[Tar Elenion]

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Wight
Posts: 107</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
Re: A project ? - revising the Fall of Gondolin

Re: 'Boldog':
In a footnote to the 'Orcs' text in Myths Transformed JRRT writes &quot;Boldog ... is a name that occurs many times in the tales of the War. But it is possible that Boldog was not a personal name, and either a title, or else the name of a kind of creature: the Orc-formed Maiar, only less formidable than the Balrogs.&quot;
I find the Balrog/Boldog comparison interesting. It leads one to wonder what JRRT had in mind when he wrote this. Possibly using Boldogs in place of the numerous Balrogs of the earlier versions?

Re: Legolas
I think what the JRRT was getting at is that the 'Legolas' of Gondolin was not a character of major importance (compared to Glorfindel or the later Legolas). Or perhaps he would have changed the name. Using the Quenya version of Legolas might be inappropriate however, as the Exiles all took names in Sindarin form.

Re Balrog numbers:
There is a marginal (handwritten) note on the typescript copy of the Annals of Aman (ie probably 1958 or later) (see Annal 1099 and the associated end notes) that JRRT wrote stating that 'there were 3 or at most 7 that ever existed'. The earlier versions all have a multitude (at least 1000) Balrogs. The problem with retaining 1000 Balrogs is obvious (there is no way that the Noldor could have held off 1000 Balrogs as they were later conceived). 3 is too few (2 slain in Gondolin and one in Moria, this leaves none to be slain in the War of Wrath). 7 is about right. But off hand this is the only explicit reference to the reduction of the number of Balrogs that I recall. The earlier references (up through about 1952 or so) indicate a multitude.

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>