Why did Gandalf have a ring?

[Texadan]

This may have been asked before. I did not go through all 78 pages of topics but I did browse back 11 pages and didn't see it.

I only fairly recently discovered that Gandalf was Maia. When I thought him a wizard but a man I wondered why he was given Narya and I think the question still stands. The Three were made by and for elves. That is repeated so often that it is beyond dispute. But Gandalf wasn't an elf. Why was he offered it? And why, as a Maia, did he accept it?

[Boromir88]

Cirdan was the original bearer of Narya. But when Gandalf came over from the West, Cirdan had better forsight than any one else on Middle-earth. He foresaw that Gandalf would (of the other wizards sent) stay true to his task and he would be in need of Narya:

...For Cirdan saw further and deeper than any other in Middle-earth, and he welcomed Mithrandir at the Grey Havens, knowing whence he came and whither he would return.
"Take this ring, Master," he said, "for your labours will be heavy, but it will support you in the weariness that you have taken upon yourself. For this is the Ring of Fire, and with it you may rekindle the hearts in a world that grows chil. But as for me, my heart is with the Sea, and I will dwell here by the grey shores until the last ship sails. I will await you."~Appendix B

Cirdan saw that Gandalf could use Narya, and since he was going to stay the rest of the time in his dwelling, The Grey Havens, he would not need the Ring. Being the nice elf, he gave it to someone who could use it.

And a very belated welcome to the downs.

[Texadan]

So the ring was given first to an elf. That's better. And what a marvelous, built-in way to hide it. Gandalf simply tells the story truthfully and leaves out the addendum that one of the elves gave his ring away. Anyone hunting the rings who thinks like me wouldn't consider looking to Gandalf for a ring.

Cirdan seems an odd choice for the ring of fire.

Thanks for the answer and the welcome.

[narfforc]

Texadan do not underestimate Cirdan, he was a mighty Lord and wise, one of the eldest elves in Middle-earth. He was on the westward march from Cuivienen, and had fought many more battles than most alive in The Third Age, he is always thought of as just a boat-builder, quite wrongly.

[A_Brandybuck]

I agree with narfforc. Círdan is often seen as a simple boat-builder and Guard of the Havens. But one time I analysed Círdan's behaviour in the First Age and came to the conclusion, that all his actions he took were in a very helping or diplomatic way.

He is a very helpingful character and never took some actions for himself or for his reputation. Also he don't care of the intern quarrels of the Elves of Beleriand. He seems to be the 'good soul'.
Under these points, we don't have to wonder, that Círdan gave the Ring away. He saw, that the Ring is elsewhere better to use. In his function of the Guardian of the Haven, there was little use for the Ring. So not thinking only of himself, he gave it to Gandalf, because he saw, that the Ring would be used in a good way by Gandalf.

In my opinion, Gandalf was the right choice under the Istari (not considering the fact, that I know, that all others have failed) to get the Ring. His nature was 'prepared for the Ring', because the Ring enhanced his good abilities to bring delight and courage to the hearts of the free peoples.
And I am sure, that Círdan knows of the special abilities of the Ring and that these abilities goes well with the abilities of Gandalf.

[Rhod the Red]

Gandalf received the Ring because he was deemed an appropriate keeper, and possible more advantagous for the cause of the Istari in using it.