July 1, 2002

Proof That Balrogs Had Wings
Red Horn

Remember the good old days, when we would argue about Balrogs instead of this whole Religion thing? Well back when we were discussing the WINGS issue I always remembered reading a section in The Silmarillion that convinced me that balrogs had wings, and I now I've finally found it.

In chapter 9: Of the Flight of the Noldor, on page 89-90 of my edition, Tolkien tells us of the confrontation between Morgoth and Ungoliant. The incident takes place in the region known as Lammoth, which is in the North West cost of Beleriand. ( To see a map of this, go to www.planet-tolkien.com ) The Passage states that Morgoth gave such a cry of anguish from Ungoliants attack that he awoke the Balrogs of Angband. The Balrogs were so eager to save their master that they " arose, and PASSING OVER Hithlum they came to Lammoth as a TEMPEST of fire."

Now I ask you all this, How could the Balrogs have saved their master in the moment of death, if they had to run through miles of wilderness in order to get to Lammoth? Given the time and distance, the Balrogs would have been too slow if they had, had to run. The only solution is that they FLEW to Lammoth. In the passage above I put in caps: PASSING OVER and TEMPEST. I think these words are crucial in finding out this mistery.

Now passing over something could mean several different things, but for my sake lets say it meant to literally go over (not set foot on)an area or thing. In this case the entire expanse of Hithlum. To back this up I will use the word tempest. To most of us, a tempest means a storm. Most storms I know of take place in the sky. So for me, all of these things prove that Balrogs had wings. I picture the story like this: When the Balrogs heard the cry of their master, they took flight and in storm of fire they flew like the wind to the aid of Morgoth.

If they didn't have wings then it would have taken way too long for the Balrogs to have come to the rescue of Morgoth, and he would have then been devoured. So rests my case. I hope you all check and re-check your edition of The Sil. and find truth to my words. Sorry for the length of this article, but it just had to be said. (And the subject needed to be changed.) Farewell to all. -Red Horn-