There are many regal characters inThe Hobbittrilogy, but it is safe to say that Radagast is not one of them. Even whenSaruman, Gandalf and Galadrielmeet at the White council to discuss the discovery of the necromancer, and what it could mean for the fate of Middle Earth, Saruman refuses to take seriously anything that has been said by the brown wizard on account of the fact that “excessive use of mushrooms have addled his brain and yellowed his teeth.” But just how addled is Radagast, and how do Peter Jackson’s changes and additions to the character further this notion?
Interestingly, despite him seeming like such an important character in the films, Radagast barely makes an appearance inTolkien’s original story of The Hobbit, and is actually arguably more prevalent in the Lord of the Rings. But thanks to the many embellishments and changes that the directors made to the movies, the audience is rewarded with more of an introduction to this fantastical and unusual character.
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Both Gandalf the grey andSaruman the white have extraordinary wizard powers, and although the films show very little of what Radagast is capable of, and what type of magic he uses, he tantalizes fans with little snippets of potion making, whispered incantations, and even reviving animals from the dead. During the scene when Radagast saves Sebastian the hedgehog from the evil witchcraft that has befallen him, it is easy to see how Saruman has got the impression of Radagast as a little deranged, because his eyes roll back, he droops, and he seems almost stupefied.
However, although Radagast is reclusive and skittish, preferring the company of animals over other humanoid beings, he is by no means idiotic or simple as Saruman seems to suggest. In fact, Radagast has an extoadinary understanding of herblore and of the natural world, and is possibly one of the most unrivalled beings in Middle Earth when it comes to the arts of healing and medicines, because of his connection to the flora and fauna of the forest.
He is also selfless, lending Gandalf his wizards staff, brave, in seeking out the grave in Angmar to try to find answers for himself, and fiercely loyal as he rushes in on his to rescue Gandalf in the battle against the necromancer. Not to mention putting himself at risk several times in order to protect those he loves, whether it’s resistingthe giant spiders of Mirkwood, or distracting the goblins and their wolves on his sled of rustabell rabbits.
In fact, it is Radagast who send the Giant Eagle to rescue Gandalf from the tower of orthanc during the Fellowship of the Ring, and Radagast who helps Gandalf and the dwarves work their way into the good books ofBeorn the bear man, who is mistrustful of outsiders, but more accepting of the companions because of their affiliation with the brown wizard.
However, he does a lot more than this in the films, much to the chagrin of many fans who feel that his role, like many others (including Tauriel and Legolas, who weren’t ever in the films, as well asAlfrid the servant of Lake Townto name a few)was over-inflated and dramatized to make the movies stretch across 3 films rather than wrapping it up in 1 or 2.
Although there are some interesting features added to Radagast’s character, his seemingly nonsensical and air-headed tendencies feel to lots of fans to be an insult and a mockery of the majesty of Tolkien’s original writing. From the birds that nestle beneath his hat, to the heroicflying in on an eagleto battle against the Five Armies, his character can sometimes feel like it is contradicting itself, and therefore detracts from the actual story ofThorin’s fate as he tries to reclaim the land of his fathers.
And as for the mushrooms, and whether or not they have ‘addled his brain’ as Saruman suggests, it is difficult to say, because this is another addition on behalf of the directorial team that is never mentioned anywhere in Tolkien’s legendarium. So perhaps he is as spaced out and quirky as he is because of the fungi he consumes, or perhaps this is just a part of his nature and his reclusive life of blending in with animals instead of people.
Either way, it seems strange for an ancient Maia of a long ago world to stay out of all the danger and damage that is done to Middle Earth during the quest for Erebor and the War of the Ring, in favor of hiding away in a burrow in the woods and burying his head in the sand.
