Flammifer
Well-Known Member
White, Brown and Grey. The three Wizards we meet in TLOTR each have a color for a title. Each also seems to have a job, or ‘business’ in Middle Earth. What do we know about these titles? What can we speculate about what job goes with each?
White – We first hear of this title when Gandalf says to Frodo in ‘The Shadow of the Past’, “I might perhaps have consulted Saruman the White, but something always held me back.” “He is great among the Wise. He is the chief of my order and the head of the Council (The White Council – previously mentioned as the Council which drove the dark power from Mirkwood). His knowledge is deep, but his pride has grown with it, and he takes ill any meddling. The lore of the Elven-rings is his province. He has long studied it, seeking the lost secrets of their making; but when the Rings were debated in the Council, all that he would reveal to us of his ring-lore told against my fears.”
Gandalf, speaking at the Council of Elrond, of his thoughts after being told by Radagast that Saruman would help against the Nazgul, said of Saruman, “And that message brought me hope. For Saruman the White is the greatest of my order…. Saruman has long studied the arts of the Enemy himself, and thus we have often been able to forestall him. It was by the devices of Saruman that we drove him from Dol Guldur. It might be that he had found some weapons which would drive back the Nine.”
White – It seems that the job of The White is to directly oppose Sauron. The academic specialty of The White is the study of the arts of the Enemy. One of the businesses of The White is to create devices which are effective against the Dark Lord. The White Council is the Council of The White. He heads it, and it advises him and supports him in his job. The color symbolism is obvious. The White is so called because the job is to oppose the Black. The White should be a Lord of Light to oppose the Dark Lord.
Brown – In the Council of Elrond, Gandalf tells of his meeting with Radagast the Brown, “who at one time dwelt at Rhosgobel, near the borders of Mirkwood. He is one of my order, but I had not seen him for many a year…. Radagast is, of course, a worthy wizard, a master of shapes and changes of hue; and he has much lore of herbs and beasts, and birds are especially his friends.
Brown - It seems like the job of The Brown is something to do with herbs, beasts, and especially birds. His academic specialty seems to be ‘master of shapes and changes of hue’. Could the business of The Brown be to oppose the Dark Lord’s corruption of beasts and birds? Corruption such as has been evidenced in Mirkwood, and with the flying beasts of the Nazgul? In his role as master of shapes, did he give Beorn the power to change shape to that of a giant bear to protect the herbs and beasts and birds from the growing corruption from Dol Guldur? The Brown may also be a protector and confidant of the Eagles of Manwe? His is the agency by which they came to Orthanc and rescued Gandalf. Brown as a color links to the earth, perhaps to the brown leaves on the forest floor, and thus, forests and wild places. The connection between the color and the role of The Brown is less obvious than The White.
Grey – Unlike ‘The White’ and ‘The Brown’ where we get at least some descriptions of the roles, for The Grey, we can only speculate and deduce. Grey is a color between White and Black. The most prominent application of the title ‘Grey’ to a people is ‘Grey Elves’, as applied to the Sindar. The Grey Elves are those who turned towards the light of Valinor, and undertook the journey, but dropped out along the way and never arrived. Perhaps the business of The Grey was with all those peoples who were similarly ‘betwixt’? Looking towards the Light, but uncertain. Perhaps tempted by the Dark. Was the mission of The Grey to bring hope to those peoples caught in this conflict, and help them resist the Dark and work towards the Light? That would make the mission of the Grey to be towards Elves, Men, Hobbits and Dwarves who resisted the Dark Lord, but were tempted by him and vulnerable to him. The mission might not extend towards those who had rejected the Light and given their allegiance to the Dark, such as orcs, perhaps the Men in the far East and South?
Interesting, that it is a Grey Elf (Cirdan) who gives Gandalf his Elven Ring. Is it the Grey Elves who encourage Gandalf to stretch the boundaries of his title and role? When he actively intervenes in the course of events in Middle Earth (as he does in the quest of the Dwarves in The Hobbit), is Gandalf going beyond the role of The Grey, and edging into what should be the job of The White? (I think it may be a Grey area.) In any case, the Elves in Middle-earth do seem somewhat more comfortable with Gandalf rather than with Saruman.
Total speculation, but it seems to fit somewhat with what we know of Gandalf the Grey.
