Message Board | Rules

Thread: What ever happened to Radagast the Brown?


Bottom of Page    Message Board > The Lord of the Rings > What ever happened to Radagast the Brown?   
Radagast the Brown followed through with the task that Gandalf had given him; he sent his bird and animal friends out to collect information as to what the enemy was doing and report back to Gandalf and Saruman.

Gwaihir, the Lord of the Eagles, was coming to make one of these reports when he found Gandalf captive upon the top of Orthanac. I assume after that, that Gwaihir carried a postBody from Gandalf to Radagast to also report to Galadriel and Elrond, they being the other members of the White Council. We can thus assume that Radagast was the 'Good Guys' spymaster who coordinated regional intelligence gathering during the War of the Ring.

Other than the above bit of speculation, I don't think we know what happened to Radagast.
I suppose we can only guess what happened to Radagast. I like to think he got promoted. Gandalf became Gandalf the White, therefore it only makes sence for someone to take over Gandalf's old title. Personaly I think Radagast the Grey has a rather nice ring to it. Orc Grinning Smilie
There are a few possibilities about what happened to Radagast the Brown. He may have returned to Valinor, and as he was sent to ME, and not chosen, he might have wanted to do this. He did also, like the other three, fail, but in what appears to be a lesser way. I like to think that he chose to remain in ME though, as he loved the animals so much.

Quote:
For Radagast, the fourth, became enamoured of the many beasts and birds that dwelt in Middle-earth, and forsook Elves and Men, and spent his days among the wild creatures. Unfinished Tales

Radagast, Middle Earths version of Bill Oddie Wink Smilie
I wonder if the Valar allowed him to remain in Middle-earth? Because technically, he didn't do what he was supposed to do in the effort against Sauron. Thoughts?
I like think the Valar left Ragagast in Middle-earth for as long as he wished to remain there, for even though he failed to combat the enemy directly, his expertise with the kelvar (fauna: birds and animals) lead to Gandalf's escape from Saruman's clutches resulting in the eventual downfall of Sauron, the fufilment if the Istaris' mission.
My impression was that Saruman, who detested Radagast, might have been just a little angry for sending Gwaihir to Orthanc, so he might have snuffed him. I always felt a sense of foreboding when the book said Radagast was no longer at his home at Rhosgobel. Of course, these are all my theories, and don't have anything to support them. I always found it ominous that three Wizards went into the East and only one returned, but I'll not get into that here.
Arcormacolind’va, what do you mean when you say that three wizards went into the east and only one cameback? Do you mean "east" as in into ME or do you mean "east" as in east of even Mordor? If you mean "east" in the sense of ME, then you are mistaken as there were 5 wizards who entered ME, two went into the east and did not return. If you mean east as in east of Gondor, actually didn't Gandalf and Saruman go into Mordor (with Gandalf being the only to go into Barad-Dur?).

As far as the two who went into the far east, I have a theory that one of them ended up as the "watcher in the water", twisted into an evil monster by Sauron like Melkor twisted other Maia into Balrogs (and I suspect Dragons as well).
One more point, I don't believe that Radagast failed. He was selected by the Valar, who have knowledge of Illuvatar's song, therefore, they knew which Maia to send and how they would fair. Radagast was meant to avoid men and elves and be an animal person. That ended up helping Gandalf, just when he needed it. Don't forget that the LOTR was written from the hobbits' point of view, we don't know that Radagast was not sent to ME specifically to the animals, like Saruman was sent to the men and Gandalf to the Elves.

Now with what I said above about the wizards being sent because the Valar forsaw their efforts, I don't believe that Saruman was meant to fail, but I am sure the Valar saw him as being a "wild card" so to speak, in that he was corruptable, but he brought enough skills to the job that it was worth the chance. Don't forget that Galadrial pushed to have Gandalf as head of the White Council because she saw something in Saruman she didn't like (perhaps that he was corruptable, if not already corrupted by the time the White Council was formed). Perhaps Saruman was one of the Maia who repented when Melkor was finally cast out of Ea and this was meant as his penance, only he failed.
I meant East as in Rh’n, as in East of Mordor. Three Wizards (Saruman, Alatar, and Pallando)* went there, but only Saruman returned to the West of Middle-earth; the Ithryn Luin stayed behind in the East.
As for Gandalf and Saruman going to Mordor, I have no memory of such an occurrence, though it could have just escaped my mind. All I can think of is how Gandalf was the only to get into Dol Guldur, instead.

Edit: I had forgotten that the Letters were more recent than UT, and JRRT had changed Alatar's name to Morinehtar and Pallando's to R’mest’mo.
Arco (hope you don't mind me abbreviating it),

Yeah, I think I was reading through the UT discussion group and I saw some posts there talking about the other wizards and I faintly recall there being more info., however, I thought it was in the LOTR Appendices, only I was sorely disappointed to not find it when I re-read the book. I guess at some point, probably when I was in college, I read the UT and probably still have the book, but its stowed away at my dad's house. I thought I had read the Lost Tales I, at least back then, but it was probably the UT that I read, as the LT I that I am currently reading seems to be very unfamiliar.

Back to the topic however, I guess I spoke out of turn, as I will have to go and buy the UT and read it when I get a chance, before I can truly comment more on this subject. I remember the last time I tried reading everything I could about ME that I just got burned out, so I'm trying to take it at a more reasonable and leisurely pace this time around, as the HOME series is a large one.
Radagast, unfortunately, did NOT return to Valinor. We know this from the Rhyme of Lore pertaining to the Istari
Quote:
...one only returned, others never again
and we know Gandalf returned, so he is the one. Maybe Radagast is still alive. Hmmmm....
The purpose of the Istari was to counter Sauron by assisting the Free People of Middle Earth in their fight against him. Radagast was sent to Middle Earth at Yavanna's request to care for the Olvar and Kelvar which she believed would otherwise be overlooked. When the text says only one of the Istari was successful on their mission, this is refering to the mission of countering Sauron. Radagast spent too much of his time caring for the plants and animals to be a success in this role, but without doubt he succeeded in the role that Yavanna had selected him for.

Saruman belittled, and to his cost underestimated Radagast. He saw his lack of ambition for power as a weakness, and saw him as a simpleton. After he assisted Gandalf escape from Orthanc, Saruman may indeed have wished revenge, but I think the timeframe was too short for this to have occured. A lot was going on in Saruman's world at that time, what with building an army to take over Rohan and his search for the ring. I don't think he would have had time to take a journey all the way to Mirkwood just to exact his revenge.

Personally, I see Radagast's absence from Rhosgobel as meaning he was now undertaking Yavanna's task. Many evil things were issuing from Dol Guldur at this stage, and I don't think it is any accident that Radagast chose the fringes of Mirkwood as his dwelling place. No doubt as those armies marched on Thranduil's realm, Radagast was close by, doing his best to protect the plants and animals from them, and possibly also summoning the aid from such creatures.

His failure to return to the West at the end of the War is hardly surprising either. His duty was to protect the plants and animals. Unlike the other Istari, his duty was not over with the demise of Sauron. The Fourth Age was to be the Age of Man.... not a good prospect for the trees under his care. I think Radagast survived the War of the Ring, but chose to stay in Middle Earth when the others returned, because he knew his task was not yet over.

i HOPE HE GOT PROMETEDnobecause odly he is my favoriteno