The Blue Wizards: Mysteries of the East - What does Tolkien tells us? | Tolkien Lore Video

The Blue Wizards are two of the mysterious characters in the entire Legendarium. So let's explore and untangle every detail that Tolkien gives us about them!
For more information on other badass Lord of the Rings characters, check out these videos on Galadriel, Elrond, and Gandalf
Galadriel: • Galadriel: Ambition VS...
Elrond: www.youtube.co....
Gandalf: www.youtube.co....
Much love and many thanks to the artists who make the wonderful art. No Tolkien art is created by myself, and all credit goes to the individual artists. If an artist is not credited, it is because I cannot find the source of their image, but if any of your artwork is featured during this video, please drop a message or a comment and I can link your page in the description of my videos!
All content falls under fair use: any copying of copyrighted material done for a limited and “transformative” purpose, such as to comment upon, criticize, parody, or use a copyrighted work for educational purposes. Such uses can be done without permission from the copyright owner.
Thumbnail art by Daniel Pilla - www.artstation...
Rainbow Dave is kindly drawn by Goldswoof. Check out more of her art at www.goldswoof.com
Art credits in order of appearance:
Blue Wizards - Quinton Hoover
Blue Wizards in a Snowy Forest - Giuliano Brocani
Blue Wizards (evil) - πιράτεμον
Blue Wizards in the East - Turner Mohan
Blue Wizards Journeying East - Ted Nasmith
Mahanaxar - Jacek Kopalski
Manwë - Dymond Starr Illustrations [This is miscredited as Dymond Starr Registrations in the video]
Oromë - Steamey
Yavanna - Sedeptra
Nienna - Aerankai
Aulë - Alice Falto
Curumo - nevui-penim-miruvorrr
Alatar & Palando - nevui-penim-miruvorrr
Olorin - nevui-penim-miruvorrr
Aiwendil - Moi-Keiniku-Sang
Alatar & Pallando - Daniel Pilla
Glorfindel - Magali Villeneuve
Much love and many thanks to the music makers!
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Fairytale | Celtic Fantasy Music | -
by Jonathan Segev. • Fairytale | Celtic Fan...
Instagram: / jonathan_jo. . Twitter: / mistersegev
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Music provided by Royalty Free Music: / royaltyfree. . Music used: The Forbidden Forest by Alexander Hoff / alexander-hoff. . Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 creativecommon....
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Celtic Theme - Tom Kent - Freelance Musician @tomkentuk | www.tomkentmusic.co.uk | tomkentmusic An original soundtrack piece titled, 'Celtic Theme'.
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"Dungeons and Dragons" - Royalty Free Music For Commercial Use - Epic/Celtic Fantasy Royalty Free Music - Alexander Nakarada

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Much love, stay groovy, and navaer mellyn nin!

[@jayoungr]

I'm not a fan of a lot of Tolkien's "rethinkings" of various things in his last writings, but I'm glad he gave the blue wizards a second chance, as it were.

[@ThunderhawkVeronicaLazerwolf]

The concept of a Hunter Wizard is beyond bad ass! Like Aragorn plus Gandalf in ONE DUDE!?!?!? In my head cannon, Romestamo is like his Sam, but more of a hype man. I don't know why

[@joshwells3782]

I wish we could have another incarnation of j.r.r Tolkien so we could have more of the stories. I mean I think he is the greatest of all time nobody else has reached his level

[@j-mc5201]

Maybe someone like Amazon could pool their resources and recreate the genius……. Oh … wait. 😢

[@archmage_of_the_aether]

I thibk rather it's a lesson about appreciating what jewels we have. Whenever the public demands more, we find out that more is less.

[@AshishRaj_27]

I have now watched 32 out of your 71 videos and let me at the outset say, it's been a fascinating journey. Understanding Middle Earth and the Legendarium with you as a guide is a great way to complete this unexpected yet wholesome journey.. 39 more to go and hopefully many more to come.. Thank you very much..

[@tolkienuntangled]

I'm really glad you enjoy the videos!

[@AshishRaj_27]

@@tolkienuntangled Thank you for replying... Look forward to your videos eagerly.. Also side note - 46 videos completed.. Thanks..

[@adb9231]

Thanks Dave, I wasn't aware of this epilogue about the 2 blue wizards, fascinating. So little is said about East and South (beyond the map)..

[@ho8464]

The maps don’t even show very much of the East or South!

[@alex.scaraoschi]

@@ho8464 Aye... pity...

