May 28, 2002

Demon Cunning and Wizard Wisdom
Brett C.

Sorry to have been so late sending this discussion point in. Richard, my image of the Balrog is of a creature that is not just inhabiting Moria, but contollng it. I don't think the image was cnveyed in the movie, because when the orcs hear the Big Bad coming they flee in terror, whereas in the book they are assumedly wathcing in the chamber of Mazarbul when the Balrog and Gandalf wrestle for control of the door [Gandalf can hear them muttering as the Balrog takes hold of the door ring]. In the Silmarillion the field-commander of Morgoth's armies is Gothmog, a Balrog lord, so it seems they would have to be intelligent, or at least cunning.

Speaking of the Grey Pilgrim, I have to say in fairness to the Professor that he would never agree with the view that Gandalf is in any way Christ-like. Within the mythology of Middle Earth Gandalf was always, as presented by Tolkien, a member of the angelic order of beings created by the One. He is a faithful servant and inspired guide, but is humble enough about his own place in things to know he cannot by his singular efforts redeem anyone, a point where he differs sharply from his fellow wizard Saruman.

Regarding his limited use of power, it occured to me when I thought about it seriously that in the whole story Gandalf only ever uses magic to influence events when faced with beings of evil who also use sorcery i.e. Saruman, the Balrog, the Nazgul. At Edoras he is countering the influence of Sarman over the King via Wormtongue. Even when presented with the seemingly overwhelming number of Wargs in the book after the escape from Caradhras he only intervenes at the last moment, and never does so aganst the orcs in Moria beyond sealing the door atop the stairs. I believe this is part of his innate wisdom, realising the danger using his power to be a cure-all for problems capable of being dealt with by more mundane means. Perhaps the reason that the good spirits mentioned by Kailam back on the 17th stay good is not because they are stripped of power but because they are wise enough to be restrained in using it [a theme quite well explored by Timothy Zahn in some of his Star Wars novels, for the sci-fi buffs out there].

Having said that, I still think the Valar do a pretty sucky job of reigning in the nasties in the first age. 'We beat Morgoth and got everybody...oh except that Sauron guy. Oh well.'Helloooooo....