The Balrog of Moria

The Balrog of Moria - One of the most interesting and terrifying creatures encountered in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is the Balrog, an ancient creature of terrible intelligence and clearly evil purpose that menaces the Company of the Ring as they pass through the Mines of Moria. The nature of the Balrog is not disputed, but its physical description has been the subject of much commentary. The following excerpted paragraphs are ones most often cited (some intervening paragraphs have been omitted).

Legolas turned and set an arrow to the string, though it was a long shot for his small bow. He drew, but his hand fell, and the arrow slipped to the ground. He gave a cry of dismay and fear. Two great trolls appeared; they bore great slabs of stone, and flung them down to serve as gangways over the fire. But it was not the trolls that had filled the Elf with terror. The ranks of the orcs had opened, and they crowded away, as if they themselves were afraid. Something was coming up behind them. What it was could not be seen: it was like a great shadow, in the middle of which was a dark form, of man-shape maybe, yet greater; and a power and terror seemed to be in it and to go before it.

The Balrog reached the bridge. Gandalf stood in the middle of the span, leaning on the staff in his left hand, but in his other hand Glamdring gleamed, cold and white. His enemy halted again, facing him, and the shadow about it reached out like two vast wings. It raised the whip, and the thongs whined and cracked. Fire came from its nostrils. But Gandalf stood firm.

The Balrog made no answer. The fire in it seemed to die, but the darkness grew. It stepped forward slowly on to the bridge, and suddenly it drew itself up to a great height, and its wings were spread from wall to all; but still Gandalf could be seen, glimmering in the gloom; he seemed small, and altogether alone: grey and bent, like a wizened tree before the onset of a storm.

The controversy about the wings appears to be due to a misunderstanding about what the reader is supposed to envision. The Balrog is introduced as a creature whose solid form cannot be seen clearly because it is surrounded by a darkness that is referred to as a "shadow". As the Balrog advances toward the Company of the Ring, the darkness surrounding it grows in volume, extends out to either side of the Balrog, and takes on the shape of two vast wings. By the time the Balrog reaches the bridge, the "wings" extend from wall to wall.

They are not physical wings that would be used for flight or even as some sort of appendages. Think of the darkness more as an expression of the Balrog's power as well as its dark and evil nature. It can prevent natural light from entering a the space around its body, and is only seen really because of its own unnatural light -- the fire that burns inside of it.

So why do people ask if the Balrog has wings? Why do people argue that it cannot have wings? The wings are there, clearly intended to be seen by the Fellowship, but they are only wings because the Balrog caused the darkness around itself to take on the shape of wings. Like a vampire spreading his cape to become more menacing, or a peacock expanding his feathered tail to become more alluring, the Balrog was just showing up his stuff.