Do Balrogs Have Wings?

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Boromir88

As we all know gigantic horned demons with enormous wings is far more appealing than a man-sized opponent that could manipulate fire and shadow. I mean we just have to watch the movies to see what people think 'looks' better.

Precisely. Hence, many people will, when they first read that passage (possibly influenced by Tolkien art etc) imagine a Balrog with wings. My point about the mind's eye trumping logic is relevant here. The impression conveyed by a text might be very different from its technical meaning, when logically deconstructed.

Whether Tolkien intended his Balrogs to be winged remains a moot point, but I would hazard a guess that many pro-wingers (and certainly myself) formed an impression of a winged Balrog on first reading the relevant passage and are now either disinclined or unable to reject it, regardless of the logic of the argument to the contrary. In my own case, my original impression was reinforced over time by artistic portrayals of the Balrog.