[@ianmartinezcassmeyer]

I like this explanation. Until Tolkien passed, Middle-Earth was still a work-in-progress. Perhaps they didn't die or fall to corruption. Maybe they had to linger long after the 3rd Age to help the East heal from Sauron's corruption, and thus, they were never able to return to Valinor's shores, just as Rhadagast remained to be an advocate of Nature.

[@12classics39]

I wouldn’t be surprised if Aragorn met them, since he is said to have ventured into the East with Éomer to deal with Sauron’s remaining allies.

[@dronesclubhighjinks]

Thank you for this video! I’m learning so much from your channel. ❤

[@alex.scaraoschi]

Whenever I used to read the Encyclopedia of Arda online I always wondered why Mordor couldn't conquer Gondor or at least Minas Tirith over so many years. They managed to conquer what became Minas Morgul, but it's as if something kinda kept them boxed in within the confines of the mountains surrounding Mordor. And I don't think it was Shelob. Maybe the two had something to say about this 🙂

[@fattyfatty5536]

IT WAS TALION even tho its not CANON lol

[@calandale]

There are a lot of other Tolkien nerds out there doing vids, but I love your infectiousness. As well as the degree of linkage for these fun fact portions.

[@tolkienuntangled]

Thanks!

[@ho8464]

It always intrigued me to think about what the East and the South looked like, how the cultures looked like. Are the Avari still there? The Eastern Dwarves? Do Easterlings inhabit much of the land beyond the Sea of Rhûn?

[@tolkienuntangled]

Great questions! The East and South are such amazingly mysterious places. There's so much to speculate on beyond the edges of the map.

[@zefft.f4010]

"Easterlings" is what they call them in the West, I don't think they would identify themselves as such. More than likely, what's collectively known as "Easterlings" and "Southrons" in the West are a multitude of different tribes, kingdoms and polities, with varied cultures and languages. We really only know of a few such tribes, and they are given names in Westron - we don't know what even the most famous of tribes, like the Wainriders/Balchoth, called themselves. So you're absolutely right, there is so much there, so much so that one might be forgiven for tending to think in terms of "the Easterlings" and "the Haradrim" as monolithic entities, but I suspect they are anything but.

[@JainaSoloB312]

I have been feverishly researching the Blue Wizards for my fanfiction and this is definitely the best video on them out of the Dozens I've watched. The way you dive into what it really means to the story that they affected the chances for victory of the Free Peoples is why your videos are the best in the community: You don't just tell us the info, you make us Feel, and that's truer to Tolkien's writings than the most comprehensive lore recitation could ever be. You absolutely blew my mind when you pointed out that the Blue Wizards came to Middle-earth the same year as Sauron forged the One Ring. I'm convinced that Tolkien meant to tell a story during the 400 years that Alatar, Pallando, Saruman, and Sauron were all in Rhûn at the same time, and this is yet another connection between them and Sauron. Keep up the outstanding work💜

[@tolkienuntangled]

Thanks so much for your lovely words! I'm really glad you enjoyed the video, I find the Blue Wizards one of the most fascinating little details in the entire Legendarium! 😀

[@JainaSoloB312]

@@tolkienuntangled Update: I've also learned that it's very likely no less than 4 of the 7 Dwarven Rings were kept in Rhûn, as it's theorized they'd each be kept where the 7 treasure hoards were, and 4 of those were in Rhûn. Also Aragorn visited Rhûn at some point and nothing is known about that. Every time I try to research other things it keeps leading me back to Rhûn, haha!

[@BartAllen]

@@JainaSoloB312 *Also, Earendil (Elrond's father) encounters pygmies in southern Haradwaith during the Book of Lost Tales (even Ungoliant, too) ~ Additionally, Harad is present to one of the last three Numenorean bloodlines of Elros (Elrond's brother) when Castamir's kin mates with the women of Harad ~*

[@dannyfiumano6320]

If it ever came to be, I would absolutely watch the proverbial HECK out of a show all about the Blue Wizards with Charles Dance and Ben Kingsley in the titular roles

[@archmage_of_the_aether]

Alatar and Palando Go to White Castle

[@paulharrison2557]

I could have sworn I read in one of the unfinished works Tolkien stated explicitly that the work of the blue wizards was essential for victory even though none in the west knew of it., Or something along those lines

[@potita24]

He wrote several version

[@davidthetraveler1466]

