Alatar

Alatar (Quenya; IPA: [ˈalatar] - "After-Comer"), also called Morinehtar (Quenya; [moriˈneçtar]) was a Maia and an immortal Istar wizard. He travelled to Middle-earth in the Second Age with Rómestámo (Pallando), and they became the Ithryn Luin, or "Blue Wizards".Along with Pallando, Alatar is eleventh most powerful Maiar.His wisdom was great, but it was still inferior to the wisdom of Radagast or Gandalf.

They travelled to the east of Arda, to countries in far eastern Middle-earth such as Rhûn and Khand, where they were sent to stir up rebellions against those serving Sauron. In this, they were successful, and they later returned to Middle-earth in the Third Age and travelled East and South once again, but they never returned to the West after their journey with Saruman. It is possible that they became the founders of secret and magical cults, but their ultimate fate remains unknown.

Biography

Alatar was originally a Maia of Oromë the Huntsman named Morinehtar, and presumably lived in his forests on the continent of Aman, west of Middle-earth. The other servants of Oromë included Rómestámo (later Pallando), who was a friend of Morinehtar's, and whom he later chose to journey with him. At some point in the Second Age, around the forging of the Rings of Power, Mohrinehtar and Rómestámo were chosen to become the first of the Istari, 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 Morinehtar, renamed Alatar, meaning "after-comer", and Pallando to be two of the five Maiar to travel from the Undying Lands to Middle-earth and serve as Istari wizards. Alatar, Curumo (Saruman the White) and Olórin (Gandalf the Grey) were assigned the objective of encouraging the peoples of Middle-earth to oppose Sauron. However, two more joined the original three Wizards and they became five. Aiwendil (Radagast the Brown) was chosen by Yavanna to travel with Curumo, and Alatar took Pallando the Blue 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). With Saruman, they travelled east in an attempt to help free the last Men of Númenor, who were now Haradrim and Easterlings. Later, Saruman came back to the west alone. However, Alatar and Pallando were never seen again, and their ultimate fates are unknown.

Character

When Alatar 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 and Pallando were dressed in robes of sea-blue, which was why they were named "the Blue Wizards".[1] He had a white beard which was not as long as Gandalf's or Saruman's. He carried a staff, as did the other Wizards, which he could use to channel his magic.

Etymology

Alatar probably means "after-comer" (as he was one of the original two Maiar to be chosen to become Wizards and follow Sauron to Middle earth). J.R.R. Tolkien specifically stated that neither Alatar nor Pallando had a name in the West of Middle-earth, unlike the other three Wizards, who all had two names. Therefore, Tolkien probably intended "Alatar" to be more of a title or a description than a name. Later in his life, Tolkien wrote a note, suggesting that the names of the Blue Wizards were Morinehtar and Rómestámo. 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.