The Rings of Power: What are the Istari? That is their job

There are many powerful and magical beings in Middle-earth. Orcs, Elves, Ents and Balrogs are now known to most people. But what has the mystical Istari upon themselves that were created long before the first age?

In the beginning was the divine

At the beginning of Tolkien history, the creator god Ilúvatar created the valar and the Maiar. The Valar should will of the divine into the world with the help of the Maiar under them. Among the Maiar were the wise Istari.

The Istari were endowed with magical abilities and initially lived in the blessed Valinorto which the Elves set out together with Frodo and Bilbo at the end of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Later they were sent by the Valar to help the Men, Elves and Dwarves in Middle-earth Battle against Sauron to help. the five Istarior wizards sent to Middle-earth were Gandalf, Saruman, Radagast, Alatar and Pallando.

“she [die Istari] are actually emissaries from the True West, i.e. indirectly sent by God to strengthen the resistance of the “good guys” when it becomes clear to the Valar that Sauron’s shadow is taking shape again.Letter 156

The tasks of the Istari

The Mission to protect Middle-earth from Sauron practiced the five magicians varying success out. Radagast was so devoted to wildlife that he lost sight of his true purpose.

Saruman raised his own army, but lost hope of being able to stand up to Sauron and joined the former adversary.

Only Gandalf remained true to his commission to the end, and was especially a friend of the little people of the Shire.

About the last two wizards, the blue wizards, not much is known. Except that they were sent east and south to covertly keep people from joining Sauron. tolkien writes the following about it:

“I believe they went as emissaries to distant climes, to the east and south, far beyond the realm of Númenor: as missionaries to the enemy-held lands, so to speak. I don’t know how much success they had; but I fear they have failed like Saruman, though certainly each in a different way; and I suspect they became the authors or founders of secret cults and “magical” traditions that survived the fall of Sauron.”

Letter 211, page 367 question 3.

Istari in the Rings of Power?

So far we can only speculate whether we are in the rings of power also see the Istari in action. Whereby the stranger already shows very clear magical traits and he is likely to be one of the magicians.

In general, the Istari are forbidden to use their true Origin as Maiar to reveal and they are therefore to the physical form bound by the elderly. Nor should they use their power indiscriminately. Therefore, the sorcerers primarily use their power against other powerful beings.