Gandalf

GANDALF ~ One of the Maiar, who were the lesser spirits of the Blessed Realm under the Valar. He was devoted to Manwл who was chief of the Valar and to Varda, she whom the Elves praise as Elbereth who kindled the stars. Gandalf was known as Olуrin in his early days, and was one of the Istari, whom Men called Wizards. Tolkien says that perhaps a thousand years into the Third Age Gandalf was sent by the Valar to aid Elves and Men in their fight against Sauron, one of five Istari so sent, (including Saruman) who took on the shape of Men who were not young, yet who nonetheless seemed to age only slowly. Gandalf claimed no place as home, but rather travelled widely among Elves and Men, and was known to the Elves as Mithrandir, which means Grey Wanderer. Gandalf's fondness for the hobbits of the Shire evidently dates from long before even Bilbo's birth, back to the days when the Shire was first founded. Later he and Bilbo joined the Dwarves for Bilbo's great adventure, helping the Dwarves free their homeland in Erebor by the Lonely Mountain from the dragon, Smaug. Of perhaps greater import was Gandalf’s part at the same time in the White Council, a gathering of the Istari under Sauruman the White and the greatest and wisest Elves, to counter the growing, nameless threat in southern Mirkwood at Dol Guldur. Together they drove out the being then known as the Necromancer from Dol Guldur, but he would return, and be known as Sauron. After Sauruman's betrayal and Gandalf's fall with the Balrog in Moria, Gandalf would return from the West renewed and strengthened, and now wearing the White robes of Istari leadership. He was also bearer of the Third Ring of the Elves, the Red Ring Nenya which was given to him by Cirdan of the Grey Havens. After Sauron's final overthrow in the War of the Ring, Gandalf sailed into the West with Galadriel, Elrond, and Frodo the Ring Bearer.