Balrog Sprinters? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Laitoste · 03-29-2004, 05:10 PM

That's what I was thinking, Nilpaurion. Storms can move pretty fast, so it wouldn't take too long for one of the balrogs to reach him. And in the time that he's waiting, I'm sure Morgoth could have protected himself.

obloquy · 03-31-2004, 07:53 PM

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So i'm with Eomer King of Rohan on that one because it would make more sence that they'd use black magic to teleport, rather than sprint across Middle Earth

There are a couple of problems with Eomer King of Rohan's suggestion. First, using "black magic to teleport" is unprecedented in Tolkien's work.

Secondly, Balrogs were incarnated Maiar and were thus bound to their bodies and unable to shift into the spiritual plane for travel.

The Perky Ent · 03-31-2004, 08:32 PM

Ah, but if teleportation doesn't exsist, why is there a "spiritual plane for travel"? I see your point though. Also, i can't understand the Ungoliant strangle thingie. Does Morgoth just stand there why she strangles him, or is he trying to fight her?!?

Nilpaurion Felagund · 03-31-2004, 09:14 PM

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Does Morgoth just stand there why she strangles him, or is he trying to fight her?!?

Surely, he must fight her.

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But Ungoliant has grown great, and [Morgoth] less by the power that had gone out of him...

'tis an unfair fight. Ungoliant just had breakfast, while Morgoth had been fasting.

Finwe · 04-03-2004, 11:24 AM

Why don't we try not venting about the wings issue.

Since the Balrogs were spirits, normal laws of physics didn't apply to them. As much as we'd like the idea, they didn't teleport either. Urgency makes you work harder, and if you hear your master screaming like he's getting munched by a giant spider for dessert, you'd hurry up darn quick to go save him. Without a fana, an Ainu appears as a naked flame. Have you ever seen how quickly flames spread? Now multiply that by twenty or thirty or however many Balrogs there were. That's one damn big wildfire.

Son of Númenor · 08-27-2005, 03:37 AM

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...and now swiftly they arose, and passing over Hithlum they came to asunder the webs of Ungoliant...

For the record, I decided to count the number of times in The Silmarillion the phrases "passing over", "pass over" and "passed over" appear in the context of characters' travels. It turns out that, including the Valaquenta and the Ainulindalë but excluding Akallabêth and Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age (I got lazy), the phrases appear 32 times, and are used only twice in the context of flight (to describe the movements of Thorondor and Tilion). In retrospect this was an utterly profitless endeavour, although it is a (minute) dent in the argument of some pro-wingers. Thank you for your time.

The Perky Ent · 09-09-2005, 04:48 PM

I am now subscribing to a new version of the Balrog Wing issue. They have wings, but cannot fly. Instead, I have figured out Balrogs the way Tolkien wanted it: Balrogs are Hoppers. They travel by hopping, and using their wings to fly. They aren't flying, but they can travel over vast distances as if flying. Plausable?

03-29-2004, 05:10 PM	#1
Laitoste Wight Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Behind the hills Posts: 164	That's what I was thinking, Nilpaurion. Storms can move pretty fast, so it wouldn't take too long for one of the balrogs to reach him. And in the time that he's waiting, I'm sure Morgoth could have protected himself. __________________ "If we're still alive in the morning, we'll know that we're not dead."~South Park

03-31-2004, 08:32 PM	#3
The Perky Ent Maniacal Mage Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Setting sail for Umbar, with Firefoot at my side! Posts: 3,297	Ah, but if teleportation doesn't exsist, why is there a "spiritual plane for travel"? I see your point though. Also, i can't understand the Ungoliant strangle thingie. Does Morgoth just stand there why she strangles him, or is he trying to fight her?!? __________________ 'But Melkor also was there, and he came to the house of Fëanor, and there he slew Finwë King of the Noldor before his doors, and spilled the first blood in the Blessed Realm; for Finwë alone had not fled from the horror of the Dark.'

04-03-2004, 11:24 AM	#5
Finwe Deathless Sun Join Date: May 2003 Location: The Royal Suite in the Halls of Mandos Posts: 2,609	Why don't we try not venting about the wings issue. Since the Balrogs were spirits, normal laws of physics didn't apply to them. As much as we'd like the idea, they didn't teleport either. Urgency makes you work harder, and if you hear your master screaming like he's getting munched by a giant spider for dessert, you'd hurry up darn quick to go save him. Without a fana, an Ainu appears as a naked flame. Have you ever seen how quickly flames spread? Now multiply that by twenty or thirty or however many Balrogs there were. That's one damn big wildfire. __________________ But Melkor also was there, and he came to the house of Fëanor, and there he slew Finwë King of the Noldor before his doors, and spilled the first blood in the Blessed Realm; for Finwë alone had not fled from the horror of the Dark.

09-09-2005, 04:48 PM	#7
The Perky Ent Maniacal Mage Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Setting sail for Umbar, with Firefoot at my side! Posts: 3,297	I am now subscribing to a new version of the Balrog Wing issue. They have wings, but cannot fly. Instead, I have figured out Balrogs the way Tolkien wanted it: Balrogs are Hoppers. They travel by hopping, and using their wings to fly. They aren't flying, but they can travel over vast distances as if flying. Plausable? __________________ 'But Melkor also was there, and he came to the house of Fëanor, and there he slew Finwë King of the Noldor before his doors, and spilled the first blood in the Blessed Realm; for Finwë alone had not fled from the horror of the Dark.'

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