"He wore a tall pointed blue hat, a long grey cloak, and a silver scarf. He had a long white beard and bushy eyebrows that stuck out beyond the brim of his hat."
—The Fellowship of the Ring, "A Long-expected Pa… See more

Years of the Lamps
Originally called Olórin, he was accounted as the wisest of the Maiar. He was created by Ilúvatar before the Music of the Ainur, and was at the beginning of Time amongst the Ainur wh… See more

The name Gandalf means "Elf of the wand" or "Wand-elf", from the Northern language of Dale.
Within Tolkien's legendarium, "Gandalf" is a mysterious name of the meaning "Wand-Elf" (alternativel… See more

Mythical roots
The Old Norse name "Gandalfr" appears in the list of Dwarves in the Völuspá of the Elder Edda; the name means "cane-elf," or "wand-elf." J.R.R. Tolkien took the name along with t… See more