June 19, 2002

Balrogs As Maiar
Kalimac the Green

The way i see it, balrogs are maiar just like Gandalf, Saruman, and the rest of them. They weren't really "creations" of Melkor, but were maiar that went over to the darkside, so to speak. They served Melkor just as Sauron (possibly another evil maiar?) did. From what I've read in the Silmarillion, they were maiar of fire, corrupted by Melkor. Now from what I've seen from the other maiar, they tend to be beings of intelligence and tremendous power, and don't take orders from anyone (except Valar). So... Gandalf and the Balrog were evenly matched, although Gandalf may have had a slight advantage because of the elven ring, and the Balrog isn't a servant of Sauron. I really dont think that Sauron would have been capable of controlling anything as powerful as a Balrog in his weakened condition. If he could get his ring back, then he would be able to control everyone in middle earth, including balrogs. Any thoughts?