Thread: Balrog wings

soooo,

Did the balrogs had wings or not?

which version?

Originally Posted by Ironcrown

which version?

Well there are two versions regarding balrog wings, regular or hot and spicey. Considering this is a balrog we are talking about, a fire spirit, I say hot and spicey.

Originally Posted by GarethB

Well there are two versions regarding balrog wings, regular or hot and spicey. Considering this is a balrog we are talking about, a fire spirit, I say hot and spicey.

Soooo....no BBQ?

During first age there where 7 Balorgs in Arda. Gothmog mightiest and lord of Balrogs , general of Sauron Army adn 2nd most powerfull Morgoth servant next to Ancalagon the Black had 2 wings.

At the end of War of Wrath when Beleriand sunk its said that 1 of most powerfull prob only next to Gothmog fled to Khazad-Dum.

We are all familliar with Durins bane. He had 2 wings also.

Tharulach is totaly made by Turbine and is non-canon , altough it is possiblity that he also escaped Battle of Gondolin or War of Wrath and remained hidden until eventualy defeated by some brave fellow in depths Rift of Nurz Ghasu.

Here is pic of Gothmog.

Run you fools ! Swords are usless!

I think they had the ability to create solid wings from the shadows surrounding them.

I would like to know where baby balrogs come from, and when learning to fly, do their mother's kick them out of the nest?

Originally Posted by Dorothir

I think they had the ability to create solid wings from the shadows surrounding them.

Can u provide link where did u see it ?

Originally Posted by Odinshaw

I would like to know where baby balrogs come from, and when learning to fly, do their mother's kick them out of the nest?

Balrogs are Fire Spirits - some variation of the Maiar. The Maiar and Valar were all created by Eru at the beginning of time.

So... They don't have babies.



And the Balrogs had what appeared to be wings. Whether or not they could actually fly is another matter (I tend to think that they can't, or else Durins Bane probably wouldn't have let himself fall a few miles down into an abyss.)

http://tolkien.slimy.com/essays/TAB6.html

A very complete discussion of the issue I found a while ago.

Originally Posted by Hinia

Can u provide link where did u see it ?

Well I can't really link my own mind, since that's where I made my interpretations of Tolkien's writings.

Originally Posted by sir-rinthian

(I tend to think that they can't, or else Durins Bane probably wouldn't have let himself fall a few miles down into an abyss.)

Many people make this assumption for some reason. Something as big as a barlog couldn't just flap its wings once and suddenly begin to defy gravity. Mid-fall he could only hope for gliding, which would bring him to the bottom anyway (unless his wingspan was actually greater than the width of the chasm which might be another possibility).

Quite frankly there's not enough evidence to know for certain either way. Therefore, I fall back to the Rule of Cool, which says they do.

It goes like this: Tolkien wrote a passage about how "the shadow about it reached out like two vast wings" followed a little later by "its wings were spread from wall to wall", but every artist who read the passage only took notice of the second part and gave it a stereotypical winged demon appearance.

Originally Posted by Gauddan

...but every artist who read the passage only took notice of the second part and gave it a stereotypical winged demon appearance.

Not every artist. Ted Nasmith is a member of the "no wings" camp.

http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Balrog

dude this discussion has apparently been done to death, read up.

Originally Posted by oldbadgerbrock

Not every artist. Ted Nasmith is a member of the "no wings" camp.

Fine, one guy understood it. But my point still stands, just look at the depiction of the Balrog in the animated version *shiver*

Originally Posted by Gauddan

Fine, one guy understood it. But my point still stands, just look at the depiction of the Balrog in the animated version *shiver*

I shiver at just about everything in Ralph Bakshi's adaptation!

One of my favorite depictions of a 'Demon of Power' is John Howe's. I call it The Bullrog.

Originally Posted by oldbadgerbrock

I shiver at just about everything in Ralph Bakshi's adaptation!

One of my favorite depictions of a 'Demon of Power' is John Howe's. I call it The Bullrog.

I always liked that pcitures, even if it does have wings. lol.

I like this one, even if it does lack the shadow that surrounds it.

But for me, nothing can beat this one.

Originally Posted by Dorothir

I like this one, even if it does lack the shadow that surrounds it.

But for me, nothing can beat this one.

The second picture is great

Originally Posted by Silchas

I always liked that pcitures, even if it does have wings. lol.

Forget the wings, look at those horns! Glorfindel should have been wielding a red cape instead of a shield.

Originally Posted by oldbadgerbrock

Forget the wings, look at those horns! Glorfindel should have been wielding a red cape instead of a shield.

The whole head is great. Probably the best I have seen.

One of the three questions that have been haunting tolkien message boards for years(other two is "Legolas hair colour" and "Who/What is Tom Bombadill?") :/

Originally Posted by BillyBeard

One of the three questions that have been haunting tolkien message boards for years(other two is "Legolas hair colour" and "Who/What is Tom Bombadill?") :/

Well, the balrog question is basically answered above, Legolas having silver hair as in the movie is perfectly feasible since he is of the same general descent as Celeborn, and Bombadil will never get a straight answer.

Originally Posted by BillyBeard

One of the three questions that have been haunting tolkien message boards for years(other two is "Legolas hair colour" and "Who/What is Tom Bombadill?") :/

Indeed. Odds are none of them will ever have a definite answer(unless Tolkien rises from his grave, in which case we have bigger things to worry about), so they're probably going to keep cropping up as long as LOTR is around. :P

Originally Posted by Nyrion

Quite frankly there's not enough evidence to know for certain either way. Therefore, I fall back to the Rule of Cool, which says they do.

I believe this rule to which you refer is actually "Awesome's Razor".