: : In a late decision Tolkien decided there were only ever seven Balrogs. However that change was never written back into the Silmarillion story. The published Silmarillion requires a large number of Balrogs. Seventy maybe, but not seven.

: Seventy?? Isn't that a little bit to much. If there where 70 Balrogs wouldn't Melkor have crushed his opponents. It took one Balrog to knock Gandalf out, wouldn't 70 Balrogs destroy entire armies??

I think he meant seventeen which seems more plausible. In the Silmarillion it makes sence that there were like 15-20 balrogs, because melkor aquired so many servents in the time of his greatness. Where did you find that tolkien had seven balrogs?
Does anyone know where I can get a transcript of "the letters of tolkien"?