Gandalf (mythology)

Gandalf ( ) is a Dvergr (Norse dwarf) in Norse mythology, appearing in the so-called 'Tally of the Dwarves' within the poem Völuspá from the Poetic Edda,Tom Shippey, J. R. R. Tolkien (2001) p. 15 as well as in the Prose Edda. The name derives from the Old Norse words gandr (magical entity e.g. wands, monsters etc.) and álfr (elf), thus a protective spirit who wields a magical wand.T. A. Shippey, The Road to Middle-Earth (1992) p. 88

The name was also used for a Norse king in the Heimskringla.Harald Fairhair's saga in Heimskringla

In his fictional writings, J. R. R. Tolkien eventually named his wizard Gandalf after the Dvergr, but initially used the name for the head of the dwarf party (ultimately to be called Thorin Oakenshield).J. D. Rateliff, Mr Baggins Pt I (2007) p. 15

See also

References