| Re: Balrogs and Wings.
What sort of wings do you think they are, Michael?
I've always felt that Tolkien was too careful with words to say wings if he didn't mean wings. And I find it puzzling that so many people take it for granted that if Balrogs have wings they must therefore be able to fly. The mere presence of wings does not equal flight, or we'd all be strapping on artificial wings and fulfilling our dreams of flying. The Balrogs may be of matter too dense to be easily lifted, and their wings might be too insubstantial to carry them. Suppose the wings are made of shadow, does that make them any less wings?
And the earlier statement, "the shadow reached out like two vast wings" -- Tolkien is describing what members of the Fellowship see -- it is vague at that point because they are uncertain. Once they get a clearer view, the description changes and becomes unambiguous.
I'm surprised this perfectly plausible explanation never seems to come into the debates. |