Editing Balrog (section)

==Individual Balrogs==

===Gothmog===
[[File:GOTHMOG-1 (detail).jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|''Gothmog at the Storming of Gondolin''.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1984b}}, "The Fall of Gondolin": "… seven dragons of fire are come with Orcs about them and Balrogs upon them …"</ref> Artwork by [[Tom Loback]] ]]

Gothmog is developed in successive versions of ''[[Silmarillion]]'' material. He is physically massive and strong, and in one version he is some 12 feet tall.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1984b}}, p. 194: "... it pierced the Balrog's belly nigh his own face (for that demon was double his stature) ..."</ref> He wields a black axe and whip of flame as his weapons. He holds the titles of the Lord of the Balrogs, the High Captain of [[Angband (Middle-earth)|Angband]], and Marshal of the Hosts. In the Second Battle, [[Dagor-nuin-Giliath]], he leads a force that ambushes [[Fëanor]] and wounds him mortally.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1977}}, ch. 13 "Of the Return of the Noldor"</ref> He leads Balrogs, [[Orc (Middle-earth)|Orc]]-hosts, and Dragons as Morgoth's commander in the field in the Fifth Battle, Nírnaeth Arnoediad, and slays Fingon, High King of the [[Noldor]]. In that same battle, he captures [[Húrin]] of Dor-lómin, who had slain his personal guard of Battle-[[Troll (Middle-earth)|trolls]], and brings him to Angband.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1977}}, ch. 20, "Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad"</ref> As Marshal of the Hosts, he is in command of the Storming of [[Gondolin]]. He is about to kill [[Tuor]] when Ecthelion of the Fountain, a Noldorin Elf-lord, intervenes. Gothmog fights Ecthelion in single combat, and they kill each other.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1977}}, ch. 23, "Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin"</ref>

In ''[[The Book of Lost Tales]]'', Tolkien describes ''Kosomot'', the original version of Gothmog, as a son of Morgoth and the ogress Fluithuin or Ulbandi.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1984}}, Part I, p. 93.</ref> ''Gothmog'' is Sindarin for "Dread Oppressor".<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1987}}, "The Etymologies", p. 359, 372.</ref> ''Kosomot'' is often considered Gothmog's Quenya name;<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1984b}}, p. 216.</ref>  however, in the Quenya name-list of ''The Fall of Gondolin'' another version appears, ''Kosomoko''.<ref group=T>''[[Parma Eldalamberon]]'', No. 15, p.26, the 'Name List to The Fall of Gondolin'.</ref>

In Tolkien's early ''[[The Lays of Beleriand|Lay of the Children of Húrin]]'' is "Lungorthin, Lord of Balrogs". This might be another name for Gothmog, though [[Christopher Tolkien]] thought it more likely that Lungorthin was simply "a Balrog lord".<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1985}}, p. 102.</ref>

===Durin's Bane===
[[File:Durin's Bane.jpg|thumb|Durin's Bane, the Balrog in Moria. Artwork by Markus Röncke. ]]

This Balrog appears in ''The Lord of the Rings'', encountered by the [[Company of the Ring]] in the [[Moria (Middle-earth)|Mines of Moria]].<ref name="Abbott 1989">{{cite journal |last=Abbott |first=Joe |title=Tolkien's Monsters: Concept and Function in The Lord of the Rings (Part 1) The Balrog of Khazad-dum |journal=[[Mythlore]] |date=1989 |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=19–33 |url=https://dc.swosu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2658&context=mythlore}}</ref> It survived the defeat of [[Morgoth]] in the [[War of Wrath]], escaping to hide beneath the [[Misty Mountains]].<ref name="AppADurin" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955}}, Appendix A (III).</ref> For more than five millennia, the Balrog remained in its deep hiding place at the roots of [[Caradhras]],<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a}}, book 2, ch. 4 "A Journey in the Dark"</ref> one of the Mountains of [[Moria (Middle-earth)|Moria]], until in the [[Third Age]], the ''[[mithril]]''-miners of the [[Dwarf (Middle-earth)|Dwarf]]-kingdom of Khazad-dûm disturbed it. The Balrog killed [[Durin VI]], the Dwarf-King of Khazad-dûm, whereafter it was called Durin's Bane by the Dwarves.<ref name="AppADurin" group=T/><ref name="AppB" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955}}, Appendix B, "The Tale of Years", "The Third Age" entry for 1980.</ref> [[Avarice]], principally for ''mithril'', drove the dwarves to go too deep and awaken the Balrog.<ref>{{cite thesis |last=Higham |first=Steve |title=Ideology in The Lord of the Rings: a Marxist Analysis |date=2012 |publisher=[[University of Sunderland]] (doctoral thesis) |page=151 |url=http://sure.sunderland.ac.uk/id/eprint/3552/|type=doctoral }}</ref>

The Dwarves attempted to fight the Balrog, but its power was far too great for them. In their efforts to hold Khazad-dûm against it, many Dwarves were killed: Durin's successor Náin ruled for only a year. The survivors were forced to flee. This disaster reached the [[Silvan Elves]] of [[Lothlórien]], many of whom fled the "Nameless Terror".<ref name="AppADurin" group=T/> From this time Khazad-dûm was known as [[Moria (Middle-earth)#Names|''Moria'']], [[Sindarin]] for "Black Pit" or "Black Chasm".<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1954a}}, book 2, ch. 3 "The Ring Goes South"</ref><ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1955}}, Appendix F, Part II</ref>

