Durin's Bane

From the One Wiki to Rule Them All, the Lord of the Rings Encyclopedia.

Durin's Bane refers to a specific Balrog who was not otherwise named. It would surely have served its lord and creator Morgoth during the First Age. It apparently survived the defeat of Morgoth in the War of Wrath and escaped to hide beneath the Misty Mountains.

For more than five millennia, the Balrog hibernated in its deep hiding place at the roots of the mountains in Khazad-dûm. It remained undisturbed throughout the Second Age and most of the Third Age, before the mithril-miners of Dwarf-King Durin VI awoke it. Durin was slain by the creature, at which point it became known as Durin's Bane.

The Dwarves attempted to fight the Balrog, but its power was far too great. Despite their efforts to hold Khazad-dûm against it, King Náin and many of the Dwarves were killed and the survivors were forced to flee. This disaster appears to have also reached the Silvan Elves of Lothlórien, many of which also fled the "Nameless Terror" (it was not recognized as a Balrog at the time). The elves began to call the place Moria, "The Black Pit".

For five hundred years, Moria was left to the Balrog.

Sauron began to put his plans for war into effect around the year 2480 of the Third Age. As part of these, he sent Orcs and trolls to the Misty Mountains to bar all of the passes. Some of these creatures came to Moria. It is unclear as to whether Sauron could have controlled the Balrog (they were both Maiar) but it is probable that they would have been allied against the Free Peoples. The Balrog did allow the Orcs and trolls to remain in Moria while it dwelt there. Tolkien does not mention whether Sauron was aware of the Balrog's presence prior to this time.

The Battle of Azanulbizar was the climactic battle in the War of the Dwarves and Orcs. It took place before the eastern gate of Moria in 2799 T.A. and was a victory for the Dwarves. However, the victors did not conquer Moria because Dáin Ironfoot, having slain the Orc Azog, felt the terror of the Balrog at the gate. Despite an attempt to recolonise Moria by Balin in 2989 T.A., Durin's Bane remained a menace in the ancient kingdom of the Dwarves whose nature was hidden to the outside world.

In January of 3019 T.A., the Fellowship of the Ring travelled through Moria on the way to Mount Doom. There they encountered Durin's Bane at the Bridge of Khazad-dûm. The Elf Legolas instantly recognised the Balrog. More importantly, the wizard Gandalf was there (perhaps for this very purpose). Knowing that it was far more powerful than even the greatest of his companions, he challenged it.

Since Gandalf and the Balrog were both Maiar, they were beings of the same order. As they faced each other, Gandalf broke the Bridge in front of him, but as the Balrog fell it wrapped its whip around Gandalf's ankle, dragging him into the abyss. As the Company looked in horror, Gandalf cried "Fly, you fools!" and was gone. After the long fall, the two landed in a subterranean lake, which extinguished the flames of the Balrog's body, greatly weakening it. Recognizing its own weakness, the Balrog fled, and Gandalf pursued the creature for eight days until they climbed to the peak of Zirakzigil, at which point the Balrog's body flames were renewed, restoring its power. Here they fought for two days and nights. In the end, the Balrog was defeated and cast down, breaking the spot where its body crashed. Gandalf himself died following this ordeal, but was later sent back to Middle-earth with even greater powers as Gandalf the White.

[edit] In Media

• Durin's Bane appears in Ralph Bakshi's animated classic.

• The Balrog was also portrayed in Peter Jackson's live-action film trilogy, where it was a large, black creature covered in flame. Alhough Tolkien described it as being a little taller than a man, Durin's Bane in the film was much larger than a man, at least eighteen feet or so, and carrying a whip and sword.

Ainur of Middle-earth
Ainulindalë (Music of the Ainur)
Lords of the Valar:	Manwë | Aulë | Oromë | Irmo (Lórien) | Námo (Mandos) | Tulkas | Ulmo
Queens of the Valar (The Valier):	Varda | Yavanna | Vána | Estë | Vairë | Nessa | Nienna
The Enemy:	Morgoth (a.k.a. Melkor)
Maiar:	Eönwë | Ilmarë | Ossë | Uinen | Salmar | Sauron | Melian | Arien | Tilion | Gothmog Curumo (Saruman) | Olórin (Gandalf) | Aiwendil (Radagast) | Alatar and Pallando | Durin's Bane