Gandalf, the Magic-Wand Wolf

Did you know that the name Gandalf isa German noun latinized as Gandolfus, and comes from the German words, Gand (magic wand) and Wulfa (wolf, obviously)! I just read this and thought it was so cool! It is also a real German last name. The Pope goes to Castel Gandolfo, named after the family that lived there for a couple hundred years, every summer! I wonder if Tolkien had the meaning of Gand and wulfus in mind when he chose the name for Gandalf in LOTR!?!?

If you think about it, Gandalf is a Wizard, so of course he is magic. But the symbolism of the wolf is even more interesting. One website I looked at for the symbolism of a wolf taken from a whole jumble of religions and cultures says: Wolf - Loyalty, success, perseverance, stability, thought, pathfinder, teacher, intuition, learning, the shadow. (http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/animals2.htm) I think this just about sums Gandalf up!

And then Just for fun: