Saturday, 10 October 2015

the lord of the rings - Why is Gandalf referred to as Mithrandir?

Gandalf is one of the Istari - practically immortal creatures put in middle earth to guide and help its inhabitants. He is therefore very long lived and has picked up a lot of different names or nick-names to different people at different times.



Mithrandir is a Sindarin phrase meaning Grey Pilgrim or Wanderer (ref: Tolkein Gateway). Sindarin is the everyday language of Elves and therefore the name that Galadriel uses for him.



Gandalf, or Gandalf the Grey, or Gandalf Greyhame are just some other names for him - I don't think we are told that any of them is distinctly his name. Gandalf appears to be the common name used by Dwarves and Hobbits for him at the time of The Hobbit, hence the name we think of him as having.

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