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https://slideplayer.com/slide/13617015/83/images/46/Runes+%E2%80%93+in+The+Hobbit+The+Anglo-Saxon+runes+are+used+on+a+map+to+emphasize+its+connection+to+the+Dwarves..jpg https://img.haikudeck.com/mg/6ATAqiPbzu_1425693825865.jpg https://img.haikudeck.com/mg/KwjSOueutD_1425693148103.jpg https://i.redd.it/4aw5ex7l8e111.jpg https://files.catbox.moe/np0w6p.jpg https://hobbylark.com/fandoms/Parallels-Between-Gandalf-Odin-in-Tolkiens-Work

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirth "a semi‑artificial script, based on real‑life runic alphabets, invented by J. R. R. Tolkien for the constructed languages he devised and used in his works. Cirth is written with a capital letter when referring to the writing system; the letters themselves can be called cirth." The Cirth is not the only runic writing system used by Tolkien in his legendarium. In fact, he devised a great number of runic alphabets, of which only a few others have been published. Some of these are included in the "Appendix on Runes" of The Treason of Isengard (The History of Middle-earth, vol. VII), edited by Christopher Tolkien.[19] According to Tolkien himself, those found in The Hobbit are a form of "English runes" used in lieu of the Dwarvish runes proper.[20] They can be interpreted as an attempt made by Tolkien to adapt the Fuþorc (i.e., the Old English runic alphabet) to the Modern English language.[21]

These runes are basically the same found in Fuþorc, but their sound may change according to their position, just like the letters of the Latin script: the writing mode used by Tolkien is, in this case, mainly orthographic.[22] This means that the system has one rune for each Latin letter, regardless of pronunciation Tolkien devised this runic alphabet in a very early stage of his shaping of Middle-earth. Nevertheless, they are known to us from a slip of paper written by J.R.R. Tolkien, a photocopy of which Christopher Tolkien sent to Paul Nolan Hyde in February 1992. Hyde then published it, together with an extensive analysis, in the 1992 Summer issue of Mythlore, no. 69.[24] The system provides sounds not found in any of the known Elven languages of the First Age, but perhaps it was designed for a variety of languages. However, the consonants seem to be, more or less, the same found in Welsh phonology, a theory supported by the fact that Tolkien was heavily influenced by Welsh when creating Elven languages"

https://slideplayer.com/slide/13617015/83/images/46/Runes+%E2%80%93+in+The+Hobbit+The+Anglo-Saxon+runes+are+used+on+a+map+to+emphasize+its+connection+to+the+Dwarves..jpg https://img.haikudeck.com/mg/6ATAqiPbzu_1425693825865.jpg https://img.haikudeck.com/mg/KwjSOueutD_1425693148103.jpg https://i.redd.it/4aw5ex7l8e111.jpg https://files.catbox.moe/np0w6p.jpg https://hobbylark.com/fandoms/Parallels-Between-Gandalf-Odin-in-Tolkiens-Work https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirth "a semi‑artificial script, based on real‑life runic alphabets, invented by J. R. R. Tolkien for the constructed languages he devised and used in his works. Cirth is written with a capital letter when referring to the writing system; the letters themselves can be called cirth." The Cirth is not the only runic writing system used by Tolkien in his legendarium. In fact, he devised a great number of runic alphabets, of which only a few others have been published. Some of these are included in the "Appendix on Runes" of The Treason of Isengard (The History of Middle-earth, vol. VII), edited by Christopher Tolkien.[19] According to Tolkien himself, those found in The Hobbit are a form of "English runes" used in lieu of the Dwarvish runes proper.[20] They can be interpreted as an attempt made by Tolkien to adapt the Fuþorc (i.e., the Old English runic alphabet) to the Modern English language.[21] These runes are basically the same found in Fuþorc, but their sound may change according to their position, just like the letters of the Latin script: the writing mode used by Tolkien is, in this case, mainly orthographic.[22] This means that the system has one rune for each Latin letter, regardless of pronunciation Tolkien devised this runic alphabet in a very early stage of his shaping of Middle-earth. Nevertheless, they are known to us from a slip of paper written by J.R.R. Tolkien, a photocopy of which Christopher Tolkien sent to Paul Nolan Hyde in February 1992. Hyde then published it, together with an extensive analysis, in the 1992 Summer issue of Mythlore, no. 69.[24] The system provides sounds not found in any of the known Elven languages of the First Age, but perhaps it was designed for a variety of languages. However, the consonants seem to be, more or less, the same found in Welsh phonology, a theory supported by the fact that Tolkien was heavily influenced by Welsh when creating Elven languages"

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[–] • 1 pt

Gandalf and Odin share literally no personality traits, actions, motives, or ideals with each other... Pretty much the only thing I can think of that they share are that they can both read runes. You can't just spout nonsense like this without backing it up.

