Radagast the Brown??

[tar-ancalime]

Originally posted by Boromir88--

I've often thought that the istari had the important task of combatting Sauron and aiding the people's of middle-earth, but were also sent for personal tasks. It just so happens Radagast, chosen by Yavanna, falls in love with herbs and birds, a nature man. Possibly each istari were given a seperate, personal task, and Radagast let that one interfere with the main task.

Perhaps that was his task? Sauron was the enemy of more than just Elves, Men and Hobbits--maybe Radagast's special job was to protect the helpless creatures.

[Formendacil]

Originally Posted by tar-ancalime

Perhaps that was his task? Sauron was the enemy of more than just Elves, Men and Hobbits--maybe Radagast's special job was to protect the helpless creatures.

I could be convinced that that might be the case, but if so, Radagast didn't do it fully. If such was the case, then he should have been converting the oliphaunts, leading armies of bears, wolves, boars, horses, etc... into battle. Shooting down the fellbeasts. Sending mice up the pant-legs of the orks.

Okay, maybe not the last one...

I think that you might have something of the right idea in saying that the animals were Radagast's specific mission, within the greater mission. Which gets me wondering: what were the specific missions of the others. The Blue Wizards seem to have been sent to the East, and the Valar alone know what happened to them. Gandalf seems to have been assigned to Elves, Hobbits, and Dwarves. He might have been sent to Men to, but I would theorise that that was originally Saruman's specific territory, into which Gandalf moved partly because Men were everywhere, but also because Saruman wasn't doing his job right. But you'll notice, that until Gandalf returns as Gandalf the White, he doesn't seem to have spent a large amount of time with the Gondorians or Rohirrim.

[Boromir88]

It's interesting I've been wondering to Formendacil....

Well Saruman was selected by Aule, and so he does become greedy for power, just like a lot of people from Aule (dwarves for money, and Noldor for their own works). I doubt Aule wanted Saruman to go to Middle-earth and cause heck and destruction, but could be a long the lines of greed...possibly.

As already discussed Radagast, maybe Yavanna just simply told him to take care of nature for her...

I don't know anything about Alatar and Pallando besides they went into the east, so someone can inform us there.

In Gandalf's case, he didn't want to go to Middle-earth he wanted to stay in Valinor, and he really wasn't selected by a valar but Manwe forced him to go, and was said to be most like Manwe. I think that's why we can see Gandalf is the only one to stay true to his task. For the reasons listed above. He wasn't in the same situation as the other istari, therefor he might not have had a "personal task," just the big one.

[Firefoot]

I have a bit of a problem with the statement that the birds and beasts were part of Radagast's specific mission. The Istari were sent to aid Elves and Men against Sauron (also why the Blue Wizards failed - they were hardly helping against Sauron out east where they were...), and Radagast "forsook Elves and Men, and spent his days among the wild creatures." Had Radagast's study of the animals been just a side branch of study it would have been fine, but in doing so he abandoned his true mission. Though he did not betray them like Saruman did, in a way he was in fact aiding Sauron by not aiding the West with his particular talents.

While the Istari were chosen by the specific Valar mostly because they were "like them," they were not chosen for specific causes. They were sent to help banish Sauron, plain and simple. Of course they were all going to use their specific gifts and talents to do so, but none of them did with the exception of Gandalf. Radagast's hobby became more of an obsession, to the exclusion of his true mission.

[Boromir88]

So, Firefoot, you're saying that it was more "fate" than actual seperate missions? That since Radagast was most like Yavanna it was only natural that he fell in love with birds and nature? Since Saruman was most like Aule, he became greedy?

I hope you don't take this the wrong way, I just wanted to make sure that's what you meant, because it sounds more reasonable than anything else...I just want to make sure if that's what you mean?

[Firefoot]

Basically, yes. Yavanna chose Radagast presumably because he was like her - interested in the birds and the beasts. So that potential to become distracted was always there. It didn't have to happen that way; Radagast could have used those gifts to aid their cause. On Saruman, I don't think that he necessarily would have become greedy because he was like Aule, but as in Radagast's case the potential was there. Saruman was clearly always somewhat of a leader, and it follows that "power corrupts"... Each of the Istar were chosen because of their personalities; it just happens that Radagast's and Saruman's were not the 'right' personalities for the task. They didn't live up to the requirements as outlined by Manwë:

"For they must be mighty, peers of Sauron, but must forgo might [Here does Saruman fail - he wants to be too powerful], and clothe themselves in the flesh so as to treat on equality and win the trust of Elves and Men. But this would imperil them, dimming their wisdom and knowledge [This would be where Radagast failed: his wisdom should have told him that he was becoming too involved in his 'hobby'], and confusing them with fears, cares, adn wearinesses coming from the flesh."

Hope this clears things up.

[Faramir]

Radagast did aid alittle,sending the eagles and all....