Do Balrogs have wings?

[alexei]

I think most people would agree that Balrogs didn't have wings that they would use to fly. They still might use them to look scary though. Grizzly bears sometimes stand up on their hind legs to look big and terrible, afterall...

Looking back over the two quotations I suppose someone could think the Balrog had wings. It might have been that the shadow had hidden them before. I still stand by my first thought, though. Like Eyalan said, Maiar can change shapes, and like Haldir said Balrogs were never clearly mentioned as having wings and didn't have a whole lot of use for them anyhow.

[Elnimara]

Ai, I love intellectual discussions. I agree with alexei mostly. It could be a simile. Or the Balrog could have created wings for itself just to look scary (or just the illusion of wings). Or it could actually have wings, but be flightless like a penguin. 'Sept that penguins and other flightless birds are such because their wings are small and underdeveloped. The Balrog's wings (if he has them and their not just a figment of our, or his, imagination) are in no way small.

That didn't yield any useful information, but hey, ye'all already stated all the arguments and I'm dead.

[Haldir]

An illusion ... *off topic* but that would be like a bat, sort of ... =]

[Miluiel Greenleaf]

I really have no more uneduacted things to say about Balrogs. I guess I didn't really pay them a lot of attention.

[Luthien]

I'm looking through the Silmarillion right now for references.... I don't see anything about wings... It says they were in a dragon's train (ya'll know what that is right? Not a choo-choo, like a following) which might indicate wings.... One fell to it's death while fighting Glorfindel (he died too, poor little elf) which would say no...

That's all I see. If I were to cast my vote, I'd say No, they don't.

[Tulmind]

well id say that they did but they didnt fly on them but they would be awsome to have a pet.

[Eyalan]

Oh yes, very cute indeed

[Luthien]

lol.... come on balrie..... you cute little thing.... come jump up on my lap!!! Awww...... OOOOOWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!! Get off!! Get off! Man, you should go on a diet or something.

[Anwyn]

Oh, I love having this discussion, Its proably one of the oldest ones.

I think that Balrogs *do* have wings, but that they are not functional and more aesthetic. There are lots of birds that have wings but cannot use them becuase they are too small to hold up there body weight, such as turkeys...I believe Balrogs would have a similar issue.

[Haldir]

Ooh haha like Ostritches! Yeah that does make a lot of sense, anwyn ... thanks for sharing that ;D

[Eyalan]

Pehaps the purpose of the wings is mainly to impress the opponent? (Yes I watch a lot of Discovery ;D )

[alcarin]

If you notice in the Silmarillion: when Melkor is seized by Ungoliaunt, he sent out a cry and the Balrogs came to him "with winged speed over Hithlum."

Are the wings just symbolism? Why didn't the Balrogs just fly over the cliffs into Gondolin? Why didn't the Balrog in FotR just fly away from Gandalf? Why didn't the Balrog that Glorfindel fought just fly out of the pit he was knocked into? It seems that they might have wings, but it is questionable whether or not they could use them.

As you may know, Melkor designed the shape that the Balrogs were in. Is Melkor known for making useless things? I doubt he would have made the Balrog have wings, for it is almost clearly stated that they can't fly.

[Eyalan]

There you also got a good point, Alcarin! But if it was so that the Balrogs were 'designed', then they couldn't change shape like a decent maiar can?