Could a Dwarf melee with a Balrog?

[Gordis]

I believe Dwarves had issues with all sorts of creatures of the Shadow-World.

Gimli's debilitating fear when seeing the Barlog can well be explained by his own words to Celeborn:

"Indeed I saw upon the bridge that which haunts our darkest dreams l saw Durin's Bane," said Gimli in a low voice, and dread was in his eyes. -"the Mirror of Galadriel"

But how explain Gimli's fear on the Paths of the Dead before the mere ghosts of Men? Remember, Gimly was more afraid than anyone else, while Legolas was not afraid at all.

I think it might be explained by the Dwarves' relation to the "other side", the World of Shadow (or more precisely, the absence of such relation).

The Calaquendi Elves lived in both words and "wielded great power" both in the Seen and the Unseen. The same likely applied to Maiar. Both races did not fear the nazgul or ghosts and could fight Balrogs.

Ordinary Elves, like Legolas, were able to get some glimpses of the "other side":

"The Dead are following,’ said Legolas. ‘I see shapes of Men and of horses, and pale banners like shreds of cloud, and spears like winter-thickets on a misty night" (The Passing of the Grey Company).

Even mere Men were able to perceive the Dead at times

Theoden: "Folk say that Dead Men out of the Dark Years guard the way and will suffer no living man to come to their hidden halls; but at whiles they may themselves be seen passing out of the door like shadows and down the stony road."( The Muster of Rohan).

Dunedain with their strain of Elven blood were likely able to see more and master their fear on the Paths better.

Not so with a Dwarf. The fear fell on Gimli the heaviest, but he saw nothing at all, only heard whispers. Perhaps it means that the Dwarves have no access whatsoever into the World of Shadow?

Note that even the 7 Rings were unable to turn the Dwarves invisible, to transport them into the Shadow-World:

Dwarves … proved tough and hard to tame; they ill endure the domination of others, and the thoughts of their hearts are hard to fathom, nor can they be turned to shadows. (Of the Rings of Power…)
The dwarves it is said had seven, but nothing could make them invisible.( “Of Gollum and the Ring” in The Return of the Shadow).

The Dwarves seemingly had no power in the Unseen. Perhaps that's why the creatures of the Shadow-world (including the Balrog, the nazgul and the ghosts) were so frightening for the Dwarves?

[BGreg]

That is possible. However, you're not mentioning the fact Legolas was also pretty scared when Balrog appeared, was he not?

'Ai! Ai!' wailed Legolas. 'A Balrog! A Balrog is come!'

And I don't think the Men behaved much different then Gimli did. Yes, they have seen the shadows (or maybe just perceived them), but were no less frightened.

Now, about this:

The dwarves it is said had seven, but nothing could make them invisible.

So the rings had no power over them. Isn't Tom Bombadil described in the same manner in the Elrond's Council? That makes me wonder. What would happen if a dwarf had found The Ring? Would he become invisible? Apparently not, if the quote above is to be trusted. How then did the dwarves not see a person wearing The Ring, like Bilbo? Would they not have the same power Tom Bombadil had?

[Eönwë]

Originally Posted by Gordis

The Dwarves seemingly had no power in the Unseen. Perhaps that's why the creatures of the Shadow-world (including the Balrog, the nazgul and the ghosts) were so frightening for the Dwarves?

This seems quite likely, as the dwarves were made as earthly beings by Aulë, and were only adopted as Children by Eru. They weren't made by him, so they didn't get any of the benefits of the other Children. As well as this, if it is true that they reincarnated, then they were probably more bound to the earth itself than elves. While the elves were bound to Arda completely, this also included the spirit world, and if Dwarves didn't go anywhere after they died and just reincarnated then it seems that they were actually stuck on "our side" and couldn't go into the "shadow/light world"

Originally Posted by BGreg

That is possible. However, you're not mentioning the fact Legolas was also pretty scared when Balrog appeared, was he not?

Well, he knew much more about them than the otherss, and if he was actually Laegolas of the First Age then he had experienced them first hand and seen what they could do.

