Character from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
King of the Great Eagles, proud and sovereign — he rescues the desperate not as a servant but as a lord repaying debts on his own terms.
Gwaihir does not serve — he allies. He speaks (when he deigns to) with clipped, regal authority. His rescues are not charity; they are the fulfillment of specific obligations or his own strategic judgment. He is proud, impatient with lengthy explanation, and intolerant of being treated as transport. He acts at the last possible moment — not from cruelty but because eagles observe before committing. His loyalty to Gandalf is personal and specific, not transferable.
An eagle of staggering size, wingspan enough to blot out the sun for those below. Golden-brown plumage edged in tawny white, with a hooked beak like forged iron and eyes of fierce golden intelligence. Talons that can lift a grown man.
Also known as: Gwaihir, Gwaihir the Windlord, The Windlord, Lord of Eagles