Pallando

Pallando was one of the five Maiar who made up the Order of Wizards that was sent to Middle-earth to aid the Free Peoples in their struggle against Sauron.

Biography

Before he came to Middle-earth, Pallando was a Maia of Oromë the Huntsman. He was taken to Middle-earth at the bidding of Alatar, another Istar who took him as a friend.

Second Age

At some point in the Second Age, around the forging of the Rings of Power, Alatar and Pallando were chosen to become the first of the Istari (known as the Blue Wizards for their sea-blue robes) and were sent to the east of Middle-earth to stir up rebellion against Sauron and assist the few tribes of Men who had refused to worship Morgoth in the First Age.

Third Age

During the Third Age, the Valar selected Pallando to be one of the five Maiar to travel from the Undying Lands to Middle-earth and serve as wizards. Alatar, Curumo (Saruman the White), and Olórin (Gandalf) were assigned the objective of encouraging the peoples of Middle-earth to oppose Sauron. However, two more joined the original three, making them five. Aiwendil (Radagast) was chosen by Yavanna to travel with Curumo, and Alatar took Pallando as a companion. Upon arrival in Middle-earth, Alatar and Pallando were dressed in robes of sea-blue. Due to this, they were called the Blue Wizards (or Ithryn Luin in Sindarin). Along with Saruman, they traveled east in an attempt to help free the Haradrim and Easterlings from Sauron's service. Later, Saruman returned to the west alone. Alatar and Pallando were never seen again, and their fates remain untold.

Other than this, not much is positively known about Pallando, but it is thought that he most likely failed his mission in that he did not significantly prevent Sauron from rising again and threatening all the Free Peoples.

Character

When Pallando came to Middle-earth, he was clothed in flesh and had the appearance of a wizened old man, though he did not look as old as Gandalf. He, along with Alatar, was dressed in robes of sea-blue, earning them the name "Blue Wizards" or Ithryn Luin. Pallando had a grey beard which was not as long as either Gandalf's or Saruman's.^{[citation needed]} He carried a staff, as did the other Istari, which he could use to channel his magical powers.

Etymology

Pallando (IPA: [palˈlando]) was his first known name in Quenya. Its meaning was never explained by the author; however, it has been suggested that the stem could be palan ("far") and the ending the masculine agental suffix -ndo.^{[citation needed]}

Palacendo was another name, meaning "far-sighted one" in Quenya.^{[citation needed]} Rómestámo (IPA: [ˌroːmesˈtaːmo]) meant "East-helper" in Quenya, from Rómen, meaning 'east', and stámo, meaning 'helper'.

In other versions

Later in his life, Tolkien wrote a note suggesting that the names of the Blue Wizards were Morinehtar (meaning Q. "Darkness-slayer") for Alatar and Rómestámo (meaning Q. "East-helper") for Pallando. It is not clear whether these names were intended to replace the names Alatar and Pallando, or whether Morinehtar and Rómestámo were alternate names for the Blue Wizards, possibly those given to them by the peoples of Middle-earth.

In adaptations

The Hobbittrilogy

When talking to Bilbo, Gandalf mentioned the two Blue Wizards in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. When Bilbo asks how many Wizards there are, Gandalf states that there is himself, Saruman, the two Blue Wizards (whose names he has "quite forgotten"), and Radagast. The filmmakers did not own the rights to the names, which were published in Unfinished Tales, which is why Gandalf did not say their names.

The Lord of the Ringsfilms

The Blue Wizards are never mentioned in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, only referenced indirectly by Saruman, who mentions "the rods of the five wizards" in the extended edition of the third film.

Speculation

• The Dark Wizard from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - Season Two, is rumored to be Pallando.

Translations

References