The Rings of Power: What is an Istar?

The Rings of Power promises to reveal his identity by the end of season 2, but continues to cultivate the mystery with this fourth episode. The Prime Video series has fun with the character of The Stranger by evoking here and there another bearded man and friend of the Hobbits. The use of a line spoken by Ian McKellen in the Lord of the Rings had caused a reaction from fans of the universe, who now saw in the character played by Daniel Weyman a Gandalf in the making.

Episode 2 of season 2 also includes a scene where Poppy and Nori are looking for a first name for their traveling companion. For now, viewers will have to stick to the term Istar to designate him, it was pronounced by the Priestesses launched in pursuit of him in the first salvo of episodes. But what is it?

A magician order

The invention of languages ​​is at the origin of Tolkien's literary universe. Like many words in the mythology of The Lord of the Rings, the term Istar was invented by the author. It comes from the Quenya dictionary, meaning the language spoken by the Elves and created in Valinor during the Years of the Trees. Istar comes from the word “ista” which means knowledge. Istar or its plural Istari thus designates wise people, those who know.

These are spirits called Maiar and are subjects of the Valar, “their helpers and their servants”. Five of them took the form of incarnate magicians: the Istari. They were sent to Middle-earth to assist the people in their fight against Sauron. Immortal and with different magical abilities, they are precious allies for Men and Elves. In Tolkien's works, they are sent to Middle-earth during the Third Age.

Who are the five Istari mentioned by Tolkien?

Gandalf is undoubtedly the most mentioned, he plays a leading role in The Lord of the Rings. His powers are related to fire and light, which he uses to help Frodo and the Fellowship in his quest. Saruman is also not unknown to viewers of Peter Jackson's films. The other three, however, have only rarely been mentioned on the small and big screen. In the Hobbit films, Radagast occupies a small place in the narrative.

Radagast is nicknamed “Brown” because of the color of his clothes. Upon his arrival at the Grey Havens, the magician falls in love with the animals, especially the birds of Middle-earth. He will thus abandon Men and Elves to live with the fauna and flora, which he knows better than anyone. However, he will be absent during the last battle against Sauron.

The last two Istari are unknown to viewers of The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Rings of Power. Named Alatar and Pallando, they appear with blue tunics and a white beard and a wooden staff. After traveling alongside Saruman to the East, they disappeared. It is not known what happened to them, whether they were corrupted by Sauron or whether they participated in his fall in any way.

Can the Stranger be Gandalf?

The revelation of the term Istar confirms that the series is taking liberties with its source material, unless it is taking advantage of the author's vagueness. The series is set in the Second Age, and as stated above, Gandalf does not arrive until the Third Age. Nothing in Tolkien's writings allows us to state with certainty that the five Istari presented are the only ones to have set foot in Middle-earth. One can imagine that the creators preferred to stay away from the character played by Ian McKellen to avoid the wrath of Tolkien worshipers. The idea of ​​introducing a new Istar would thus allow the audience to thwart expectations, while deepening the mythology of Adar and the place that certain Maiar occupy in the fight against the evil that is eating away at Middle-earth.

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