- "Then something came into the chamber - I felt it through the door, and the orcs themselves were afraid and fell silent. It laid hold of the iron ring, and then it perceived me and my spell."
- —The Lord of the Rings, "The Bridge of Khazad-dûm"
Balrogs, also called the Valaraukar, were Maiar that were seduced and corrupted by Melkor to his service.[2]
Origins
Originally, Balrogs were Maiar that were later persuaded by Melkor before the Awakening of the Elves. Their first dwellings had been Utumno, but after their master's defeat during the War for Sake of the Elves, the Balrogs and other creatures in Melkor's service escaped and went to Angband.[3]
History
Years of the Trees
The Balrogs of Morgoth, by Thylacinee
Balrogs were present as early as the Years of the Trees when Melkor and Ungoliant went to Valinor and destroyed the Two Trees. By then, the Balrogs remained in the pits of Angband. After Morgoth destroyed the Trees with Ungoliant, he came to the ruins of Angband to renew his rule in Middle-earth. A disagreement with Ungoliant led to her attacking him, and Morgoth gave out a great cry that roused the Balrogs from their slumber. In a tempest of fire, the Balrogs drove Ungoliant away and prepared to pursue her. However, they were halted by Morgoth and returned to Angband, which shortly thereafter was constructed anew.[4]
First Age
Death of Fëanor, by LuisFBejarano
After the rebellion of the Ñoldor and the Kinslaying at Alqualondë, Fëanor and his followers pressed towards Angband and came upon the Balrogs. Fëanor battled against Gothmog, the Lord of the Balrogs, during the Dagor-nuin-Giliath. Gothmog inflicted wounds on Fëanor, which killed him. Maedhros, Fëanor's son, persuaded the forces of Morgoth for a feigned treaty, but Morgoth sent his Balrogs. The entire company was slain, except for Maedhros, who was later brought to Angband.[5]
Years later, during the Dagor Bragollach, the Balrogs, along with Glaurung and Orcs, were issued forth from Angband assault the fortresses of the Elves and to kill their allies, the Men.[6]
The Balrogs fought during the Nírnaeth Arnoediad, where Gothmog led the invasion. He threw aside Húrin and Turgon, turned upon Fingon and killed him with the help of another Balrog, securing the field for Morgoth's forces. He also captured Húrin, after Húrin was buried under a mountain of slain foes. He bound the human warrior and delivered him to Angband, whereupon Morgoth attempted unsuccessfully to pry the location of Gondolin from him.[7]
Glorfindel and the Balrog, by John Howe
In FA 510, during the Fall of Gondolin, the Balrogs rode upon the backs of dragons to reach the hidden city of Gondolin. The Lord of the House of the Fountain, Ecthelion, managed to kill Gothmog at the cost of his own life. While attempting to escape the burning city, Glorfindel and his companions were blocked by another Balrog. To save Tuor, Idril and their young son Eärendil, Glorfindel fought the Balrog on a cliff and cast it down, but he was pulled down with the Balrog to their deaths.[8]
The last of the Balrogs fought in the War of Wrath and were destroyed, though some managed to escape and hide in the caverns of the earth.[9]
Third Age
In TA 1980, a Balrog awoke in Moria when the Dwarves had accidentally awakened it while greedily mining too deep for mithril. It drove the Dwarves out of their home and slew King Durin VI, and the Balrog was thereafter called "Durin's Bane".[10]
During the War of the Ring, the Fellowship of the Ring passed through Moria and encountered Durin's Bane, which pursued them to the Bridge of Khazad-dûm. Gandalf the Grey fought the Balrog, allowing the Fellowship to escape Moria.[11] Both fell into the abyss, but the battle continued at the peak of Zirakzigil. Finally, it ended, but both Gandalf and Durin's Bane were slain in the process. Gandalf was later "sent back" by the Valar, as Gandalf the White.[12]
Attributes
The Durin's Bane uses its fiery whip against Gandalf
A Balrog generally took the form of a tall, menacing being roughly in the shape of a Man, having control of both fire and shadow and wielding a fiery whip with several thongs; Gothmog, the Lord of Balrogs in the First Age, used an axe as well. They induced great terror in friends and foes alike. Many who faced Balrogs referred to them as "creatures of fire and shadow" or simply "shadow and flame."
In his published works, Tolkien depicts the Balrog as being barely a shape wreathed in shadow and flame, possibly man-shape, yet greater. Balrogs seemed to encapsulate and project power and terror. Additionally, Tolkien refers Balrogs with "streaming fiery manes".[13]
Additionally, they may have been able to alter their body structures on occasion, as in the battle between Durin's Bane and Gandalf, when the Balrog fell into a body of water he shifted himself into something gelatinous.[citation needed] However, it is also possible that this alternate form was simply Gandalf using colorful language to describe what the Balrog was like after having its flame extinguished and being covered in water.
