April 30, 2002

The Eagles Have Landed
Brett C.

Richard P makes reference to an idea that the eagles are some form of Maiar. I had never heard this idea before. In the Silmarillion in the chapter on Aule and Yavanna, Manwe declares that when the Elves awake spirits will be 'summoned from afar' to inhabit some of the kelvar and olvar, giving them the power of thought and speech. The olvar mentioned are the Ents, where presumably the kelvar would be creatures like the Eagles [and the fox who spots the Hobbits at the start of FOTR]. So I think they are not truely Maiar, but distantly related to them in spirit.

And on the subject of Gandalf Vs Sauron, in Unfinished Tales Manwe says the Istari sent will be peers of Sauron, though forbidden to match him in might. But when Olorin [Gandalf] is called upon, he declares himself to weak for such a task, and also he fears Sauron. The first may may be modesty, but the second seems to show Sauron has the greater power. Certainly Gandalf the White is no match, because he says so himself in Two Towers [I am...Gandalf the White, but Black is greater still.]