Tyaronumen
Agent of the West
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2001
- Messages
- 329
From my 1976 edition Ballantine Books edition of FotR (p. 429):
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 Galmdring gelamed, 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.
'You cannot pass,' he said. The orcs stood still, and a dead silence fell. 'I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun. Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass.'
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 wall; 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 first mention of wings is somewhat ambiguous: 'like two vast wings' does not necessarily mean it WAS two vast wings. However, the second mention of wings 'and its wings were spread from wall to wall' is quite clear as far as I am concerned. It does not not say the 'wing-like shadow' or what not. It says 'its wings were spread'.
This to me is rather conclusive enough to satisfy me as to whether or not the Balrog had wings.
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 Galmdring gelamed, 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.
'You cannot pass,' he said. The orcs stood still, and a dead silence fell. 'I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun. Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass.'
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 wall; 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 first mention of wings is somewhat ambiguous: 'like two vast wings' does not necessarily mean it WAS two vast wings. However, the second mention of wings 'and its wings were spread from wall to wall' is quite clear as far as I am concerned. It does not not say the 'wing-like shadow' or what not. It says 'its wings were spread'.
This to me is rather conclusive enough to satisfy me as to whether or not the Balrog had wings.