Tolkien and Norse Mythology

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Great, I was afraid that this might be taken as mindless babbling on nonsenses

Lal, I also love the idea of Gandalf&Sauron both possessing the Odinic traits! When you consider the statements like "I was the Enemy of the Enemy" (Gandalf), it is definitely fascinating. Or, let the Unfinished Tales speak:

To the overthrow of Morgoth [Manwë] sent his herald Eönwë. To the defeat of Sauron would he not then send some lesser (but mighty) spirit of the angelic people, one coëval and equal, doubtless, with Sauron in their beginnings, but not more? Olórin was his name.

I love the part where Olórin says to Manwë and Varda that he does not want to go to Middle-Earth, because he is afraid of Sauron. You know, I always imagined Gandalf participating on the Music of Ainur (great fantasy, by the way) and Sauron being there, singing something else right beside him.

While we are at the finding of similarities... one more thing about the Sleipnir-Shadowfax case... did Tolkien state exactly in his books how many legs did Shadowfax have?

Back to Gandalf-Odin, I also remember that the scene before the Battle of Five armies when a clooked figure shows Thorin the Arkenstone, I always imagined Gandalf there as Odin...

And Rune, good idea about the battle with Finrod. Folks, I'd like to see Gandalf dueling with Sauron! Now this is something PJ could do! (Although on second thought... maybe not.)

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

And just to add to this, the runic symbol of Odin is the Valknut, three interconnected triangles, rather like the Celtic Triquestra (a symbol shared by both Pagans and Christians) and the rather eerily, co-incidentally named interconnecting triple circles, the Borromean Rings.

Kinda scary, eh?