How Important is a Wizard's Staff? | Middle-Earth Lore 

You never see Gandalf having to file paperwork, do you? No! That's because he has a good staff.

Gandalf was usually holding back for the safety of his allies, he stopped holding back against the Balrog. The staff just let's him focus his power to be more precise, and therefore safer for his allies. He always cares for others above all else. It fits his character perfectly.

Think of Gandalf’s staff in the same vein as Thor’s Hammer. It is not the source of the user’s power, it’s more of a channeling device for it.

As I remember Gandalf was given a new staff by Galadriel, when he came to Lothlorien after his resurrection. This indicates that the staff might be an instrument or chanal of power, but not directly connected to it.

Everyone sing along, "Oh, a wizard's staff has a knob on the end...

I always thought of it more as a symbol of authority or purpose. Gandalf breaking Saruman's was stripping him of that authority, and emphasizing that he abandoned his duty. Gandalf being able to break the staff would also show Saruman that Ilúvatar had gifted Gandalf with more power and new purpose.

the way I see it is that since the wizards in Tolkien are not wizards in our terms, they are low ranking "angels" sent to Middle Earth with the power restricted, the staff acts like an kind of unlocking mechanism for their restricted powers. Now, if you go to the pre-christian, pre-islamic folklore, ALL magic comes from spirits, there is no such thing as "nature" only magic because even nature works by magic, the wind, the rivers, gravity, all the laws of nature, everything is lesser spirits or spirits moving it in the world. And gods were the highest spirits or even something entirely different to spirits that rule them all. In other words, magic is in essence an animistic believe. A famous mathematician, Leibnitz who was a christian believer tried to explain this and he formulated a theory called Monadology to explain this.

I think it's important to remember that a wizard's staff has a knob at the end.

I saw the breaking of saruman's staff as his expulsion from the istari.

It could be that in his fight with the Balrog, Gandalf knew it would be a close combat falling battle for a lot of it where a sword that he could project magic through would make more sense than a staff which I feel may extend the range of his magic. I think wizards can channel magic through any object, but they use a staff because it isn't threatening to most people and they can bring it everywhere. This isn't based on anything other than speculation, but it could work.

I think the staffs are just a symbol of their role. Grima is afraid of Gandalf with staff because he know of Saruman with staff. The staffs may be able to channel or focus power, but the power originates within Gandalf or is channeled through him and then through the staff.

I always considered the wizard staff as two parts. The actual shaft helps tie the user to the Primal magic of the world. And the stone of the staff serves two purposes as well. The stone acts as a capacitor, storing up the trickle of magic that the user can cast. Then the user can release all that stored energy at once in a powerful spell. The second purpose of the stone is to act as a magical lens. Just like a lens can spread out light to a larger area or focus it to a tight spot, the Stone allows the user to take the stored magic and choose how to focus or disperse it.

A wooden staff is just a stick, but an old traveler can use it as a weapon to fight, use it like a lever to move large objects, and in the movies Gandalf turned it into a flashlight, a key to the doors of Moria, in the ExtROTK Saruman turned his into a Flame thrower, and in the Hobbit Rhadaghast uses a crystal to remove a curse. The Istari know their human bodies cannot endure the powers of the Maiar, so they need tools that fit their human form

Gandalf the Grey’s staff breaks when he use it to destroy the Bridge of Khazad-Dum

Not as big a nerd as you on this one so I might be wrong here, but. Wouldn’t Gandalfs ring have effect over Bilbo when he gives up the ring? Gandalfs ring is many times proven to instil hope where there is none and make people braver and “greater” than they ever would be without his presence. This could make bilbo “Brave” enough to give up the ring. Again, I might be wrong but I’m just saying. Would be interesting to read your take on it.

I would think breaking Grima Wormtongue's hold on Theoden would be in the realm of the ring Gandalf wears.

Unless I'm misreading, Gandalf DOES shoot light out of his hand to repel the Nazgul in the book. Whether this is a prosy way of failing to mention the staff or not, it's relevant to the discussion.

