Do Balrogs Have Wings?

[obloquy]

Originally Posted by Lord Halsar

Ugh! The person who started this thread said that this would potentially settle the matter, and yet here we all are, still bickering over the same usages of words and phrases, getting nowhere with the topic. My hopes for this matter to ever be laid to rest are dead (unlike the topic) and I hope that all of you will realize that we may never know.

The thread had been inactive since April of '07.

[Finduilas]

Originally Posted by obloquy

The thread had been inactive since April of '07.

Yes indeed, but it always pops back up. Not all threads do that.

[obloquy]

The point is that the nerd whining about the issue never being put to rest is the one who resurrected it after 7 months of inactivity to post a quotation that first entered this particular discussion back on page 2.

[Groin Redbeard]

Why are there threads all over the Down's dedicated to the subject of Balrog's wings? Isn't it common sense that Balrogs of wings?

[Lord Gothmog]

Originally Posted by Groin Redbeard

Why are there threads all over the Down's dedicated to the subject of Balrog's wings? Isn't it common sense that Balrogs of wings?

No, it is common sense that Balrogs do not have wings.

However, Common sense is an oxymoron.

Sense in not at all common.

[Lord Halsar]

Originally Posted by obloquy

The point is that the nerd whining about the issue never being put to rest is the one who resurrected it after 7 months of inactivity to post a quotation that first entered this particular discussion back on page 2.

First off: You say nerd like it's a bad thing.
Second: I wasn't whining (per se), and the only reason I did was because I had yet to realize that entering anything in hopes to end it would be a futile effort.

[skip spence]

Couldn't resist replying on this thread...

As some others already stated: no where in any writings of Tolkien is there any description of Balrogs with wings... I guess this misconception comes from in the mention of wings in Moria. But those of you who believe they are actual wings as opposed to a wing-shaped shadow must have poor English reading skills indeed or you haven't read the books at all.

Don't remember the exact words in the bridge of khazad dum passage now but wasn't is something like "it's wings spread from wall to wall..."?

Now correct my if I'm wrong, but wasn't this episode in one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) halls of Moria. If they were actual physical wings this would imply the Balrog was immensly tall. This huge size would also imply that:

The balrogs sword and whip would have been redundant as it would have been able to crush Gandalf like a bug.

The wings would also have been made redundant as it would have been able to step over the gorge as if it were a pothole.

Now as you all know the balrog walked (!) out on the bridge (which was just wide enough to pass one man at a time) where Gandalf fought it and cast it down in the abyss by raising the bridge.

All this would have been impossible if the Balrog was gigantic, let alone had wings.

Now there's absolutely nothing in this passage that implies that the Balrog had wings. Sure you could argue that it had wing but was flightless you could also argue that it had a leather jacket. If I said Balrogs wore leather jackets you would call me crazy though.

[HerenIstarion]

It's been so long I forgot my own position back at the time... lucky it gives one their own choice in italics, so I must have been of the no-winger party if this software is to be trusted...

But, skip spence, surely you don't imply that whatever walked out at Gandalf and Co was nothing more than an undersized excuse for a balrog that only grew in the telling over the ages the tale has been told? Why should we diminish its stature in order to get rid of its wings (if any)?

[obloquy]

I don't think there's any written evidence that balrogs were--or Durin's Bane was particularly--gigantic. Greater than a man in size, for sure, and capable of flaring their silhouette to demoralizing effect, but not so large as to be unable (obviously) to make their way through the less spectacular doorways and hallways of Moria. Greater than Sauron in physical form? It seems unlikely. After a certain point, size becomes impractical for an intelligent creature, especially if we assume that, as Maiar, balrogs were probably accustomed to more comfortable dwellings than holes in mountains such as dragons made use of (note: Moria was not just a hole in a mountain).

[skip spence]

Originally Posted by HerenIstarion

But, skip spence, surely you don't imply that whatever walked out at Gandalf and Co was nothing more than an undersized excuse for a balrog that only grew in the telling over the ages the tale has been told?

That's a very creative interpretation of my post (the first on this forum I believe) and how you came to it I can't guess. Perhaps my writing isn't eloquent enough to comprehend?

The physical appearance of a Balrog is never directly described, nor is its size. Tolkien probably wanted to allow the reader to make a mental image of the creature far scarier than what he'd be able to conjure up. If you imagine the Balrog with wings there's nothing wrong with that. Nor is it right.

Originally Posted by HerenIstarion

Why should we diminish its stature in order to get rid of its wings (if any)?

I'm not trying to diminish it's size. Where have I said anything like that? And if you really can't follow my train of thought, you too must have rather poor English reading skills. Seriously.