Gwaihir

Gwaihir is the lord of the great eagles during the Third Age. Gwaihir is a descendant of Thorondor, the greatest Eagle of Valinor. He also goes by the name of Gwaihir the Windlord. It was said that Gandalf the Grey once saved Gwaihir from a poisoned arrow. This explains the bond between the two.

During TA 3018, Gandalf the Grey requested Radagast the Brown to send word to the great eagles to gather information about their enemies. The great eagles flew and gathered news of the escape of Gollum from Mirkwood and information on the Nazgûl, the Orcs, and the Wargs. Gwaihir was then sent by the great eagles to give the news to Gandalf in Isengard. By this time, Gandalf was imprisoned by Saruman on top of the Orthanc - a tall, black tower that was known to be impenetrable. Gwaihir was able to fly to the top to carry Gandalf away from Saruman and his evil forces.

When Gandalf decided that he needed a horse, Gwaihir flew to Rohan and set Gandalf down there. On TA 3019, Galadriel requested Gwaihir to look for Gandalf after the Fellowship of the Rings told her of Gandalf’s demise in the Misty Mountains. Gwaihir found the wizard on the Silvertine, one of the peaks in the Misty Mountains. Gandalf was able to defeat and vanquish the Balrog during the Battle of the Peak. However, Gandalf was unable to find a way out of the mountaintop since the entrance to the Endless Stair was blocked. Gwaihir bore Gandalf once more and noticed that he was as light as a feather. This was because Gandalf’s old life was already burned away, and he was reborn as Gandalf the White. Gwaihir brought Gandalf to Lothlórien, where Gandalf spent some time to recover. Gandalf then instructed him to look for the Fellowship of the Ring and bring him news about their whereabouts.

Legolas and Aragorn spotted the great eagle circling above them in the hills of Emy Muil. Gwaihir returned to Gandalf and informed him that the hobbits Pippin and Merry were kidnapped by the Uruk-hai of Saruman. During the Battle of the Black Gate, Gwaihir and his brother, Landroval, led a company of great eagles to fight off the evil forces. They attacked the winged Nazgûls, who was about to flee to Mount Doom, where Frodo Baggins was at the act of destroying the Ring. After the Ring was destroyed, Mount Doom erupted, which caused Sam and Frodo to be stranded on a hill, surrounded by flowing lava. Gandalf asked for Gwaihir’s assistance once more to help the hobbits. With Landroval and another great eagle named Meneldor, they flew to Mount Doom and used their keen sight to look for the hobbits. The great eagles were able to carry Sam and Frodo away safely.

The name “Gwaihir” comes from “gwaew” a Sindarin term for “wind” or “storm”
and “hîr” a Sindarin term for “master” or “lord.” This translates “Gwaihir” into “wind lord.”

Gwaihir was the swiftest of all the great eagles during the Third Age. He was large enough to carry a grown man, but he could only carry a man for a limited time. Gwaihir is also known to have keen eyesight and golden eyes.

In earlier versions, Gwaihir goes by the name of “Gwaewar,” and he was the vassal of Thorondor. He was one of the great eagles that saved Beren and Lúthien when they were on their quest to retrieve a Silmaril in Angband. This passage was removed from the published Silmarillion by Christopher Tolkien. He reasoned out that this was to avoid discrepancies with The Lord of the Rings. He later admitted, though, that he regretted doing this. He acknowledged that his not being able to interpret his father’s intentions regarding Gwaihir forced him to take the passage out. In TA 2941, it is noted that a “lord of the eagles” was mentioned to save Thorin and Company from the orcs and wargs. The same eagle also arrived in the Lonely Mountain to help the dwarves in the Battle of the Five Armies. However, it is still up to debate whether this eagle was indeed Gwaihir. By the end of The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf mentions that Gwaihir had only carried him twice. This implies that Gwaihir could not be the great eagle that aided Gandalf during the time of Thorin and Company.

In the film Fellowship of the Ring, we see Gwaihir arriving at Isengard and rescuing Gandalf. Gandalf sees the great eagle approaching the black tower while in a battle with Saruman. This causes him to confidently jump off the tower, which surprised Saruman. In the film, The Return of the King, Gwaihir, Landroval, and a company of great eagles arrive at the Battle of the Black Gate to attack the Nazgûl and their beasts. When the Ring was destroyed, Gwaihir carried Gandalf to rescue Frodo and Sam, along with two other great eagles.

Gandalf uses a moth to call on Gwaihir and the great eagles to escape Azog and the other orcs. Later, Radagast the Brown rides Gwaihir during the Battle of the Five Armies. Gwaihir leads a company of great eagles to the battlefield.

In this radio series, Gwaihir can be heard rescuing Gandalf from Orthanc. He was voiced by Alexander John.

Gwaihir can be seen as an extraordinary power that is available for Berethor’s company. [1]

Gwaihir appears as a power that can be used when the player is using Gondor or Rohan. However, he is unnamed in the game. [2]

When Eredan, Farin, and Andriel defeat Bargrisar, Gwaihir will make a short appearance. [3]

1. ^The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age.
2. ^The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth.
3. ^The Lord of the Rings: War in the North.