“Sometimes a staff is just a staff” Freud, Sigmund. 😁

I disagree about no one except Bilbo was able give up the ring. Remember Sam thought Frodo was dead. He took the ring and set about to finish the task of destroying the ring, all alone with no one to aid him. Although in the book and the movie we nowhere see or hear Sam make the profesion that it is his and claims it for his own, that had to be the case. Because he was alone and certainly wasn't going to lay it aside. He took the ring thinking Frodo dead did in action maybe not in some spoken declaration did take it for his own. I don't think it can be taken another way. J m o

I always figured it was similar to Thor's hammer in Ragnarok - a focus that doesn't necessarily limit their power, but allows them to use their power more precisely, more subtly. They can use powers without it, but they're more gross, and at greater risk of injuring those who are nearby.

Note 1: Gandalf did have two tools at his disposal that in and by themselves allowed him to cast magic, the ring and the staff. Note 2: Gandalf seems to get tired from using magic. If he knew it was going to be a battle of endurance between him and the Bane of Durin he had to reduce his magic footprint. Balrogs' element is fire, so focus on the ring that gave him control of fire (and was less unwieldy in combat) seems like the smart choice.

I never thought about this and it a great idea!

I, like others, think the staff holds multiple meanings and uses. 1. Focus power like a wand in Harry Potter or crystals and wands in current use, as well as the example given of the Spell focus in DnD. 2. Amplifies his power with Magick properties of the wooden staff itself. Most people could relate in wood for wands in Potterverse and many ritual practices today in Magick. 3. Amplifies and focuses power via the crystal in the staff. Thinking of the way a crystal will take a single beam of light and splits the light into individual wavelength of color. Crystals also could have Magikal properties probably chosen to suit his Magick focus 4. Symbol of his purpose and still having the blessing and authority given to him when he went forth into Middle Earth

Yeah new video! Best lord of the rings channel in the world. Love and appreciate you guys at The Broken Sword.

I've always considered the staff as a tool, like a blacksmiths tools. The power doesn't lie in the tool, and even without it he is formidable. He knows his power and the power of the fire that aids his work, but without the proper tools that power is hard to use, and may burn the hand that tries to grasp it.

“At that moment Gandalf lifted his staff, and crying aloud he smote the bridge before him. The staff broke asunder and fell from his hand.” (LotR, Book Two, Chapter 5: THE BRIDGE OF KHAZAD-DÛM)

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I've always wondered this. Thanks for the video.

Gandalf also used the flash attack when the Mouth of Sauron was offering terms of surrender when shown the mithril rings Frodo was wearing. Gandalf says "These we will take", and then made a bright flash and snatched the things away from him faster than anyone could see.

MORE BOOKS VS MOVIES! Also, didn't Galadriel or the elves make Gandalf a new staff when he became Gandalf the White? And if so, then what implications does this have? Lastly, why didn't Saruman take Gandalf's staff when he imprisoned him in his tower if it was so important?

In the series rings of power when he used magic it done physical damage to him maybe it helps negate that

I think it''s a bit of everything. As higher beings crammed into a mortal form, the staff is both a symbolic reminder of their task and a way to more effectively channel the divine within the bounds of their restricted shapes. You could argue that during Gandalf's fight with the Balrog the staff wasn't really necessary for him because once the fight was taken out of the sight of mortals, he had a freer hand with his powers and that he had no real plans to survive the fight, so it didn't matter if there were any repercussions for moving a lot of power through a mortal shell not really made for the task. I've always seen their Wizard form as something like a fragile mask. They use the staff to preserve the disguise. If they use more than a fraction of their real power without it, then the mask rips apart. They don't want that to happen because it runs counter to their mission to reveal their true selves, and is basically admitting failure. With that in mind, to stay within their roles as guides and sort of muses of hope, they do everything they can to stay in their disguise.

The power of the Istarie mostly comes from them being Ainur. Other Ainur don't use staffs to do their work. Th special thing about the Istarie is, that they took less powerful form in order to assume roles as councils. So what I think is, that the power that is in their staffs is their own. The staffs might be a housing for part their power so that they even could inhabit this form.

