Radagast a slacker?

[THE Ka]

Originally Posted by Boromir88

As Tolkien wrote, the only person to complete the "task of the istari" was Gandalf. The task being to aid the peoples of Middle-earth and unite them against Sauron. You can make a case for Radagast, since I mean he did help out Gandalf, but I think Radagast let his personal quest get in the way.

I've heard some people say the Istari had these "personal" quests, or maybe it had something to do with fate. Naturally, Radagast, being from Yavanna has a care for birds and nature. Some have debated maybe Yavanna had told Radagast to help nature, which would make it a "personal" quest. Gandalf really had no Valar, if anyone he most represented Manwe, which would make sense that he would succeed in the "Task." Saruman was from Aule so naturally he would get greedy for wealth and power. Maybe Radagast didn't have a "personal task" from Yavanna, maybe it's Tolkien dealing with "fate." You don't have control you follow the ones you come from, for example Radagast and Yavanna. Sauron, Saruman, and the Dwarves from Aule.

If you ask me I think Radagast let his personal quest of tending nature get in the way of the true quest of helping the peoples of middle-earth.

Animals are people too! anyway, one thing for sure, if it took about four wizards to help the people half of middle earth, it only took one to help the animal half. Hey! there you go! in a way, Radagast did complete his or one half of "the task" by helping the other residents of middle earth. The all-to-important animals!

[Legolas]

My assertion that Alatar and Pallando are Maiar of Orome comes directly from Tolkien, found in Unfinished Tales (which I advise everyone with an interest in the Istari to read). In the last note, Christopher Tolkien speculates why they are associated with Oromë (and I certainly agree with his speculation).

The note ends with the statement that Curumo [Saruman] took Aiwendil [Radagast] because Yavanna begged him, and that Alatar took Pallando as a friend.

On another page of jottings clearly belonging to the same period it is said that "Curumo was obliged to take Aiwendil to please Yavanna wife of Aulë." There are here also some rough tables relating the names of the Istari to the names of the Valar: Olórin to Manwë and Varda, Curumo to Aulë, Aiwendil to Yavanna, Alatar to Oromë, and Pallando also to Oromë (but this replaces Pallando to Mandos and Nienna).

Whereas in the essay on the Istari it is said that the two who passed into the East had no names save Ithryn Luin "the Blue Wizards" (meaning of course that they had no names in the West of Middle-earth), here they are named, as Alatar and Pallando, and are associated with Oromë, though no hint is given of the reason for this relationship. It might be (though this is the merest guess) that Oromë of all Valar had the greatest knowledge of the further parts of Middle-earth, and that the Blue Wizards were destined to journey in those regions and to remain there.

[RadomRadagast]

Radagast Rocks. Period