Posted: April 30, 2000 at 23:18:29: by Jim Gregors
: : : : : I may be wrong, but doesn't it say in the Hobbit that Gandalf is Radagast's cousin? Wouldn't he want to worry about Radagast then??? any thoughts?: : : : Gandalf made this statement to Beorn as part of an attempt to gain his trust (or at least his ambivalence). Gandalf and Radagast were no more cousins than Gandalf and Saruman. : : : I think it was an honorary term. : : As far as I know, the only ceremonial use of the word cousin is employed by the King or Queen of England when addressing a peer of the realm (a custom begun by Henry VI). : Well, Gandalf wasn't exactly going about telling people precisely who he was. "Cousin" is a nice nonspecific reference to the fact that they are of the same order. Actually, Gandalf told Beorn exactly who he was. His reference to Radagast was simply to get Beorn to let down his guard a bit.
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