How did a Balrog get beneath Moria and when?

[Cirdan]

In Appendix A to the Lord of the Rings we are told that:

"It came to pass that in the middle of the Third Age Durin was again its king, being the sixth of that name. The Dwarves delved deep at that time, seeking beneath Barazinbar for mithril, the metal beyond price that was becoming yearly ever harder to win. Thus they roused from sleep a thing of terror that, flying from Thangorodrim, had lain hidden at the foundations of the earth since the coming of the Host of the West: a Balrog of Morgoth."

This would seem to refer to the War of Wrath that broke Thangorodrim and that occurred well after the establishment of Khazad-dum by Durin I, and yet, a "host from the West" assaulted Morgoth's fortresses (including Angband) long ages before (just after the Elves awoke) in the War of the Powers. Of that this was written:

"Nonetheless the Valar did not discover all the mighty vaults and caverns hidden with deceit far under the fortresses of Angband and Utumno. Many evil things still lingered there, and others were dispersed and fled into the dark and roamed into the waste places of the world awaiting a more evil hour..."

Could it be possible that this Balrog was a refugee from that conflict, taking flight and hiding under the Misty Mountains before even the Dwarves founded Moria?

If not and this Balrog is indeed from the War of Wrath, then just how did it sneak in under the Dwarves' noses, why did it go to sleep if there were Dwarves nearby to slay and terrorize, and how did it remain hidden there for almost 5500 years?

Any thoughts?

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Hi, Cirdan! And welcome to the 'Downs!

I believe (unless I am misled, but I think there are some references in rather obvious places, like perhaps Appendices to LotR, only would have to look them up, for which I don't have time right now, but you can check it also yourself, or maybe somebody else will post a quote) that it is stated somewhere that the war when the Balrog fled was the War of Wrath. It is true that him being the refugee who fled Angband during Valar's attack is a very interesting idea, which would make him an interesting character of a poor old lonely grandpa, but it is also much more logical that he would stay in Utumno during the period when Morgoth was away, or later return to him when he was back.

After all, all the balrogs and other servants of Morgoth have remained hidden in Utumno and around the place when he was in captivity. Durin's Bane would have to be quite an extreme individualist with a bad morale, no connections to others (that he would just bury himself while still hundreds of Balrogs were alive and well, and never attempted to go out to look for them, especially after Morgoth's return, seems most unlikely and weird). Also, after Morgoth had returned, I would expect the Balrog to feel it, and come running back to his former master (also thinking about this "awaiting a more evil hour" in the quote you provide), unless he really was this extreme individualist who was fed up with Morgoth and just sought for the first excuse to get away (but for what? To hide underground and sleep there for six thousand years?).

As for not attacking the Dwarves straightaway, the point was that Moria was not so big at that point when he came, or its halls and mines did not spread or reach so far: only after the Dwarves dug "too deep, too greedily", they stumbled upon the places where the Balrog rested. He was originally hiding in some different cavern system, close to Moria, but not so close. Why it had chosen this location is probably because it was sufficiently far away from former Angband, so he did not expect the Enemy's enemies to seek for him there, and he didn't care about the Dwarves probably so much at that point (they were still sufficiently far away, see above). If you asked why he didn't choose some "better" mountains, I would assume that Misty Mountains were quite well on the way: sufficiently far, yet not too far so that the journey will be tiring; also, they were sort of "natural obstacle" (remember, they were said to be raised as an obstacle even to Oromë's journeys, and back then they were still probably higher than in the Third Age) and the Balrog was maybe too tired to bother crossing them. And as for them having their inhabitants, it is really hard to find some mountains without Dwarves. He could have possibly continued to, say, the mountains of Mordor like Shelob did, but perhaps he was a bit too tired, or perhaps even somehow weakened, wounded, or something, after the War? That would also explain this "sleeping" period. There may be other good reasons too, however, I am sure.

[Kuruharan]

Durin's Bane would have to be quite an extreme individualist with a bad morale, no connections to others (that he would just bury himself while still hundreds of Balrogs were alive and well, and never attempted to go out to look for them, especially after Morgoth's return, seems most unlikely and weird).

I don't know. Given the general dispotion of the Forces of Evil, I'd say having the instincts you set out would be an excellent way to survive. Look how Sauron ended up in the First Age.

The Balrog was probably not aware that the dwarves were in the area at all.

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by Cirdan

Could it be possible that this Balrog was a refugee from that conflict, taking flight and hiding under the Misty Mountains before even the Dwarves founded Moria?

No– at least not if we go by the Silmarillion– Morgoth "reared the threefold peaks of Thangorodrim" above Angband only after his return to Middle-earth.

[Nerwen]

As for the question of how the Balrog entered Moria and why, you may want to have a look at this thread.

[Morthoron]

There are no such things as Balrogs. Only wings.

