Balrog 'v' Moria orcs

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

Perhaps it wasn't an everyday practice, but since we see them threatening one another with cannibalism, there was probably some truth to it.

Yes, but it can't really be the answer to the question, "What do they eat?" I mean they couldn't have been each other's staple diet.

By the way, how many of these "Balrog vs x" topics have we had now?

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

Yes, but it can't really be the answer to the question, "What do they eat?" I mean they couldn't have been each other's staple diet.

No, I think the cannibalism was an occasional aberration; uncommon, but not unheard of.
I still say dried meat was likely the mainstay, with maybe fish from the nearby rivers and wild greens.
The latter wouldn't be a preferred foodstuff probably, but I can see the leaders forcing them on the troops for their own good, like ship captains ensuring fruit and juice consumption to prevent scurvy.

Originally Posted by Nerwen

By the way, how many of these "Balrog vs x" topics have we had now?

Might as well ask what a group of Balrogs flying in formation was called.

[Nerwen]

Might as well...

[denethorthefirst]

The Balrog defeated the dwarves of Moria who had better weapons and superior organisation, culture, technology, you name it ... Why would the orcs of moria fare better in a fight against the Balrog? I don't think that they would stand a chance. Considering how primitive orcs on their own are (and the Orc population of moria seems pretty autonomous) they probably have (after a few hundred years in Moria) developed their own religion around the Balrog and worship him as a god while he is barely aware of them ...

[Marwhini]

Originally Posted by denethorthefirst

The Balrog defeated the dwarves of Moria who had better weapons and superior organisation, culture, technology, you name it ... Why would the orcs of moria fare better in a fight against the Balrog? I don't think that they would stand a chance. Considering how primitive orcs on their own are (and the Orc population of moria seems pretty autonomous) they probably have (after a few hundred years in Moria) developed their own religion around the Balrog and worship him as a god while he is barely aware of them ...

There is probably more than a little to this.

The Orcs aren't exactly "Primitive" in terms of their technology, though. Just not very creative. Tolkien describes their tools as: Well-made, but crude, and ruthlessly efficient.

But it would very much have been inferior to that of Dwarves. As well as likely being weaker than Dwarves.

And Orcs seemed to be much easier to cow, such that they would tend to avoid challenging a greater bully.

And... One theme that seems to run through all of Tolkien's discussion of the beings who have fallen under The Shadow is that they have a tendency toward "Morgothism" (setting up false religions that worship false-Power - false meaning "Not derived from Eru").

So it would be not at all surprising to see the Orcs worshipping the Balrog in Moria, given he was a Maia who was already a form of Angelic Power (although Fallen).

MB