[narfforc]

I would like to concentrate on just one character, Gandalf. He is called by some an angelic power, so what is an angel. There seems to be a whole host of them, so here we go.


First Hierarchy (Choir)
Seraphim:They are with God
Cherubim:They hold the knowledge of God and are sent to Earth with the greatest tasks.
Thrones.


Second Hierachy (Choir)
Dominions.
Virtues.
Powers: Spirits of Form, a sort of elite guard against the demonic attack of heaven

Third Hierarchy (Choir)
Principalities:Watch over the mortal world, guiding and protecting. They are responsible for carrying out divine acts concerning their area of jurisdiction.
Archangels.
Angels:Those that intermediate between God and Man, they are carriers of Gods word to mankind, acting as messengers and couriers to both God and the upper ranks of Angelkind.

Now I have chosen the bits that fit the descriptions of The Ainur, The Valar and Maiar, the last one being very descriptive of Gandalf and The Istari. I do not believe in angels anymore than I believe in fairies, yet Tolkien may well have done. He seems to have merged these Judeo/Christian myths with the Pagan myths of the Norse and Celts.

A very good book to read is From The Ashes Of Angels by Andrew Collins.
This book tells another interpretation of these winged men and their offspring The Nephilim.

So what else is Gandalf/Olorin other than an Angel?, here is a different possibility, Mercury. This God is:

1. The Messenger of the Gods

2. He carries the dreams of Morpheus from Somnus to sleeping humans.

3. He is the son of Maia Maiestas

4. In occult circles he is given rulership over all things magical.

5. He is identified with the Celtic God Lugus, and he is sometimes asscotiated with Light/Sun
6. Lugus as The Irish God Lugh defeated the monstrous Balor One Eye.

So you see when looking at certain characteristics you can fit almost anything you want into LotR, the problem is that the world is full of stories and religions and some are very similar. Take Mithras the saviour god for instance, Born on Dec 25th in a cave of Virgin Birth, died and was reborn. Early christian tradition said that Jesus was born in a cave, the word in the Gospels is katalemna which literally means a temporary shelter or cave. Another story is that of Tammuz, born of Virgin Birth, died with a wound to his side, arose from his tomb after three days leaving it vacant, with a rock at its entrance rooled aside. There are 12 different instances I know of where death by crucifixion occurs and the person is ressurected. Tolkien was a clever man, he would have known of these similarities, this is possibily why he used universal myths to add weight to his sub-creation.