Posted: February 14, 1999 at 19:51:07: by Ian
It appears to me that Tolkien's dragons seemed to have the capability for quite a bit of independent action, even more so than the Balrog of Moria. Throughout the Third Age, (I don't think dragons are mentioned at all in the Second Age), the dragons seemed to have been causing all sorts of problems with the dwarves and probably with the Riders of Rohan before they move to Rohan. The Balrog on the other hand, seems to have just by chance been near Moria when he was let loose by the dwarves. (If it wasn't by chance that he landed near Moria, Morgoth was planning approx. 5,000 years in advance for its destruction!) Even when he conquered Moria, he never personally led the orcs there into battle or even really influenced the outcome of the battle that occured on his doorstep!Glaurung in the First Age seems to have been capable of independent action on the level of Sauron at the time. Though he was sent out with orders from Morgoth, it seems under his own initiative how Glaurung went about messing with Hurin's family and the destruction of Nargothrond. It seems that Glaurung was even an accomplished field commander with orcs under his direct control. I don't think that in the late Third age Sauron could have just commanded Smaug to do whatever he wanted. However, with the proper incentives, i.e. money, trickery, magic, etc. Smaug might have led a goblin army into Eriador. Just a thought. Ian
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