, harmed and even killed as with other races, death for them was merely temporary, as they simply returned to the Timeless Halls upon death whereupon the One would send them back to Middle-earth as many times as needed until their task was complete, as was seen with Gandalf's death and resurrection. Once their task was completed, the Istari were to return to the Timeless Halls. Only Gandalf, as a Ring-bearer, was allowed to go embodied to the Undying Lands.

True to their name, the Wizards each possessed magical powers that allowed them to perform feats; their power was reputedly at least equal to that of the Elves. Each Wizard carried and utilised a powerful staff, through which he channelled and performed most of his spells and magical actions. They could, if needed, use magic independently of their staffs, such as telekinesis and healing. Through their magic, they could cast illusions, shoot firebolts, summon lightning strikes, heal grievous wounds, hurl enemies around with ease, conjure protective shields, disintegrate entire structures and even ensnare the minds of other beings. Yet, for all their power, the Istari were expressly forbidden by the Valar from openly using their magic except in times of great need and as such they (with the exception of Saruman) more often relied on their wisdom, quick-thinking and reasoning skills to overcome challenges.^{[citation needed]}

Members

• Saruman the White, also known as Curumo, Curunír, Tarindor, Sharku, and "Sharkey", he is a Maia of Aulë. Originally the chief and greatest of the Istari order, as well as head of the White Council, after becoming the duplicitous vassal of Sauron, he renamed himself Saruman of Many Colours. Cast out from both the White Council and the Istari order by a resurrected Gandalf, he is ultimately killed by his own minion, Gríma Wormtongue, at the end of the War of the Ring.
• Gandalf the Grey, also known as Olórin, Mithrandir, Tharkûn, and Incánus, is a Maia of Manwë and Varda, and the wisest of them all. He was a member of the White Council. After he was killed by a Balrog, he was sent back by Eru as Gandalf the White, the new chief of Istari and the "Enemy of Sauron". Wielder of the sword Glamdring and keeper of Narya, the Ring of Fire, he is successful in his mission to defeat Sauron. He ultimately returned to Valinor at the end of the Third Age.
• Radagast the Brown, also known as Aiwendil and Hrávandil, is a Maia of Yavanna. A less notable member of the White Council, he is a lover of nature who mostly avoided participating the War of the Ring. He eventually returned to Valinor.
• Alatar and Pallando, the Blue Wizards, also known as the Ithryn Luin, Haimenar and Palacendo or Morinehtar and Rómestámo. Maiar of Oromë, little is known about them, except that they travelled into the distant east of Middle-earth, and their fates are unknown.

Etymology

Istari was a Quenya word (singular: Istar). The Sindarin translation was Ithryn (singular: Ithron).

Appearances

Books

• The Hobbit - First appearance
• The Lord of the Rings
  • The Fellowship of the Ring
  • The Two Towers
  • The Return of the King
• The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age
• Unfinished Tales, "The Istari"
• The History of Middle-earth

Films

• The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
• The Hobbit film trilogy
  • The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
  • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
  • The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Games

• The Lord of the Rings Online
• LEGO The Lord of the Rings: The Video Game
• LEGO The Hobbit: The Video Game
• et al.

TV shows

• The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (presumed)

