It smore fun to have nicknames or alternate names. Also, each race would have seen something different on Gandalf and have given him an appropriate name lol. I also thinkit gave Tolkiena chance to go to town ith elvish and helped him mak eup ideas for southron languange lol.

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What is the purpose of them all though?
Why is it only Gandalf with so many names?
*Elijahs voice* I don't understand!

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I'm sure Saruman has a boat-load of names. And Gandalf's not the only one w. a ridiculous number of names: Aragorn's Strider, Telcontar, Elessar, Estel, etc.

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Here are the name/titles of Gandalf:

Gandalf the Grey:
Gandalf means "staff Elf." This name was given to him by Men in reference to the staff he carried and the mistaken belief that he was one of the Elves. The word gandr means "staff" especially one used for magic.


The name Gandalf appears in the Old Norse poem Voluspa as well as in the Younger Edda of Snorri Sturluson.

The Wizards had colors associated their names. When Gandalf first came to Middle-earth, his color was grey and he wore grey robes.


Gandalf the White:
When Gandalf was sent back to Middle-earth after his fight with the Balrog, he was clad in white. He replaced the traitorous Saruman -- who had forsaken white for robes of many colors -- as the head of the order of Wizards.

"'Yes, I am white now," said Gandalf. "Indeed I am Saruman, one might almost say, Saruman as he should have been."



Olórin:
Olorin was the name by which Gandalf was known as a Maia spirit in Aman. It is High-Elven from olor or olos meaning "vision, phantasy, construction of the mind."


Grey Messenger
When Gandalf arrived in Middle-earth he was referred to as the Grey Messenger because he was a messenger of the Valar and was clad in grey.


Mithrandir:
Mithrandir was the name given to Gandalf by the Elves. It means "Grey Wanderer" or "Grey Pilgrim" and refers to his color and his travels across Middle-earth.


Grey Pilgrim:
Grey Pilgrim was the Common Speech equivalent of Mithrandir (see above). The people of Gondor referred to him by both names.

"It was these records that brought the Grey Pilgrim to us. I first saw him when I was a child, and he has been twice or thrice since then."
"The Grey Pilgrim?" said Frodo. "Had he a name?"
"Mithrandir we called him in elf-fashion," said Faramir, "and he was content. Many are my names in many countries, he said. Mithrandir among the Elves, Tharkun to the Dwarves; Olorin I was in my youth in the West that is forgotten, in the South Incanus, in the North Gandalf; to the East I go not."


Grey Wanderer:
Grey Wanderer was another Common Speech translation of Mithrandir used in Gondor.


Tharkûn:
Tharkun was the name by which Gandalf was known among the Dwarves. It was said to mean "staff man."


Incánus:
Gandalf was called Incanus by the peoples of the South. The origin of this name is not certain. A note in the Thain's Book indicates that it was a Quenya adaptation of a Haradrim word meaning "North spy." However, Incanus may have been a purely Quenya name given to him by the Men of Gondor meaning "mind ruler." The word in or id means "mind"; kan means "ruler" and cáno or cánu means "ruler, governor, chieftain."

The word incánus in Latin means "grey-haired."


Gandalf Greyhame:
Gandalf was called this by Eomer of Rohan:

"Gandalf!" Eomer exclaimed. "Gandalf Greyhame is known in the Mark: but his name, I warn you, is no longer a password to the king's favour. He has been a guest in the land many times in the memory of men, coming as he will, after a season, or after many years. He is ever the herald of strange events: a bringer of evil, some now say."


Greyhame means "greycoat" from the Old English grég or graég meaning "grey" and hama meaning "covering, garment." This is a reference to Gandalf's grey robes.


The White Rider:
Gandalf was first called the White Rider by Aragorn in contrast to Sauron's Black Riders.

"Do I not say truly, Gandalf," said Aragorn at last, "that you could go whithersoever you wished quicker than I? And this I also say: you are our captain and our banner. The Dark Lord has Nine. But we have One, mightier than they: the White Rider. He has passed through the fire and the abyss, and they shall fear him. We will go where he leads."



Gandalf Stormcrow:
King Theoden of Rohan called him Gandalf Stormcrow while under the spell of Grima Wormtongue.

"You have ever been a herald of woe. Troubles follow you like crows, and ever the oftener the worse ... Here you come again! And with you come evils worse than before, as might be expected. Why should I welcome you, Gandalf Stormcrow? Tell me that."



Láthspell:
Grima Wormtongue called Gandalf Lathspell, meaning "ill news."

"Lathspell I name you, Ill-news; and ill news is an ill guest they say."


Grey Fool:
Gandalf was referred to as the Grey Fool by Denethor, Steward of Gondor.

"Follow whom you will, even the Grey Fool, though his hope has failed. Here I stay."

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why stormcrow?whats the meaning?

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Crows aren't/weren't exactly popular birds, and neither were storms, so Stormcrow is just a derogatory name for Gandalf, saying he's not wanted, and basically telling him to get lost.

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In virtually all of the religions of the world(which include greater than 3/4 of the people on earth) God has many names. I find it very curious and interesting that Gandolf and Aragorn, with the roles that they have in the book, also have many names. Co-incidence or intention?

