[Silver Dragon]

Quote from LOTR, The Return of the King, Appendix B, "The Third Age":
"When maybe a thousand years had passed...the Istari or Wizards [they're the same, Iarwain] appeared in Middle-earth. It was afterwards said that they came out of the Far West and were messengers sent to contest the power of Sauron, and to unite all those who had the will to resist him; but they were forbidden to match his power with power, or to seek to dominate Elves or Men by force and fear.
"They came therefore in the shape of Men, thought they were never young and aged only slowly, and they had many powers of mind and hand. They revealed their true names to few [quote from The Two Towers: "'Olorin I was in my youth in the West that is forgotten...'"], but used such names as were given to them..."
End quote from LOTR

Quote from Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age:
"Even as the first shadows were felt in Mirkwood there appeared in the west of Middle-earth the Istari, whom Men called Wizards. None knew at that time whence they were, save Cirdan of the Havens, and only to Elrond and to Galadriel did he reveal that they came over the Sea. But afterwards it was said among the Elves that they were messengers sent by the Lords of the West [the Valar] to contest the power of Sauron, if he should rise again..."
End Silmarillion quote

Earlier in the Silmarillion (in the Valaquenta, "Of the Maiar") it states that the Istari, in particular Olorin, were Maiar. "Wisest of the Maiar was Olorin."

So no, the Istari were Maiar, not Elves.

[ August 04, 2003: Message edited by: Silver Dragon ]