The Mystical Tale of Gandalf Before LotR | Silmarillion Lore
Realms Unravelled
5,598 views
Before he was Gandalf, the Grey Pilgrim of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, he was Olórin, one of the Maiar, a spirit who sang in the Music of the Ainur before the world was made. In this Tolkien lore deep dive we trace the full history of Gandalf before The Lord of the Rings, from the Ainulindalë and the Spring of Arda to his arrival at the Grey Havens in the Third Age, uncovering the forgotten origins of Middle-earth's most beloved wizard.
We explore Olórin's life on the isle of Almaren, where he likely dwelt beside Mairon, the Maia who would become Sauron, and follow him to Valinor beneath the light of the Two Trees. There he walked in the gardens of Lórien, and journeyed often to the house of Nienna at the edge of the world, where he learned the pity and patience that would one day decide the fate of the One Ring. We also look at one of the least known chapters in Gandalf's story, revealed in The Nature of Middle-earth, in which Olórin stood guard over the newly awakened Elves at Cuiviénen alongside Melian and the spirits who would later become Saruman, Radagast and the Blue Wizards.
From there we follow Olórin to the council of the Valar, where he confessed his fear of Sauron and was chosen to become one of the Istari, and to the moment Círdan the Shipwright gave him Narya, the Ring of Fire. We cover his many names, including Mithrandir, Tharkûn and Incánus, his gift of the Elessar to Galadriel, his journeys to Dol Guldur and through Moria in search of Thráin, the founding of the White Council and the first seeds of Saruman's jealousy, and the Long Winter that first won his heart to the hobbits of the Shire, ending with the morning he came walking up the path to Bilbo Baggins's door at Bag End.
Drawing on The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, The History of Middle-earth, The Nature of Middle-earth and The Lord of the Rings, this is the story of Gandalf the Grey as most fans have never seen it.
https://linktr.ee/realmsunravelled
MAPS: I personally illustrated the maps shown in my videos. My pre-first age maps and my maps of the East, which i designed to fit and layer as accuarately as possible with later maps, are as lore friendly as possible (very difficult due to some seemingly contradictory geographical information in the legendarium) and draw much inspiration from the excelent work of Karen Wynn Fonstad. Unfortunately Karen passed away before the Histories of Middle-earth books were all released and so my maps build upon her work and include alterations based upon the information that she did not have access to during her lifetime. I update these maps constantly as I attempt to refine and improve them.
ARTWORK: All artwork featured in this video has been created for the exclusive use of Realms Unravelled is not sourced from third-party artists.
Contact:
For all enquiries including sponsorships and commercial opportunities please contact me at realmsunravelled@gmail.com
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The Mystical Tale of Gandalf Before LotR | Silmarillion Lore
Realms Unravelled
5,598 views
Before he was Gandalf, the Grey Pilgrim of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, he was Olórin, one of the Maiar, a spirit who sang in the Music of the Ainur before the world was made. In this Tolkien lore deep dive we trace the full history of Gandalf before The Lord of the Rings, from the Ainulindalë and the Spring of Arda to his arrival at the Grey Havens in the Third Age, uncovering the forgotten origins of Middle-earth's most beloved wizard.
We explore Olórin's life on the isle of Almaren, where he likely dwelt beside Mairon, the Maia who would become Sauron, and follow him to Valinor beneath the light of the Two Trees. There he walked in the gardens of Lórien, and journeyed often to the house of Nienna at the edge of the world, where he learned the pity and patience that would one day decide the fate of the One Ring. We also look at one of the least known chapters in Gandalf's story, revealed in The Nature of Middle-earth, in which Olórin stood guard over the newly awakened Elves at Cuiviénen alongside Melian and the spirits who would later become Saruman, Radagast and the Blue Wizards.
From there we follow Olórin to the council of the Valar, where he confessed his fear of Sauron and was chosen to become one of the Istari, and to the moment Círdan the Shipwright gave him Narya, the Ring of Fire. We cover his many names, including Mithrandir, Tharkûn and Incánus, his gift of the Elessar to Galadriel, his journeys to Dol Guldur and through Moria in search of Thráin, the founding of the White Council and the first seeds of Saruman's jealousy, and the Long Winter that first won his heart to the hobbits of the Shire, ending with the morning he came walking up the path to Bilbo Baggins's door at Bag End.
Drawing on The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, The History of Middle-earth, The Nature of Middle-earth and The Lord of the Rings, this is the story of Gandalf the Grey as most fans have never seen it.
https://linktr.ee/realmsunravelled
MAPS: I personally illustrated the maps shown in my videos. My pre-first age maps and my maps of the East, which i designed to fit and layer as accuarately as possible with later maps, are as lore friendly as possible (very difficult due to some seemingly contradictory geographical information in the legendarium) and draw much inspiration from the excelent work of Karen Wynn Fonstad. Unfortunately Karen passed away before the Histories of Middle-earth books were all released and so my maps build upon her work and include alterations based upon the information that she did not have access to during her lifetime. I update these maps constantly as I attempt to refine and improve them.
ARTWORK: All artwork featured in this video has been created for the exclusive use of Realms Unravelled is not sourced from third-party artists.
Contact:
For all enquiries including sponsorships and commercial opportunities please contact me at realmsunravelled@gmail.com