View Single Post
Old 03-06-2004, 07:06 AM   #21
inglorion
Haunting Spirit
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Hollandia
Posts: 55
inglorion has just left Hobbiton.
Silmaril

Doing well guys. Interesting thread.

On Narya: I am inclined to believe the Balrog could wield the power of Narya provided he possessed it, which certainly was not the case, since possessor of Narya, i.e. not the Balrog, but, yes indeed, Gandalf, smashed him off the mountain into smithereens, or so we were led to believe. (Pheww... got carried away in interpunction there!)

Now, why would I be inclined to believe such a thing? Allow me to explain. The Balrog is a spirit of fire. Narya is a (actually "the", but in the line of this explanation, I prefer "a" for continuity (My grattitude for your unending understanding and your not referring to this in any way)) ring of fire. Well... one seeks continuity and one finds a mess.

Since there is a similarity here in the form of fire, it would seem only logical that the Balrog could wield any device tapping into the elemental force which fire is. At this point I feel I have to make a remark regarding previous contributions on the nature of Narya. It was suggested that Narya was connected with the power of the Sun. Nice thought, but sadly untrue, as can be deduced from the fact that the Three were created after the elements: water (Nenya), air (Vilya) and fire (Narya). This is further supported by the analogy with the Silmarils. One with Aerendil in the heavens, one in the ocean, and one in the earth itself. (Resp. air, water, fire).

This, of course, brings us back again to the passage on the flame of Anor. If Narya is not connected to the Sun than maybe Glamdring is. All speculations, but that's what we're good at after all... Possibly Anor is a connotation to reflect the "enlightened" nature of Gandalf and the items he carries around. So, then "wielder of the flame of Anor" would become something to be interpreted not literally, as in an item so (nick)named, but more figuratively. JRRT might have attempted to further clarify Gandalf's nature as opposed to the Balrog's at this rather epic point in the story. Throw in a few oppositions (light - dark; flame of Anor - flame of Udun, etc) so everybody can work out who's fighting who and then place bets.

Hoping this is of any use,

Greetings Inglorion
__________________
Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards for they are subtle and quick to anger.
inglorion is offline   Reply With Quote