Radagast the Green?

[narfforc]

Tolkien states in Letters 211, that distinction in the colours of The Istari was only important in those that stayed in a very small area of the northwest of Middle-Earth, why?, were they not all different in appearance, certainly Saruman and Gandalf were. Were the colours important for the sake of rank, maybe, that's why two blue wizards, why not Pallando the Purple?. The linking of the colours to their respective sponsoring Vala is also a problem, Olorin seems not to be of the people of Manwe or Varda, but of Este or Nienna in Lorien. Their is a tenuous link in the raiment of Gandalf, to that of Este. If we push this link further we see that Melian who also resided within Lorien, marries King Greymantle (cloak). Melian desired to recreate an image of Lorien at Menegroth/Doriath, did she also bring the possible raiment of the people of Este to Beleriand?. Did the returning Noldor name The Grey-Elves after their position between the Light and the Dark, or the colour of their raiment?. In reality they could either be Moriquendi or Calaquendi, there is no grey area, in as much as you cannot half exist. The next problem is that of Aiwendil/Radagast. It is said that Curumo took him to oblige Yavanna wife of Aule. If he was of the people of Yavanna shouldn't his raiment be Green?, however he may of been of the people of her sister Vana, who had a link to the birds. Maybe Vana asked her sister to include Radagast.. The next thing I would like to discuss is, whether the colour was linked to a form of ability?. This could explain Sarumans desire to be of many colours. He may well have linked his desire for knowledge of Ring-making, to his lack of respect for the other Istari, therefore trying to replace their talents within himself. His frustration was his downfall, he thought the others had lost their way. Grey was not given to Gandalf as his rank among The Istari, for it was already the chosen garb Of Olorin, so this brings us back to why he was wearing that colour.

[Kuruharan]

The colors may have just been a reflection of the innate personalities of the Istari, perhaps?

[narfforc]

Yes that may be so, in the same way psychic healers use colour for different ailments?

[Anguirel]

I wonder if this thread, coughshamelessplugcough, will be of interest?

Eminence Grise

[narfforc]

Yes there are a number of interesting points in that thread. However, I don't believe Gandalf was The Grey for any other reason than Olorin was clad in Grey. Is this because he was of the people of Este?. Olorin lived in Lorien, and following the teaching of those Vala which lived there, he became the Istari he was meant to. Was the grey a form of religious robes. If our world was totally religious, would we wear a form of dress, much like the followers of Islam or Buddha do. In this way you could be "Of the People of Britain" yet of a different faith. Was Curumo "Of the People of Aule" yet the follower of another order, therefore White?

[Formendacil]

Perhaps, Master Narfforc, the reason of colour lies within the context of each Istar's role within Middle-Earth, rather than any particular choice of their own.

We know, by the very fact that Gandalf the White- by virtue of being "the White"- superceded Saruman the White- and replaced him as Head of the Istari in Middle-Earth, that the colours associated with the Istari had to do with their roles in Middle-Earth.

However, there is no reason to assume that the colours had to do with rank, as such.

The role of Saruman, the role later assumed by Gandalf, was to lead the Istari, and by connection, to lead the entire West in battle against Sauron. The suitability of White to this role can be seen in the complete and utter contrast between White and Black- and note that Black is always associated with the Dark (think Black) Land: Mordor (mor- meaning black/dark), Barad-dur (-dur meaning black/dark), the Black Land, and more.

Gandalf, we know, was sent to Middle-Earth, it seems, with the role of inspiring courage and giving counsel, and generally roaming around being helpful. He is, in other words, a behind-the-scenes sort of person. And grey, as a background colour, is quite suitable to this role. Or, possibly, Grey could be a sign of the portions of Middle-Earth to which he was sent. He seems to have been especially concerned with Eriador, and somewhat less to the lands about: Gondor, Rhovannion, Wilderland in General. In these lands, there is a very strong feeling of nostalgia, particularly amongst the Dunedain and Eldar. And grey is a colour that is well-suited to people who are nostalgic, since the colour of life is for them in the past. It seems clear that Gandalf spent the most time of the Istari amongst the Eldar of any kind, but also among the Northern Dunedain, and he shares the distinction, or so it seems, among the people of Gondor. With either of these suppositions, it's possible to find a possible reasoning for the colour in Gandalf's particular mission.

Radagast's particular mission is, of course, obscure. However, by reason of his love for animals (birds, in particular), as well as his association with Yavanna, it doesn't seem outlandish to suggest that it may have been his task to rally the natural forces of Middle-Earth against Sauron. To a mission such as this, Brown seems an eminently suitable colour, brown being a colour found in many shades in nature, among both animals and plants, and is evocative of a richly fertile earth.

This leaves Alatar and Pallando, the two wizards known as "the Blue". Their mission seems plain enough: they were sent into the East, presumably to rally the people there against Sauron, and whether or not they failed is completely obscure. The reasoning for Blue for such a task is not quite so obscure, but obscure enough. Perhaps blue was meant to signify the Sea, which may not have been familiar to the Men of the East, but which in Middle-Earth tends to signify the West, and by connection good in general. Perhaps such a connection to the West and to Good was more needed in the dark East than anywhere else. Similarly, it may just refer to water, which- thanks to Ulmo- was always a connection to the Valar and the West. Another theory that pops into my mind is that it may have had to do with the clear blue sky, which would have been nature's greatest contrast to the dark nights with which Sauron would be identified. Whatever the Blue was intended to represent or signify, however, the fact that both Alatar and Pallando wore it, and the fact that both of them went on the same mission, makes it heavily supportive of the idea that the colours of the Istari signified their missions- not their ranks.