Originally Posted by BGreg

So the rings had no power over them. Isn't Tom Bombadil described in the same manner in the Elrond's Council? That makes me wonder. What would happen if a dwarf had found The Ring? Would he become invisible? Apparently not, if the quote above is to be trusted. How then did the dwarves not see a person wearing The Ring, like Bilbo? Would they not have the same power Tom Bombadil had?

I don't think that he could be compared to Tom Bombadil as Tom Bombadil definately did have a lot of power against spirits. We all say what he did to the Wight, and what is a Barrow-Wight after all other than a spirit inhabiting old bones. And Tom Bombadil is immortal (or at least, didn't die so far and is still young in body). And in ME, as far as I know, all those who are don't (or can't) die, at least seem to have some internal strength, possibly on the "other side", whether for good or bad.
And Tom Bombadil isn't so "grim" and serious, is he?

[Tuor in Gondolin]

Originally posted by Eonwe
This seems quite likely, as the dwarves were made as earthly beings by Aulë, and were only adopted as Children by Eru. They weren't made by him, so they didn't get any of the benefits of the other Children.

I'm not entirely sure of this. For example, by accepting them Eru
gave them independent life, which Aule couldn't. And at least
the dwarves believe they will be with The Children of Iluvatar.

For they say that Aule the Maker, whom they call
Mahal, cares for them, and gathers them to Mandos in halls
set apart ; and that he declared to their Fathers of old that
Iluvatar will hallow them and give them a place among the
Children in the End. Then their part shall be to serve Aule in
the remaking of Arda after the Last Battle.

[Gordis]

Originally Posted by BGreg

That is possible. However, you're not mentioning the fact Legolas was also pretty scared when Balrog appeared, was he not?

As for the Balrog, there was indeed a very good reason to be scared. But for Ganalf, the balrog would have killed them all in no time. Legolas explained his fear to Celeborn

:"It was a Balrog of Morgoth,' said Legolas; `of all elf-banes the most deadly, save the One who sits in the Dark Tower."

Legolas was no Calaquende Elf to have great power in the Unseen. (I don't believe there is enough evidence that Legolas lived in the First Age - in LOTR he is written as a relatively young elf). But still he didn't fear the ghosts of Men:

there was not a heart among them that did not quail, unless it were the heart of Legolas of the Elves, for whom the ghosts of Men have no terror. - "The Passing of the Grey company."

Originally Posted by BGreg

And I don't think the Men behaved much different then Gimli did. Yes, they have seen the shadows (or maybe just perceived them), but were no less frightened.

The interesting thing is that Men were far less frightened of the Balrog that Legolas or Gimli were. Aragorn and Boromir firmly held their ground, clenching their weapons. Boromir blew his horn and was the last to retreat. Even the hobbits felt more or less OK. Legolas and Gimli, in contrast, were incapacitated by fear.
As for the Paths of the Dead, Gimli felt far worse fear than the Dunedain rangers:

Then Aragorn led the way, and such was the strength of his will in that hour that all the Dúnedain and their horses followed him. [...] Legolas passed in. And there stood Gimli the Dwarf left all alone.
His knees shook, and he was wroth with himself. ‘Here is a thing unheard of!’ he said. ‘An Elf will go underground and a Dwarf dare not!’ With that he plunged in. But it seemed to him that he dragged his feet like lead over the threshold; and at once a blindness came upon him, even upon Gimli Glóin’s son who had walked unafraid in many deep places of the world.

Originally Posted by BGreg

So the rings had no power over them. Isn't Tom Bombadil described in the same manner in the Elrond's Council? That makes me wonder. What would happen if a dwarf had found The Ring? Would he become invisible? Apparently not, if the quote above is to be trusted. How then did the dwarves not see a person wearing The Ring, like Bilbo? Would they not have the same power Tom Bombadil had?

The rings did have power over the Dwarves - the dwarves couldn't turn invisible, yes, but they used the rings to gain wealth. Mad dying Thrain found in the pits of Dol-Guldur had forgotten his name, his people, everything but his Ring - that implies that the Ring had a very strong hold on his mind.

Tom, on the other hand, was not affected by the Ring at all. Still when Frodo put on the Ring in Tom's house, Tom was able to see him quite clearly - to see him in the Spirit World and that without wearing the ring or turning invisible himself. Thus Tom probably lived in both words, like Calaquendi elves.

