Many young people believe 'Gandalf defeated the Armada' ...

... according to a survey carried out for the BBC and reported in the Guardian.

Interesting as all this is, and it is indeed quite illuminating, I think the other aspect of this little piece of social observation which is of even more interest is that these same children presumably equate the Spanish with the Orcs and the Spanish king, in whose name the Armada set sail, as Sauron (or possibly Saruman). It's quite a thought, many of those kids will be taken on holiday by their parents to various Spanish holiday resorts this summer and all the while their unsuspecting Spanish hosts are seen as goblins of various kinds. Methinks there is some cognitive dissonance going on somewhere.