I would think that a wizard's staff is primarily a symbol of rank, it often seems to be referred to it that way. Saruman asks Gandalf if he wants the rods of all five wizards and the keys to Orthanc in one go, like they share similarity. On their own it's just keys and some sticks, but what they represent is the important part. The only difference is that the istari's rank was given by Iluvatar so it comes with actual powers that can't be tossed by a healthy lack of respect for authority. Saruman's staff being destroyed is the same as pulling the stars off a general, they no longer have any rank or authority, and without that badge of office, they no longer have any powers either. Saruman is no longer a wizard, but he is still a Maiar so he's still head and shoulders above the common man, but he can no longer contend with Gandalf.

Great video as always, my theory is that their mortal forms can only output so much magic without taking damage, the staff acts as a focus and an amplifier or perhaps a better metaphor would be a fuse, the staff blows before the wizard, so acts as both a magical "weapon" and dead man switch to prevent them channeling so much of their true power that they destroy their corporeal body. The visual difference in staffs appears to reflect the personality of the wizard, I think a wizard without a staff is like a warrior without sword and shield, still as capable but likely to die in victory, so the wise rarely engage in magic (other then the simple kind) without using their staff.

I agree with your assessment here. The staff is just a conduit to allow the wizard to focus his power. The power itself for me is either internal to the wizard (granted by the gods) or from the gods themselves, in which case the wizard could be viewed as a sort of tool, like a staff. I love your content, please keep making more like this.

I always thought of the staves like spell focuses of D&D, an item that is held by some spellcasters to direct and focus their magic and maybe a way to bypass some spell components (don't know if that's a thing or not in LotR).

My own headcanon is that the Staff is more of a focusing crystal, which let's them aim their power. If not for the crystal, it will lash out violently and without much direction, while the staff let's them actively choose who gets hit. Hence why he wasn't too nerfed against the Balrog, since he didn't need to worry about crossfire, but when he has allies, it becomes a liability

In Tolkien, magic can be defined as the ability of the being that has the potential to do this to have an effect on beings in the Seen and Unseen Worlds through the incarnation of spiritual power. Usually, there is a temporary decrease in spiritual power depending on the size of the effect of the spell, and it takes time to regain it. The staff is a tool for focusing and channeling this power. The staff is not essential to use this ability, but its presence makes it easier to display. I think like this.

"Are you 'Gandalf, Lord of wooden sticks'?" -MiddleEarth Odin, probably

im confused, how did he take over the shire later if he lost his body? i thought he was unable to affect the phisical world after he was killed, and wasnt allowes to return to the undying lands and so wasnt granted a new body?

A staff in the hands of a wizard may be more than a prop for age.

Could you talk about maybe how in the Lego Set The Tower of Orthanc, the Blue wizards staffs are in the top room. Seems like maybe Saruman has killed the 2 Blues

I thought Gandalf was just salty from when he had his staff taken away. So in return he destroyed it

Love this. Love the separation between nature magic which comes from self and “other” magic which is received from something outside oneself. Harry Potter innately has magic within him. Gandalf receives it, even from birth, from the Valar - ultimately Illuvitar. As long as I understand the point correctly. Love it. Thank you (dare I say it?!) RU-vid for your algorithm taking me down this rabbit hole. Thank you broken sword for taking all the time to go down this rabbit hole for us. Why is this so filling to think about these things?!

In the book, Gandalf shoots the beam of light that drives the Nazgul away from Faramir with his hand. Tolkien specifically describes it as coming from his hand. In the books the staff seems to just be a tool meant more to disguise their power, as if it led people to belueve the power didn't come from the Istari themselves.

I feel the staff is both a sign of authority with which of the valar they served and a way to focus one power of what the wizard is in tune with. For Sarumon his staff may give his voice more power that it could on it own and he was supposed to be the most powerfull of them all given he was associated with a greater valar ruler. And the fact his staff was broken might have ment that not only he lost his rank but was also disown from the valar for failing them. And another thing I'm curios about is that did Gandalf go thought as many staffs as he did or was it only in the movies that happened.

