<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Wight
Posts: 108</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
Re: A project ? - revising the Fall of Gondolin
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Quothe Aiwendil:
Regarding balrog numbers: One problem with the figure of 7 (or 3) is that in one of the LotR appendices it says something about some of the balrogs fleeing Thangorodrim and hiding - I don't have the book at hand right now, so I can't give an exact quote, but as I recall, it pretty clearly suggests at least a decent sized host of balrogs still existing at the War of Wrath; I think the figure of 7 would therefore violate our 1st law of canon: the published material is always right.
I might be remembering this incorrectly, though - it's something to check into, anyway.
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Yes, you are misremembering.
The mention you are recalling is from the published Silmarillion: "The Balrogs were destroyed save some few that fled and hid themselves...", The Voyage of Earendil (this is taken from HoME 5 Conclusion to the Quenta Silmarillion chapter 17 paragragh 16, this is from ca. 1937). In Letter 144 (1954) JRRT says that the Balrogs "...were supposed to have been all destroyed in the overthrow of Thangorodrim... But it is here found [in Moria] that one had escaped...".
Here JRRT could be implying that only one escaped.
Tar-Elenion--------------------- I will come with Fire and Sword, and put your cities to the Torch, your men to the Blade, your women and children in Chains</p>
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Tar-Elenion
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