For another 500 years, Moria was left to the Balrog; though according to ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'', Orcs crept in soon after the Dwarves were driven out, leading to Nimrodel's flight.<ref group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1980}}, "The Tale of Galadriel and Celeborn", p. 241.</ref> [[Sauron]] began to put his plans for war into effect, and he sent [[Orc (Middle-earth)|Orcs]] and [[Troll (Middle-earth)|Trolls]] to the Misty Mountains to bar the passes.<ref name="AppB" group=T/>

During the reign of [[Thráin II]], the Dwarves attempted to retake Moria in the War of the Dwarves and Orcs, culminating in the Battle of Azanulbizar before the eastern gate of Moria. This was a victory for the Dwarves, but the Balrog prevented them from reoccupying Moria. [[Dáin II Ironfoot]], having slain the Orc Azog near the gate, perceived the terror of the Balrog within<ref name="AppADurin" group=T/> and warned Thráin that Moria was unachievable until some greater force could remove the Balrog. The Dwarves departed and resumed their exile. Despite Dáin's warning, [[Balin (Middle-earth)|Balin]] made another attempt to retake Moria.<ref name="AppB" group=T/> His party managed to start a colony, but was massacred a few years later.<ref name="Bridge of Khazad-dûm" group=T/>

The Fellowship of the Ring travelled through Moria on the quest to destroy the [[One Ring]] in [[Mount Doom]]. They were attacked in the Chamber of Mazarbul by Orcs.<ref name="Bridge of Khazad-dûm" group=T /> The Fellowship fled through a side door, but when the wizard [[Gandalf the Grey]] tried to place a "shutting spell" on the door to block the pursuit behind them, the Balrog entered the chamber on the other side and cast a "terrible" counterspell. Gandalf spoke a word of Command to stay the door, but the door shattered and the chamber collapsed. Gandalf was weakened by this encounter. The company fled with him, but the Orcs and the Balrog, taking a different route, caught up with them at the [[Moria (Middle-earth)#Durin's Bridge|Bridge of Khazad-dûm]]. The Elf [[Legolas]] instantly recognized the Balrog and Gandalf tried to hold the bridge against it. As Gandalf faced the Balrog, he proclaimed, "You <!-- Note: the book's text has "cannot" -->cannot<!-- not "shall not" (more movie cruft) --> pass, flame of [[Utumno|Udûn]]!", and broke the bridge beneath the Balrog. As it fell, the Balrog wrapped its whip about Gandalf's knees, dragging him to the brink. As the Fellowship looked on in horror, Gandalf cried <!-- do not edit this quote: it is directly from the book -->"Fly<!--"Fly", not "Run"; "Run" is movie cruft-->, you fools!" and plunged into the darkness below.<ref name="Bridge of Khazad-dûm" group=T/>

After a long fall, the two crashed into a deep subterranean lake, which extinguished the flames of the Balrog's body; however it remained "a thing of slime, stronger than a strangling snake". They fought in the water; the Balrog clutched at Gandalf to strangle him, and Gandalf hewed the Balrog with [[Glamdring|his sword]], until finally the Balrog fled into the primordial tunnels of Moria's underworld. Gandalf pursued the monster for eight days, until they climbed to the peak of [[Zirakzigil]], where the Balrog was forced to turn and fight, its body erupting into new flame. Here they fought for two days and nights. In the end, the Balrog was defeated and cast down, breaking the mountainside where it fell "in ruin".<ref name="White Rider" group=T/> Gandalf himself died shortly afterwards, but he returned to Middle-earth with greater powers, as ''Gandalf the White'', "until his task was finished". Critics such as Jerram Barrs have recognised this as a [[Transfiguration of Jesus|transfiguration similar to that of Jesus Christ]], suggesting [[Christianity in Middle-earth#Christ figures|Gandalf's prophet-like status]].<ref name="Barrs2013">{{cite book |last=Barrs |first=Jerram |title=Echoes of Eden: Reflections on Christianity, Literature, and the Arts |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kx2CkUmuxmkC&pg=PA123 |year=2013 |publisher=[[Good News Publishers|Crossway]] |isbn=978-1-4335-3600-7 |page=123}}</ref>

The critic Clive Tolley notes that the contest between Gandalf and the Balrog on Durin's bridge somewhat recalls a [[shaman]]istic contest, but that a far closer parallel is medieval vision literature, giving the example of ''[[St Patrick's Purgatory]]'', and even [[Dante]]'s ''[[Divine Comedy]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Tolley |first=Clive |title=Old English influence on The Lord of the Rings |url=http://catalogue.pearsoned.co.uk/assets/hip/gb/uploads/M02_NORT6036_02_SE_C02.pdf |publisher=[[Pearson Education]] |access-date=10 January 2020 |page=55 |archive-date=17 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517070743/http://catalogue.pearsoned.co.uk/assets/hip/gb/uploads/M02_NORT6036_02_SE_C02.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>