: (Oooo! this'll be a good one! Get Jon goin' anyway! [he said, grinning mischievously])

: Well I suppose it could have been a Spirit of the Earth, y'know an Earth Maia spirit, akin/a bit like/similar too (but certainly not the same as) TOM BOMBADIL......(silence reigned as he awaited the onslaught...).

: Mthat was kind of like to Tom as Hourns were to the Ents. Sleepy and unmindful of the tings going on around it until roused.

: And I don't think it was evil as such, it just got pissed when it was roused, which is what Sauron may have known (being very earthly in origin himself (Maia of Aule and all)) and therefore exploited.

: Cheers

: Padster

Padster,

I don't really know how I view Caradhas. I could see it as being some mighty Balrog or something of that nature, but I could also see it as being purely the imagination of the people of Middle-earth. While the latter seems unlikely, because it would rely on a lot of coincidence, it still is possible. As for the former, I think that it could be some type of Balrog makes sense (Balrog were Maia if I recall correctly, so say ex-Maia of Morgoth if it makes you happier). There was one in Moria under the mountains, and it mentions in the Silmarillion that many of Morgoths routed Balrogs, etc hid themselves in the ground, so it is entirely possible that this was what Caradhas was.

As for the earth spirit I guess it's possible, but I don't see a uniqueness about it that Tom has. Sauron could control the weather in Mordor, and Manwë could control the Winds of Arda (as Ulmo, and even the lesser Ossë and Uinen could control water) so I think this goes along quite well with one of the Ainur, whether it be Vala or Maia.

Jon