How powerful were these 'revised' Balrogs really?

[Captain Stern]

A few new topics here on Entmoot have got me thinking on the whole Balrog/ Maiar issue again.

A few here in the know ( Inoldonil e.t.c ) seem to dismiss out of hand that any single Elf Lord could defeat this revised Balrog that Tolkien finaly decided upon.

I'm very skeptical about this.

Something to consider:

1. Gil Galad and Elendil vs Sauron.
Now I assume that Gil Galad being a Noldor Elf Lord had the lion's share of Sauron in that combat, even if he didn't and it was in fact 50/50 between Elendil and himself ( which I'm sure you'll agree it wasn't ) it doesn't matter. These 2 finaly defeated Sauron, although they died themselves. Sauron was more powerful than any Balrog, yet these two children of Illuvatar managed to defeat the most powerful Maia.

2. Gandalf vs Durin's Bane.
Gandalf/ Olorin was by no means one of the most powerful Maiar and this coupled by the fact that he had incarnated himself in a human form makes him even weaker than if he had clothed himself in a form of majesty or terror like the Balrog. I'm trusting Inoldonil's common sense on this one:

Gandalf may have had great physical endurance like Elves or greater than Elves, not just in journeys of hardihood but in mishaps that would break the Mannish body.

( that's in the thread 'Gandalf and Falling Damage' in the LOTR forum )

Also there's this passage from Unfinished Tales regarding Gandalf:

Most of the remaining writings on the Istari(as a group) are unhappily no more than very rapid jottings, often illiegible. Of major interest however, is a brief and very hasty sketch of a narrative, telling of the council of the Valar, summoned it seems by Manwë(And maybe he called upon Eru for counsel?), at which it was resolved that there should be three emissaries to Middle-Earth. "Who would go, for they must be mighty, peers of Sauron, but must forgo might, and must clothe themselves in flesh as so to treat on equality and trust of Elves and Men. But this would imperil them, dimming their wisdom and knowledge, and confusing them with fears, cares, and wearyness coming from the flesh." But only two came foward, Curumo who was Chosen from Aulë, and Alatar, who was sent by Oromë. Then Manwë asked where was Olórin? And Olórin, who was clad in gray, and having just entered from a journey seated himself at the end of the council, asked what Manwë would have of him. Manwë replied that he wished Olórin to go as the third Messenger to Middle-Earth. But Olórin declared he was much to weak for a task and that he feared Sauron. And Manwë said that was all the more reason he should go, and that he commanded Olórin.(Illiegible words that follow that seem to contain the word "Third") But at that Varda looked up and said: "Not as the Third"; and Curumo remembered it.

Maybe Durin's Bane was weakened because Gandalf broke his sword right at the begining of the battle on the bridge? Yet further along in the epic battle Gandalf doesn't seem to make use of the sword much, if at all.


Taking all of this into consideration do you still find it hard to contemplate that powerful Elf Lords of the 1st Age ( I won't bring Feanor into this conversation incase I get carried away )such as Fingolfin and Maedhros who were arguably more powerful than Gil Galad, could have defeated a Balrog or some other dark maia, and, perhaps, even have lived to tell the tale?

Tolkien said about these revised Balrogs that there were 3 or at the most 7 of them. I'm of the oppinion that there must have been 6 or 7 of them. It tends to balance things out a little.