: How do you know he's not a Vala for that reason? In the
: rest of your post you go into lots of specifics of WHY
: the Valar aren't actively involved in the War of the
: Rings; why would Tom be any different? You don't see
: Manwe out here rallying the troops; that's Gandalf's
: job. So if Tom is a Vala, he would likely take the
: same attitude all the rest do: resigned sorrow at the
: ruin that is being brought to the world.
: Also, I don't have a copy of Lost Tales here with me, but
: I'm pretty sure that the Istari were sent to Endor by
: Eru himself, not by the Valar. Remember in the
: Ainundale, as Melkor kept trying to change the choir
: to his song, Eru kept raising another theme to bring
: harmony back to the choir, working Melkor's own works
: into a greater part. This happened three times. There
: are three ages. I don't recall what involvement (if
: any) Eru had in the First Age (besides creating the
: world, that is), but in the Second Age, Eru very
: violently interfered and changed the nature of the
: world. And in the Third, he sent the Istari.
Well, it's just my personal opinion, and a very strong one at that, that I believe that he CAN'T be a Vala, as I feel they would help more.
Of course, that's hardly proof.
But I did read an esay on the net somewhere a long time ago that convinced me that he couldn't be a Vala - I don't remember what it said (I do remember that it most definately proved that he wasn't Orome to start off with), but I do remember feeling totally convinced.
In Unfinished Tales, there is a short narrative about how the Council of the Valar select the Istari to go the Middle-earth: Aule chooses Curunir (Saruman), and Orome chooses Allatar/Palando, and Manwe asks Olorin (Gandalf) to go. Olorin (Me) said he din't want to go, as he wanted to stay in Valinor as he loved the Quendi (Elves) dearly and feared Sauron, and what he could do to both Olorin and the Quendi. Manwe told Olorin thta this was the reason why he was chosen by Manwe, so Olorin agreed. Pallando/Alatar then also joined, because he and Alatar/Pallando were really good friends, and Aiwendil (Radagast) went with Curunir at Yavanna's bequest (she was Aule's wife, os naturally her Maia went with his). Curunir was none too pleased by Aiwendil's company. Hence, "Radagst the Brown!...Radagast the Simple, Radagast the Bird-tamer, Radagast the Fool!"
