To observe the awesomeness of Gandalf the White, reread his encounter with the Lord of Nazgul at the Gates of Minas Tirith. Freaken' amazing

Gandalf beating the nazgul isn't much of a surprise, especially after being allowed much more strength. A maiar certainly out paces a wraith in terms of pure strength.
Against Galadriel though, I don't know. Galadriel is quite powerful, especially with her ring. Though a maiar at full strength would be stronger than Galadriel, the istari were limited in their power so as to not fall into the same corruption Sauron did.

I also read that Glorfindel of Rivendell (who I believe is also Noldor, even ignoring connection with the other) was supposed to be a resurrection story or something of Glorfindel of Gondolin. Unsure. Tolkien died too soon :/

Yes, but how much power did Gandalf gain after he did his whole resurrection jazz?

I actually read a really interesting post recently about whether Gandalf the White still counted as Istari, have a look:
https://www.quora.com/profile/Thomas-Snerdley/Posts/News-Flash-Gandalf-the-White-was-not-an-Istar

That was a fascinating read.

Glorfindel was a Noldor; and there were a few others in Rivindell and Lindon under Elrond's rule. It was just the ruling families that had all died out, excluding Galadriel

And in the History of Middle Earth; Christopher Tolkien confirmed that Glorfindel was the same Glorfindel - because of his bravery and valour in the Fall of Gondolin; he was already reborn, and after being part of the host of the West in the War of Wrath he was allowed to stay in Middle Earth as a messenger of the Valar.

@Lethologica
when I saw the title I thought the guy was crazy, but he convinced me by the end it, thanks.

@HR that corresponds to another theme in the Lost Tales: that elves were reborn in their children.

JRR abandoned that idea, but it seems to have endured in glorfindel

And yes, Luthien would have been more powerful than Galadriel. The way she destroyed Minas Tirith (the original one, in Beleriand) after Huan defeated Sauron was the same as how Galadriel destroyed Dol Guldur.

Luthien, however, was not a Noldor. She was half Teleri half Maiar.

@HoM

Yes, that idea was abandoned. But elves being reborn was not - they were free to leave the Halls of Mandos when they were healed of their sins. In the Silmarillion itself it's mentioned how Finrod Felagund hunts on the plains of Valinor now with his father Finarfin. Only Feanor and his sons were barred from being reborn, as a consequence of their oaths, until the Last Battle arises, when Turin Turambar will kill Morgoth and avenge the children of Hurin, and the sea and the Earth will be broken and the Silmarils reclaimed, and Earendil will return the Silmaril he carries; whereupon Feanor will deliver them to Yavanna, and the two trees shall be remade, the Pelori will be flattened so they light the entire world, and the second music of the Ainur will begin.

(Coincidentally, the Host of Ar-Pharazon and Numenor will also be released from their caves to fight the host of Morgoth in that battle).

Gosh I wish he wrote more.

I wish he hadn't died so soon. He could have fixed so much confusion.

Christopher Tolkien going through all his fathers writings to put together The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, and The History of Middle Earth must have been both a blessing and a curse.

I think he would have created as much confusion as he fixed. He was a fan of leaving some things undecided, and he was constantly tweaking the things he had decided.

one of the best tales is "the children of Hurin" Epic if you can get past the brother sister incest..The reason behind the incest was to Bring the house of Hurin as low as possible..good old Morgoth..

@Gobbledydook "I always read the part where Galadriel throws down the walls of Dol Guldur as figurative, as in she commanded her victorious forces to destroy it."

Yes, i've tead a detailed analysis of the only other 'throwing down' or a citadel - the on HR mentions "And yes, Luthien would have been more powerful than Galadriel. The way she destroyed Minas Tirith (the original one, in Beleriand) after Huan defeated Sauron was the same as how Galadriel destroyed Dol Guldur. "

That the idea was there was some magic words holding the citadel up, and if you onew the right ones you could undo that power. Possibly without any magics to back it up - depending on how we understand words to work in arda... (Singing makes the universe, so maybe magic words are able to alter Arda?

But most interpretations seem to go with Magically throwing down the fortress, not physical, or ordering some guys...

Gandalf the White was probably the second most powerful being on Middle Earth.

I think Sauron before he made the One Ring, could have defeated Gandalf the White. Doesn't it say somewhere that Sauron was the most powerful Maia?

On the one hand, Sauron would probably own Gandalf of any color. Gandalf is only an Angel while Sauron was Maia. On the other hand, Isildur whooped Sauron pretty good.

On the third hand, "Hey dol! merry dol! ring a dong dillo! Ring a dong! hop along! fal lal the willow! Tom Bom, jolly Tom, Tom Bombadillo" would also be a contender for most powerful on Middle Earth.

Gandalf claims to be the most dangerous thing Gimli will ever meet unless he is "brought alive before the seat of the Dark Lord." This is perhaps not strictly true, but only because Gimli eventually goes to Valinor, which Gandalf could not have foreseen. In any case, this cements the power hierarchy (as Gandalf sees it) as Sauron > Gandalf the White > everything else.

But if Luthien humiliated a Sauron at his height, wouldn't that make her more powerful than Gandalf the White? or does Luthien just not count?

cause, I mean, she but to sleep the most powerful being in the WHOLE world!!!!!!!

now I know that Morgoth's power was diminished when he permanently became a dark king. And Tulkas and Ungoliant whipped his butt, but still..

Presumably Gandalf would not ever expect Gimli to meet Luthien. Or Morgoth, for that matter. The hierarchy is of late Third-Age stuff in Middle-Earth. I would venture to guess that's also the time frame Gobbledygook is speaking of, though I could be wrong.

Also, @shield, Isildur didn't whoop Sauron; Sauron fought with Elendil and Gil-Galad, and they basically fought to a draw; the latter two died, but Sauron was defeated, and Isildur cutting the Ring from his finger was more of a coup de grace. Still notable that those two could match Sauron in direct combat.

@shield, unsure what you mean by distinguishing Maia and Angel. Gandalf was definitely a Maia.

The tales of the first and second ages (and before those even) are full of powerful begins being beaten by lesser folk. Just look at Luthien and Beren, or Fingolfin besieging Angbad for 400 years, or Earendil killing Ancalagon.

Also, as far as I know, there are no such things as angels. There is Eru, then the Valar, then the Maiar, then the elves, then men, then dwarves.
The Maiar encompass everything from balrogs to the wizards, to sauron, Melian, ect.

Although not a technical term, the Valar and the Maiar are definitely angels when taken in context of the symbolism.