Why did Balin return to Khazad-dûm?

[Chymaera]

Originally posted by Eriol
As for Gandalf's influence, I don't see it. I don't think Gandalf visited the Mountain between the Battle of Five Armies and Balin's departure. And certainly, as Chymaera hs acknowledged, Gandalf was surprised at discovering a Balrog in Moria.

Read over the last Chapter of the Hobbit again: where nine years after Gandalf and Balin were traveling West and stopped in to visit Bilbo.

That is where I start to speculate

 

[HLGStrider]

Hmm. . .

I think Chy's political bit is likely, but it never struck me as how things were. Thorin's dwarves all seem very well off. They're getting fat and rich and having fun.

I can see Balin at first enjoying the leisure but after awhile the glamor wears off and he starts to look fondly upon the old days when he lived by the seat of his pants, besides he's getting older and he doesn't want to get older. He has one last quest in him.

The choice of quest is obvious. Dwarves like Mithril. Dwarves have a lot of pride staked in that old cave. It's bound to be safe by now. That instance with whatever it was was a long time ago.

It is possible he may have been planning it on his way to see Bilbo, but would he have mentioned it to Gandalf? I don't think so. Dwarves are naturally secretive. Gandalf may have guessed, of course, but been told directly, no.

 

[Arthur_Vandelay]

I wonder if the fact that Sauron had been driven from Dol Guldur might have had anything to do with Balin's desire to re-take Moria. The White Council would have been under no illusions that Sauron was destroyed; but many other folk of the region must have felt that a great shadow of danger had been lifted--and that "the world had changed."

I also wonder how much would have been known among the dwarves about the nature of Durin's Bane (i.e. the fact that it was a Balrog). Perhaps the death of Smaug suggested to Balin and his followers that, whatever lurked still in Moria, it too might be slain. Does anyone think that Balin might have asked Bilbo if he could once again perform some reconnaissance work for the dwarves?

 

[HLGStrider]

I don't feel it was likely Balin asked Bilbo to be involved. For starters, I just feel we would've heard about it somehow. Bilbo doesn't mention going to visit Balin when he takes off though he does express interest in a visit to the Lonely Mountain. You'd think Moria would be part of his plans if he was aware of that colonization by one of the best dwarves on the quest.

Another thing, I don't see Balin seeing a burgler as necessary in this business. This would've been seen as much more honorable, and Durin's bane as something best bested in full armor in battle, not by stealth. This was first of all a military operation. There was no way they could just sneak in and steal small amounts of Mithril. It was all Moria or none of Moria.

 

[Inderjit S]

Does anyone think that Balin might have asked Bilbo if he could once again perform some reconnaissance work for the dwarves

Why did he ignore Dáin’s prophecy about the higher, powerful, non-Dwarven being coming and killing the threat in Moria? Prophecies don't always come true of course, but he should have been more wary.

 

[HLGStrider]

Perhaps he was lulled into a sense of security by the calm after the Battle of Five armies. So much had been accomplished and so much evil purged in such a short time that the Dwarves, White Council, and Hobbits all seem to feel invincible.

Gandalf allows Sarumen to convince him to ignore the ring just a bit longer.

The White Council does a half job on Dul Guldor but seems satisfied with it, satisfied that Sauron is once again squelched for a considerable amount of time.

The Dwarves. . .well, they've defeated one enemy who was supposedly invincible and the more recent terror of Smaug was probably more frightening to them than any legend of unnamed evil in Moria which was easy to overlook as a tall tale.

Smart? No. . .but highly probable.

 

[Inderjit S]

Ignoring the fact that it was not the Dwarves alone who defeated Smaug, rather Bilbo and Bard as well as other secondary actors such as the thrush and Gandalf played a large part in the defeat of Smaug, 'Durin's Bane' could not be a tall tale since he was in the Dwarves nightmares, or some of the Dwarves nightmares....pretty hard to refute something if he comes in your dreams and he if firmly imbedded in your myths as the thing which drove you out of your home-land. Dáin of course caught some kind of glimpse of the Balrog, or sensed his presence, and he said Moria could not be re-populated until some powerful being came and killed Durin's bane, that may have been seen as a tall tale, since how many powerful beings were their exactly and besides they may have been the incoherent ramblings of a crazed, young Dwarf.

 

[Gildor]

I'd say mainly the lure of Mithril, a desire to revisit and restore lost glory, and the slim hope of finding Thror's Ring. With Dwarven fortunes waxing and the greater part of the Misty Mountain goblins/orcs killed in the battle of five armies, it probably seemed like as good a time as any to make the attempt.

 

[HLGStrider]

some powerful being came and killed Durin's bane

I've never got ahold of a complete HoMe, which is I believe where you're paraphrasing from, so could you give me a direct quote?

Is it possible that they thought a powerful dwarf would work? A great dwarf lord?

And I really doubt the dwarves gave that much credit to the other folks involved in Smaug's defeat. They were unwilling to share the treasure with those who helped them, obviously and almost got into a war with them over it.

 

[Inderjit S]

"Beyond the shadow it waits for you still: Durin's bane. The world must change and som other power other then ours must come before Durin's folk walk again in Moria" 'Appendix A' Durin's Folk

This was said to the Dwarven king of the time. 'Our' is a reference to the Dwarven race, as a whole.

 

[Aglarband]

Or the lies of Sauron made Balin wish to return to Moria. Just a huntch since thats wat Gloin says during the Councile of Elrond. He dosn't come out and say it, because he dons't know, but he hints on it.

 

[Inderjit S]

Gloin never says anything about the "lies of Sauron" he talks about Dwarvish unrest. Sauron is never mentioned in Gloin's account of the Dwarvish unrest or disquiet.

 

[Starflower]

maybe Balin was driven simply by that oh so dwarvish trait: greed. Maybe he hungered to find a hitherto unknown lode of mithril in Moria, it would make him rich and famous... he after all did title himself, Balin, lord of Moria. After all now the Kingdom under the Mountain had been recovered from Smaug, what else was there left to discover except the famed Khazad-dum?

 

[Inderjit S]

Well, one get the impression that they were feeling enclosed in Erebor and wanted to reclaim their ancestral kingdom of Moria. It's like the Noldor going back to Tirion, the Iathrim Sindar to Doriath and the Númenóreans back to Númenór.

Plus of course, the Dwarven ring.

 

[Gamil Zirak]

I don't think Balin and Gandalf travelled together close to the gates of Moria. When Balin overtakes Moria, his company has to fight their way in.

The Balrog probably didn't have anything to do with the demise of the dwarves under Balin's watch. It just isn't written that way.