While the idea of an order of wizards was mentioned in The Hobbit, it was only tangentially related to the main story, and was not part of Tolkien’s original conception.
Gandalf was always meant to leave the Bilbo and the Dwarves behind, but it was only later that we are told that he had joined with other wizards remove the Necromancer from Mirkwood.
Within the world of The Hobbit, being a wizard is a profession with rules; therefore, Gandalf is not unique, and their attack on the Necromancer seems to be part of enforcing their rules.
By the time of the writing of The Lord of the Rings, the concept of the Wizards as an order has shifted. Gandalf is still not unique, but the position of him and the Wizards has been elevated.
The idea of a wizard who goes bad did not die out when the Necromancer was revealed to be Sauron but was recycled with the “Wizard-king”, later the Witch-king, who opposed Gandalf.
The idea of a council of wizards also shifted to the White Council, which included Elves and the other Wise, and not just Wizards. It is through this that we are introduced to Saruman.
The appearance of Radagast again shifts the roles of the Wizards, as he is acting as a messenger.
The uncouth name of Shire:
Why does the name “Shire” sound uncouth to Radagast? It is probably a linguistic concept and is a comment on the fact that it sounds strange to him compared to other place names.
The strangeness may lie in the fact that is merely a common noun used as a proper noun, as Tolkien often names things associated with Hobbits. Even Elvish place names do this translated.
Note: The word “uncouth” was a word that Tolkien often used when talking about the way that he thought readers of his works would react to the names given to prominent people and things, as he wanted to avoid this. In this context, he uses the word to mean “strange and awkward”. It was for this reason, for example, that he removed the “dh” from Galadriel’s name.
The main point of this exchange is to show that Radagast is a stranger in this region and knows nothing of the Shire. Gandalf gently corrects him on the use of the definite article “the”.
This reveals the isolation and obscurity of the Shire to the rest of the people of Middle-earth.
Note: Readers can forget this aspect of the Shire, since it seems to us, reading the hobbits’ point of view, to be the central location of the stories of Middle-earth, but not within the story.
Radagast also doesn’t know anything about hobbits or their culture, since he assumes that the Shire is a wild country only because it is far away from more famous locations.
This also shows a difference between the Wizards, as we know that Gandalf is an itinerant traveler, while Radagast has stayed in one place for a very long time.
Gandalf’s uncertainty as to whether Radagast still lives at Rhosgobel shows how long it has been since the two have seen each other, making this encounter less likely.
The affairs of wizards among the wizards:
At this point, as Gandalf has been the only example of a Wizard, its not certain if Gandalf or Radagast is the norm for Wizards, or if either one is the outlier.
Two of the three wizards so far are shown as sedentary, so Gandalf may be strange as a traveler.
Saruman may be more of a traveler than Radagast, as he has gone to Minas Tirith for research.
Note: Gandalf’s later naming as “Grey Pilgrim” emphasizes this itinerant nature as part of his character, and also that this is unusual for a wizard, as otherwise it would be assumed. However, the later names attributed to the Istari in Unfinished Tales are a later addition.
The tone used between Gandalf and Radagast is familiar and distinctly informal, as Gandalf engages in a kind of hobbitry with Radagast, gently teasing him about his ignorance of the Shire.
Their overall register is of those who know each other well but haven’t seen each other in a long time. Gandalf also understands that the matter must be urgent and gets right to business.
Gandalf doesn’t immediately ask who told Radagast that he was in the Shire, but he probably already suspects that it was Saruman, as there are few that know he might be found there.
There are few reasons why Radagast might come on his own, so he must be there for another.
What other guises might the Nazgûl take, other than riders in black? They may also walk unclad, but this seems to emphasize that they have chosen to allow themselves to be seen openly.
The form of dark captains of the forces of Mordor may be considered a different guise for them.
Radagast’s initial emphasis is that is on an errand for someone else and not for himself alone.
The fact that the Nine are abroad for the first time in a long time tells us that their mere presence is an ominous signal of evil in its own right, not only what their errand currently is.
Note: The use of the term “Nazgûl” alone shows that this word is ominous even to those who don’t know the word. By using this word with Radagast’s expressions, the threat is understood.
Gandalf seems to link this news with his unclear premonition of evil that he had at Bag End.
Radagast understands that sending all Nine together on one errand shows that Sauron is up to something important to him, but it is a mystery to him why Eriador would be important.
Eriador is largely desolate with the exception of small settlements of Elves, Dwarves, and Men.
