Do Balrogs Have Wings?

[Boromir88]

This is kind of off the subject, but I can't think of where else to post it, when Gandalf broke his staff on the bridge, did he fight the rest of his battle with out using any more of his power/magic?~Finduilas

We aren't given a great amount of detail about how the fight went, it's more of a vague and generalized description (retold by Gandalf).

Gandalf had his staff and Glamdring. The Balrog had a sword and a whip. Gandalf's staff is broken, and The Balrog's sword is broken...of course leaving with Gandalf to fight with his sword and the Balrog to fight with his whip. (And as a side note, it is extremely hard to fight with a whip - up close- so you can kind of picture how tough a foe the Balrog was). Anyway here's Gandalf's description of the 'battle' that took place:

'We fought far under the living earth, where time is not counted. Ever he cluted me, and ever I hewed him, till at last he fled into dark tunnels...In that despair my enemy was my only hope, and I pursued him, clutching at his heel. Thus he brought me back at last to the secret ways of Khazad-dum: too well he knew them all. Ever up now we went, until we came to the Endless Stair.'
[...]
'There upon Celebdil was a lonely window in the snow, and before it lay a narrow space, a dizzy eyrie above the mists of the world. The sun shone fiercely there, but all below was wrapped in cloud. Out he sprang and even as I came behind, he burst into new flame. There was none to see, or perhaps in after ages songs would still be sung of the Battle of the Peak' Suddenly Gandalf laughed. 'But what would they say in song? Those that looked up from afar thought that the mountain was crowned with storm. Thunder they heard, and lightning, they said, smote upon Celebdil, and leaped back broken into tongues of fire. Is not that enough? A great smoke rose about us, vapour and stream. Ice fell like rain. I threw down my enemy, and smote it in his ruin.'~The White Rider

That's all that's said about the fight between Gandalf and Durin's Bane...I hope it helps and make of it what you will.

[Sardy]

Apologies if this is a naive or ill-informed question... but is anyone in a position to ask Christopher Tolkien (or an authority in the Tolkien Society) to settle the dispute? I would be willing to take CT's informed opinion as law...

[obloquy]

Originally Posted by Sardy

Apologies if this is a naive or ill-informed question... but is anyone in a position to ask Christopher Tolkien (or an authority in the Tolkien Society) to settle the dispute? I would be willing to take CT's informed opinion as law...

If C. Tolkien could settle this dispute unequivocally then he would have more publishing to do: a lot of people would want (demand?) to see the text from which he drew his conclusion. Barring unpublished material, C.'s informed opinion is no more authoritative than those presented in this thread (though it may be more "informed").

[Boromir88]

Well, Sardy, from my view there is no dispute...and the only reason there is 'dispute' is because some like to base their visualization of a Balrog off of D&D and therefor are forever manipulated into believing Balrogs actually did have wings. (:::cough:::SPM:::cough:::: )

[the phantom]

a lot of people would want (demand?) to see the text from which he drew his conclusion. Barring unpublished material, C.'s informed opinion is no more authoritative than those presented in this thread (though it may be more "informed").

Ah, but what if CT can tell a story like this- "One day I asked my daddy, 'Why didn't the Balrog just fly away?' and Dad answered 'Balrog's don't have wings, son.' "

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by Boro

some like to base their visualization of a Balrog off of D&D and therefor are forever manipulated into believing Balrogs actually did have wings. (:::cough:::SPM:::cough:::: )

Then again, I believe that Gary Gygax and co based their Type VI Demon on Tolkien's Balrog, seeing as it wielded a whip and a flaming sword ...

[ElentariGreenleaf]

I say yes, but they cant fly with them *nods* that's my theory ^_^ I have no evidence to back up my claims tho