The Sight of Gandalf

[Essex]

The only time in ROTK (in the book) I can find that Gandalf has 'sight' is when he sees with second sight what takes place with the Witch King.

But Gandalf's face was grave and sad, and bidding Beregond and Pippin to take Faramir into the Houses of Healing, he went up on to the walls nearby; and there like a figure carven in white he stood in the new sun and looked out. And he beheld with the sight that was given to him all that had befallen; and when Éomer rode out from the forefront of his battle and stood beside those who lay upon the field, he sighed, and he cast his cloak about him again, and went from the walls.

And after trawling these boards for a number of months, I've finally realised why Gandalf asked for 3 eagles to take him to Mount Doom. He thought Gollum could still be with the Hobbits. So he did not have any 'sight' there either.

'Then come, and let your brother go with us, and some other of your folk who is most swift! For we have need of speed greater than any wind, outmatching the wings of the Nazgûl.'

[GARY-the-White]

fo chizzle mah nizzle I was hanging around invisible killing orcs to help the fellowship all along , THe truth of the matter is i can see as far as the sun reaches so i was telling gandalf what frodo was doing the entire time people. He wanted to look good for everyone so i thought id give him somthing to work with


I am Gandalfs immortal brother Garythewhite, if you have any questions or comments you can find me at the local at the prancing pony

[PaleStar]

I can't believe I didn't realize the three eagles thing before...ah well.
If Gandalf possesses 'sight' of any kind, I would think it would be reduced to just knowing that Frodo is alive; but when he (Frodo) passed out of Gandalf's 'sight', that meant he was drawing close to Mt. Doom...where I doubt Gandalf's spirit would like to even be temporarily, As I suppose the case would be to 'sense' Frodo's life energy.
Obviously it wasn't working to well around Mt. Doom; he took three eagles instead of just two. Which, if anyone argues, makes sense; a hobbit is small...he doesn't need a whole Eagle to himself.
We have to remember; he is a Maia, after all...but no, no foresight, no elven seeing...just being able to know, barely, if the person is alright.

[Kath]

No wait the Eagles would carry a hobbit each. I mean in The Hobbit each eagle carries a separate dwarf and they're only slightly larger than Hobbits.

[Mad Baggins]

It's not like Gandalf knew how skinny the hobbits would be, anyway.

[Knight of Gondor]

As far as the movie goes, it would seem that during the scene in Meduseld where Gandalf is troubled about no news of Frodo, he paused and could almost sense for sure that Frodo was still alive. Aragorn saw this, but Gandalf told him that this vision, this feeling of Frodo still being alive has gone away, he cannot tell one way or the other.

As far as the book goes, I believe there were other parts where we learned that Gandalf had/has an extra sense, a perception beyond mortal normalities. After healing Theoden, did he not look out and see a dim flame in the perils of Emyn Muil? Or was that Legolas's vision?

[PaleStar]

Kath, the point with the Eagles is that Gandalf still had some semblance of hope that the poor creature could be saved somehow.
Besides, I don't think Gandalf would've had a problem with hauling one hobbit up onto the Eagles back.