Gandalf's powers

[Melilot Brandybuck]

In "The Shadow of the Past" Frodo warns the eavesdropping Sam that Gandalf will turn him into a spotted toad. Further in the chapter, Gandalf tells Frodo that if Sam doesn't keep his mouth shut, he really would turn him into a toad.

Can Gandalf really turn people into other things? Is this in his power, or is he just using these threats to frighten gullible hobbits who don't know any better? It seems that if he did have this power, it would have come in very useful during their quest.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

I suspect he's bluffing (of course, we can't know for sure!). Gandalf's powers are angelic, an instrumentality of Divine will; and, given Tolkien's later writings on the internecessity of hroa and fea in mortals, I can't imagine him approving the radical alteration of an Incarnate's physical body as an upright act. Warping and twisting rational beings seems to be Morgoth's and Sauron's province.

[Meriadoc1961]

I believe this is more of a threat to the gullible Sam than any true ability to turn a person into another creature. Had Gandalf had that ability, he simply could have turned all of them into innocent birds and flew away on their quest, totally invisible to the eyes of their enemies.

Merry

[Boromir88]

Can Gandalf really turn people into other things?~Melilot

No, he can't, but Sam doesn't know he cant; and that's the important thing.

Also, I think there was a bit of confusion as it was Frodo who told Sam if he didn't keep quiet then he hopes Gandalf would turn him into a toad. But Frodo knew Gandalf would not harm Sam, yet again, what's important is that Sam doesn't know that.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

Yeah...
First of all Gandalf wouldn't turn our dear Samwise into a toad or anything, even if he did have the powers, because he is a kindly wizard.

Second, Gandalf probably doesn't have those powers also maybe because he possessed the elven Ring of Fire and his main power was fire.

Thats my opinion

[Melilot Brandybuck]

Second, Gandalf probably doesn't have those powers also maybe because he possessed the elven Ring of Fire and his main power was fire.

So when Gandalf threatens to roast Butterbur and melt the butter out of him - this he could have really done...

[Meriadoc1961]

Pippin may not have thought Gandalf was such a nice guy!

Gandalf probably did not have the ability to change people into different things, especially if it was against their will. I think this is kind of like the way that the Nine Riders operated: it was just said by Gandalf as a method of engendering fear in others.

Merry

[ninja91]

Originally Posted by Melilot Brandybuck

It seems that if he did have this power, it would have come in very useful during their quest.

Honestly, I dont see how it would have really helped their quest. The only instance that I can think of where this power would have come in handy was if he had turned
Frodo into a bird to fly into Mordor. Which would have been ridiculous. Frodo would have dropped out of that smoky sky with black lungs before even reaching the Cracks of Doom.

[Eönwë]

Gandalf does have powers and he can make fire. He is a Maia of the air, so I don't think he could change Sam into a toad. Also Frodo is laughing in this scene, so we know that Gandalf can't really, or at least would never, even if he had the power.

But I do wonder... how did he interrogate Gollum?

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Eönwë

He is a Maia of the air

Huh? What's that supposed to mean?

There is no such classification as far as I am aware, and even if it were (somewhat through the Valar), Gandalf is said to belong to Nienna and Lórien (am I right?). I don't know about them having anything to do with air, however.

But I do wonder... how did he interrogate Gollum?

First by kind words, then by hard words and at last intimidating him by performing fireworks.

Originally Posted by Shadows of the Past

I endured him as long as I could, but the truth was desperately important, and in the end I had to be harsh. I put the fear of fire on him, and wrung the true story out of him, bit by bit, together with much snivelling and snarling.

I imagine it very similar to what Gandalf did to Bilbo Baggins when he persuaded him to give up the Ring. Just instead of Gandalf growing up to the ceiling imagine flames rising around him. Otherwise the scene could have looked pretty similar, I believe.