Balrog

[AquaQuorum]

Towards the end of The Fellowship, Frodo suggests that the monster fought by Gandalf was something other than a Balrog.

"I do not think it was a Balrog. I think it was...[period]" and then he says he won't say any more.

Any opinions?

[Admin]

Frodo could hardly be considered an expert on anything outside of the Shire.

[AquaQuorum]

True, but throughout the book many of his unexpected insights turn out to be surprisingly accurate. I think it's at least worth consideration. I doubt if Tolkien would have put something that grave in for no reason.

[crisaor]

True, but throughout the book many of his unexpected insights turn out to be surprisingly accurate. I think it's at least worth consideration. I doubt if Tolkien would have put something that grave in for no reason.

I think the Administrator's right. Throughout the book Frodo's insights turn out to be both accurate and inaccurate, so that is not of any warranty. Also, Frodo's statement doesn't seem that grave to me.

[Ickmeister]

Heck for all we know it could have been Morgoth himself!

[ASA]

I'll bet Tolkien hadn't exactly decided himself what Frodo may have thought it was. The man had a handle on the power of understatement when it came to creating fear. Even the Balrog was descibed only in brief terms of shadow an fire. Whatever Frodo though it might have been... was, I suspect really about the fears which sit at the back of our own heads. That's why you remembered it perhaps.

[imthefoolonthehill]

who do you think it was aqua quorum?

[alatar]

I believe that Gandalf would recognize a balrog much more easily than Frodo. When retelling the story to Gimli, Legolas, and Aragorn, Gandalf reaffirms that it was a Balrog. I believe that this was one of the more powerful Balrogs, one of the more powerful Maiar, and I believe too that Frodo said what he said out of disbelief that anything less than a god could destroy Gandalf.