Middle-Earth Tours

Tour 1: The People of Middle-Earth

Gandalf

Even as the first shadows were felt in Mirkwood there appeared in the west of Middle-earth the Istari, whom Men called the Wizards....[A]terwards it was said among the Elves that they were messengers sent by the Lords of the West to contest the power of Sauron, if he should rise again, and to move Elves and Men and all living things of good will to valiant deeds. In the likeness of Men they appeared, old but vigorous, and they changed little with the years, and aged but slowly, though great cares lay on them; great wisdom they had, and many powers of mind and hand. --Silmarillion, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"

He wore a tall pointed blue hat, a long grey cloak, and a silver scarf. He had a long white beard and bushy eyebrows that stuck out beyond the brim of his hat. --FotR, "A Long Expected Party"


Gandalf, one of the Istari, by
John Howe

Stranger in the Forest, by
Ted Nasmith		 The old man was too quick for him. He sprang to his feet and leaped to the top of a large rock. There he stood, grown suddenly tall, towering above them. His hood and his grey rags were flung away. His white garments shone. He lifted his staff, and Gimli's axe leaped from his grasp and fell ringing on the ground. The sword of Aragorn, stiff in his motionless hand, blazed with a sudden fire. Legolas gave a great shout and shot an arrow high into the air: it vanished in a flash of flame.
     'Mithrandir!' he cried. 'Mithrandir!'
     'Well met, I say to you again, Legolas!' said the old man.
     They all gazed at him. His hair was white as snow in the sunshine; and gleaming white was his robe; the eyes under his deep brows were bright, piercing as the rays of the sun; power was in his hand. Between wonder, joy, and fear they stood and found no words to say. -- TTT, "The White Rider"

detail of Gandalf, by Ted Nasmith
detail of Gandalf,
by Alan Lee
detail of Gandalf, by Ted Nasmith

Ian McKellen as Gandalf, from the October 2000 Vanity Fair, pic courtesy of ringbearer.org
image from the official movie site		 In the movies, Gandalf is played by Sir Ian McKellen, an Oscar nominee and a veteran of stage and screen. His own website includes a section called The Grey Books, an on-set journal of his time playing the great Grey Wizard.


image from a Decipher trading
card, via theonering.net.
Full-size versions of these pictures are on display at Rolozo Tolkien, the official LotR movie site, and theonering.net.