Gandalf has been worried about spies from the beginning, and with good reason, but he always assumed that these came from Sauron. It was because of this that he had caught Sam.
The use of “Shire” without the definite article is due to Gollum, as this was all the information he provided to Sauron, and this was what the Nazgûl said, and what Radagast is now reporting.
Gandalf’s correction of “The Shire” is meant to be lighthearted, but also to conceal his concerns.
His fear isn’t that there are those servants of Sauron looking for the Shire, since he knows what Gollum told him, but more that he now realizes that the Nazgûl are closer than he expected.
Gandalf had been willing to allow Frodo to linger in the Shire for months, since he assumed that it would take much longer for anyone to find the Shire in the wilds of Eriador.
The memory of how far and wide the story of Bilbo’s disappearance spread had caused Gandalf to have allowed Frodo to delay in order to prevent another rumor to spread this time.
The news isn’t that Sauron is searching for Baggins and Shire, but that he sent Nazgûl to do it.
Gandalf’s mention of the “deadly fear” wielded by the Witch-king shows the difference between his political and magical power before he became a wraith, and his powers now as a wraith.
Note: This is the only backstory ever given for the Witch-king, prior to becoming a Ringwraith. This also shows that the Witch-king was powerful before Sauron’s intervention and control.
Gandalf seems to have been more concerned with protecting Frodo on his journey than making him leave the Shire earlier, but the news of the Nazgûl now changes that calculation.
Saruman’s message:
This is a very manipulative message from Saruman, designed to play on Gandalf’s anxieties about his ability to protect Frodo from all nine Nazgûl on the road, and his need for help.
Saruman also seems to be playing on Gandalf’s humility, by questioning if he is too arrogant to ask for help even now. It seems that Radagast is not aware of any of these implications.
Radagast has no idea what Gandalf is doing in the Shire in the first place or Sauron’s intentions. The idea that they would be in search of the One Ring, as he believes that it is gone forever.
Other than searching for the One Ring, there are few things that would be important enough for Sauron to send all of the Nine out on a mission, leading to his puzzlement.
Saruman also emphasizes the need for haste, which is also a manipulation of Gandalf’s fears, though it makes sense in light of the news of the Nazgûl and is in the tone of a superior.
If the Nazgûl have not yet passed through the Gap of Rohan, Gandalf may think that if he arrives soon enough, the two of them together can prevent them from passing through it.
Since the Rings of Power are Saruman’s area of research, Gandalf may hope that there is a way of fighting the power of the Nine Rings, which may have been how Saruman’s research began.
Note: This plays out very differently in the film version, as Gandalf goes to Isengard in the blind hope that Saruman may be able to help him, leaving Frodo and Sam while in imminent danger.
There is also a possibility that Rohan itself might be able to oppose the Ringwraiths with arms.
Saruman is definitely saying that he has help to give and that Isengard is the place to do it.
If they were able to turn back the Riders from the Gap of Rohan, this would force them to turn around and cross the mountains elsewhere and buy Frodo months of time to reach Rivendell.
Radagast role in the affairs of wizards:
Radagast shows a distinct lack of curiosity as to what is going on in the Shire and why it involves Gandalf and Saruman, nor with what the Ringwraiths are tasked.
This may be like a professional courtesy, or that this conversation was left out of Gandalf’s story.
Radagast seems to avoid giving Gandalf anything like a command, merely delivering the message. He doesn’t seem to want to meddle in the affairs of the other wizards.
Note: Aside from Saruman’s research on the Rings of Power, we don’t know anything as to the purpose of the Wizards in general. The White Council opposes Sauron, but Radagast isn’t on it, so we don’t know what his specific purpose is, unlike Saruman’s and Gandalf’s. Gandalf seems to be a professional meddler in the affairs of the Free Peoples, though we don’t know why.
It’s likely that Gandalf would not have shared about the Ring even if Radagast had asked him.
Note: At this point in the story, we don’t even know how many wizards there are, as that is only mentioned once by Saruman at Isengard, and in The Hobbit there seem to be many wizards. The fact that they came from over the Sea is only revealed later by Treebeard, and their backstory is not told in The Lord of the Rings, and at this point in the writing, had not yet been developed.
It only seems clear that Radagast has been diverted from his normal activities to come here.
Since both Gandalf and Saruman have spoken about their lore and research, it seems clear that academic interests are part of their purpose, so Radagast may have a similar purpose.
If Gandalf is an aberration among researchers, then his meddling would not be seen as positive.
