Did Gandalf die? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Westerly Wizard · 10-24-2003, 01:03 PM

Tolkien makes this point clear in Letter 156, where he writes:

"Gandalf really 'died', and was changed: for that seems to me the only real cheating, to represent anything that can be called 'deat' as making no difference. 'I am G. the White, who has returned from death'. Probably he should have rather have said to Wormtongue: "I have not passed through death (not 'fire and flood') to bandy crooked words with a serving man.'"

The two quotes Tolkien gives are from TTT "The Voice of Saruman" and "The King of the Golden Hall." The second quote actually receives the indicated change he would have dssired in the final version of LotR, where it is "I have not passed through fire and death. . ."

10-24-2003, 01:03 PM	#5
Westerly Wizard Haunting Spirit Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 72	Tolkien makes this point clear in Letter 156, where he writes: "Gandalf really 'died', and was changed: for that seems to me the only real cheating, to represent anything that can be called 'deat' as making no difference. 'I am G. the White, who has returned from death'. Probably he should have rather have said to Wormtongue: "I have not passed through death (not 'fire and flood') to bandy crooked words with a serving man.'" The two quotes Tolkien gives are from TTT "The Voice of Saruman" and "The King of the Golden Hall." The second quote actually receives the indicated change he would have dssired in the final version of LotR, where it is "I have not passed through fire and death. . ." __________________ "He was sent by a mere prudent plan of the angelic Valar or governors; but Authority had taken up this plan and enlarged it, at the moment of its failure."

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