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Pile o' Bones
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Re: Shadow
In the Later Quenta Silmarillion Tolkien describes Balrogs:
" ... their hearts were of fire, but they were cloaked in darkness." ~~ Fellowship of the Ring: "... like a great shadow, in the middle of which, was a dark form, ..." & ... the shadow about it reached out like vast wings.
The Balrogs form was dark there, yet further obscured by an encompasing "cloak" of shadow (about it) ... this made it further hard to see, adding to its mystery/terror ("What it was could not be seen..."
This agrees with the drafts, where *before* the introduction of the shadow into the text:
"The form of the Balrog is clearly perceived." (Christopher Tolkien) (no wings there too :-))
JRR Tolkien pencils a note to himself regarding the early draft description of the Balrog:
"Alter description of Balrog. It seemed to be of man's shape, but its form could not be plainly discerned. It
felt larger than it looked." ~~ Christopher Tolkien:
"After the words 'through the air it sprang over the fiery fissure' my father added: 'and a great shadow seemed to block out the light'. "
Tolkiens 'new' Balrog is given a unique shadow <img src=smile.gif ALT="
"> Cheers~
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