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The One Ring Forums: Tolkien Topics: Reading Room:
A theory about wizard colours?

AshNazg
Gondor


Jan 7 2015, 8:49pm

Post #1 of 12 (702 views)
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A theory about wizard colours? Can't Post

I was thinking about the wizards, the colours that represent them and the elements that they represent.

Gandalf seems to be a conjurer of fire, a servant of the secret fire and wielder of the flame of Arnor. As such (rather than yellow or red) Gandalf is represented with the colour grey - the colour of ash.

Radagast is a nature dweller and one with the Earth, he is represented with brown - the colour of mud, soil or earth.

Saruman is very obviously representative of light. There's a clear conversation about this in the book - He is the wisest and the most illuminating. He is represented at first with white and later rainbow colours to represent the broken light.

Alatar & Pallando are not really described in the books other than their shared colour blue. I wonder, if we follow this element theory one would be sky blue, to represent the sky, the air and the wind.

The other could be deep blue/green to represent the water and the sea.

It's just an idea, but it seems to work as far as I can see.


Eruclauron
Bree


Jan 7 2015, 9:18pm

Post #2 of 12 (556 views)
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I've thought the same. [In reply to] Can't Post

I've always thought the same about the two Blue Wizards; that one was blue for the sea, and the other for the sky. I just recently drew a picture of Alatar (he's my avatar at present, actually!), and gave him watery motifs in his robe and staff, and I plan to eventually draw Pallando similarly, but with air designs. The Radagast and Saruman colors I always found more obvious, but I never would have thought of Gandalf's grey being representative of ash; good thought there!



(This post was edited by Eruclauron on Jan 7 2015, 9:18pm)


AshNazg
Gondor


Jan 7 2015, 9:38pm

Post #3 of 12 (550 views)
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I also wonder if that's why they're so mysterious and we don't get to know them... [In reply to] Can't Post

The sea being representative (especially in Middle-ages or Middle-earth) of the unknown, the sea is largely uncharted and mysterious and often represents great distance or the unknown - E.G. Sailing into the west.

The sky is similar, people can't fly and the wind is a mysterious, invisible element. The sky and the clouds were typically seen as mysterious in these times, and the sky would represent a great unknown, of what's above, beyond our sight.

So it makes sense that these wizards are enigmatic and distant and don't really come into the story.

I'd like to see more of your picture if you can share it?


(This post was edited by AshNazg on Jan 7 2015, 9:41pm)


Eruclauron
Bree


Jan 7 2015, 10:01pm

Post #4 of 12 (542 views)
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Hmm... Maybe. [In reply to] Can't Post

Whatever the reason though, I've always liked the mystery surrounding them. It makes them more interesting, I think. Smile

And sure! Here's the URL for the deviantART page: http://ginnyfan765.deviantart.com/art/Alatar-the-Blue-443430933 (There's wave patterns on the edges of his tunic and ends of his sleeves, and the top of his staff is water droplet-shaped.)



(This post was edited by Eruclauron on Jan 7 2015, 10:01pm)


KingTurgon
Rohan


Jan 7 2015, 11:10pm

Post #5 of 12 (517 views)
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Well [In reply to] Can't Post

With the Blue Wizards, I know Alatar at least was a Maia or Orome, and I think it's likely Pallando was as well. So I think that should factor in (at least the bit about Alatar, I can't remember about Pallando atm).


Elthir
Grey Havens

Jan 8 2015, 2:40pm

Post #6 of 12 (500 views)
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in the only... [In reply to] Can't Post

... text that mentions the other two wizards being blue the description for both is Sea blue.

But in a later letter Tolkien says (1958, letter 211) that he doesn't know their colours and doubts they had distinctive colours.

Is it irony to put that in colour Wink


Hamfast Gamgee
Tol Eressea

Jan 8 2015, 11:58pm

Post #7 of 12 (462 views)
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It would be logical [In reply to] Can't Post

That one Wizard would be a light blue and one a dark blue. A bit like the boat race. But which Wizard?


Kim
Valinor


Jan 9 2015, 2:30am

Post #8 of 12 (464 views)
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Well maybe [In reply to] Can't Post


In Reply To
... text that mentions the other two wizards being blue the description for both is Sea blue.

But in a later letter Tolkien says (1958, letter 211) that he doesn't know their colours and doubts they had distinctive colours.

Is it irony to put that in colour Wink


but you really should have colored it blue. Wink

#OneLastTime


Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal


Jan 9 2015, 5:30am

Post #9 of 12 (462 views)
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Very nice! // [In reply to] Can't Post

 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Elthir
Grey Havens

Jan 9 2015, 3:15pm

Post #10 of 12 (456 views)
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LOL [In reply to] Can't Post


In Reply To

In Reply To
... text that mentions the other two wizards being blue the description for both is Sea blue.

But in a later letter Tolkien says (1958, letter 211) that he doesn't know their colours and doubts they had distinctive colours.

Is it irony to put that in colour Wink


but you really should have colored it blue. Wink



Drat. Good point! LOL

Smile


swordwhale
Tol Eressea


Jan 13 2015, 8:33pm

Post #11 of 12 (413 views)
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that sounds reasonable.... [In reply to] Can't Post

two shades of blue. One for sky and one for sea.

Though some of the most striking photos I have seen lately are ones where the sky is a deep dark blue and the sea is bright, light filled tropical turquoise-blue.

"Judge me by my size, would you?" Max the Hobbit Husky.





swordwhale
Tol Eressea


Jan 13 2015, 8:37pm

Post #12 of 12 (455 views)
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and carry on and doodle more! [In reply to] Can't Post

Smile

"Judge me by my size, would you?" Max the Hobbit Husky.




 
 

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