The Dwarves were unable to see Bilbo wearing the Ring, as you have mentioned. Unlike Tom, they had no access into the Spirit world.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

When Elrond is deciding on the makeup of the Company, he rejects including "a great Elf-lord like Gorfindel." Had Legolas of Mirkwood been the same as Laegolas lord of Gondolin a Noldorin Exile from Valinor, surely he would have qualified! (according to the conception operative at the time the Fall of Gondolin (and indeed the Lord of the Rings) was written, its inhabitants were entirely of the Noldoli).

Moreover, Legolas couldn't have been the son of Thranduil and at the same time Laegolas of Gondolin: Thranduil was a Sinda of Doriath, with no connection to the Hidden City.

This is just Tolkien borrowing a pre-existing name, something he did not only with Men of Gondor, but with Elves as well, e.g. Rumil of Lorien who can hardly be the Sage of Tirion!

In fact he as much as admits that he did the same with Glorfindel (although in an early LR note he wrote "Glorfindel tells of his youth in Gondolin).

[BGreg]

Originally Posted by Gordis
The interesting thing is that Men were far less frightened of the Balrog that Legolas or Gimli were. Aragorn and Boromir firmly held their ground, clenching their weapons. Boromir blew his horn and was the last to retreat. Even the hobbits felt more or less OK. Legolas and Gimli, in contrast, were incapacitated by fear.

Actually, I was talking about the ordinary Men of Rohan and Gondor, who were afraid of the ghosts on Paths of the Dead. Not Aragorn and Boromir. Considering them, everything you said is true. They were very valiant in face of a frightening foe and stood their ground, even trying to charge at the Balrog after he overwhelmed Gandalf. Perhaps they were not completely aware of Balrog's strength?

[Gordis]

Originally Posted by BGreg

Actually, I was talking about the ordinary Men of Rohan and Gondor, who were afraid of the ghosts on Paths of the Dead. Not Aragorn and Boromir. Considering them, everything you said is true. They were very valiant in face of a frightening foe and stood their ground, even trying to charge at the Balrog after he overwhelmed Gandalf. Perhaps they were not completely aware of Balrog's strength?

Boromir indeed probably heard nothing about balrogs. But Aragorn (considering his education in Rivendell) would probably know more about Balrogs than a Sinda-Silvan Elf Legolas. Aragorn could have even heard Glorfindel telling first-hand stories. The fall of Gondolin was part of Aragorn's family history, after all. So Aragorn had all reasons to be as frightened as Legolas - but he wasn't.

I think Men felt only rational fear, while the fear of the Elf and the Dwarf could have had some additional components to it as well.

The Elf probably saw clearly how terrible Balrog looked in the Spirit world: Demon unvieled.
The Dwarf, as I said, would see nothing but the shadow and flame, but felt greatly frightened by any creature of the spirit world. He wouldn't be able to tell who is more fearsome: a balrog, a nazgul or a ghost - in fact he mixes them. Note that in the chapter "The Great River" Gimli is unable to tell a nazgul from a balrog:

`But I am glad that the shadow came no nearer. I liked it not at all. Too much it reminded me of the shadow in Moria – the shadow of the Balrog,' he ended in a whisper.

Frodo, with his acquired insight into the Spirit World: a legacy of the Morgul wound, is able to correct him:

'It was not a Balrog,' said Frodo, still shivering with the chill that had come upon him. 'It was something colder. I think it was –' Then he paused and fell silent. [...] – No, I will not say

But he did guess correctly, I bet.

[CSteefel]

Originally Posted by Gordis

Frodo, with his acquired insight into the Spirit World: a legacy of the Morgul wound, is able to correct him:

Or simply that he had been pursued by the Nazgul across the lengths of Eriador--I suspect this is more the reason than any general insight into the Spirit World.

Also, I am not so sure that Aragorn felt no fear in the face of the Balrog. As I quoted above, he makes specific mention about having entered Moria before and not wanting to experience that again. But Aragorn in any case, through the sheer power of his will, is able to overcome these fears that prey on all mortal men, as we see in the Paths of the Dead.