For shits and giggles I went and did a quick search to see what the internet idots were saying about this...

  • They both have magic horses! ...please. Shadowfax is based on old myths... but not the myth of Sleipnir. Of course they both had fancy horses. It is the modern equivalent of two celebrities both having fancy cars.

  • They both have magic weapons! ...and that is where the similarity ends. Spears are not staffs are not swords.

  • They both gained wisdom when they sacrificed themselves! Gandalf sacrificed himself to save his companions and looked for nothing in return. Odin's motives were self serving. Plucking out an eye was not a sacrifice at all but rather a carefully weighed bargain. Hanging from the tree was a journey of self discovery and introspection.

  • They both disguise themselves as old men and wander the earth! Wrong... Odin disguises himself where as Gandalf actually looks like a old man.

I bet some cocksucker got a master's degree making up this bullshit.

[–] [deleted] • 1 pt (edited )

Well Tolkien himself said he was based on odin.

Odin had many names to various cultures and in some versions the horse did not have eight legs. So unless we have also compared gandulfs mount to the British/Celtic/Finnish/slavic versions of him, I wouldn't rule this out.

Odin definitely had a spear in Norse mythology. I don't recall if he had one in Celtic mythology as well, but he was certainly a wizard in the later Welsh myths so a staff wouldn't be out of the question. The battle of the trees is lifted directly from one of these Welsh myths about their cognate of Woden. The time when it was written down was after they had converted and thus he was a wizard rather than a god in those stories.

Odin may have sacrificed himself to himself to gain the secret of the runes, but once he did he gave them to people, free of charge.

The disguise part of Odin, was that he was dressed like any other old man Yes he could shift shapes, but he too actually was an old man(or at least that is how the Norse depicted him). When he went in disguise, wearing his broad brimmed hat, it just meant he left the clothing and trapping of kingship behind him. And when he did, he looked a lot like how gandulf is depicted.

[–] • 0 pt

Tell that to Tolkien

[–] • 1 pt

Tell that to Tolkien

If he still were alive I would. Tolkien's intentions aside, the execution of the work depicts a Gandalf that bears little to no resemblance to Odin. If he intended Gandalf to be a reskined Odin, then he must of not know much about Odin... and we know that's not the case.

No, I think that people are reading way to much into that quote from Tolkien. I think that Tolkien meant "Gandalf is a Odinic wanderer" with the emphasis on 'wanderer' in the sense of how Gandalf spends his time wandering the world, concealing his true power, and getting into adventures... Not that Gandalf is a literal Odin character.

If Gandalf shared any real personality traits with Odin, middle earth would be a VERY different place.

[–] • 0 pt

Gandalf actually looks like a old man.

Gandalf and the other wizards are lesser gods. They participated in creation. They chose to be incarnated in bodies, and they can discard their bodies to become formless. The role that they play is basically a hybrid of Norse gods and christian angels.

[–] • 0 pt (edited )

they can discard their bodies to become formless

I am well aware that the Istar were actually Maiar and not actual men... but to my knowledge he never actually does this except for an obscure reference to how he came to middle earth formless.

The bottom line here is that countless figures from legend have cool horses, magic weapons, magic powers, can shapeshift etc. These things are true for about half of the entire Norse pantheon. None of these things make Gandalf an Odin figure. These tenuous arguments could just as easily be used to draw comparison to Zeus rather than Odin... and yes some history geek will say "there are theories that Odin was an outgrowth of the Greek Zeus in many ways..." and yeah, these cultures were definitely inspired by and drew on the prior art but that does not mean Odin IS Zeus. In the same way Tolkien was inspired by the old myths... but this also does not mean Gandalf IS Odin.