Capabilities
Balrogs were powerful creatures. They were amongst the most trusted and oldest servants of Morgoth, and it was said that, of Morgoth's servants, only winged Fire-drakes were more terrible to battle.[14]
Etymology
In Sindarin, the word Balrog means "Demon of Might",[15] from the words bal ("power") and raug, rog ("demon").[16] Balrogs are called Valarauko or Valaraukar[note 1] in Quenya, from the words vala ("power") and rauco ("demon").[16][17]
Other names
In other writings, Balrog is derived from ñgwalaraukô ("demon").[16]
Known Individuals
Durin's Bane
- Gothmog, the Lord of the Balrogs and High-captain of Angband, slain by Ecthelion during the Fall of Gondolin
- Durin's Bane, awakened in the Third Age, slain by Gandalf at the peak of Zirakzigil
In other versions of the legendarium
In Tolkien's later writings, he made note of the fact that there could not have ever been more than seven Balrogs,[18] yet they were able to drive away Ungoliant in what was described as a "tempest of fire".
In another early writing, the Lord of the Balrogs was named Lungorthin. It is unknown whether it is another name for Gothmog, but Christopher Tolkien thinks it is probably, since the name Gothmog was already mentioned in the earliest writings about Middle-earth.[19]
Initially, the Balrogs were often described to be immense in numbers:
The early conception of Balrogs makes them less terrible, and certainly more destructible, than they afterwards became: they existed in 'hundreds' (p. 170), and were slain by Tuor and the Gondothlim in large numbers: "thus five fell before Tuor's great axe Dramborleg, three before Ecthelion's sword, and two score were slain by the warriors of the king's house.
—The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, commentary by Christopher Tolkien on "The Fall of Gondolin"
In later writings, however, Christopher Tolkien notes that:
In the margin my father wrote: 'There should not be supposed more than say 3 or at most 7 ever existed.
—Morgoth's Ring, Section 2 (AAm*): note 50
Portrayal in adaptations
Video games
- In the video games The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth and The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II, the Balrog is a power of the goblins and Mordor which cost 25 Power points, with Whip, Sword, Wings, Firebreath and other weapons can cause devastating damage towards enemy units and structures.
- It is a boss character in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Video Game, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers on Game Boy Advance and The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age. In the latter, the Balrog is fought by Gandalf on the Player's side and becomes a usable hero for the duration of the battle. Though it is referenced in the video games based on the Films.
- It appears in The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest, resembling the movie version.
- Two Balrogs also appear in The Lord of the Rings Online: Thaurlach, located deep within the Rift of Nurz Ghashu in Angmar, and Durin's Bane, encountered several times during introductive "quests" to Moria. An illusion of Durin's Bane is encountered in the Ost Dunhoth Instance Raid.
- In LEGO The Lord of the Rings: The Video Game, players can play as Gandalf and fight with, and eventually defeat the Balrog.
- The Balrog is also a playable Hero in The Lord of the Rings: Conquest in Mission 4 - The Mines of Moria and Mission 7- The Shire (Evil Campaign)
Card games
- Balrog (named Firelord Balrog) appears in the game The Legend of the Cryptids as a playable card.
Gallery
<gallery columns="dynamic" spacing="medium"> Balrog - FOT.png Balrog.jpg
Balrog vs Gandalf.jpeg
<gallery columns="dynamic" spacing="medium"> Gothmog_the_Balrog.jpg Glorfindel_and_the_Balrog.jpg Gothmog the balrog's king.jpg
Haste of the Balrogs by Viking-Heart.png
Trivia
- Almost all the known individuals were vanquished in terms of double suicides or falling together. All the Balrogs within their final battles end in falling. Gothmog sunk deep in the fountain, Glorfindel's Balrog fell over a cliff, and Durin's Bane actually fell twice (Fell with Gandalf from the Bridge of Khazad-dûm and thrown down from the top of Zirakzigil by the final blow of the wizard)
- Seemingly, there had not been dangerous conflicts between Balrogs and Dragons. It is unclear this was achieved because these fiery demons and monsters were indeed compatible and were sensible, or there were none community of interests, and both of them were unconcerned about each other. Or such situations might have been restricted and controlled by orders of their master to evade damaging by most mighty members to his own forces.
- Some fans of the Doom series claim that the Balrog of the movies looks similar to a cross between a D3 Cyberdemon and a D3 Maledict (Cyberdemon with Maledict Wings).