Hello all, the Tolkienesque novelist D L Lindeman here again. Wizard staves, in some "fantasy worlds" (including mine) function as a conduit for focusing ambient magical energies. As noted, in J K Rowling's "world", young wizards and witches need their wands, but as they get more proficient they need it less. Experienced 'magic users' can cast certain basic spells without the need for such a conductive device. Examples; One of my MC's, a mage, in the 5th book casts a "Magical Dart Barrage" spell as a reflex without using her staff. Snape blocking "Expeliamus" with a wave of his hand. Gandalf casting an "Aura of Might" (my name for the spell that made the room get dark and himself seem more imposing while saying to Bilbo, "Do not take for some player of parlor tricks. I am not trying to rob you..." [I may not have remembered that statement exactly right] On another note... When Gandalf was fighting the Balrog the magical sword Glamdring "The Foe Hammer" acted as a magical conduit (summon lightning), plus it was a potent weapon in battle where his staff was not a viable weapon against a Balrog. On a final note... Sarumon when he invaded the Shire as Sharky, he did not need his staff to use his "poison words". A minor spell of influencing (like Gandalf's aura spell) rather than a spell for attacking.

I reminded of the sufi poet Rumi. He once wrote about a reed that was chopped down and made into a flute. The musician's breath didn't create the music, but released all the music that was always in the reed.

Could it be that the magic in the Elvin sword allowed Gandalf to use it like his staff?

More books vs movies! It's a really cool tool to have in the toolbox for Legendarium discussions across levels of exposure

I love staves as both a weapon and as a character development device! In fantasy, they are often just regarded as magic focuses. As you said, something to enhance or direct the flow of magic, helpful but not critical. We can't overlook the fact that the Maiar really do, in varying capacities, have to travel long distances, so the usefulness of a walking stick isn't entirely rules out. Now for my favorite bit: Different tribes throughout history have used a talking stick, or "Speaking staff," as an instrument that shows authority and ability to speak or guide. The linguist staves of the ȯkyeame is a great example of this, I believe. Gandalf's gift of reassuring speech is repeatedly alluded to, so the staff is not directly linked to this but it may further highlight him as an important speaker and orator. Lastly, something that resides largely in Judeo-Christian imagery is the concept of a shepherd. They use staves, a "crozier," to guide and help corral the wayward sheep. This function of guiding the lost is central to Christian ideology, hence why the clergy sometimes carry stylized croziers and staves, as well. If they Maiar were sent to Middle Earth to guide the peoples, it's thematically appropriate that they do so while exhibiting the qualities, and instruments of what the reader might also consider to be a wise, benevolent guide. Saruman's corruption might be a counterpoint here, but I would also argue that in his moral shift he continues to act as a speaker and guide, just to the benefit of Sauron's armies, instead.

Great piece. I would say, the most significant piece of evidence is Gandalf's unwillingness to part with his Staff when he went to see Theoden. He would not have worried about any harm coming to it briefly in the hands of the Hama. That coupled with worm tongue's reaction pretty much seals the deal - the staff is of value for it's power, not just it's significance as a symbol.

I’d love to see a comparison between books n films on the dynamics of elves and dwarfs ? Do the relationships work the same

I still wonder how strong a wizard’s staff is? Given to Gandalf manages to kill both Orcs and Uruk-Hais with a swift blow

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I am so happy to have found this channel a few days ago. I absolutely LOVE these videos and this one was outstanding. Thank you so much for your work. I so look forward to sitting down in the evenings and watching your channel.

More books vs Movies please and THANK YOU! You all have proven yourselves as True Dunidain

My take is that the staff serves as a convenient prop to protect the magic wielder from the effects of his own powers. For example, Gandalf could choose to fire a lightbeam from both the staff he wields or his own hands, but in his mortal body, those are the hands of an old man, so he could injure them in process. Same with the breaking of the bridge of Moria: he could break the bridge with his own hand, but not without destroying it completely while doing the deed.

A small idea: What if the the staff works as like a battery? Like being around the Wizards and being held while the Wizards use magic again and again over years, allows a certain storage to happen. Then, when the Wizards are in tight spots, they can use that as both a focusing tool, but also to add some wattage to their power when they are throwing down some magic in a fight. So yes, Gandalf could have done things like splitting the sky with light or breaking Saruman's staff, but the staff makes it easier/swifter and at times can be used to help have a little more power/energy to throw into the magic they are doing (like having a protein shake just before an activity).

