This is a truly fantastic question
urbanhiker. I can't remember it coming up before. I can't think of much to add that hasn't been brought up so far.
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Originally Posted by Aiwendil
How do we know that they weren't involved in the war with Angmar? We don't have terribly much information about that time period. Moreover, if the Istari had only recently arrived, they would not yet be as widely known or respected as they later became, and their actions would thus be less likely to be recorded by chroniclers.
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I'm not so sure on this. Cirdan foresaw their arrival and seemed to hand his ring off to Gandalf as soon as he came from the West. Now, this was the oldest, and one of the wisest remaining Elves in Middle-earth. However, I think the image of old men arriving and tall but bent on staffs would be noticed almost immediately. Maybe the Istari had been travelling elsewhere at the time, but I would still think whenever the Middle-earth people became acquainted with them, and having a peculiar nature around them they would be chronicled. Thus the "wizard" myth was born, so to say.
I could be mistaken, but didn't Men first believe Gandalf was an elf? Since, he seemed at first to associate mostly with the Elves in Middle-earth?