Perhaps both theories are correct? Perhaps Morinehtar and Rómestámo did work to undermine Sauron's influence in the east, and did great work to protect those who had turned from darkness and to inspire others to see the light. But that even together they could not forever stand up to the might Sauron had amassed, both before and after his defeat(s). And so they were defeated, their spirits forced to retreat, and their teachings taken by some to become the basis of dark cults of sorcery. But what they had already done had weakened the stranglehold Sauron had once held. And their work and ultimate sacrifice inspired others to stand up and fight, weakening his hold and ensuring that when the alliances of the west finally stood up to take down Sauron, they could do so without being overwhelmed. Perhaps in time, their spirits could even be welcomed back into Valinor, and new forms granted to them in honor of their work, and their old colleague Olorin would herald their return and praise them for their deeds, calling them even greater than himself (though that might be debatable, still I could see him doing it out of his humility and his joy in seeing others blossom and grow).

[@willdemi5618]

Now i can't help but wonder why the silly prime show had gandalf crash into the 2nd age like a non canonical meteor, instead of playing with these 2 wonderfully intriguing and mysterious Istari.

[@MarcAlcatraz]

a tv series/novel about the two blue wizards traveling and helping out the easterlings would be amazing to see

[@degrelleholt6314]

Perhaps these fellows should have been the subject of Rings of Power. It would have been fascinating to see an interpretation of what life was like east of Mordor and the Sea of Rhun.

[@12classics39]

I’ve heard a story that Edith convinced JRR not to kill off Éowyn or marry her off to Aragorn, when those were among his original ideas for the character. Clearly Edith did not like depressing endings (or mismatched couples). Since JRR wrote his changes to the Blue Wizards’ fates the year after Edith died, I do wonder if in their last years, she suggested making their story less depressing, and he did so to honor her wishes. A stretch? Probably. But I do wonder.

[@Davlavi]

This channel deserves way more views. Keep up the great videos.🙏

[@sarahrucinski5185]

Hey Rainbow Dave! Been watching all your videos starting with the first. THANK YOU for these videos, I love the breakdowns and explanations. You mentioned in this video that the Blue Wizards past into the East with Saruman. In the previous video, you spectated Saruman may have been corrupted by jealousy of Gandalf when first arriving to Middle Earth. Perhaps, the Blue Wizards were overtaken by Saruman? A thought, I haven't finished the video yet so maybe you will mention that? Again, I love your videos, thank you for making them!

[@tolkienuntangled]

Thanks very much!

[@alvarobeltran8087]

another amazing video! thank you!!!!

[@zefft.f4010]

So many great potential scenarios. Did they go into the East with Saruman and fell? Did he betray them to their downfall? Did Alatar and Pallando turn on each other, like Saruman turned on Gandalf? Did they align with Sauron? Or did they do their part, unseen, to aid in his defeat? I think I prefer the last option, but they're all possible.

[@ketugrahagraha3673]

Ok, I probably watch youtube Tolkien channels too much because after the words "They sailed with Glorfindel" I thought, "Great! We can ask him where the Blue wizards are now. He knows!" :-) Dangeous task they had I must say.

[@Human_Earthling]

Wonderfully told! Thank you. :)

[@TalesFromtheBlueWizard]

Wonderful work! For those with ears and patience, the story holding many of the answers is now unfolding.

[@lordofthehouseofstormcrows8615]

Mae Govannon mellon! It is logical to say that the Blue wizards failed...but what do our hearts tell us? I love how Tolkien leaves it up to the reader to wonder. I imagine they did more for Middle Earth than any could guess. Maybe they had something to do with Balindathor. Maybe they finally got the Easterlings to chill out. Maybe they really destroyed Bar-a-dur..it's fun to wonder. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK. ECTHELION!

[@luisguinand1]

Excellent details and great references! Very informative keep it up! Look forward to more of your videos! ✌🏿🌈

[@jamesjohnston9319]

Just found this channel and love it! On a binge now. Adore Tolkien and lotr but there's so much material that it's nice to see condensed narratives

[@tolkienuntangled]

Thanks! I'm really glad you enjoy the channel.

[@ladykoiwolfe]

It's definitely holding up, I've just started binging the channel myself and couldn't be happier.

[@coycoyote156]

I came here from the Reddit thread and I am hooked! Awesome research and storytelling ability. I love the art and music. I will be watching all of your videos and sharing them with my friends!

[@tolkienuntangled]

Thank you sou much! I'm really glad you're enjoying the videos.

