Jun 28, 2026 · 2 hr 16 min · 16 segments
The wizards went about in simple guise, as it were of Men already old in years. Alan and Shawn have been doing that for years. Join The Man of the West and The Lord of the Mark as they embark on a…
"Wizard is a translation of Quenya Istar, Sindarin Ithron, one of the members of an order, as they called it, claiming to possess and exhibiting eminent knowledge of the history and nature of the world.
The translation, though suitable in its relation to wise and other ancient words of knowing, similar to that of Istar in Quenya, is not perhaps happy since the Hérén Istarion, or Order of Wizards, was quite distinct from the wizards and magicians of later legend.
They belonged solely to the Third Age and then departed, and none save maybe Elrond, Círdan, and Galadriel discovered of what kind they were or whence they came.
Among Men they were supposed at first, by those that had dealings with them, to be Men who had acquired lore and arts by long and secret study.
They first appeared in Middle-earth about the year 1000 of the Third Age, but for long they went about in simple guise, as it were of Men already old in years but hale in body, travelers and wanderers, gaining knowledge of Middle-earth and all that dwelt therein, but revealing to none their powers and purposes.
But as the shadow of Sauron began to grow and take shape again, they became more active, and sought ever to contest the growth of the Shadow and to move Elves and Men to beware of their peril.
Then far and wide rumor of their comings and goings, and their meddling in many matters, was noised among Men, and Men perceived that they did not die but remained the same, unless it were that they aged somewhat in looks, while the fathers and sons of Men passed away.
Men therefore grew to fear them even when they loved them, and they were held to be of the Elven-race, with whom indeed they often consorted."
It was just a brief introduction from Christopher explaining that the early parts of this chapter were written, he believes, in 1954.
And we'll actually get through all of that 1954 content in today's episodes, with the remaining notes left for the second and third episodes of the chapter.
And Christopher points us back to the introduction to Unfinished Tales first, and we should really start there.
He begins there with something that seems entirely unrelated to Gandalf and Saruman and the rest as he talks about the fact that once Lord of the Rings was accepted for publication, there should be an index at the end of the third volume, he says.
And he writes that the professor, quote, "began to work on it in the summer of 1954 after the first two volumes had gone to press." Uh, writing, Tolkien that is, in Letter 187 to H.
Cotton Minshull, "An index of names was to be produced, which by etymological interpretation would also provide quite a large Elvish vocabulary.
"Wizard is a translation of Quenya Istar, Sindarin Ithron, one of the members of an order, as they called it, claiming to possess and exhibiting eminent knowledge of the history and nature of the world.
The translation, though suitable in its relation to wise and other ancient words of knowing, similar to that of Istar in Quenya, is not perhaps happy since the Hérén Istarion, or Order of Wizards, was quite distinct from the wizards and magicians of later legend.
They belonged solely to the Third Age and then departed, and none save maybe Elrond, Círdan, and Galadriel discovered of what kind they were or whence they came.
Among Men they were supposed at first, by those that had dealings with them, to be Men who had acquired lore and arts by long and secret study.
They first appeared in Middle-earth about the year 1000 of the Third Age, but for long they went about in simple guise, as it were of Men already old in years but hale in body, travelers and wanderers, gaining knowledge of Middle-earth and all that dwelt therein, but revealing to none their powers and purposes.
But as the shadow of Sauron began to grow and take shape again, they became more active, and sought ever to contest the growth of the Shadow and to move Elves and Men to beware of their peril.
Then far and wide rumor of their comings and goings, and their meddling in many matters, was noised among Men, and Men perceived that they did not die but remained the same, unless it were that they aged somewhat in looks, while the fathers and sons of Men passed away.
Men therefore grew to fear them even when they loved them, and they were held to be of the Elven-race, with whom indeed they often consorted."
It was just a brief introduction from Christopher explaining that the early parts of this chapter were written, he believes, in 1954.
And we'll actually get through all of that 1954 content in today's episodes, with the remaining notes left for the second and third episodes of the chapter.
And Christopher points us back to the introduction to Unfinished Tales first, and we should really start there.
He begins there with something that seems entirely unrelated to Gandalf and Saruman and the rest as he talks about the fact that once Lord of the Rings was accepted for publication, there should be an index at the end of the third volume, he says.
And he writes that the professor, quote, "began to work on it in the summer of 1954 after the first two volumes had gone to press." Uh, writing, Tolkien that is, in Letter 187 to H.
Cotton Minshull, "An index of names was to be produced, which by etymological interpretation would also provide quite a large Elvish vocabulary.
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