[alatar]

I know that some Balrog ingress options were covered in the following thread:

Balrog breaking and entering.

OOps! Nerwen already beat me to it.

[Inziladun]

I still think that was a great title.

[Cirdan]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Hi, Cirdan! And welcome to the 'Downs!

Thank you! Though I find the title "newly deceased" a little disconcerting...

As for not attacking the Dwarves straightaway, the point was that Moria was not so big at that point when he came, or its halls and mines did not spread or reach so far: only after the Dwarves dug "too deep, too greedily", they stumbled upon the places where the Balrog rested. He was originally hiding in some different cavern system, close to Moria, but not so close.

I'll buy that!

[Cirdan]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

No– at least not if we go by the Silmarillion– Morgoth "reared the threefold peaks of Thangorodrim" above Angband only after his return to Middle-earth.

Indeed, and that would be a valid point but...I'm not convinced that "Thangorodrim" isn't just a synonym for the realm of Angband -in the Appendices, that is. It's the way it is used in the there several times that led me to some doubt, and to my question. Consider this:

"Thereafter followed the hopeless war of the Eldar and the Edain against Thangorodrim, in which they were at last utterly defeated."

"Against" his volcanic peaks? No, against his evil realm, Angband! This led me to suspect that the LOTR Appendices were written before (or after) some of the Silmarillion, and Tolkien hadn't decided yet exactly which names would be applied to what. Perhaps the Histories would clear that up.

Regardless, Durin's Bane must have been a refugee from the War of Wrath. Of that this is written in the Silmarillion:

"The Balrogs were destroyed, save some few that fled and hid themselves in caverns inaccessible at the roots of the earth"

So besides under Moria we can find a couple more elsewhere! Any guesses? Ash Mountains? How about deep into Aglarond or under Mindolluin!

This would seem to be more "proof" in Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien:

"The Balrog is a survivor from The Silmarillion and the legends of the First Age. So is Shelob. The Balrogs, of whom the whips were the chief weapons, were primeval spirits of destroying fire, chief servants of the primeval Dark Power of the First Age. They were supposed to have been all destroyed in the overthrow of Thangorodrim, his fortress in the North. But it is here found (there is usually a hang-over especially of evil from one age to another) that one had escaped and taken refuge under the mountains of Hithaeglir (the Misty Mountains)."(Letter 144)

It's likely that he is speaking of the First Age of the Sun...although the War of the Powers was in the "First Age" too -First Age of the Stars.

[Cirdan]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

As for the question of how the Balrog entered Moria and why, you may want to have a look at this thread.

You and a couple of others made some excellent points there.

The Balrog entered by some other, vastly-ancient tunnel system which happened to terminate in a cavern deep beneath Baraz --most unfortunately for the hapless Dwarves. Moria was still relatively shallow at the close of the First Age and Durin's folk had 5,500 more years of digging to do to awaken and/or release the Balrog. The Balrog was trapped ("imprisoned") by either the final tumults of the cataclysm of the First Age (if they didn't all happen in a day) or perhaps trapped later by the cataclysm which sank Númenor and which affected Middle-earth geologically as well, as the world was made into a sphere:

And all the coasts and seaward regions of the western world suffered great change and ruin in that time; for the seas invaded the lands, and shores foundered, and ancient isles were drowned, and new isles were uplifted; and hills crumbled and rivers were turned into strange courses.

[Galin]

"The Balrogs were destroyed, save some few that fled and hid themselves in caverns inaccessible at the roots of the earth"

So besides under Moria we can find a couple more elsewhere! Any guesses? Ash Mountains? How about deep into Aglarond or under Mindolluin!

Still it might be noted that this was written when Tolkien imagined (seemingly) thousands of Balrogath at Morgoth's command in the First Age; and there is at least one later indication that Tolkien was considering a quite drastic reduction in numbers (at most seven)!

Tolkien never really got around to a true rewrite of the end of Quenta Silmarillion
-- outside of some cursory corrections, concerning which Christopher Tolkien warns do not necessarily illustrate that this section of QS thus was fully 'updated' and revised by his father.

Would JRRT have revised 'few' if he went ahead with this reduction? I don't know, but I'm just saying this line really hails from the late 1930s, well before Tolkien at least mused about reducing Balrog numbers in Middle-earth.

[Ksenia]

I know that this is an old post but I hope that somebody sometimes checks if sb wrote sth.I'm writing because I need help.I'm writing my MA thesis about archaisms on the basis of Tolkien's books,and I have problems with finding staff connected with it.if somebody has sth interesting or is able to help me please conntact me on my email adress xenia_87@wp.pl

[Cirdan]

Originally Posted by Galin

Still it might be noted that this was written when Tolkien imagined (seemingly) thousands of Balrogath at Morgoth's command in the First Age; and there is at least one later indication that Tolkien was considering a quite drastic reduction in numbers (at most seven)!