If anyone has a searchable LOTR, it might be interesting to see where the colors Brown and Grey are used and if they seem to resonate with these speculations?
White – We first hear of this title when Gandalf says to Frodo in ‘The Shadow of the Past’, “I might perhaps have consulted Saruman the White, but something always held me back.” “He is great among the Wise. He is the chief of my order and the head of the Council (The White Council – previously mentioned as the Council which drove the dark power from Mirkwood). His knowledge is deep, but his pride has grown with it, and he takes ill any meddling. The lore of the Elven-rings is his province. He has long studied it, seeking the lost secrets of their making; but when the Rings were debated in the Council, all that he would reveal to us of his ring-lore told against my fears.”
Gandalf, speaking at the Council of Elrond, of his thoughts after being told by Radagast that Saruman would help against the Nazgul, said of Saruman, “And that message brought me hope. For Saruman the White is the greatest of my order…. Saruman has long studied the arts of the Enemy himself, and thus we have often been able to forestall him. It was by the devices of Saruman that we drove him from Dol Guldur. It might be that he had found some weapons which would drive back the Nine.”
White – It seems that the job of The White is to directly oppose Sauron. The academic specialty of The White is the study of the arts of the Enemy. One of the businesses of The White is to create devices which are effective against the Dark Lord. The White Council is the Council of The White. He heads it, and it advises him and supports him in his job. The color symbolism is obvious. The White is so called because the job is to oppose the Black. The White should be a Lord of Light to oppose the Dark Lord.
Brown – In the Council of Elrond, Gandalf tells of his meeting with Radagast the Brown, “who at one time dwelt at Rhosgobel, near the borders of Mirkwood. He is one of my order, but I had not seen him for many a year…. Radagast is, of course, a worthy wizard, a master of shapes and changes of hue; and he has much lore of herbs and beasts, and birds are especially his friends.
Brown - It seems like the job of The Brown is something to do with herbs, beasts, and especially birds. His academic specialty seems to be ‘master of shapes and changes of hue’. Could the business of The Brown be to oppose the Dark Lord’s corruption of beasts and birds? Corruption such as has been evidenced in Mirkwood, and with the flying beasts of the Nazgul? In his role as master of shapes, did he give Beorn the power to change shape to that of a giant bear to protect the herbs and beasts and birds from the growing corruption from Dol Guldur? The Brown may also be a protector and confidant of the Eagles of Manwe? His is the agency by which they came to Orthanc and rescued Gandalf. Brown as a color links to the earth, perhaps to the brown leaves on the forest floor, and thus, forests and wild places. The connection between the color and the role of The Brown is less obvious than The White.
Grey – Unlike ‘The White’ and ‘The Brown’ where we get at least some descriptions of the roles, for The Grey, we can only speculate and deduce. Grey is a color between White and Black. The most prominent application of the title ‘Grey’ to a people is ‘Grey Elves’, as applied to the Sindar. The Grey Elves are those who turned towards the light of Valinor, and undertook the journey, but dropped out along the way and never arrived. Perhaps the business of The Grey was with all those peoples who were similarly ‘betwixt’? Looking towards the Light, but uncertain. Perhaps tempted by the Dark. Was the mission of The Grey to bring hope to those peoples caught in this conflict, and help them resist the Dark and work towards the Light? That would make the mission of the Grey to be towards Elves, Men, Hobbits and Dwarves who resisted the Dark Lord, but were tempted by him and vulnerable to him. The mission might not extend towards those who had rejected the Light and given their allegiance to the Dark, such as orcs, perhaps the Men in the far East and South?
Interesting, that it is a Grey Elf (Cirdan) who gives Gandalf his Elven Ring. Is it the Grey Elves who encourage Gandalf to stretch the boundaries of his title and role? When he actively intervenes in the course of events in Middle Earth (as he does in the quest of the Dwarves in The Hobbit), is Gandalf going beyond the role of The Grey, and edging into what should be the job of The White? (I think it may be a Grey area.) In any case, the Elves in Middle-earth do seem somewhat more comfortable with Gandalf rather than with Saruman.
Total speculation, but it seems to fit somewhat with what we know of Gandalf the Grey.
If anyone has a searchable LOTR, it might be interesting to see where the colors Brown and Grey are used and if they seem to resonate with these speculations?