Who was the old man? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

The Might · 12-07-2008, 09:27 AM

The quote provided by Ibri is in my opinion of great importance, as we see that neither Tolkien nor his son seem to have had a clear idea about what the old man represented, although indeed it does seem to point to a physical presence of Saruman. However, it also shows that a phantom, or a projection of Gandalf are possibilities.

12-07-2008, 09:27 AM	#14
The Might Guard of the Citadel Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Oxon Posts: 2,205	The quote provided by Ibri is in my opinion of great importance, as we see that neither Tolkien nor his son seem to have had a clear idea about what the old man represented, although indeed it does seem to point to a physical presence of Saruman. However, it also shows that a phantom, or a projection of Gandalf are possibilities. __________________ “The invisible and the non-existent look very much alike.” Delos B. McKown