Dont know, but little detail: when the staff broke, it did at the same point where his hand was, showing that it was his influence that made the staff break in the first place. It seems like the staff is a focusing tool, like when gandalf used the sword to have more stability. The wizzard casts and the staff focuses like a lense, giving focus and helping save energy.

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I think that in the books the light that Gandalf uses to "scare" fellbeasts comes from Narya, not from his staff.

I’ve been watching this channel on and off for a few weeks.. I truly enjoy this channel and the lore discussed :)

More books vs. movies

In the films, I assumed it was to do with focusing their power; I don't know if we want to consider it, but it would explain why the wizard in The Rings of Power uses his magic without control, so I assume he gets his staff in Rhun. However, in the books, I always read it as a symbol of wisdom and authority, as though their power came to them through the staff, acting more like a lightning rod or pylon, rather than a power source or focusing source.

His staff wasn't crucial in his battle with the Balrog because Gandalf the Gray didn't defeat the Balrog with magic. As another of the Maiar the Balrog was just as magically powerful as he was, maybe even more so given that the Valar had seriously nerfed his powers when he became one of the Istari. Gandalf fought the fire demon physically in the same way that Glorfindel and Ecthelion did during the fall of Gondolin, i.e., he stabbed the damn thing with his sword until it died. I think the wizard's staff is important, but not crucial. He could do without it if he had to, but things would be more difficult. Also, in the book, when Gandalf rode out of the gates of Minas Tirith to aid the soldiers escaping from Osgiliath I don't think he used his staff to create that burst of white light. He did that with just his hand if I remember correctly.

A Staff/Wand/ect allows a magic caster to collect, focus, and direct their magic in a more controlled manner. Without one their magic would spread out around them and can even harm those around them they didn't wish to hurt. For example a wizard who is trying to strike their foe with fire and they don't have a wand/staff would create an area of fire around themselves, but if one was wielding a staff/wand they have something to channel their magic through and create beam of fire giving them greater distance and accuracy with the same magic. Another example I can think of is the Wizard Duel between Gandalf and Saruman: they were channeling their magic through their staffs to strike at each other from a distance with each blow smacking them around the room, but if they weren't using their staffs the blows would have been lessened and less accurate due to being more spread out.

My purview on the istari staves is that they are both the one personal item allowed in middle earth given form, a tool whether that be a fighting staff, walking stick etc, the physical housing of excess power that mortal forms would crack and be destroyed otherwise and a notice of when an istari has decided to work with the enemy and another istari has confirmed they have broken themselves (saruman is the only istari to have had his staff and white coat broken in such a manner).

The staffs operate sort of like a big battery or capacitor to store up some of their own power for quick access. If the staff is lost or destroyed, the wizard isn't broken with it, he just loses access to that power. It was like that with the One Ring except that Sauron put too much of himself into the ring and leaned to heavily on it for everything. It was literally a part of him so that when it was cut from his hand he lost too much of himself to be able to exist in the physical world anymore.

I like the idea that an entity's magical strength is limited to the amount of authority their voice is born with (or whatever they are left with after they first enter the physical realm). Throughout their lives as they use their voice to manipulate/produce magic it decreases. A staff will allow them to access that original measure of magic, for a short while.

Remember, Eru sent his emissaries to aid in the fight against a mair Sauron. But, to minimize more Sauron’s, they are embodied in mortal bodies. Thus, use of magic has a devastating effect on their bodies. IMO, the staffs are not a consolidation of their power nor is it a method of channeling that power. Instead, it is an object embued with power to withstand the fatigue of magic. Just my two cents

I always saw the wizards staff as a tool. Casting a spell is like making a pair of pants, it's possible to do without the proper tools, but the pants would be poor and it would take forever, however; with the proper tools, you could make a proper pair of pants. But also, a tool cannot act alone, and a tool in an unskilled hand is useless. The staff is the same way.

Gandalf's staff was shattered at the bridge of Khazad-dûm, so he could not use it to fight with Barlog.