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Intention. For Aragorn, though, his names are more like titles. His right name is Aragorn, but he goes by Elessar, which means Elfstone. He also goes by Envinyatar, which means Renewer. And Estel, which is hope. For Gandalf, though, the names aren't merely titles--at least not in my opinion.

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Coincidence or intention - or something else.
Tolkien had many languages in his work, and naturally the different people speaking them would name persons and places accordingly.
I do understand what you are suggesting Sinbearer, but why does God have many names, why do some certain people have many names?
One reason could be that they have been around for a long time or that they are well-respected people in high positons. Gandalf was old and had been in Middle-earth for a very long time, even to the elves. The people named him either in respect or according to their custom. Mithrandir - Grey Wanderer or Stormcrow by those who believed he brought ill news.
So the nicknames would reflect affection or distance or reverence.

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Your thoughts make a lot of sense Eä. Certainly that is one of the main reasons why God would have so many names. You are right though, I was getting at something that stands out so strikingly that even my 11 year old couldn’t miss it.

The story of the once and future king has been played out repeated times though history in reality and legend. Roughly 2.1 billion people or a third of the world are Christians, making them the largest single religious group. In the Christian tradition there is a once and future king which most of the world is aware of—Jesus Christ. So to a Christian these western world stories such as King Arthur stand out boldly as types of something that for them runs much deeper.

I know from reading about JRR Tolkien how he felt about allegory in his stories, however he considered his Christianity “obvious” from the reading of them and said that the only criticism that bothered him was that his books “lacked religion.”
One of the reasons Tolkien’s stories don’t use more overtly Christian imagery is that he believed “clumsy simplicity” was fatal to the art of myth telling. Rather, he saw legendary tales like his as containing moral and religious truths “in solution,” rather than the form in which we recognize them in the “real” world. “After all,” he said, “I believe that legends and myths are largely made of ‘truth,’ and indeed present aspects of it that can only be received in this mode.”

This is what he had to say about the books, ".... The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first but consciously in the revision. I … have cut out practically all references to anything like 'religion,' to cults and practices in the imaginary world. For the religious element is absorbed into the story and the symbolism. However that is very clumsily put, and sounds more self-important than I feel. I should chiefly be grateful for having been brought up since I was eight in a faith that has nourished me and taught me all the little that I know … "

In light of this, it is no wonder my boys and many who read LotR, can’t help but see Aragorn standing strongly in the type of a once and future king with all the implications that it brings for a Christian. (The cool thing is that they are so “deeply absorbed into the story” that a non-Christian may never pick it up or even care.) With Tolkien’s words, “but consciously in the revision”, ringing in my ears, I was just wondering in the last post if perhaps the many names of Aragorn played along with that type. It certainly is possible.

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I believe that we all perceive the world around us according to our beliefs, while we are also shaped by the same world - it is mutual. Naturally, Tolkien is influenced by his beliefs in everything he writes, his faith or world view, if you like, would be like the water the fish swims in. You can not take it out of his work.
However, it is also true that other Christians might be very aware of the Christian (Catholic) allegory and symbolism, and to them it will certainly add a deeper dimension. But that is one thing. There are so many themes in LotR (it is not considered a masterpiece epic for nothing!), and I believe it will appeal to everyone, no matter faith. The struggle between good and evil is found in all the major world religions and is an important theme to the individual in most societies. But this brings us to a slightly different discussion about universal similarities in world religions, which would be less relevant in this case.


True! Very often the obvious makes so much more sense when wrapped in metaphors or symbolism. Jesus used parables to state the very simple in his teachings that would probably just have been dismissed, had he said it openly. The parables simplifies the complex because it is put into stories relating to the everyday life, as well as making the mind work to find greater and deeper meaning. That is why the Bible is still interpreted in new ways almost 2000 years after it's been written - and that's why we still discuss the work of Tolkien!

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I really like your point of view Eä. I think it hits the mark right on. Tolkien’s works are powerful for all the reasons you we have stated and more. Through his books he communicates truth in a powerful way, across religious boundaries.

We all should seek truth and are shaped by it according to our experience and environment. We have to stand for something or we would be jellyfish. So sharing and debating our views is wholesome as long as we love and respect people, show a genuine interest in learning about the their culture and history, and are teachable. (Not know-it-alls)

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Interesting posts, both of you. I'd say something pertaining to the actual discussion, but you guys seem to have it pretty well covered.

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Thank you Sinbearer.

I think it is also interesting that Gandalf was regarded very differently among the peoples of Middle-earth. Not only had he different names but not everybody liked his comings and goings. As a grey wanderer with powers far greater than any mortal, though only revealing very little of his mysteries, he was viewed with suspicion by most of the mortal races. Only the elves understood who and what he was, because they bore the memory of Valinor in their hearts.

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True true, Eä. I commend you on your knack for saying things in a clear and thoughtful manner. However, since you didn't really say anything for me to debate over, I think I am forced to leave it at the commendation.

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Thank you Aerandir. I think I can live with being commended!

Actually, I realized that I like to talk about Gandalf... usually we discuss elves or hobbits here, but Gandalf discussions are rarer!

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