Balrogs DO have wings!!!

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Pile o' Bones
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Re: Shadow

In the Later Quenta Silmarillion Tolkien describes Balrogs: &quot; ... their hearts were of fire, but they were cloaked in darkness.&quot; ~~ Fellowship of the Ring: &quot;... like a great shadow, in the middle of which, was a dark form, ...&quot; &amp; ... the shadow about it reached out like vast wings.

The Balrogs form was dark there, yet further obscured by an encompasing &quot;cloak&quot; of shadow (about it) ... this made it further hard to see, adding to its mystery/terror (&quot;What it was could not be seen...&quot This agrees with the drafts, where *before* the introduction of the shadow into the text: &quot;The form of the Balrog is clearly perceived.&quot; (Christopher Tolkien) (no wings there too :-))

JRR Tolkien pencils a note to himself regarding the early draft description of the Balrog:

&quot;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.&quot; ~~ Christopher Tolkien: &quot;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'. &quot;

Tolkiens 'new' Balrog is given a unique shadow <img src=smile.gif ALT=""> Cheers~

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