Quote:
Originally Posted by Ancalagon'sFire
. He became the ultimate gardener of Middle-Earth his focus on all things made by Yavanna. With Middle-Earth now closed to The West, sending a Maiar (Kindred Spirit) in whom she could extend her own hand was a masterstroke but difficult to quantify. Remember, she was adamant he go with Saruman as she had her own motives over and above bringing together the free peoples of middle-earth to unite in their insurgence against Sauron.
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Good point. Radagast is the ultimate gardern (or is gardener the right word for waht he did, maybe caretaker, gamekeeper/warden, or even ranger (in the sense we tend to use it today not in the Tolkein sense). Radagast may have gone astray failed in the Ishari Mission, but I wonder if he had his own mission from Yavanna herself, and if he did in that mission he may has suceeded spectacuarly. Whatever faults Tolkein Himeslf may have found in Radagast, it seems, from within the context of the story Ganadalf found none, or if he did he accepted them. He never came to Radagast and tried to exort him to force the beasts of the wood to join the free peoples (Radagast may or may not have done things to help the Allicance, but if he did, it appears he did so on his own onus and by his own free will). Unilke Saruman, Gandalf seems to have a very high opion of Radagast (even going so far as I recall, in the Hobbit of mentioning him to Beorn as a way to introduce himself (or am I just remembering the BBC Radio show). Most important of all Gandalf in a certain sense, ultimately leaves all of ME in Radagast's hands. He makes no effort to try and convice Radagast to return with him to the west (assuming for the moment that Radagast actually could) still less to try and force him to, which in his Gandalf the White aspect (and likey de facto current head of the Istari) he just might have the authority to do. Gandald trusts Radagast enough to leave him as the ONLY wizard in ME, unchecked unapposed and (within the confines of his human body) unhindered in any way (Radagast my not be anywhere as strong as Gandalf or Saruman but he is still a wizard) . Given who Gandalf is, that is saying a lot.