- A demonic monster in the popular 2D side-scrolling game Maplestory, bears many similar qualities and characteristics, and thus many believe the monster was represented on behalf of the fictitious one depicted in the Tolkien series.
- A certain red-skinned antagonist in the MMO-RPG Wartune is identical exactly to a Balrog but for his 4 black horns.
- A demon in Dungeon Hunter: Alliance called the "Cremator "has the same head and fiery presence as a Balrog, without wings.
- A demonic monster in another popular 3D game is called "Mabinogi."
- Many fans claim that the Balrog inspired Games Workshop's Bloodthirster in Warhammer, which is known as the Greater Daemon of Khorne (the Chaos God of Blood, Battle, War and Rage.)
- The main antagonist of Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, the Dahaka, strongly resembles the Balrog, but has one horn bent downward, and it does NOT have wings.
- The Balor from Dungeons and Dragons is clearly based on the Balrog.
- In early editions of the game, it was actually referred to as the Balrog. The name was changed due to copyright claims made by Tolkien Estate.
- The hero named Hellbringer from Heroes of Newerth (A game that is based on a popular Warcraft III mod known as Defense of the Ancients.) can summon Malphas which is clearly based on the Balrogs.
- War, the first horseman and main playable character from the game Darksiders has a chaos form that looks very similar to Durin's Bane.
- Balrog was the name of a boxer from USA who made his debut as the second boss in Street Fighter II. Although he cannot kick, he made up for it with pummeling punches. This name was originally part of a triangle of replacement; the original Japanese game credited him as M. Bison (after boxer Mike Tyson), leaving the character Vega named Balrog.
- In the manga and anime series Saint Seiya, Balrog Rune (or Balron Lune) is a servant of Hades clad in armor modeled after Tolkien's monster.
- The Juggernaut and its upgrade the Ravager in Heroes VI, also resembles the Balrog's looks, especially the head region. Whether this is on purpose or just a coincidence is not known.
- The boss Fyrus from Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, bears a slight resemblance to Balrog, in it's height and black fiery form.
- The form for the character Chaos in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, Feral Chaos ("Desperado Chaos" in the Japanese version), bore a strong resemblance to the Balrog (particularly its depiction in the Peter Jackson films) due to his being massive, demonic, possessing horns, and constantly wreathed in flames.
Translations around the World
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
|---|---|
| Amharic | ባልሮግ |
| Arabic | بالروع ? |
| Armenian | Բալրոգ |
| Belarusian | Балрог |
| Bulgarian | Балрог |
| Chinese (Hong Kong) | 炎魔 |
| Dari | بالروگ |
| Georgian | ბალროგ |
| Greek | Βαλρογ ? |
| Gujarati | બલ્રોગ |
| Hebrew | בלרוגים |
| Hindi | बल्रोग |
| Japanese | バルログ |
| Kazakh | Балрог |
| Korean | 발록 |
| Kurdish | بالرۆگ |
| Kyrgyr | Балрог |
| Macedonian | Балрог |
| Mongolian | Балрог |
| Nepali | बल्रोग |
| Pashto | بالروګ |
| Persian | بالروگ |
| Punjabi | ਬਾਲਰੋਗ |
| Russian | Балроги |
| Sanskrit | बल्रोग् |
| Serbian | Балрог (Cyrillic) Balrog (Latinised) |
| Sinhala | බල්රොග් |
| Tajik | Балрог |
| Tamil | பல்ரொக் ? |
| Telugu | బల్రొగ |
| Tibetan | བལྲོག |
| Tigrinya | ባልሮግ |
| Ukrainian | Балроґ |
| Urdu | بالروگ |
| Uyghur | بالروگ |
| Uzbek | Балрог (Cyrillic) Balrog (Latinised) |
| Yiddish | באַלראָג |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 2: The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, III: "The Fall of Gondolin"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Valaquenta: "Of the Maiar"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter III: "Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter IX: "Of the Flight of the Noldor"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XIII: "Of the Return of the Noldor"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XVIII: "Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XX: "Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XXIII: "Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XXIV: "Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A: Annals of the Kings and Rulers, III: Durin's Folk
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter V: "The Bridge of Khazad-dûm"
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter V: "The White Rider"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 3: The Lays of Beleriand, III: "The Lay of Leithian"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 2: The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, II: "Turambar and the Foalókë"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Index of Names
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 5: The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies"
- ↑ Parma Eldalamberon, Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 11: The War of the Jewels, Part One. The Grey Annals, Notes
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 3: The Lays of Beleriand, I: "The Lay of the Children of Húrin"
Notes
- ↑ Also spelled Valarauco and Valaraucar
External links
Balrogs at Tolkien Gateway- The Truth About Balrogs essay series by Conrad Dunkerson.
