April 27, 2002

On Eagles and Grey Areas
Richard P.

Your absolutley right, the Eagles are refered to as the "Heralds of Manwe", in the Silmarillion, and perhaps this is something that counts towards their non-involvement. In all the devices of the Valar in Middle-Earth during the War of the Ring we see a policy of limited action, for two reasons. Firstly, the Curse of Mandos is still partly in action, for those of the Noldor (Galadriel, Celebrimbor etc.) who would not return to Valinor after the War of Wrath. Since the One Ring, and all the other rings are linked in to Celebrimbor, who is a Noldor, or of Noldorin descent, the Valar are still compelled by their oath not to participate. However, the Ainur have a soft spot for the Elves, so they do what they can, this is why they sent the Istari over to help out, but with strict instructions not to make it too obvious and just in a kind of a nudge them along role. Now, there has been some discussion that the first Eagles are actually lesser Maia, a bit like the Istari but of lesser stature. If thats the case then they and there descendants come under the same rules as the Istari, but much stricter, since Manwe probably doesn't want to make it too obvious what he's up to. In any case the Eagles wouldn't want to get killed since they're not the original Maia eagles but descendants, and can be killed.
Also, in the Tale of Beren and Luthien, when they wrest the Silmarill from Morgoth, they are saved at the very last instant by the Eagles, another instance of the Eagles acting only in the very last need.

As for Gandalf, I was under the impression that his body was not destroyed, but that his spirit left it and wandered in the darkness outside the Circles of Arda. For his spirit to come back from there needs intervention of the highest order (eg Illuvatar), and he was then either sent back direct to his body or sent back to Valinor, and then sent back to his body. In either case it makes no sence to say that he was re-incarnated into his new body in Valinor, since he would then have to have sailed back to Middle-earth, arriving back at the Grey Havens and having to travel all that distance to Lothlorien. However, he wakes up on top of the Endless Stairway, and is picked up by Gwahir, and taken to Lothlorien. Indeed, what bears this out is that he still has the ring Narya, which he left with his own body on top of Moria. Other examples of "re-incarnation" happen like this as well, Beren and Luthien return to their bodies in Middle-earth, they are not given new ones. However, Glorfindel, who dies fighting a Balrog, is re-incarnated into a new body, but he sails back to Middle-earth from Valinor.

This of course, also makes Gandalf the only person ever to fight a Balrog and come out of it with his own body....... pretty hard guy that Gandalf!!! ;)