May 9, 2002

Gandalf & Goblins
Curious George

I'd like to thank everyone for submitting their articles about Gandalf's "death" and his powers etc, especially for Gothamock's article. It's really shed a lot of light on the subject. The question about his power of gravity is still unsatisfied however. I don't mean to imply that he can fly, or that the books say so, but he certainly can make Gimli's axe go flying into the air, or Denethor's sword shoot out of his hand when they are lifted against him in an offensive move. I know it's a trivial thing, but I just wonder why he didn't use that power to "wizard" himself up from Kazad-dum after the Balrog's whip snagged his leg. After all, it wasn't totaly wrapped around his leg was it? He had time to yell "Fly fools!" as he held on to the ledge in the movie. I don't remember what the books say, and I apologize (I loaned it out to someone who's reading it as we speak), otherwise I could look it up myself. Anyone have any ideas?

Here's another question I had for the board. Sauruman seems to have "perfected" his breed of orcs. In the film he digs them out of the ground. I don't remember the book covering exactly what he did to the orcs to enhance them, or how exactly they were enhanced. The movie implies that they can move in sunlight "with great speed," and that they were bred with goblin men... Does this mean that regular orcs cannot move in sunlight? I thought only the trolls would turn to stone during the day?