[@devonchin94]

My favorite part about Tolkien, is that this world was truly alive to him. It's as if nothing was really fact, only educated guesses by him. As if he saw the world through the eyes and ears of the people that lived there. And as we all know, the way history is told isn't always 100% truth, like the game telephone details change as people retell it over time. He didn't create a world and decide this or that happened and that was that. No, he would spread seeds of a story, and over many years contemplate what they would mean, how they would affect his world. I think of it much like a dungeon master in DnD (I am a DM). His world was alive, fluid, dynamic, and constantly evolving. He would revisit the seeds he had sown years prior and ponder - even in his essays he isn't usually stating facts about his world, he is simply making guesses, and pondering the many different paths and possibilities that people and events could have taken. It's such incredible story telling, I am captivated by it, like so many others. And I believe it is for this reason. He didn't make a static world. He made a world with a history that, like ours, is ever unfolding, with new truths surfacing and old truths falling to myth, or falling altogether. Brilliant video as always Untangled!

[@windalfalatar333]

Aulë wasn't very lucky with his entourage of pupils. Tolkien says that Sauron, the Balrogs and Saruman all had been Maia disciples of Aulë. Were there any good pupils in his class? It almost seems that most of them fell to evil. The only good disciple I can think of was not a Maia but a Noldorin Elf, Mahtan, the father of Nerdanel, wife of Fëanor.

[@Dinoslay]

All this makes me wonder if Tolkien had planned to use these characters as part of the story for his unfinished sequel The New Shadow. The potential seems to be there.

[@flyingfoamtv2169]

he might have possibly revearsed the geography in it, since the reunited kingdom was implied to be falling to darkness so i could see the blue wizards coming west with haradrim and easterlings in tail to counter a corrupted gondor.

[@ianheins650]

Nice work dude thanks

[@tsinestexicthdauwraum9082]

As a Star Trek fan, whenever someone declares there are 5 of something, my instinct isn't rebel but this is a well done video.

[@kerimkocabay106]

Thanks!

[@jandunn169]

After listening to the story of the Children of Hurin last night on audiobook, I felt a bit depressed by all the deaths, but you have brought me back to hope with the stories of the 2 Blue Wizards......I love the way Tolkien kept us guessing and has kept his tales intriguing even after he himself has passed on....You are such a wonderful storyteller.....Blessings!!!!

[@Konuvis]

I remember when the Istari falls to Middle Earth in season 1 of Rings of Power, my friend and I were heavily speculating that it could be one of the Blues.

[@itayshorek6872]

wonderful

[@gunthergiel7088]

alpharios and omegon .the alphalegion tookover this setting

[@BartAllen]

*Also, as I'm sure you're aware, Manwe sent the Istari to Harad, as well as Rhun ~*

[@dymondstarrillustrations]

Hi again! I see my Manwë art piece is used here as well. My name is sited incorrectly. It is Dymond Starr Illustrations. Thank you

[@ANTdebomarche]

Di iawn Dai enfys. Thoroughly enjoyed that 😃

[@Chris-bv4ko]

I believe the Blue Wizards had been killed or otherwise perished shortly before the events of LOTR but their work kept some Easterling tribes loyal to the Valar and they refused to join Sauron. Or they inspired large uprisings against Sauron, which saw lots of casualties further decreasing the numbers for Sauron. I don't believe they were active during LOTR because Sauron seemed to focus 100% of his attention on the West. Hard to believe Sauron could have done that with two wizards wandering around his rear areas.

[@BartAllen]

Manwe also sent them to Harad (the South of Endor) ~ Tolkien touches on some of what you've highlighted regarding outside of the West ~

[@flyingfoamtv2169]

The wizards are experts at hiding their presense. he may have just been unable to notice them.

[@tonyusa5509]

Hi Dave. What if Tolkien was of the idea of bringing back to the story, the Blue Wizards, with the unfinished book: The New Shadow? I think it would be a great idea

[@Dinoslay]

Good minds think alike. In capable hands there could be more story left to tell but only if it supplements what came before with a satisfying way to tie it all up.

[@Clannluan]

Saraman was right about the Gandalf needing the rodes of the 5 wizards.., as he seems to break/loose his quite a lot.during the six Peter Jackson moves! 😂

[@77mpickett]

I like to think they succeeded and the east was much weaker when the war of the ring came around. As they had no western influence to backup that the valar and eru were the true God's and gave them another option that they'd never have known without the blue wizards prob leading to more Eastern rebellion and resistance against saurons cruelty which is all they would've known otherwise.

