Radagast
| House / Order | |
|---|---|
| Race / Culture | Maia (Wizard) |
| Status | Remained in Middle-earth |
| Origin | Rhosgobel, near Mirkwood |
| Born | |
| Died | |
| Weapon | |
| Fate | Turned aside to the care of beasts and birds; did not return into the West with the others |
| Portrayed by |
Radagast, called Radagast the Brown, was one of the Wizards (the Istari), the order of Maiar sent into Middle-earth in the Third Age to aid the free peoples against Sauron. He was the friend of beasts and birds and a master of their tongues, but he wandered from the chief purpose of his mission.
Origins
Like the other Wizards, Radagast was a Maia, a lesser spirit of the order of the Ainur, sent over the Sea in the guise of an aged man to counsel and stir the peoples of Middle-earth against the rising Shadow. He was, in some accounts, sent at the urging of the Vala Yavanna, the lover of growing things, which accorded with his nature.
Character
Radagast dwelt at Rhosgobel near the edge of Mirkwood, on the western side. He grew so enamoured of the wild creatures, the beasts and the birds, that he came to care more for them than for the affairs of Elves and Men. He had great skill with herbs, with shapes and colours, and with the speech of animals. The eagles and many birds were his friends and served as his messengers.
Role in the War of the Ring
Radagast unwittingly played a part in the events leading to the War of the Ring. Deceived by Saruman, he carried a message summoning Gandalf to Isengard, which led to Gandalf's imprisonment there. Yet Radagast also, at Gandalf's request, sent the birds and beasts to gather news, and it was an eagle summoned through this errand that bore Gandalf to safety from the pinnacle of Orthanc. He took no further direct part in the war and, having strayed from his charge, did not pass back into the West with the other Istari.