As to any suitability that may be found between character and colour, that can be explained in that each colour was suited to each task, and each Istar chosen for his suitability to the task. One will note that Manwe and Varda considered Gandalf as "Not the Third". That he was not sent to lead the Istari does not necessarily mean, although it seems implied, that he was weaker than Saruman, so much as it means that Saruman was more suited to that task while he, Gandalf, was more suited to the task to which he was set.

[Lalwendë]

I've often wondered if the colours had any significance but if I explore this too far I get tangled and things would become too difficult to explain with evidence from the texts, so here's my simple explanation .

Gandalf's 'Grey' I think may come quite literally from his appearance - he was the most well-travelled wizard that we know of, in terms of mixing with people in Middle earth, and his fame itself may have earned him a nickname. i also like to think that maybe his nickname may have arisen from his method of giving advice - he encourages those he talks to to think through the options and consequences, to consider the 'grey' areas, e.g. Frodo at first sees Gollum's survival as an issue with a clear answer, but Gandalf encourages him to see it another way.

I think that Saruman's 'White' title comes from his position as head of the Istari - he is recognised as such by Cirdan on his arrival, and goes on to be head of the White Council. White would be an appropriate designation for the wizard who took this position as White could be said to symbolise Light. When Saruman breaks the Light to see what it is made from, he then becomes Saruman of Many Colours. Gandalf then is able to take or be given the title 'White' as it has in effect become free.

As to why there are two 'Blue' wizards, I think possibly it is that Tolkien simply did not designate them separate colours as they were something of an afterthought in the writing process - though 'Blue' is a good choice of title for two wizards who effectively disappeared off into 'the blue yonder'. And I think 'Brown' is appropriate for Radagast, as he is close to nature, and brown is suitably 'earthy'. On the Encyclopedia of Arda site it interstingly quotes the Old English word 'rudugast', meaning 'brown spirit' as a possible origin though it does point out that there is no evidence for this.

[Elu Ancalime]

I suppose if Alatar took Pallando 'as a friend' they would be on the same terms, or rank.

I don't think the Valar and the others at that council could make too much of an assumption of rank, at least not beyond any foresight. If the original Istari were Curumo and Alatar, Then if you did nto know much about them, it might go like this:

Sauruman The White
Alatar the Blue (These could be interchangable)

Gandalf the Grey
Radagast the Brown

and ideally, how i would think anyway, is that Pallando might not have been given 'wizard powers', but perhaps a little like if gandalf had a Frodo Clone he went everywhere with. So essentially he is on Alatar's rank (Blue), but I would think he would be lesser than Alatar. But then Cirdan said:

Sauruman (White)
Gandalf (Grey)
Radagast (Brown)
Alatar (Blue)
Pallando (Blue)

And of course then later Cirdan and Galadriel said Gandalf was really stronger, and Sauruman was cast out, and Alatar and Pallando dissappeared, and I guess Radagst forgot he might go back to Aman, or he didnt want to, or he got in an argument with an Eagle.So i think the idea was to have the wizards on the same rank, that is, working together with no one of them taking domination, yet their 'personal' intrests seperated them.
Also I was thinking, did the wizards (all five) only meet together, like formally, at that council in Aman? Because if they each showed up at different times, and spread out across ME, they would be a bit long distance for business partners.
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[Raynor]

Did the returning Noldor name The Grey-Elves after their position between the Light and the Dark, or the colour of their raiment?

In the Silmarillion, they are named also elves of the twilight; apparently, the noldor named them so because the first Elves of this origin whom they met with were in the north, under the grey skies and mists about Lake Mithrim.

EDIT: I found this interesting note in Quendi and Eldar, HoME XI:

Mithrim was a name given to them by the southern-dwellers, because of the cooler climate and greyer skies, and the mists of the North. It was probably because the Noldor first came into contact with this northerly branch that they gave in Quenya the name Sindar or Sindeldi 'Grey-elves' to all the Telerin inhabi- tants of the Westlands who spoke the Sindarin language. Though this name was also later held to refer to Elwe's name Thingol (Sindikollo) 'Grey-cloak', since he was acknowledged as high-king of all the land and its peoples. It is said also that the folk of the North were clad much in grey, especially after the return of Morgoth when secrecy became needed; and the Mithrim had an art of weaving a grey cloth that made its wearers almost invisible in shadowy places or in a stony land. This art was later used even in the southern lands as the dangers of the War increased.

[Elu Ancalime]

I thought it to be thier position to the Great Journey: Moriquendi (mori literally meaning black) being elves who did not see the Two Trees, though usually assumed for Avari, could be Black. The High Elves, Caliquendi, (Light approx. White), saw the Light of the Trees, and made it to Valinor. The Grey-Elves were those that accepted the Journey, but did not go directly to Valinor, (the Sindar, elves under Thingol Greymantle)
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[Gil-Galad]

the colours could repersent the Valar they served at first

[radagastly]

I tend to think that it is very likely that we are all trying to read more into Tolkien's choice of colors than is actually there. I think the colors were chosen spontaneously. That is, their colors were meant to be strictly a "psychological" impact on the reader. "White" has it's impact on the reader as pure and unstained, PERFECT. "Grey" is inherently undefined, transitional, mobile yet natural, unassuming. "Blue" is mysterious, ("why is the sky blue, Daddy?) infinite like the sky, angelic. "Brown" implies Nature, forests and fields, trees and soil. I guess I don't think the Valar chose the colors, Tolkien did, as he wrote.