Gandolf

Changing Hair Color

The changing color of the hair interests me because it reflects a Celtic story that will deal with black and white sheep grazing on a checkerboard field. These sheep will change color as they go from one square to another. The story also interests me because the changing hair will lead the mother to confuse the two boys; therefore, we will never know for certain which boy is which.

The story of the changing hair color will conclude when the boys reach the age of initiation, thirteen. At this point, both boy's hair will turn gray, neither black nor white, but both. Again, this will symbolize the union of opposites and the creation of a monistic whole.

The hair color also interests me because Tolkien will refer to Gandalf as Gandalf the Gray in The Hobbit. Gandalf perishes at the end of the book and comes back as Gandalf the White in a later book. Now, Tolkien could refer to different orders of wizardry accomplishment, or to hair color, or the hair color could reflect these different levels.

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