[@magister343]

I personally like to think that the Blue Wizards were not just missionaries sent to help the Men of the East, but were sent to try to redeem the Orcs. Perhaps they even took on the form of Orcs instead of men.

[@BartAllen]

*Well Manwe/Orome sent the Blue Wizards to not only Rhun but Harad, so it's logical that they took the form similar to Men of those lands, as Gandalf, Radagast and Saruman do when they're sent to the West almost 3,000 years later ~ Redeem the Orcs? There's no documented account of Orcs in Harad ~*

[@JJNincorporated]

Hooooooooooooooly sh- So the stranger in the Rings of Power may yet turn out to be a Blue Wizard. Damn.

[@catfinity8799]

The blue wizards were referenced in Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor (a video game). It isn't canon in the books or the movies though.

[@timkramar9729]

How do you transcribe your two catch phrases, and what do they mean? I've watched many of your videos, being a fan of the book series, and you seem to start with the same phrase,, and end with another. Neviah melanime, is what the close sounds like to me.

[@willdemi5618]

I can't help but wonder if Saruman led them astray or even betrayed them given his (future I believe) internal feelings towrds gandalf. Oh wait here comes the retcon 😂

[@dogo_cascara2138]

Morinehtar is the doom guy

[@dallasakira]

What does your sign off mean?

[@namelytile6140]

Aw... beautiful. Navaer mellyn nin

[@degrelleholt6314]

They were Lloyd and Harry.

[@lohiasam3495]

One thing is for sure, Aule is pretty bad at mentoring. He's got some awful people sent to middle earth...😂

[@ryanswaynow]

Who should have played the blue wizards in a Peter Jackson lord of the rings movie? My pics are Liam Neeson and Mark Hamill.

[@williamcase426]

Blue wizards are the best in Final Fantasy V

[@MarcAlcatraz]

its so weird that he would create two wizards that essentially do nothing important, they could've been completely written out and nothing would change

[@crhu319]

Since the Blue Wizards arrive in the Second Age 3000 years before the three old bearded men and there's mention of some temptation or issue that might have been feared if they came in other forms... I concluded that the Blue Wizards had NOT been in the guise of old bearded men or not restricted to such a form. Else how would the Valar know that this was even an issue? And since they entered the far east where men dwelt, they would likely have appeared human more than elf or dwarf or ent. The names Tolkien gives them are totally neutral as to gender or age. Code names at best. This suggests high security on their identities. This I concluded they were female or most likely to use the guise of females, and that something went wrong or became alarming that caused the later Wizards to be only able to appear as old men. Something interesting like a Wizard becoming a Queen and starting to care more for her half human half Maiar kids than for her mission. Or being worshipped as a goddess and this coming under narcisstic temptations like Sauron and like Galadriel almost falls to. INTERESTING storylines like that. Maybe Tolkien's fancy that their tactics worked to restrict forces available to Sauron later is accurate, but their methods for achieving that were not at all what the Valar intended or had faith in. Such as an alternate dark religion based around the Blue Wizards that rivalled Saurons. Or an extremely prosperous kingdom in the far east that had no interest in ever going west at all or dealing with nasty orcs or trolls from the "flyover states" in between. It just makes no sense that the author of the Silmarillion which is full of active female characters with agency, and has Eowyn kill the Ringwraith, has absolutely no such female agents in his Second Age.

[@hardxmeister]

Can be possible that saruman kill them??

[@adonaix3461]

So basically shadow of Mordor and war but in the east

[@AmityvilleFan]

Ah, the Gay Couple of the Wizards.

[@katherinestives940]

This has never sat well with me. Originally Galdalf was the only wizard who remained true to his calling. This makes Gandalf unique and says something about him. But then we hear that rather than fail outright, Radgast was charged with defending nature and rather than truly fail, he simply lost himself in his own calling. And then we hear that no, the blue wizards didn't fail. They were highly successful in their own tasks. We don't know anything about what happened to them. Maybe they found ships to sail back to Valinor. Suddenly, rather than being the one wizard who remained true, Gandalf is just one more member of the pack. I just don't care for the implications. The world was supposed to be something of a burden to the wizards, rife with temptations. But it seems that only Saruman was temped into a fall, if you take the later writings into account. Not much of a temptation then, is it?

[@IanHeins]

Nice work dude thanks