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Old 10-27-2004, 01:14 PM   #1
Son of Númenor
A Shade of Westernesse
 
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: The last wave over Atalantë
Posts: 515
Son of Númenor has just left Hobbiton.
A few pertinent quotes

Quote:
For of the Maiar many were drawn to his splendour in the days of his greatness, and remained in that allegiance down into his darkness; and others he corrupted afterwards to his service with lies and treacherous gifts. Dreadful among these spirits were the Valaraukar, the scourges of fire that in Middle-earth were called the Balrogs, demons of terror. (Valaquenta)
Quote:
And in Utumno he gathered his demons about him, those spirits who first adhered to him in the days of his splendour, and became most like him in his corruption: their hearts were of fire, but they were cloaked in darkness, and terror went before them; they had whips of flame. Balrogs they were named in Middle-earth in later days. And in that dark time Melkor bred many other monsters of divers shapes and kinds that long troubled the world; and his realm spread now ever southward over Middle-earth. (Quenta Silmarillion, "Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor")
I can't recall Balrogs ever being referred to as the 'Children of Melkor.' Tolkien was very careful about his word choice, and I can't see him using the word 'children' (which has specific divine [e.g. Children of Iluvatar, Children of Aule] or biological denotations in his writing) to describe the servants of a being who is described as barren and incapable of creation.
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