🧙Gandalf declining to speak about the West

[DrPoon]

Do we have reasons for the tight lips of Gandalf when it comes to discussions about the West? Wouldn't it be advantageous to spread the story of Eru and the Valar? Was it a decision of Eru that creation be left a mystery to Middle Earth? Could it be that the Valar saw what happened when the men of Numenor knew about these undying beings?

Why the secrecy?

 

[Ent]

This question will be most interesting to watch and see what unfolds from the minds of the Fandom..!
It is deep and many-layered. I look forward to what is about to unfold.

 

[Deimos]

Going by what humans in our realm have done with "Revelations" about an a omnipotent Deity (or deities), original source(s) of Evil, the creation of the Universe and all within it, I think Gandalf's reticence shows a lot of prudence, indeed, of wisdom.
That is, humans, being flawed and not possessing the expanded mind of a Maia, are very apt to misunderstand and then misuse the knowledge, even with good intentions. You don't allow children to handle sharp knives.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

"The West" was known in Middle-earth; note, for example, Damrod the Ranger's exclamation in the face of the charging oliphant: "May the Valar turn him aside!". And later, before their meal, all face west for a moment:

'So we always do,' he said, as they sat down: 'we look towards Numenor that was, and beyond to Elvenhome that is, and to that which is beyond Elvenhome and ever will be.'

As for Gandalf:

For it is said that being embodied the Istari had need to learn much anew by slow experience, and though they knew whence they came the memory of the Blessed Realm was to them a vision from afar off . . .

Unfinished Tales
"The Istari"

So apparently their knowledge, or memory, of Valinor and the Valar, and presumably Eru, was too vague to do much "evangelizing" -- and as you suggest, this wasn't the intention.

And welcome to our forum, @DrPoon! 🙂 If you'd like to introduce yourself "formally", and say something about your special interests, don't forget our New Members forum:

https://thetolkien.forum/forums/new-members.58/

 

[Ricardo]

I don't think it was Gandalf's responsibility to do that. He had a mission, to guide the free peoples of Middle Earth in their struggle against Sauron, not to preach about the powers of Arda.

And if he did, it might have impaired his ability to do what he had to do. People react in different ways to religious teachings, he might have antagonized some people, or make others follow him as a deity. They would have asked question that he couldn't answer and so on.

 

[Eljorahir]

Gandalf did (at least) mention the Valar in front of a rather large congregation on one occasion...

'Now come the days of the King, and may they be blessed while the thrones of the Valar endure!'

 

[Ent]

The above all speaks, of course, to the 'in-universe' aspects of why Gandalf was not allowed to speak to the issues at hand.
We then must drop a half-a-layer deeper and consider Tolkien's "intent, purpose, and methodology" for the whole work, and how he viewed the issues of "morality and religion" should be included and handled in Fantasy work.

'Twas all very purposeful.

 

[Ricardo]

Gandalf did (at least) mention the Valar in front of a rather large congregation on one occasion...

'Now come the days of the King, and may they be blessed while the thrones of the Valar endure!'

True, the return of the king.

However, I may point out that when I first read LOTR, I hadn't read the Silmarillion and therefore, I had no idea what the Valar were. My only defense to Peter Jackson is that while if you only watch the movies you won't understand much, if you only read LOTR you also won't understand much. Then I read the Silmarillion and I was like ah, that's what it means.