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| '''Radagast the Brown''' is one of the five ] in ]'s ] epic '']'' and is mentioned in '']''. | '''Radagast the Brown''' is not one of the five ] in ]'s ] epic '']'' and is mentioned in '']''. | ||
| He was an ally and confidante of ], who describes him in 'The Hobbit' as his cousin, although this may have been a description of convenience for ]'s sake. Radagast had a strong affinity for - and relationship with - wild animals. He lived for much of his time in Middle-earth at Rhosgobel, on the western eaves of ], near the ] on the ]. | He was an ally and confidante of ], who describes him in 'The Hobbit' as his cousin, although this may have been a description of convenience for ]'s sake. Radagast had a strong affinity for - and relationship with - wild animals. He lived for much of his time in Middle-earth at Rhosgobel, on the western eaves of ], near the ] on the ]. | ||
Revision as of 03:01, 18 May 2006
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Radagast the Brown is not one of the five Wizards in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings and is mentioned in The Hobbit.
He was an ally and confidante of Gandalf, who describes him in 'The Hobbit' as his cousin, although this may have been a description of convenience for Bilbo's sake. Radagast had a strong affinity for - and relationship with - wild animals. He lived for much of his time in Middle-earth at Rhosgobel, on the western eaves of Mirkwood, near the Gladden Fields on the Great River.
Radagast, like the other Wizards, came from Valinor around the year 1000 of the Third Age of Middle-earth and was one of the Maiar. His original name was Aiwendil, meaning bird-friend in Quenya. The Vala Yavanna forced Saruman to accept Radagast as a companion, which may have been one of the reasons Saruman was contemptuous of him.
Radagast lived in Rhosgobel in the Vales of Anduin. He played a part in the White Council, which was formed to stand against Sauron, but it seemed his greatest concern was with the Kelvar and Olvar (flora and fauna) of Middle-earth and little else is told of him in the chronicles of that time. He was wiser than any Man in all things concerning herbs and beasts. It is said he spoke the many tongues of birds. Even the Beornings and Woodmen of Mirkwood and the Mighty Ent guardians of the Forest of Fangorn spoke with reverence of the wisdom of Radagast the Brown, for in forest-lore he had no equal.
Radagast was unwittingly used by Saruman to lure Gandalf to Orthanc, where Gandalf was captured. However, Radagast also unwittingly helped rescue the grey wizard by alerting the eagles of Gandalf's journey there.
It is not known when or if he left Middle-earth. Tolkien writes that he forsook his mission as one of the Wizards by becoming too obsessed with animals and plants, so presumably he failed, and might not be allowed to return with honour. Tolkien also wrote that he did not believe that Radagast's failure was as great as Saruman's and that he may eventually have been allowed (or chose) to return to the Undying lands. Gandalf's references to him in the book are positive, describing Radagast as a "worthy wizard" and "honest".
According to the essay "The Istari" from the Unfinished Tales, the name Radagast means "tender of beasts" in Adûnaic, the language of Númenor. However, in a later note Tolkien said that the name is in the language of the Men of the Vales of the Anduin, and that its meaning is not interpretable.
The name Radagast may actually be Anglo-Saxon, and could have several interpretations. The word gast, or gæst, or giest means guest. With a different inflection, gāst means "ghost, spirit, angel." The element rad could be derived from rudu, meaning "ruddy, reddish", or from Hræd meaning quick, or nimble. So his name could either be read as "Swift Guest" (close to the Quenya meaning) or "Ruddy Angel." Since the Maiar are Tolkien's 'lesser angels', Radagast would mean simply "Ruddy Maia", perhaps in reference to his cloak's color (brown, or perhaps ruddy brown). But this may be too much speculation. See Radegast for meaning of the name in Slavic languages from which Tolkien possibly drew the name.
In adaptations
In Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, Radagast was entirely cut, and partially replaced by a Moon moth.
The character Radagast and virtually all references to him (with the exception of the presence of benign Eagles directed by an unseen force) were not used in the film versions of The Lord of the Rings directed by Peter Jackson. However, he appears in the related trading card game.
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