May 24, 2002

Gandalf's Changing Staff
Simon

Watching the movie again and thinking about the recent debate here I made some notes. S here are my notes made in row A of the theatre with penlight torch....

The first staff of Gandalf the wizard speaks of his earthly nature. With his staff Gandalf pounds the earth as he walks and within it he carries his pipe. Gandalf’s pleasure in the earth is woven into the staff. The staff is the wizard’s emblem. He carries it for the Shire and the peaceful folk of middle earth who love nature as he does. The staff of Gandalf symbolises that he has chosen to be earthbound. When Gandalf holds aloft his staff he affirms his eartly commitment as an act of his own free will. He could be sovereign but he chooses to be master only of himself. He accepts the limits and is proud. It is his pleasure.


Gandalf's first staff is made from the roots and branch of a sapling. When he holds his staff aloft he is asserting theat he is 'root and branch' connected to the earth.

Compare the staff of Gandalf to Saruman's. By contrast Saruman's staff seems synthetic, not at all from nature.

Indeed the white wizard's staff is a denial of nature. The four spikes stand for the denial of the four elements. Saruman's staff is for repelling the earth and nature.





The second staff of Gandalf (post the loss at Orthanc) has had a new element added to it . To the element of Earth has been added fire. The head of the staff now is more flame like. The staff head looks like a fire sputtering in the wind. Blown back towards the wizard. The staff now is also a bearer of flame. When a crystal is added the staff becomes a vessel of light. The staff is now more of a chalice, a bearer of light. The flame like head prefaces that the staff is an instrument of alchemy. Flame will be used as an agent of transformation in Gandalf.

The third staff of Gandalf (seen in the Towers Trailer) is a symbol of his transformation and its effect on the earth. The staff now is not just a carrier of light but is itself the embodiment of light. This light will shine an inspiration to free people. The shape of this last staff is a shepherd's crook. Gandalf is to lead and inspire.

The changes in the Staff of Gandalf mirror the wizard’s transformation. From earth then fire is added then through that fire a sacred magic is born that will bring in a white light. The staff shows that Gandalf ascends from the earth but never loses his intimate connection to it. Earth to fire and light. The change is a story of earth purified by fire into a risen light.