Gandalf's sight

[Fat middle]

At the end of The Pyre of Denethor, when Gandalf hears the Witch King's last scream and looks to the battle field it says more or less that "he saw with the sight he had been given all what had befallen".

Afterwards, when he mets Pippin & Merry going up to the Houses of Healing, he says to Pippin that thanks to Merry much grieve have been avoided, as if he knew exactly what had befallen.

What sort of a sight is that of Gandalf? It seems as powerful as a Palantir: he can see the past if he bend his thought over it. Does anybody remember another proof of his special sight?

[markedel]

Gandalf strove against Sauron to make Frodo take off the ring at Amon Hen.

[galadriel88]

I think it just has to do with the fact that he's a wizard. He can just, I dunno, do that kind of stuff. Or it could be referring to a sort of sixth sense that something terrible would have happened had Merry not done what he did. Any other opinions? Nolendil, are you around?

[Ñólendil]

I'm flattered you asked, your Halfwittedness.

I think it has much more to do with Gandalf the White, so to speak, than Gandalf. Gandalf the White seems to have had many more powers than Gandalf the Grey, and those powers were far more potent. Markedel mentioned the incident on Amon Hen. Gandalf had already died in Mória when this took place, if I remember correctly, so we are here dealing with a Gandalf from Beyond, or possibly Gandalf the White (you can check the chronology and see if he's come back to life yet, I think he had because Aragorn had seen an Eagle).

When Gandalf returned to Middle-earth, it was in a world in which Radagast had forsaken his proper job and Saruman had fallen into evil. Gandalf was the last hope for the West, and so he was increased by Divine power. He was as Saruman was meant to be in many respects. Saruman the White was far above Gandalf the Grey. When Gandalf the Grey suggests to Saruman the White that dealing with him may not be one of the lighter matters in Sauron's business, Saruman laughs in his face, "for my words were empty, and he knew it". There's no fight, Gandalf wouldn't have stood a fighting chance.

Similarly, when Gandalf the White meets Saruman of Many Colours, Saruman has absolutely 0 chance against in any sort of altercation. Saruman must come and go at the very words of Gandalf, and at his words the staff of the former simply shatters. Gandalf the Grey wounded his arm in The Battle of Five Armies (I think), Gandalf the White could not be harmed by any weapon possessed by the Three Hunters (which included Andúril, originally crafted by the same Dwarven smith who made the knife that cut Morgoth's crown). Indeed I would not hesitate in saying that Gandalf the White was almost a match for Sauron himself, in battle (and certainly so in other matters).

So, I have no trouble believing that Gandalf the White was capable of viewing things with great clarity, both physically far away and in the past. I do not believe that this was a skill Gandalf the Grey possessed.

[markedel]

An interesting issue could be raised-Is the change in stature because his inherant powers were increased, or were they simply less veiled?

[Melkor's significant othe]

Gandalf was 'sent back', this implies although not explicitly that the Valar determined this. As such, being again amongst the 'divine' the opportunity to endow Gandalf with greater powers would seem a damn fine idea. (Given how great Sauron's advantage appeared over the remnant of the 'West'ern allies.)

[Sween]

Gandalf didnt just hgave the backing of the vlalr he had it of illvester i read that he was the one that sent him back and would of had to of been the one that gave him permission to strip saurman of his powers

[Urksnik the Sleek]

I wouldn't necessarily say that Gandalf was given more power when he was sent back as the White, rather that the limitations placed on his natural power had been relaxed somewhat.

The Istari, when they agreed to come to Middle Earth in the first place, agreed also not to use their powers overtly, to control, or take power over men. Saruman had already forgone this promise which was why men considered him more powerful than Gandalf; but after Gandalf was reincarnated (for want of a better word), he began to show his innate power more freely, and thus appeared to have suddenly aquired more of it to those who did not know what he really was.

[Sween]

we've gone off topic to the old gandalf the grey vs white debate. as an Maia Gandalf probably did the power to see what was happening. Dont forget that Sauron was from the same order and he could see what was happening all over middle earth if he so wished (well a part at a time).

When Gandalf was broken after his fight wityh the balrog the powers that be decided that Gandalf needed a lot more power than he had been given saurman had gone bad so gandalf was in charge of sorting him out but also to challege sauron and give leadership to the free so they decided to make him quite badass.