Talk:Maiar
According to Tolkien, Radagast the Brown was, in fact, a friend of Gandalf as evidenced by his conversation with him concerning the Ring on the Greenway near Bree. Animals shared a special relationship with him as well.
See also: http://www.tuckborough.net/otherbeings.html —Unsigned comment by 96.33.68.108 (talk • contribs).
I think that Ungoliant should be added to the list of known Maiar, and be added to the Ainur template. Though it is not explicitly stated, there are many hints that Ungoliant was indeed a Maia, even in the published version of The Silmarillion.
For example, she is a servant of Melkor that attempted to abandon her master's service prior to the Darkening of Valinor. Also, it is implied that she is one of the Ainur, but since the Ainur are divided into two groups, and all the members of one of the two groups (the Valar, to be specific) are all accounted for, this would make her one of the Maiar.
Plus, it is stated that the Maiar have a wide range of power, some even coming close to rivaling their own Vala masters, such as Ossë to Ulmo, or Sauron/Mairon to Aulë. And Ungoliant's ability to produce Unlight seems very much like the Balrogs' power over fire and shadow, since they are conjured from their very forms.
So should she be added here, and/or to the template? Bauglir100 12:17, 18 October 2012 (UTC)
- If you find a noteworthy discussion (online, in a book, etc) of this theory, to use as a reference, I think it could be mentioned in the article. Otherwise it is way too speculative (that is, it would be too much of "original research").--Morgan 15:35, 18 October 2012 (UTC)
- Robert Foster says that she might have been a Maia but in Arda she served only herself. Sage 17:40, 24 October 2012 (UTC)
Wasn't Sauron, originally Mairon, the greatest of the Maiar before his downfall? Just as Morgoth, originally Melkor, was the greatest of the Valar before his rebellion? Gandalf did express fear more than once that he would not be able to match Sauron even at full strength, and this was after he lost the Ring. Plus Saruman wouldn't dare openly challenge him for the title of Dark Lord. Unless their status as Istari made it impossible for either of them to challenge him on equal or superior terms?--66.87.82.194 14:45, 21 November 2014 (UTC)
