Thuringwethil

[davem]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

Are winged creatures in Tolkien more often associated with the dark side?

Angels traditionally had/have wings, but I don't think the Ainur did/do. Or the Valar. My Silm is shakely, so I could be wrong, but would Tolkien omit this simply to give his mythology a more independent status or did he tend to ascribe wings to evil creatures? Other than the Eagles, who of course are winged (comes with the genes), how did Tolkien treat wings? Were they something to be feared? Crows were nasty spies. Is there something about flying that inspires fear or at least great discomfort?

There are the Eagles in LotR & The Sil, but there are also gulls, & a couple of ravens & a thrush in TH on the good side. Most birds are on the 'good' side. Apart from the Crebain & some flies with the eye of mordor on them, I can't think of any natural flying creatures that are evil. It is only 'monsters' like dragons, Thuringwethil & the Fell Beasts which can fly & are 'evil' - & one assumes they were bred to be so.

There are many more four-(& two-) legged & wingless creatures on the side of evil.

As an aside, Angels weren't always depicted with wings, & where they are shown as having them it is symbolic of their role - they move (as 'messengers', angeloi) between heaven, symbolically 'above', & earth, symbolically 'below' - hence in the 'vertical' plane.

Valar & Ainur were originally akin to the Pagan gods - very few of whom had wings (only Mercury springs to mind), so its not surprinsing they are wingless.