Ancalagon the Black

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Aster

Thank you for answers!

1. But Orodruin was hardly "more powerful being" than Sauron, and its flame was hardly hotter than that of Ancalagon... yet it managed to melt One Ring just because "it was forged there"
And were Nazgûl really less powerful than the Istari? If so, it is strange that Gandalph, for example, never really attempted to destroy them... You may say that he was forbidden to use greatest part of his power - yet he used it against Balrog...

P.S. Is it mentioned anywhere precisely whether Valar themselves fought in War of Wrath or not?

I don't see how you are so convinced that Ancalagon's fire is hotter than a volcano. Is their any textual evidence that counteracts the implication of Gandalf's words that it isn't. How ever impressive the dragon's flame it isn't the same as the constant heat of a furnace. At the risk of sounding certifiable, within Tolkien's cosmos, dragons are presented as "real" flesh and blood creatures albeit with special powers. They breed, need to eat, may be slain and once slain stay dead and so different in nature to the other fiery creatures, balrogs who are corrupt maia.

Don't forget that Sauron himself was literally hot, much hotter than a normal house fire such at Bag End (which is not without its dangers). That couldn't even warm the ring but it remained hot for quitesome timeafter removal from Sauron's hand and the implication from Isildur's scroll is that Gil-galad was pretty much incinerated by contact with Sauron. So while I don't want to disparage Ancalagon, I don't agree with you.