Alatar
From the One Wiki to Rule Them All, the Lord of the Rings Encyclopedia.
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Alatar
Biographical information
Physical description
Alatar also known as Morinehtar was an Ainur and an immortal Istar wizard.
[edit] History
The Valar selected Alatar to be one of five Maiar to travel from the Undying Lands to Middle-earth and serve as Istari wizards. Alatar, Curumo (Saruman) and Olórin (Gandalf) were assigned the objective of encouraging the peoples of Middle-earth to oppose Sauron.
However, two more joined the original three Istari and they became five. Aiwendil (Radagast) was chosen by Yavanna and Curumo, and Alatar took Pallando as a companion.
Upon arrival in Middle-earth, Alatar and Pallando were dressed in robes of sea-blue. Due to this, they were called the Blue Wizards (or Ithryn Luin, in Sindarin). With Saruman, they travelled east in an attempt to help free the last NumMen of Númenor, who were now Haradrim and Easterlings.
Later, Saruman came back to the west alone. However, Alatar and Pallando were never seen again. It is very likely that Saruman murdered the two blue wizards whilst traveling in the east.[citation needed] Possibly, the blue wizards survived and are living somewhere in the far east (Saruman was not evil back then).
[edit] Names
Alatar probably means "after-comer" (as he was the last of the original three Maiar to be chosen to become Istari).
J.R.R. Tolkien specifically stated that neither Alatar nor Pallando had a name in the West of Middle-earth, unlike the other three Istari (who all had two names). Therefore, Tolkien probably intended "Alatar" to be more of a title or a description than a name.
Later in his life, Tolkien wrote a note, suggesting that the names of the Blue Wizards were Morinehtar and Rómestámo. It is not clear whether these names were intended to replace the names Alatar and Pallando, or whether Morinehtar and Rómestámo were alternate names for the Blue Wizards, possibly those given to them by the peoples of Middle-earth.
[edit] References
- "The Two Towers (novel)" - "The Voice of Saruman," p. 188
- Appendix B - "The Tale of Years," p. 365
- Unfinished Tales - "The Istari," p. 388-95, 401 note 6
- The History of Middle-earth, vol. XII, The Peoples of Middle-earth - "Last Writings - The Five Wizards," p. 384-85
- The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien - Letter #211
| Ainur of Arda | |
|---|---|
| Ainulindalë (Music of the Ainur) | |
| Lords of the Valar: | Manwë | Aulë | Oromë | Irmo (Lórien) | Námo (Mandos) | Tulkas | Ulmo |
| Queens of the Valar (The Valier): | Varda | Yavanna | Vána | Estë | Vairë | Nessa | Nienna |
| The Enemy: | Morgoth (a.k.a. Melkor) |
| Maiar: | Eönwë | Ilmarë | Ossë | Uinen | Salmar | Sauron | Melian | Arien | Tilion | Gothmog Curumo (Saruman) | Ungoliant | Olórin (Gandalf) | Aiwendil (Radagast) | Alatar and Pallando | Durin's Bane |
| Wizards (Istari) |