Sometimes having a focal point that can be used to focus your power on helps to direct the energies to the purpose the user intends it. It is like someone who can concentrate and emit energy blast often use hand gestures to focus and direct that energy even if they do not actually need to. It just makes it easier and quicker to do it that way. Sometimes, like in the Harry Potter movies and Thor Movies, the object has its own powers that can be called upon and also used to direct and amplify the user's powers.

I saw the staff as necessary more for what a wizard was allowed to do, rather than what they could do. That by carrying one, a wizard held proof of the trust the Valar had placed in them and the limits placed on their power when they accepted their task were lessened. I don't think that the staff was needed in Gandalf's fight with the Balrog because the purpose of the restrictions placed on the wizards were to keep them from dominating the people of Middle Earth with excessive uses of magic, but against the Balrog, all (or at least most) bets were off.

For the movies, at least, it makes sense that the staff focuses and amplifies the wizard's power - Gandalf only needed it to free Theoden because he was going against Saruman, who was also using his staff. As for the final section of the video, I think it is pretty explicit in the books that Gandalf IS an instrument of Eru Iluvatar (God) - it's why he's able to be reborn after dying in his battle with Durin's Bane: only Iluvatar can wield the Secret Fire to bestow life.

I think the staff is more like a way to channel his magic, not the source of his magic. He can still do magic without it but it's more chaotic and uncontrollable.

In Tolkien’s writing it’s not a new concept to focus or endue power in a physical object. That is exactly what the One Ring is to Sauron (and yes, he was powerful with or without the ring, just more with). In light of this, it seems perfectly reasonable and consistent that the wizards might be using some similar/lesser magic to channel power through staffs.

How many other people saw "A Wizard's Staff" and started singing "..has a knob on the end"? Bless you, the late Sir Terry.

i always see these magical objects has energy/magic storage for the user when he needs. works in so many lores and is simple

While persuading Bilbo, Gandalf is also armed with the elven ring Narya, augmenting his power of persuasion.

"A wizards staff has a knob on the end" -One of Nanny Oggs favourite songs

I'd think that Gandalf was using his Elven ring of inspiring courage and resistance to help Bilbo give up his claim to the Ring.

I always thought the staff was not for the sake of the Istari, but for the sake of Elves, Dwarves, and Men to understand the power they wielded. If Men could look at Gandalf and not understand his power, they could at least point to their staff and say "the wizard performs magic through their instruments."

I attended a pow-wow. As the Medicine Man led the procession in he carried a staff of sorts. It was then strapped to a pole for the day. The staff is clearly religous, and a focus for the people, not just the medicine man.

"Yes, when you also have the Keys of Barad-dûr itself, I suppose; and the crowns of seven kings, and the rods of the Five Wizards, and have purchased yourself a pair of boots many sizes larger than those that you wear now." I think the fact that Saruman compares the staffs to crowns and (symbolic) keys is pretty strong evidence that their main purpose is simply as ceremonial badges of office.

This is a very thoughtful analysis. Thanks for the hard work that you put into this.

I think that staves and wands focus a wizard's powers like a lens focuses sunlight. They can still generate the power, just as the sun generates light and heat. But to quickly start a fire you need a lens to focus that light and heat. I suspect that a wizard could still perform magic without their staffs, but it would take longer and cost them more energy. This would be catastrophic for them in combat or other emergencies. I also suspect that they could recreate Staves as necessary, at a great expenditure of energy: they would have to spend days or weeks on the task, and would likely be helpless during that period, so it's something they would hesitate to do.

Sam: "A small bit of a garden is all I need." Goes on to re-plant The Shire.

it's pretty clear from the evidence that the staff is a "focus" an item not necessary for magic but serves as an enhancer of magic by allowing the wielder to focus thier will on something else. This is found in many magic systems outside LOTR and is a well established means of enhancing magic.

I'd say the staves were but tools for allowing more controlled, and thus safer, use of their power (as well as symbols of their order and authority). Saruman likely told Grima to have someone take Gandalf's staff should he show up because he expected Gandalf wouldn't risk using his power unfiltered on Theoden, 'lest doing so break the king. In evidence, when he made to bar the way of the Balrog in Moria by using a word of power on the door, which for its part promptly _exploded_ , unable to withstand the strain.

