He hides it well, but Gandalf wields one of the Elves’ three Rings of Power throughout both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Exactly how he utilizes this ring – Narya, the Ring of Fire – is ambiguous, but it likely helps him rally the armies of Middle-earth to war and inspire courage within them. Given that Gandalf is only the second of the Istari order, however, it surely would have made sense for Saruman to wear Narya.

After all, Gandalf is the only one of The Lord of the Rings‘ five wizards to be granted a Ring of Power, and Saruman was the group’s leader, apparently the strongest and most knowledgeable among them. Given that his treachery would not be uncovered for many centuries, logic dictates that he should have received the Ring of Fire instead of Gandalf.

The Elf That Sensed Gandalf’s Importance From The Very Beginning

Before the wizards came to Middle-earth, the Elves’ three Rings of Power were possessed by Elrond (Vilya), Galadriel (Nenya) and Círdan (Narya). Known for his skills as a shipwright, Círdan was also the elf who greeted the wizards as they sailed from the west and landed on Middle-earth’s shores. Saruman arrived first alongside Radagast, with Gandalf appearing later.

It was Círdan who handed his Ring of Power over to Gandalf at their first meeting, and this makes the grey wizard’s possession of Narya even more curious. Círdan encountered Saruman and felt no compulsion whatsoever to hand over the ring, but later felt Gandalf worthy of such a great gift. Immediately, this invites questions over how much Círdan knew about the deeper intentions of each wizard.

Círdan’s choice to pass Narya to Gandalf was less about harboring suspicions or reservations over Saruman, and more about sensing the inner worth of Gandalf. The elf felt deep wisdom within the grey stranger, greater than any of the other wizards he welcomed ashore. Crucially, Círdan was the oldest of Middle-earth’s elves, and possessed a degree of foresight his kin lacked. Using that foresight, Círdan believed Gandalf would endure many hardships and battles ahead, and offered Narya to aid him on that path.

While Círdan never perceived Saruman as a future foe, he did make some degree of judgment against the White Wizard. The Valar had appointed Saruman “first” among the magical messengers, but Círdan believed Gandalf to be the greatest – even if Gandalf himself couldn’t see it. Other elves held him in similarly high regard, with Galadriel later championing Gandalf as leader of the White Council over Saruman.

Círdan Giving Narya To Gandalf Created A Problem For Middle-earth

On one hand (Gandalf’s), Narya played a vital role in defeating Sauron. Exactly how much of a role is unclear, but the courage shown by hobbits and men alike throughout The Lord of the Rings may have been coaxed out partly due to the ring’s influence.

On the other hand, Gandalf’s possession of Narya also had ramifications that impacted the people of Middle-earth in a negative way. Even before departing Valinor, Saruman had developed the beginnings of a jealousy complex over Gandalf. It started when the Valar hand-picked Gandalf for the mission and installed him as second of the order, directly under Saruman himself.

Despite Gandalf attempting to conceal his possession of Narya, Tolkien wrote in Unfinished Tales that Saruman eventually became aware of Círdan’s gift and resented it. Viewing himself as the superior wizard, Saruman was surrounded by allies who seemed to favor Gandalf. Not to mention Narya would have proved immensely valuable to Saruman’s ongoing quest for knowledge (and later for power).

It would be an exaggeration to suggest that Saruman could have remained good-hearted if Círdan hadn’t given Narya to Gandalf. Nevertheless, Círdan’s decision to overlook the White Wizard was certainly another step toward Saruman’s betrayal in The Lord of the Rings.

Created by

J.R.R. Tolkien

Cast

Norman Bird, Anthony Daniels, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis, Brad Dourif, Karl Urban, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Morfydd Clark, Mike Wood, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Charlie Vickers, Markella Kavenagh, Megan Richards, Sara Zwangobani, Daniel Weyman, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Lenny Henry, Brian Cox, Shaun Dooley, Miranda Otto, Bilal Hasna, Benjamin Wainwright, Luke Pasqualino, Christopher Guard, William Squire, Michael Scholes, John Hurt

Character(s)

Frodo Baggins, Gandalf, Legolas, Boromir, Sauron, Gollum, Samwise Gamgee, Pippin Took, Celeborn, Aragorn, Galadriel, Bilbo Baggins, Saruman, Aldor, Wormtongue, Thorin Oakenshield, Balin Dwalin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Nori, Dori, Ori, Tauriel, King Thranduil, Smaug, Radagast, Arondir, Nori Brandyfoot, Poppy Proudfellow, Marigold Brandyfoot, Queen Regent Míriel, Sadoc Burrows