Do Balrogs Have Wings?

[The 1,000 Reader]

Originally Posted by The Saucepan Man

Didn't Gothmog drown in the Fountain of Gondolin after being impaled on Ecthelion's helmet? I suspect that his shadow wings got soggy and weighed him down.

It was the Balrog that Glorfindel fought that fell.

I have never read either actual passage. Would anyone care to submit them for analysis?

I believe that Gothmog was gravely injured from his wound and the fountain extinguished his fire, weaking him enough to kill him. I don't think he drowned.

I think Balrogs had wings, but they were for show. That, or they couldn't support the heavy Balrogs when they were falling straight down without any preparation.

[The Sixth Wizard]

I (being an impatient person) have read only the first and last pages of this thread, but has Tolkien ever actually described a Balrog other than in LOTR? He says they are only fire-demons. Thus, are all Balrogs actually the same? Being Maiar, could they all alter their form at creation to suit their own wishes? Maybe the only Balrog with wings was in LOTR but didn't use them being caught up with Gandalf.

Another note, I don't know many Morgoth-creatures that could fly, barring the dragons. Manwe is the lord of the air and had birds in his dominion, but Morgoth was not. Perhaps the Balrogs could not fly because of this hatred of the air and sea, they bar themselves to the ground.

I had more opinions regarding this, I'll look again when I have the time.

SIXTH WIZARD.

[Aiwendil]

The Sixth Wizard wrote:

Being Maiar, could they all alter their form at creation to suit their own wishes? Maybe the only Balrog with wings was in LOTR but didn't use them being caught up with Gandalf.

It's certainly not clear that this is true, but it has long been my opinion. The Ainur were what the Eldar called "Ealar", souls that could "clothe themselves" when they wished but that were not tied to one physical form. Unless the Balrogs became permanently incarnate for some reason, they would have been capable of taking on any appearance.

It is possible for an Eala to become permanently incarnate - this happened to Morgoth and to Sauron and perhaps to Melian (and the Istari were also semi-permanently restricted). But I don't know of any evidence that it happened to the Balrogs.

[Morsul the Dark]

well that seems to be a 'politician answer' I stick t my "Frank" idea

Morsul the Dark Quote:
Originally Posted by JRR Tolkien
... and suddenly it drew itself up to a great height, and its wings were spread from wall to wall ...


My question is then this why is it that text-wise non-wingers depend on this one word "Like"

for the record...you see someone far off let's say..Frank

You can use the similie to describe something unclear and once it is clear the simlie is now real instead of speculation

"That looks like Frank"
"Like two vast wings" speculation they look like wings but one can not be sure

then they come into view

"It is Frank"
"and its wings were spread from wall to wall" they are wings our speculation was right

[Kuruharan]

"That looks like Frank"

Oh, wait...it is not Frank. It is his hideous and foul-tempered wife Bertha who looks remarkably similar to Frank in this really bad light! Everybody run away!!