February 23, 2002

Turnaround Fair Play
Brett C.

In respect to my peers who have argued so long and hard for the Balrog having wings, I'll now jump the fence and argue your side of the debate. The Balrog has wings. Okay. But I need to establish clear proofs. Lets look at this logically.

When the Fellowship flees the chamber of Mazarbul in the book, they go out by the eastdoor, which is described as much smaller as the door the orcs attacked through. Gandalf stays behind to hold the door, and the Balrog [such is the implication] comes in on the other side of the door and lays hold of the iron ring.

So the Balrog would have to be able to fit through the door. In the book the stair is described more like a stairwell than the huge cavernous affair of the movie, and the Balrog would then need to fit down that stairwell. Ohterwise why try to go through the door. If we say the door Gandalf held shut was maybe ten feet high, and take into account the 'Rog blocked all the light on the other side, then the demon was maybe 12-15 feet tall and could have squeezed down the stairway. But with wings? Hmmmmmm.

Now later when Gandalf is fighting the 'Rog underground it flees back up another stairway, the Endless Stair, and then out the door at the top of Celebdil to a dizzy space at the peak. Dwarves wouldn't need to a make a stair big enough for a huge winged demon to climb, but the Balrog can fit. Hmmmmmmmmmm.

And at the bridge it DOES seem at first the Balrogs wings are fo shadow, but then Tolkien DOES seem to make them real and solid when it spreads them wall to wall. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Okay, so the explanation is the Balrog has NO set size or shape. It's dimensions change to suit its particular needs, because it is a fire-SPIRIT, after all. It's formed mostly of flame and shadow, both pretty maleable. And when it plunges into the water at the bottom of the chasm, it becomes muck and slime, also fairly pliable, so that fits, too.

And the bridge it says that it appears as a great darkness with a manlike shape within [but bigger]. Later its shadow spreads out winglike, then BECOMES wings, because the demon wouldn't try to go up or down those stairs dragging a set of huge bat wings, but suddenly here's a little wizard on a bridge above a vast abyss, and the demon thinks, 'Oh yeah, like I can't see where THIS is heading. Well, cop this.' and hey presto, wings, and just to really show off the demon makes himself swell in size as well ['The fire in it seemed to die, but the darkness grew'] because that would also explain 'It drew itself up to a great height...' for those who think the 15 foot Balrog mentioned earlier is a little stingy.

And meanwhile, here's Gandalf in the center of a one-way bridge over said abyss thinking to himself 'Oh, crap!' because the idea of fighting above this huge drop doesn't seem so good now the thingy can fly, and then it's all ringing clashes and white fire and maybe it wouldn't have been such a bad idea to let the Ranger have a go first after all. So now the demons lost it's sword, so that's a good, but it's still got that whip, and now it's breathing fire from its nostrils for gawd's sake, and I can't beleive I got myself into this, and I'm pretty glad these grey robes don't let the others see just how much I need a change of breeches, but I've still got an ace up my sleeve.

So when the Balrog steps onto the bridge Gandalf breaks his staff to shatter the rock, but also to create 'a blinding sheet of white flame.' The bridge breaks, of course, but the really clever thing is that light dispels shadow, and the blast catches the demon off guard and disolves its shadow-grown wings, plunging it into the chasm. So it really DID have wings, temporarily, but ol' Gandalf was one step ahead after all. It's just a shame the thing still had that whip.

Okay, case closed, you've convinced me. Razors, is right, let's tackle something else.

Should the Nazgul actually be wearing their rings?