I decided the ‘small bag’ referenced above in Part 2 of Lord of the Rings Trilogy, was undoubtedly a gift bestowed by the Lady Galadriel upon Gandalf the White at his departure from Lothlorien, even though the books fail to mention it as such. Hopefully, Tolkein pardons my small assumption, for I have presumed to “recreate” Gandalf’s small bag here.
In the large oval Cabochon on the front of the bag, one can almost see the bridge of Khazad-Dum in the Second Hall of Old Moria where “at the end of the hall the floor vanished and fell to an unknown depth,” and the “…slender bridge…without kerb or rail, that spanned the chasm with one curving spring of fifty feet.” (2) This stone also signifies the fire and thunder of the terrible fight between Gandalf and the Balrog, and is symbolic of Gandalf’s nearly deadly transformation from Grey to White after he falls into the abyss of Moria.
Thinking that the wizard has perished, Aragorn, the new leader of the little group, sadly proclaims they must continue their journey without him: “Alas! I fear we cannot stay here longer…Farewell, Gandalf! Did I not say to you: if you pass the doors of Moria, beware? Alas that I spoke true! What hope have we without you?” (3) Their arduous journey leads them to Lothlorien, where they receive succor and healing from their grief at losing the wizard. The Lady Galadriel, holder of one of the three Elven Rings, gives each Company member a gift upon their departure. We later learn the gifts are given with the Lady's own unique foresight into the Members' subsequent needs. And so it would be, also, if the Lady had granted a special gift upon Gandalf.
However, in Part 2 of the trilogy, Gandalf lives! He reunites with Aragorn and Company, and tells them that he conquered the Balrog in a fierce battle on the Peak of Mount Celebdil: “Those that looked up from afar thought that the mountain was crowned with storm. Thunder they heard, and lightning, they said, smote upon Celebdil, and leaped back broken into tongues of fire.” After throwing the Balrog off the mountain top, he lies naked and spent until finally Gwaihir the Windlord, an eagle, finds him. The Lady Galadriel commanded Gwaihir to find Gandalf and bear him back to Lothlorien, where, “Healing I found, and I was clothed in white…” (4), and the Lady, I’m sure, gave him a small bag to carry for the rest of his journey.
The battle with the Balrog has transformed Gandalf the Grey; he is now Gandalf the White, and Aragorn says, “…you are our captain and our banner…we have One mightier than they: the White Rider…[who] has passed through the fire and the abyss, and…[the Nazgul] shall fear him.” (5)
The clear Quartz Crystal Sphere is Gandalf’s palantir, or Stone of Seeing, because it is “…given to me to see many things far off.” (6)
Howlite, the grey and white large beads in the fringe as well as the two round cabochons on the bag, is the stone of memory, knowledge, and progress. It encourages reasoning, observation, discernment, patience, and tact, all excellent qualities to possess when you’re a wizard!
The back of the bag is labeled with Gandalf’s Mark (7), in peyote stitch.
Other particulars and dimensions:
Base is white denim, hand sewn, with black lining. I used right angle weave for most of the bag beadwork, herringbone stitch for the strap, bead embroidery for the cabs, beading wire for the fringe, and cotton cord for inside the strap.
Length (bag only) at shortest point: 4 and ½ inches
Length (bag only) at longest point: 6 inches
Width: 3 and ¼ inches
Fringe length: 3 and ¼ inches
Strap length: 46 inches
Spheres are UNdrilled balls and are my personal Specialty. My beadweaving around the sphere uses non-stretch fireline, and will last indefinitely, while still allowing the orb to TURN inside its beadwork, so that the wearer can decide its best "face" to present!
To check out some of my other wearable marbles and spheres, please visit:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtMasquerading?section_id=7403485
.....and to find out how and why I began using marbles in jewelry, please read my Bio here:
http://www.etsy.com/people/ArtMasquerading
The bag ships with a nice handmade draw-string gift bag and a zip lock baggie containing a GM Anti-Tarnish square for storage and protection against tarnish.
I am a proud member of the Etsy Beadweaver's Team. Please search EBW TEAM for more beautiful beadwoven creations or visit our blog for links to all members' shops:
http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com
30% of the sale of this item will be donated to Arts Fifth Avenue, 1628 5th Ave., Fort Worth, Texas. A5A is a non-profit arts venue, offering gallery space and arts classes to everyone regardless of their ability to pay.
Thank you for looking at this piece!
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(1) The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Part 2, The Two Towers, pg. 256, by J.R.R. Tolkein, published in 1981 (69th printing). All following footnotes are from this edition/publishing.
(2) The Fellowship of the Ring, pg. 427
(3) The Fellowship of the Ring, pg. 432.
(4) The Two Towers, pg. 135.
(5) The Two Towers, pg. 133.
(6) The Return of the King, pg. 170.
(7) The Fellowship of the Ring, pg. 48.
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