October 28, 2002

Re: The Secret Fire
Brett C.

Good observations about Gandalf's statements on the bridge, Rune. The words about Gandalf wielding the pure flame of the sun while the Balrog is a flame of Udun serves to show their diametrically opposed natures as maiar.

[Quick point - Udun is also the name for the valley dirctly beyond the Black Gate of Mordor, but was proabably named for its resemblance to 'hell', which in Tolkien's writing is used to describe Morgoth's first age fortress of Angband.]

As to Gandalf's statements about the flame of Anor, I suspect this is a cryptic reference to the power of Narya, the ring of fire, which may have been charged by Celebrimbor and the Elven Smiths with the suns fiery power, much as the Silmarils captured the light of the Trees of Valinor. I've seen some writing arguing that the secret fire statement also comes back to this, but don't agree. Gandalf says he is a 'servant' of that fire, so I believe he is speaking of the Flame Imperishable, the power by which Eru Iluvatar first called the Valar and Maiar into being and by which he caused the World to be made reality, and which lies with Eru alone.