By the tip of its first season, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Energy all however confirmed that the mysterious Stranger (Daniel Weyman) was none aside from Gandalf himself. If his magic powers, grey clothes, and affection for the Hobbit-like Harfoots weren’t indicators sufficient, him immediately quoting Ian McKellen’s Gandalf within the finale — saying “if doubtful, all the time comply with your nostril” — sealed the deal.
Nevertheless, as The Rings of Energy Season 2 kicks off, the Stranger nonetheless has no clue who he’s. That is why he, Nori Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh), and Poppy Proudfellow (Megan Richards) are following a star map to the Jap land of Rhûn. Perhaps there, they will discover solutions about who the Stranger is, together with, crucially, his title.
In episode 2, Nori does her greatest to workshop some doable names for the Stranger. Options embody Doderic, Andwise, and Fredegar. Whereas the Stranger is not feeling any of these, the names are enjoyable nods to Hobbits briefly talked about in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings: Doderic Brandybuck is a relative of Merry, Andwise Roper is Sam’s uncle, and Fredegar Bolger (aka “Fatty” Bolger) is an effective good friend of Frodo’s, and later Merry’s brother-in-law.
Nevertheless, Nori says one thing else in episode 2 that is a clearer trace on the Stranger’s title — even when she does not understand it on the time. As Poppy wonders why the Stranger cannot simply magically create meals and water for them, Nori reminds her that he wants a stick or workers of some sort to harness his energy, saying “he is afraid he’d lose management once more with no gand.”
Now maintain on only a minute! A “gand”? As in “Gand”alf? That is it, we have cracked the code!
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However “gand” — from the Outdated Norse “gandr,” which means “workers,” “wand,” and even “magic” — is a lot greater than only a phrase that sounds much like Gandalf. It is a key a part of the etymology of Gandalf’s title, and it might be a clue as to what the Stranger’s quest in Rhûn will entail.
Why is a “gand” so vital in The Rings of Energy?
Daniel Weyman in “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Energy.”
Credit score: Ben Rothstein / Prime Video
Tolkien did not give you the title Gandalf on his personal. As a substitute, he tweaked a reputation from a bit of the Norse poem Völuspá titled the “Catalogue of Dwarves.” (That is additionally the place a lot of the dwarves’ names from The Hobbit got here from.) Identify-wise, the inspiration for Gandalf was a dwarf named Gandálfr, which mixes “gandr” and “álfr,” which means elf. Mainly, “Gandálfr” means “elf with a wand.”
Being the language lover that he was, Tolkien preserved that which means in his personal works. He wrote in his Unfinished Tales that the title Gandalf means “Elf of the Wand,” in reference to each Gandalf’s workers and Males’s false impression that he was an Elf. (Notably, “Gandalf” is simply the title Males got here to know the wizard by. He has different names, together with Olórin, his title in Valinor, and Mithrandir, the title given to him by the Elves.)
By mentioning the Stranger’s want for a gand in episode 2, The Rings of Energy positions the seek for a workers as a key a part of his quest shifting ahead. Add to that his episode 1 dream of a shapeshifting workers calling to him, and we’re formally on workers watch.
So the place is Gandalf going to discover a workers in Rhûn? Might he trend one from these gnarled timber throughout the desert? May he obtain one as a present? And maybe most pressingly, will he perceive how a gand pertains to his title as quickly as he takes up his workers? Or, like in Tolkien’s work, will he earn that title from Males he encounters on his journeys?
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Lord of the Rings