Shadowfax

Shadowfax as portrayed in film

Shadowfax was the "lord of all horses". He was a descendant of Felaróf, of the race of long-lived Mearas, the greatest horses of Middle-earth. Shadowfax was capable of comprehending human speech and was said to run faster than the wind. Originally belonging to the House of Eorl, Lord of Rohan, Shadowfax was too wild to be tamed by the Rohirrim. Eventually, Théoden, the 17th king of Rohan, gave him to the wizard Gandalf the White.

Shadowfax's coat is described as silvery-grey in daylight, and hardly visible at night.

Biography

Gandalf the Grey first rode Shadowfax during the events preceding the Council of Elrond, after his escape from being imprisoned at Orthanc. When asked by a suspicious Théoden to take any horse and be gone, Gandalf chose Shadowfax (much to the King's displeasure), tamed him, and used the great steed's speed to cross the vast wilderness between Rohan and the Shire in only six days. He dismissed the horse shortly before arriving in Rivendell and Shadowfax returned to Rohan.

He is next seen when Gandalf (now the White) called him when he, Gimli, Aragorn and Legolas needed horses to travel through Rohan. Legolas instantly recognises the race of the horse, exclaiming that it is "of the Mearas". While for the most part, Gimli rode with Legolas upon a grey horse named Arod, provided by Éomer, on the way from Fangorn to Edoras, Shadowfax carried both Gandalf and him, due to his greater strength and stamina when compared to the lesser steeds and the urgency of their journey.

Shadowfax approaching Gandalf the White in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

From then on, and especially after he is officially gifted to him by Théoden, Shadowfax became Gandalf's permanent steed, earning the wizard the epithet The White Rider. Gandalf often used Shadowfax's great speed to his advantage, for instance during the Battle for Helm's Deep, where he organized the scattered Rohirrim army under Erkenbrand and led the attack. It was said by Theoden that there will never be a finer horse in Middle-earth again.

He was instrumental in transporting Gandalf and Peregrin Took from Rohan to Minas Tirith, when Sauron believed that Peregrin had the Ring after seeing him in Saruman's Palantír.

Shadowfax was vital during the Siege of Gondor, where Gandalf supported the army of Gondor defending the Rammas Echor, while regularly escorting medical transport to the City. Because of the horse's speed he was also able to save Faramir, who had commanded the retreating army's rearguard, from an attack by the Nazgûl. During the later stages of the siege, when Gandalf rode Shadowfax as he faced the Lord of the Nazgûl at the Gate of Gondor, Shadowfax alone among the free horses of the earth endured the terror and stood unmoving, steadfast before the Nazgûl. And finally, Gandalf used Shadowfax's swiftness to help him save Faramir from his crazed father Denethor, who had intended to burn his wounded son and himself alive on a funeral pyre.

Shadowfax was also present at the Final Battle before the Black Gate, though it is unclear whether or not Gandalf fought on horseback.

He afterwards carried Gandalf on the return journey to the North. It is believed that Shadowfax accompanied Gandalf across the Sea and into the West.

Etymology

The Rohirric for Shadowfax is Sceadufæx ("shadow-grey mane (and coat)").

Behind the scenes

Tolkien's inspiration to give the horse the name Shadowfax (Shadow Mane) was assumably the most extensive source for Norse mythology "The Prose Edda" (e.g. Hrimfaxi (Frost Mane) and Skinfaxi (Shining Mane)).

Translations

Foreign Language	Translated name
Bulgarian Cyrillic	Сенкогрив
Catalan	Grisencrín
Chinese (Hong Kong)	影疾
Czech	Stínovlas
Danish	Skyggefaxe
Dutch	Schaduwvacht
Finnish	Hallavaharja
French	Gripoil
German	Schattenfell
Greek	Ίσκιος
Hebrew	שאדופאקס
Hungarian	Keselyüstök
Italian	Ombromanto
Korean	셰도우팩스
Lithuanian	Žvaigždikis
Norwegian	Skuggfax
Polish	Cienistogrzywy
Portuguese	Scadufax (Brazilian Portuguese) Facho de Sombra (Portugal)
Russian	Серогрив
Spanish (Spain and Latin America)	Sombragrís
Turkish	Gölgeyele