I always envisioned Gandalf as being the "true" wizard, as in their bodies hold the magical power within them, but channeling it without a catalyst is unwieldy and/or needlessly difficult, so to put it simply unless he has a specific need to be precise and focused with his magicks he would prefer a staff, but can make do without it. It would make sense then why he would choose to abandon the staff in his fight with Balrog as a fight with it was just a massive brawl and why he would keep it to chase Saruman out of Théoden's mind(even if that moment is technically not canon.)

could also be that the staffs are there to make the spells/magic more powerful

A wizard's staff has a knob on the end.

As I recall the books, up until the encounter with the balrog Gandalf's own power was entirely expressed through his wisdom, with a keen mind and ability to show reason to those around him. And to the end of the tale that was his preferred mode of operation, a literal wise man, not above use of cheap tricks and amusements as might fit the situation. Except in greatest need he was just an old man, and his staff was just an his walking stick. He carried one of the 3 rings given to the elves, the ring of fire, but that was not his own power. Even this power he used reluctantly while he traveled in secret. A fireworks show for the hobbits could as easily be explained as application of a good understanding of certain minerals.

I hope this gets read even though I am posting it so late. I really believe that the wizard's staves were meant not to enhance their powers but to actually limit them. The Istari were sent to Middle Earth to guide and advise the peoples there and not to effect any change by acts of godly power. Bear in mind that in the undying lands, in their non-physical forms the power of a maiar is enormous. This power needed to be constrained while the Istari were in middle earth, imagine if Saruman was able to wield his full power in middle earth. They were sent to middle earth almost as mere mortals in power. The only way they are allowed to tap into greater power is through the staff. A simple physical object but through it they can channel some of the power of Illuvatar if needed. Then if a wizard went bad the staff could be broken and the wizard left as powerless as a mortal as we see happened to Saruman.

Cudos for commenting on that posession thing with King Théoden, a sad deviation of the movies from the book! On another note, 'Deus ex Machina', where typically a god saves the worthy but losing hero in the end, goes as far back as ancient greek drama. The machine literally being some contraption for allowing the actor miming the god to have a credibly fulminant entry.

I think there’s a problem at play in that we are allowing media which came later (such as HP) affect how we are actually asking the questions. Most magic systems since Tolkien have been very deliberate in their magical systems. They’ve created mechanics of magic - even if they aren’t always deliberately spelled out, we understand magic as a distinct force in that world, a way of channeling distinct energies. The way magic is depicted and discussed in Tolkien’s work is a lot more nebulous. And I get that’s part of what’s being said by designating it natural magic, but I’d argue even that categorization is at odds with Tolkien’s work specifically because it categorizes something not intended to be categorized. Magic in Tolkien’s world is about bringing your will to bear upon the world. Which means everything becomes contextual and specific. I think about it this way: can you knit a scarf without knitting needles? It’s all a matter of will. Knitting a scarf with toothpicks vs needles vs fingers all takes very, very different exertion of will. And for some tasks, you legitimately need certain tools to do something, because the tool is a fundamental part in what you are trying to accomplish. When you are smithing something, you might thinking about it as making a blade. But it’s actually a process which fundamentally includes the hammer, anvil, and smith. So how important is a wizard’s staff? Exactly as important as it is in a given moment where a wizard used one. That’s not a satisfying answer, but it is how Tolkien wrote. Could Gandalf have performed various feats without one? Who knows, because that’s not what he did. And it’s not the kind of question Tolkien intended to have an answer. We can certainly infer that, as a concept, the staff offered wizards something. But Tolkien never, ever wrote about magic in the mechanical or chemical way later writers did. Magic doesn’t even exist in Tolkien’s world as something tangible. He wanted to underscore that magic was the wonder of the viewer, and that to the people who could perform “magic” it was often mundane to them. And because of that, he didn’t want it explained - he wanted the readers to have wonder. Which isn’t to say that we can’t have fun asking these questions. But I think we have to ask them remembering the world Tolkien actually created, at the time he wrote it, and try to leave the concepts of future magical systems out of the conversation.