[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by davem

The idea that Gandalf could (unconsciously) 'project' an image of Saruman which others could see is fascinating. More Osanwe here? The Istari, it seems are capable of both astral & thought projection, but the former seems the most interesting in the light of Osanwe - was it possible to 'detatch' the Fea from the Hroa? If so, was this a 'technique' which could be mastered by others? Could it even be made to happen to someone against their will? This could explain the Nazgul - were they Hroa-less Fea?

Reading Morgoth's Ring today the following passages about the nature of the houseless fea caught my eye:

...wander houseless in the world, unwilling to leave it and unable to inhabit it, haunting trees or springs or hidden places that once they knew. Not all of these are kindly or unstained by the Shadow.

Some are filled with bitterness, grievance, and envy. Some were enslaved by the Dark Lord and do his work still, though he himself is gone.

From this it is clear that in the case of Elves, there certainly were Hroa-less Fea. And they were clearly not always to be trusted. Although those Elves who had 'faded' were a different matter and occasionally appeared to Men, much to their delight. The comparison here reminds me of the difference between visions of ghosts or spectres and visions of angelic or faerie figures.

Originally Posted by Child

First, the transformation beyond Arda could have changed Gandalf to the point that he was no longer the same person.

Was Gandalf sent back in a different body? Did his Hroa change? I'm not clear on the point, but do the Maiar also return to the Halls of Mandos, with the possibility that they too can be returned ina new body?

Originally Posted by Child

This entire chapter seems to be about what we see and fail to see, and how limited our understanding is.

That's a good point! It does seem that this chapter somewhow explores 'sight' on many levels. There is our 'failing' to see, quite literally, coupled with our failure to see what is beyond or just outside our normal comprehension. Tolkien also explores how we 'see' people in a particular 'from' but they may not always appear in that 'form'. Interestingly, Tolkien plays with a strong image, that of the Old Man or Hermit. Do Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli see this image at first, instead of 'seeing' Gandalf? And by doing this, is Tolkien asking us as readers if we 'see' Gandalf in a certain way up until this point and he now wants us too to look at him in a whole new 'light'?