Possibly quite unusual for my generation I never picked up J.R.R. Tolkien when I was a kid. First recently have the fantastic world of this author also been revealed to me through the reading of Lord Of The Rings. One character had an extraordinary strong impact on me: Gandalf! He occupied my mind for quite some time, and at last I had to make this little innocent (I think) comparison. The acronyms are the usually applied abbreviations. With thanks to Maria Kemper, Chris Redmond , Charles Prepolec, Steve Clarkson, Dovie Reynolds, Marcus and others for inspiration and comments.

Sherlock Holmes

Gandalf

Sherlock Holmes or Gandalf

Gandalf and Sherlock Holmes still live - totally unaffected by time. Gandalf's age is a big question. Nobody really knows how old he is. The same holds for Holmes, although many Sherlockians have accorded to defining a date of birth, this is based upon purely subjective arguments without hard evidence. We are not sure either, if these men are dead or not. Gandalf sailes off with the semi-elf people in the last narration we have of him. The Holmes saga simply stops, leaving Holmes alone somewhere in Sussex. To be short: we are left with an open end - the rest is up to our imagination.

Holmes as well as Gandalf is independent as regards their emotional life. They walk through life alone. Neither is married - at least not what we literally know of - both have only close friends. For Holmes the circle restricts mostly to Watson and his brother Mycroft and perhaps Hopkins or even Lestrade. Gandalf was - just as Holmes - known by a major part of the population, although only a small part actually met him, but he, too, became only attached to a few people - the travelling companions - to whom he was a guide and mentor.

The extent of their powers

Gandalf's wisdom is primarily based on experience and his keen observation of the world around him and dialogues with other beings of all kind. He makes no distinction between rich and poor or knight and esquire. Any honest man or woman's words are equally valuable. This is a generally pleasing trait of Holmes, too. The governess's problem is as important as the King's or the Prime Minister's. Holmes' name is known worldwide. People come to him and ask for assistance and advice. The same is true for Gandalf, although it's always Gandalf, who comes to the people.

Often is Gandalf able to foresee things, but only because he has gathered sufficient information and through chains of reasoning drawn a conclusion. Holmes uses the same method: reasoning, deduction and conclusion are ingredients in the same recipe.

He is described as tall and thin, very considered and with sharp, searching eyes. Who? Why, both of them! They often appear in disguise and for the same purpose. To observe, without being recognized. Gandalf appears as "the Grey" as well as "the White". I do not need to mention Holmes's many disguises: drunken looking groom, clergyman, opium addict, bookseller etc., etc., Gandalf, however, has his own beard; Holmes needs to borrow a fake one, which he often does. Frequently Holmes is out in a business Watson has no closer knowledge of. Gandalf travels around, very few know for sure where he is. But he shows up, when h e is needed. The same for Holmes; if the safety of the nation is at stake or if the local police must give up, they know where to get help.

They both have commanding personalities. Gandalf can demand the truth from Hobbits and Elves, Kings and Wizards, and they give it without a murmur of dissent. Holmes can call on Watson "Come, the Game is Afoot!" in the middle of the night, beckoning him from a warm bed to chase after an elusive villain, and the dear Watson obeys. Or, he can tell a frightened woman to be calm, and she is. Both have the ability to make people talk to them and to comfort and calm the nervous and the frightened. In SOLI Holmes by the sheer force of his personality takes charge of a very difficult and rather perilous situation during the confrontation between Williamson, Woodley, and Carruthers.

Details

Holmes is by Watson described as being a quite capable cab driver. He has a way with most animals, especially dogs and horses. Gandalf is able to ride the marvellous Shadowfaxe - as the only person not of the royal Rohan family.

The tobacco is a pleasure these two heroes have in common. They both appreciate to relax with a good pipe. We don't know Gandalf's pipe type, but Holmes smokes shag in a couple of different pipes. His favorites are the cherrywood, the amber stem, and the briar and his before-breakfast pipe. And we have learned that he knows the difference between the ashes from 140 types of tobacco. In Lord Of The Rings especially the quality of the tobacco is a popular subject of discussion.

Holmes as well as Gandalf disappears when first the problem is solved. Gandalf lets the Hobbits solve the minor difficulties in their own country. Holmes willingly lets the police do the rest of the job - and take the credit - once he has solved the case.

Gandalf gets invaluable help from the Hobbits, Dwarfs and Elves. All of who are small people, the Hobbits are even called "the halves" and sometimes they are mistaken for children. Holmes obtains many a good information from a bunch of kids from the street - and people in that age are about the same size as Gandalf's good assistants.

Death and resurrection

Although never directly said, Holmes holds a certain political power. Partly through Mycroft, who can hold back a paper or advice an official, but also because his acceptance or decline of a case may be important to the government. We also know, that he several times has taken the law in his own hands, we just need to think of Sterndale (DEVI) or captain Croker (ABBE). Gandalf, too, holds a great deal of political power in his hands. He is the adviser of any leader, who wants his advise. Even though Holmes continually claimed that 'he was not a magician'-- others often asked him to 'use his powers' to solve cases! Gandalf, however, is a true magician. Both men must be characterized as a most valuable friend but a merciless enemy. Just ask Moriarty or Sauron.

For Holmes and Gandalf have powerful enemies. Compelling men with a vast organization of culprits of any kind, that being Org-monsters and Demons or wicked Colonels. In Lord Of The Rings we hear about Saruman, who was Gandalf's equal in power and a sage like himself, yet, Saruman turned to the dark side sometime in his life. Oberst Moran (EMPT) may have had a similar past. After having read the description of him in Holmes's reference book, Watson exclaims: "The man's career is that of an honourable soldier," where after we get Holmes's explanation about threes that grow wrong.

In Lord Of The Rings Sauron is the evil self. His Canonical equivalent is of course Professor Moriarty - The Napoleon of Crime. Sauron is definitively destroyed and the rest of the world saved, when the horrendous ring is thrown in the Doomsday Crevasses. England was freed from a major part of crime and evil when Moriarty was whirled down into the Reichenbachs.

But it is possible to stretch this parallel even further. Gandalf once found himself in exactly the same situation as Holmes in FINA. In Moria - the deserted subterranean caves of the Dwarfs - he must summon up all his strength to protect his travelling companions against the horrible Balrog. He does kill the monster but is himself thrown into the terrible chasm Khazad-dum. He sacrifices his life, so that his friends can fulfill their mission. Have not we also dwelled on these last words written by Holmes: "I am pleased to think that I shall be able to free society from any further effects of his [Moriarty's] presence, though I fear that it is at a cost which will give pain to my friends, and especially, my dear Watson, to you". However, neither Gandalf nor Holmes end in the ravine which threatens to swallow them up. In a miraculous way they are both saved and return when there is the uttermost need for them. They tell strange stories about where they have been meanwhile, but they are not totally convincing. Making these literary moment some of the most inspiring for the readers to speculate and make theories about.

It is a difficult task to end this comparison, but one can also look too deeply into details and stretch the analysis more than good is. But it is clear, that these two sagas, the Lord Of The Rings and the Canon have many similarities, however different they may be in stile, time and content. It is the presence of the strong personalities that ties them together. Sherlock Holmes and Gandalf - hero characters of myth and imagination. There is always a common thread (not always scarlet) running between great characters, and these two are no different.

Gandalf links

• Gandalf billeder
• Tolkien Information Page
• Fonte