Gallery

Saruman the White, as portrayed in film

Gandalf the Grey, as portrayed in the films

Gandalf the White, as portrayed in the films

Radagast the Brown, as portrayed in the films

The Blue Wizards

Translations

Foreign Language	Translated name
Afrikaans	Orde van Towenaars
Albanian	Urdhri i Magjistarëve
Amharic	የጠንቋዮች ቅደም ተከተል
Arabic	ترتيب السحرة
Armenian	Կախարդների շքանշան
Assamese	উইজাৰ্ডৰ অৰ্ডাৰ
Azerbaijani	Sehrbazlar Ordeni
Basque	Magoak ordena
Belarusian Cyrillic	Ордэн чараўнікоў
Bengali	জাদুকরদের অর্ডার
Bulgarian Cyrillic	Орден на Магьосници
Burmese	မှော်ဆရာများ၏အမိန့်
Catalan	Ordre dels Bruixots
Cebuano	Mga salamangkero
Chinese	巫师的顺序
Croatian	Red vještaca
Czech	Řád čarodějů
Danish	Troldmændenes orden
Dari	نظم جادوگران
Dutch	Orde van Tovenaars
Esperanto	Ordo de Sorĉistoj
Estonian	Võlurite järjekord
Filipino	Utos ng mga Mangkukulam
Finnish	Velhojen järjestys
French	Ordre des Magiciens
Galician	Orde de Magos
Georgian	ჯადოქრების ორდენი
German	Orden der Zauberer
Greek	Τάξη των Μάγων
Gujarati	વિઝાર્ડ્સનો ઓર્ડર
Hindi	जादूगरों का आदेश
Hebrew	(Heren Istarion) הרן איסטאריון (Order of Wizards) מסדר הקוסמים
Hungarian	A varázslók rendje
Icelandic	Röð Galdramanna
Indonesian	Ordo Penyihir
Irish Gaelic	Ord Draoithe
Italian	Ordine dei Maghi
Japanese	魔法使いの秩序
Kannada	ಮಾಂತ್ರಿಕರ ಆದೇಶ
Kazakh	Сиқыршылар ордені (Cyrillic) Sïqırşılar ordeni (Latin)
Konkani	जादूगारांची क्रमवारी
Korean	마법사의 순서
Kyrgyz Cyrillic	Сыйкырчылардын ордени
Laotian	ຄໍາສັ່ງຂອງຄວາມຍາວປາ
Latvian	Burvju ordenis
Lithuanian	Burtininkų ordinas
Luxembourgish	Ordre des Magiers
Macedonian Cyrillic	Ред на Волшебници
Maithili	जादूगरों का क्रम
Malagasy	Didin'ny mpamosavy
Malayalam	മാന്ത്രികരുടെ ക്രമം
Maltese	Sħaħar ?
Marathi	विझार्ड्सचा क्रम
Mongolian Cyrillic	Шидтэнгүүдийн захиалга
Nepalese	जादूगरहरूको क्रम
Norwegian	Rekkefølge av Trollmenn
Occitan	Òrdre dels Magics
Pashto	د جادوگرانو ترتیب
Persian	دستور جادوگران
Polish	Zakon czarodziejów
Portuguese	Ordem dos Magos
Portuguese	Ordem dos Magos
Punjabi	ਵਿਜ਼ਾਰਡਾਂ ਦਾ ਕ੍ਰਮ
Romanian	Ordinul vrăjitorilor
Russian	Орден волшебников
Sardinian	Òrdine de Màgicos
Serbian	Ред чаробњака (Cyrillic) Red čarobnjaka (Latin)
Sicilian	Ordini di Maghi
Sinhalese	සූනියම්කරුවන්ගේ නියෝගය
Slovak	Rád čarodejníkov
Slovenian	Red čarovnikov
Somali	Amarka Saaxiriinta
Spanish	Orden de Magos
Swahili	Amri ya Wachawi
Swedish	Orden av Trollkarlar
Tajik Cyrillic	Тартиби ҷодугарон
Tamil	மந்திரவாதிகளின் வரிசை
Tatar	Тылсымчылар ордены
Telugu	తాంత్రికులు ఆర్డర్
Thai	ลำดับของพ่อมด
Turkish	Büyücüler Düzeni
Turkmen	Jadygöýleriň Ordeni
Ukrainian Cyrillic	Орден чарівників
Urdu	جادوگروں کا حکم
Uzbek	Сеҳргарлар Ордени (Cyrillic) Sehrgarlar Ordeni (Latin)
Venetian	Ordine dei Maghi
Vietnamese	Thứ tự của phù thủy
Welsh	Trefn Dewiniaid
Yiddish	סדר פון וויזערדז