Do Balrogs Have Wings?

[Mister Underhill]

The second description says suddenly it drew itself up to a great height, and its wings were spread from wall to wall. This suggests that it did have wings, but what have we already read? That it was the shadows which looked like wings; we cannot take this out of context.

The old "like" chestnut. If you want the whole context, back up a few paragraphs, where the Balrog is first seen. "It was like a great shadow..." By the logic of the "like" argument, we must conclude that the "shadow" is metaphorical.

In past battles, evidence has been presented that Tolkien frequently uses "like" to create a mood, especially when introducing his evil characters. There are a few long posts ranging over this ground in the Were Balrogs winged? thread, starting out around page 3. See this post in particular for a list of examples.

Balrogs most certainly were creatures of flesh and blood -- you'd have a tough row to hoe arguing otherwise: "His fire was quenched, but now he was a thing of slime, stronger than a strangling snake. We fought far under the living earth, where time is not counted. Ever he clutched me, and ever I hewed him..." We could get into a whole fëa/hröa thing here, but I'll desist.

As to how a winged Balrog might fall during a battle -- it's no mystery. Wings may be hewn as easily as limbs or necks, I reckon.

P.S. -- Gandalf only lets go in the movie.