: Gandalf was not killed by the Balrog. Injured, yes.
: Changed, yes. Lessened or diminished to any extent:
: not a shot. He actually came through the experience
: much more powerful than before-more powerful than
: Saruman, in fact. I believe that his horrifying battle
: with a creature of equal power helped him reach new
: levels of enlightenment. For thsoe who do not know,
: Gandalf is a wizard
"Istari", in Quenya.
: and wizards are sort of like semi
: gods
"Maiar" (the demigods), who are of the Ainur, the same race as the Valar (the gods), but less powerful.
: in physical forms. The Balrogs were essentially
: the same thing, merely dark and corrupted. Sauron was
: too...but his forging of the one ring gave him a
: considerable advantage over everything else.
Not to mention being personally tutored under Melkor Morgoth himself, which made him perhaps the most powerful Maiar to begin with. Of course, the forces of darkness couldn't penetrate Doriath because of Melian's protective shroud over it, so mb Sauron wasn't the strongest. Which means our new king and queen are descendant from one of if not the most powerful Maiar of all time...
: So to
: beat such a powerful entity, i believe Gandalf
: immersed himself totally in his powers, thus allowing
: him to become the changed person you see when he
: reappears in the Return Of The King.
You mean The Two Towers, right?
Also... Galdalf walks amongst us! Though I suspect that but few here know the true name by which he goes...
