# Why is Gandalf considered a great wizard? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 10, 2009, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-gandalf-considered-a-great-wizard/485279 "2009-02-10T21:15:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-gandalf-considered-a-great-wizard/485279/141 "2009-02-12T18:15:27Z")
Yeah, I’m hardly ever impressed by parody songs here, either, and I’m floored, too. I think this is one for the Interwebz! ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-gandalf-considered-a-great-wizard/485279/142 "2009-02-12T21:48:06Z")
Does Tolkein ever give any better reason in his writings than the authors of the Bible did in theirs why God doesn’t just unmake evil and re-set the universe? Why all the fiddling about with intermediaries and such? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-gandalf-considered-a-great-wizard/485279/143 "2009-02-12T21:56:05Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Does Tolkein ever give any better reason in his writings than the authors of the Bible did in theirs why God doesn’t just unmake evil and re-set the universe? Why all the fiddling about with intermediaries and such? Eru gave free will to Elves and Men and his adopted children the Dwarves. He set the Valar and Maiar to watch over the planet. He did interfere rarely like when he made the world round and removed Aman from the Arda. When the Valar meddled directly, it tended to be very destructive and thus why they tried sending the 5 Wizards and the reembodied Glorfindel. Besides in the long run the apparent evil of Melkor and those he brought over to evil where part of the over songs that created Arda. There is clearly some deeper purpose and good that will come from all the horror. To reboot would have killed all those people with free will. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2009, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-gandalf-considered-a-great-wizard/485279/144 "2009-02-12T22:52:23Z")
I am awed by **jayjay** ’s masterpastiche. 🙂 And, of course, let’s not forget Sauron’s last words: “I’d have gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for those meddling Halflings!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2009, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-gandalf-considered-a-great-wizard/485279/145 "2009-02-13T01:00:16Z")
I think everyone here is forgetting the most important magic Gandalf does: > [@](#): > > What’s _The Pony_ to him, or mugs o’ beer? Not but what my beer’s good, Gandalf. It’s been uncommon good, since you came in the autumn of last year and put a good word on it. And that’s been a comfort in trouble, I will say. All about priorities, it is. ---
**Author:** ![puppygod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@puppygod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puppygod)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-gandalf-considered-a-great-wizard/485279/146 "2009-02-13T01:42:00Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Eru gave free will to Elves and Men and his adopted children the Dwarves. He set the Valar and Maiar to watch over the planet. He did interfere rarely like when he made the world round and removed Aman from the Arda. > > When the Valar meddled directly, it tended to be very destructive and thus why they tried sending the 5 Wizards and the reembodied Glorfindel. > > Besides in the long run the apparent evil of Melkor and those he brought over to evil where part of the over songs that created Arda. There is clearly some deeper purpose and good that will come from all the horror. To reboot would have killed all those people with free will. Forget DnD wizards. Now, that you mentioned him, I’d like to see showdown between Gandalf and Glorfindel. Now, that would be something. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-gandalf-considered-a-great-wizard/485279/147 "2009-02-13T01:44:45Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Does Tolkein ever give any better reason in his writings than the authors of the Bible did in theirs why God doesn’t just unmake evil and re-set the universe? Why all the fiddling about with intermediaries and such? If Eru had simply scrapped the whole thing after Melkor’s corruption of the world, it would in a sense have been a victory for Melkor- it would have proven that he could nullify the will of Eru. What Eru said to Melkor was that even Melkor’s rebellion and defiance would in the end be made a part of Eru’s design. That Eru would produce a good that not simply didn’t have evil, but had triumphed over it. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2009, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-gandalf-considered-a-great-wizard/485279/148 "2009-02-13T02:22:36Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > I think everyone here is forgetting the most important magic Gandalf does: > > All about priorities, it is. Good point. Not many Wizards in fiction that are wise enough to know that a 7 year blessing on Ale is truly great magic. > [@puppygod](#): > > Forget DnD wizards. Now, that you mentioned him, I’d like to see showdown between Gandalf and Glorfindel. Now, that would be something. Kind of an odd fight too as both would be likely to re-incorporate at some point after a defeat. I would give the edge to Gandalf though but you never know. Glorfindel had already killed a Balrog in the fall of Gondolin. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2009, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-gandalf-considered-a-great-wizard/485279/149 "2009-02-13T02:53:22Z")
“If the Lord of the Rings Were Written by Don McLean.” ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2009, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-gandalf-considered-a-great-wizard/485279/150 "2009-02-13T03:14:03Z")
**jayjay** , that was brilliant! Well done, and thank you. One other accomplishment of Gandalf’s that your typical D&D wizard couldn’t do and live: sneak into and out of Dol Goldur without being detected by the Necromancer (Sauron). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-gandalf-considered-a-great-wizard/485279.md?page=7)