My purpose is not to be deceptive, I said that Toklien did in fact make the statement that no more than 3 or 7 Balrogs ever existed. However, just because he made the statement does not mean he would have changed things he already made. Tolkien was increasingly reluctant to change things in print. In addition his memory was not what it used to be in his old age and the fact that he would consider having only 3 Balrogs shows this. It is entirely possible that he would have made the reduction, but the existance of one note written by Tolkien can not undo the thousands of Balrogs that are present at the Fall of Gondolin. To presume that anyone could know for certain Tolkien's latest intentions is ridiculous. As I have said several times, you just have to make your own judgements on exactly how many Balrogs there are. I, like the Keeper think that there might have been only a few Balrogs (I believe more than 7) with many lesser Maia subservient and maybe even similiar in appearence to the Balrogs.
[ January 24, 2002: Message edited by: Thingol ]
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Yet the lies that Melkor, the mighty and accursed, Morgoth Bauglir, the Power of Terror and of Hate, sowed in the hearts of Elves and Men are a seed that does not die and cannot be destroyed; and ever and anon it sprouts anew, and will bear dark fruit even unto the latest days.
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