The [censored] Balrog.
Jul. 2nd, 2004 02:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
elwenProbably more hotly contended within Tolkien fandom than the much more philosophically interesting "nature of Tom Bombadil" issue is the "do Balrogs have wings" issue. So I was reading a neat summary about the different passages that have been quoted to support each side. I'm still mostly pro-wing, although perhaps flightless but imposing wings. (For we all know that Balrogs are nothing but giant, flaming penguins.) But I guess I'm slightly less pro-wing than I used to be.
I never knew there was so much in the "and its wings were spread from wall to wall" line! I never noticed either the simile --> metaphor or the vagueness --> clarity in Tolkien's works before, but they are both quite applicable. (It shows how little lives Tolkien fans have, perhaps, that they spent all this time looking up examples.) I mean, I always knew it was preceded by the "metaphorical wings of shadow", but I was stubbornly unconvinced. I found most interesting the idea that the shadow wings were once around Gandalf. Actually, when I first read that, I pictured two shadows cast by Gandalf himself, one on each side, as when you have two light sources off-center in front of you. I mean, the Balrog is fiery, right? But I guess there were flames everywhere, and such a distinct light shadow (as opposed to a shadow as a symbol of evil) probably wouldn't happen.
I wouldn't think the "winged speed" refers to actual wings, though. And I guess all the references to Balrogs being land-bound are rather convincing, even if they might be the "pre-flying" Balrogs from before Tolkien possibly changed his mind about them.
But I sure liked the Balrog in the movie (though it was kind of big...), so I'll always have that image in my mind first.
I never knew there was so much in the "and its wings were spread from wall to wall" line! I never noticed either the simile --> metaphor or the vagueness --> clarity in Tolkien's works before, but they are both quite applicable. (It shows how little lives Tolkien fans have, perhaps, that they spent all this time looking up examples.) I mean, I always knew it was preceded by the "metaphorical wings of shadow", but I was stubbornly unconvinced. I found most interesting the idea that the shadow wings were once around Gandalf. Actually, when I first read that, I pictured two shadows cast by Gandalf himself, one on each side, as when you have two light sources off-center in front of you. I mean, the Balrog is fiery, right? But I guess there were flames everywhere, and such a distinct light shadow (as opposed to a shadow as a symbol of evil) probably wouldn't happen.
I wouldn't think the "winged speed" refers to actual wings, though. And I guess all the references to Balrogs being land-bound are rather convincing, even if they might be the "pre-flying" Balrogs from before Tolkien possibly changed his mind about them.
But I sure liked the Balrog in the movie (though it was kind of big...), so I'll always have that image in my mind first.
