Balrogs and Wings.

[Teresa Edgerton]

I've been thinking about it, and it occurs to me that the argument that Balrogs can't fly doesn't necessarily hold.

Even with wings, in order to fly you have to have room to spread them out. If the chasm in Moria is smaller than the Balrog's wingspan, not only would that prevent Durin's Bane from beating its wings (or gliding), but any attempt to do so would result in a broken wing -- not much use for flying either.

The same thing if someone fighting with a Balrog throws or pushes the creature down the side of a mountain -- rolling and tumbling down the slope the wings become more of a liability than a help, and again there is a very good chance that the wings will break. Nowhere does it say that Gandalf pushed the Balrog off of a sheer drop from the highest peak and watched it fall straight down. Here is what it does say: "I threw down my enemy, and he fell from the high place, and broke the mountainside where he smote it in his ruin." To me, this conjures up the picture of a bruising tumble over the rocks.

[Telperaca]

Why was I not surprised to find this thread? ::Smirks::

[Pointfinder]

Has anyone ever presented Christopher Tolkien with this question? I'll take his version as gospel.

[Majimaune]

I dunno Pointfinger. It probably has been done.

[ClintonHammond]

Chris Tolkien is a talentless hack.....

Balrogs HAVE wings cause "with wings" is cooler than "without wings"

:-)

[Pointfinder]

Originally Posted by ClintonHammond

Chris Tolkien is a talentless hack.....


:-)

Wow, merry Christmas to you too.

[pyan]

Originally Posted by ClintonHammond

Chris Tolkien is a talentless hack.....

Whereas I respect your right to hold such opinions, and will defend your right to express them, you may want to take a little more time to gauge the style and atmosphere of these forums before posting in an inflammatory manner such as this.

[ClintonHammond]

I calls 'em as I see's 'em....

If he had any talent of his own, he wouldn't have to rely on riding his poor daddy's coat-tails...

Getting excited about some opinion that someone posted on the internet is about the silliest thing I can possibly imagine.

[Stormlight_USMC]

They can't fly either way so does it really matter?

Well it is stated that Gothmog doesnt have wings and that the one in Fellowship does. So some do and some dont (or they have one in the middle of their back).

Originally Posted by Majimaune

How so certain? I think Marky Lazer's original article did a fairly thorough job of establishing, by citing the source material directly and quoting from the Encyclopedia of Arda, that none of us can know for sure. Do you have access to some mystic tome unbeknownst to the rest of us? Did you read the part about how there are two diametrically opposed, well-defensible interpretations of the FOTR Moria Balrog encounter?

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence: just because Tolkien never specified a flying Balrog in strictly literal terms, we cannot be certain that they could not fly (with or without wings; these things are practically demigods, remember). Marky and Teresa both made excellent points about a winged, flight-capable Balrog not being able to fly due to extenuating circumstances.

Personally I see the whole concept as being up for grabs, depending on the preference of the reader.

Balrogs HAVE wings cause "with wings" is cooler than "without wings"

Originally Posted by ClintonHammond

My sentiments exactly.