Gandalf Was a Maiar
Jevon W.

In response to a previous article questioning the race of Gandalf (Elf or Man)the answer is he was neither. He was a Maiar a lesser Ainur; one that served the Valar such as Melian who eventually married Thingol. If you look in the Silmarillion in the small book 'Valaquenta' one can find a small section on Olorin and how he in later days was a friend to all the children of Iluvatar. Olorin is Gandalf. He actually calls himself that in the LoTR. However he is also known to exist in the body of a man while serving in the war against Sauron. He was old when he arrived to Middle Earth's Shores but he felt pain and hunger like a human. So I guess he was both.