#istari

[cirrdan]

I just wanted to draw Saruman with an IKEA shark

[aquitainequeen]

Me, while reading The Lord of the Rings: So, are we ever going to learn what the deal is with Gandalf and the other wizards? Tolkien: How do you mean? Me: Well, they're clearly very long lived, they came from over the sea many ages ago, Gandalf at least can do magic; so what exactly are they? Are they Elves, are they Men, are they something else? Tolkien: Angels. Me: Ah, okay. Me: ... Me: ......what. Tolkien: They're angels in human form. Me: What? Tolkien: And Sauron is also an angel. Me: What??? Tolkien: Maybe I should have expanded upon that in the main trilogy? Me: You could have stood to mention it a little more, yes.

[oldschoolfrp]

Saruman the White ponders his palantír. "You are the trusted apprentice to one of the greatest Wizards in all Middle-earth" in A Spy in Isengard (Angus McBride cover art for Middle-earth Quest gamebook #1 by Terry K Amthor, Iron Crown Enterprises, 1988). McBride has been memed more than once.

[cy-lindric]

Pallando and Alatar, the Blue Wizards of the East

[ayaosguqin]

“The Crimson wizard”

“what if “ another was seduced by Melkor and instead Mairon was sent to Arda as an Istari

[mrkida-art]

Pallando, one of the blue wizards of middle earth

[mirra-kan]

LOTR20: Day 1:  history: The Blue Wizards

They must have had very great influence on the history of the Second Age and Third Age in weakening and disarraying the forces of East ... who would both in the Second Age and Third Age otherwise have ... outnumbered the West.  

Source: Last Writings | The Peoples of Middle-earth ✔All arts are mine and can be found on my blog. Today an awesome #lotrweek starts and I want to celebrate it by recalling my favorite and so underrated heroes - Ithryn Luin - Alatar Morinehtar and Pallando Romestamo. In his last writings Professor Tolkien revised their story and aknowledged the great impact they have had on a history of Middle-Earth. Their heroic deeds and sacrifices left vague but yet we can clearly see Professor's commitment to tell us more about their fate and Faithful Haradrim\Easterlings. What a story it could be... we can only guess now.

Special thanks to @lotr20 for welcoming any works based on LOTR - not movies only ❤

[neldeathstar]

The Council of Three

Always wanted to draw them together 💕- Curumo, Olorin and Aiwendil aka Saruman, Gandalf and Radagast as grown up, but still young Istari. I wonder what they are talking about o.o… I'd guess it's wizard stuff…

[r0sa4077]

Gandalf the Grey - The Lord of the Rings

[velvet4510]

I wonder how many, if any, elements of LOTR we have Edith to thank for.

I mean, her husband was writing this stuff throughout their entire marriage, and he must’ve run some of it by her, if not all of it. Plus he based an entire character (Lúthien) on her, which she must’ve known. I wouldn’t be surprised if she looked over an early draft of LOTR and said “honey, come on, put an interesting female character somewhere in here,” a wish he most certainly granted with my girl Éowyn.

I’ve heard rumors that JRR originally intended to pair Aragorn and Éowyn as a couple and then tragically kill off Éowyn, but Edith said “no way you’re making it that depressing” and insisted he change it. I’m not sure if this is true, but if so, thank you, Edith!

Also this may be a stretch - and it probably is - but I wonder if she had something to do with his drastic changes to the Blue Wizards’ story. In the 50s he wrote that they probably fell to Sauron and started evil magic cults; perhaps towards the end of their lives, Edith said “honey, come on, they had to have been more helpful than that.” It was 1972, the year after Edith passed, that JRR wrote his updates to the Blue Wizards saying they were actually successful in turning many Easterlings away from Sauron. Perhaps he did so to honor an idea of hers?

If anyone has any sources mentioning any contribution from Edith, I’d love to hear about it.

[eldamaranquendi]

Istari by  Rene Gross

Saruman

Gandalf

Radagast

Pallando

Alatar

[feanors-silmarils]

Art Commissions of my Tolkien OC's Manó and Aratacáno, Maiar of Námo and the Blue Istari done for me by the wonderful: @liusia-piu

[dsst]

Even as the first shadows were felt in Mirkwood there appeared in the west of Middle-earth the Istari, whom Men called the Wizards. In the likeness of Men they appeared, old but vigorous, and they changed little with the years, and aged but slowly, though great cares lay on them; great wisdom they had, and many powers of mind and hand.

[tanoraqui]

the funniest things about the Istari is the unavoidable implication that the Valar looked at Sauron’s “Annatar” ploy, and, frankly, everything he did in Númenor, and were like, “That was…weirdly effective, except for all the corruption and evil. Should we try that?” And they did, and it did, in fact, work better than anything else they ever did.

[kingoftheu]

Orc: sir, Gandalf the Grey has perished in the Mines of Moria

Sauron: [munching block of Kerrygold butter]: hot damn. We do that?

[lulii999]

You can bet younger Gandalf was hot and he knew it.