Balrogs were originally spirits of fire like Arien (who guides the sun) that were persuaded by Melkor (not Morgoth...) As for things older than Sauron; this is an interesting problem that Tolkien creates. Tom Bombadil professes to be in Arda before Melkor, the first of the Ainur to enter, arrives; but the exact date of Sauron's entry is unknown. I reconcile the problem with the theory that outside Ea (the void) there is no time, so that Sauron's 'age' can only be reckoned from the time he ENTERED into Ea; and that the creatures older than him simply entered before Sauron did, or were created with Ea by Illuvatar to keep us on our toes. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]
__________________
Anyone who conducts an argument by appealing to authority is not using his intelligence; he is just using his memory.
-Leonardo Da Vinci
|