Tolkien never really got around to a true rewrite of the end of Quenta Silmarillion
-- outside of some cursory corrections, concerning which Christopher Tolkien warns do not necessarily illustrate that this section of QS thus was fully 'updated' and revised by his father.

Would JRRT have revised 'few' if he went ahead with this reduction? I don't know, but I'm just saying this line really hails from the late 1930s, well before Tolkien at least mused about reducing Balrog numbers in Middle-earth.

The quote from Letters that I had just offered above would seem to confirm this idea -well, that there was (perhaps) only one left. Do you have something you can quote for us here from the War of the Jewels History volume, or is this idea that there were supposed to be only a few Balrogs from another source?

[Galin]

The note hails from The Annals of Aman, but appears on the typescript specifically, so is probably not earlier than 1958-ish. The revision by Tolkien refers to the word host, but in the margin appears the drastic reduction and specific numbering...

('a host of Balrogs, the last of his servants that remained') 'his Balrogs, the last of his servants that remained faithful to him'. In the margin my father wrote: 'There should not be supposed more than say 3 or at most 7 ever existed.'

Morgoth's Ring, The Annals of Aman, §50

As I say, for the 1977 Silmarillion Christopher Tolkien retained the wording with respect to the War of Wrath, but he seems to have edited out still existing references to large numbers of Balrogs, nicely leaving the constructed version vague (enough) on the question.



Some published Silmarillion alterations to JRRT's Quenta Silmarillion are noted below, after the texts they are seemingly based on (unless these were altered by JRRT himself, but this is not noted in The History of Middle-Earth series at least, that I remember anyway).

__________

'Wherefore each embassy came with greater force than was agreed, but Morgoth sent the greater, and they were Balrogs. Maidros was ambushed...' (Of The Siege of Angband, Quenta Silmarillion) [] '... but Morgoth sent the more, and there were Balrogs.' Of The Return of the Noldor (The Silmarillion)

'Sauron came against Orodreth, the warden of the tower, with a host of Balrogs.' (Of the Ruin of Beleriand And the Fall of Fingolfin, Quenta Silmarillion) [] '... named Gorthaur, came against Orodreth, the warden of the tower upon Tol Sirion.' Of The Ruin Of Beleriand (The Silmarillion)

'There came wolves and serpents, and there came Balrogs one thousand,...' (Of the Fourth Battle: Nírnaith Arnediad, Quenta Silmarillion) [] 'There came wolves and wolfriders, and there came Balrogs, and dragons...' Of The Fifth Battle (The Silmarillion)

[Cirdan]

Originally Posted by Galin

'There came wolves and serpents, and there came Balrogs one thousand,...' (Of the Fourth Battle: Nírnaith Arnediad, Quenta Silmarillion) [] 'There came wolves and wolfriders, and there came Balrogs, and dragons...' Of The Fifth Battle (The Silmarillion)

1000!?! I imagined 50 at most during the Wars of Beleriand with perhaps many more (a hundred?) being destroyed by the Valar during remotely-earlier conflicts. 1000 or more Balrogs is a ridiculous amount of raw firepower -small wonder that Tolkien considered scaling it back! Perhaps in his earlier conception they were less powerful being slightly above that of trolls?

Thanks, Galin!

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Cirdan

1000!?! I imagined 50 at most during the Wars of Beleriand with perhaps many more (a hundred?) being destroyed by the Valar during remotely-earlier conflicts. 1000 or more Balrogs is a ridiculous amount of raw firepower -small wonder that Tolkien considered scaling it back! Perhaps in his earlier conception they were less powerful being slightly above that of trolls?

I agree. Well, maybe not exactly trolls, but definitely not Maiar. If Morgoth corrupted that many, and about the same number remained loyal to Eru/Valar, and some didn't go to Ea at all - HOW MANY DID ERU CREATE?! But then during the War of Wrath Morgoth's forces and the 'good army' filled all of Anfauglith! How many thousands do you suppose there are? But that could be orcs, though...

[Galin]

Yes Tolkien did change his mind about Balrogs and Morgoth's ability to 'create'. Externally Balrogs did come to be imagined as Umaiar, but in the early 1950s at least Tolkien might have been holding on to 'many' Balrogs despite being Maiar?

Apparently Morgoth could multiply the Umaiar according to the Annals of Aman abandoned typescript (or AAm*) section 30: 'And in Utumno he multiplied the race of the evil spirits that followed him, the Umaiar, of whom the chief were those demons whom the Elves afterwards named the Balrogath.'

CJRT notes that there seems no way to determine with certainty when AAm* was made, but he thinks or feels that it belongs to the first phase (early 1950s).

I'm not suggesting this was the ultimate conception, merely that it seems to represent an idea that followed the writing of The Lord of the Rings (yet preceded the note to Annals of Aman, mentioned in my earlier post, if CJRT's thoughts are correct).