Theories(?): The Wizards Origins *SPOILERS*

We know they come from the West (i.e. Valinor) and they are messengers that were sent to help Middle Earth through Sauron's return. It's also said they are loyal to the one who sent them (but obviously not Saruman.)
Nowhere in the Silmarillion (including the prologues) or LotR is more than that mentioned of their origins. Is more mentioned in another JRR work I don't know of or is it all in a Christopher Tolkien work? Quite honestly I don't really consider Christopher Tolkien's work "canon," if you know what that means (it's not meant literally, of course.) As i've said in other posts, i've never read any of his works, and was wondering if I should...i'd love a more detailed history of the 2nd and 3rd ages...

We know that only Eru can create free-willed life forms, as is made clear early in the Silmarillion, and it's only said that he made the Ainur (including the Valar & Maia,) Elves, Men, and gave real life to the Dwarves whom Aule made. Orcs evolved (forcefully) from Elves and Balrogs from Maia, most of the other creatures of Melkor's are Maia of some sort as well. It's interesting then to think where the Wizards came from, and Hobbits also for that matter...or did they evolve (they were said to have evolved, I believe,) in which case Eru's breath of life isn't necessary, as is shown by Melkor's "creations," but in those cases it was forced, whereas Hobbits evolved naturally, and were not predetermined to exist....

I just finished the prologues of the Silmarillion and I must say that Akallabeth and of the Rings of Power and the Third Age are a MUST read for any serious fan of LotR. Those two short works really explain alot that is not explained in LotR. Ainulindale is also excellent, although not directly related to anything in LotR really, and i'd love something like that explaining the end of days and the 3rd age (and beyond?) as well would be nice to have some writings about...there is a whole bunch of appendixes in my edition of LotR that say a bit about the 3rd age, but I don't know if they are JRR works or what, would appreciate some info..

Enough rambling for one post...thanks for listening.

Wow...nothing? I know I ramble alot, especially in that post, but feel free to stick to the question at hand (the Wizard's Origins & Backgrounds).

There is an essay about the origin of the five Istari in the Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth 😉

The Appendices (if you have the same as each normal edition) are made by Tolkien, of course.

Yes, the History is quite interesting - and it also has a story started in the Fourth Age, but only the beginning and it stops abruptely after some pages (I posted a link, somewhere...).

There are a lot of theories about the hobbits.
The best I know is that they're more related to the elves than to men which seems quite logical after reading this theory.

hobbits are a mix between men and dwarves........................egh, just kidding i have no clue where they come from, but being from elves doesnt seem right to me. i would guess they are somehow descendents of petty dwarves.

Dwarves would seem logical
A quite good text about that problem should be found here
http://tolkien.cro.net/hobbits/mberlin.html
but the site doesnt work anymore.

Now to be found here
http://hometown.aol.com/lotrnpotc4ever/Thestory.html
but hardly readable

Eru didn't make the dwarves and aren't they free willed?

Eru helped to make the dwarves
Aule could never have done that alone
Ainur CANT create new life
Who is free-willed?

The Silmarillion says that the difference between elves and men is that men have "free will" at the burden of only a brief life span. I am not entirely ssure what sense the "free will" is in.

I never really understood on a philisophical level what the gift that men have is...besides death, that is.

Aule made the dwarves. Eru gave them the breath of life that made them free-willed.