Posted: April 08, 2000 at 21:34:21: by Jim Gregors
: : It is stated, off-hand I can't remember where, that the longer a Maia had a form(body)of flesh, the more bound to that body the Maia became.
: : I think there was also ranking order among the Maiar. I don't know if this is actually stated in any of the text. Members of the higher order, Sauron and Istari for example, would take longer to become totally bound to their body. While others of the lesser orders,balrogs & dragons, would become totally bound sooner.
: : This might explain being able to kill a balrog or dragon. It might also explain Hourns, who were lessor spirits so bound to their tree form that were, in fact, becoming trees.: Excellent contemplation. I am not sure how dragons breeded, but, however they did, could the Balrogs have done likewise? (I shudder at the very thought) In the earliest versions of the mythology, the Valar had the power to reproduce: Fionwe/Urion/Eonwe was initially the son of Manwe and Varda; Telimektar was the son of Tulkas; Orome was the son of Aule and Yavanna; and Gothmog/Kosomot/Kosomoko was the son of Melko and Ulbandi. However, as the mythology evolved, this element was eliminated. The only exceptions to this which I can think of would be Melian and Ungoliant - both of whom had offspring. Of course, there is no proof that Ungoliant was one of the Maiar, although Melian certainly was and she was able to assume a form which was genetically viable enough to allow her to breed with an Elf. Tolkien indicates that the love of Melian and Thingol was a special case, but it does seem to indicate that the Maiar could reproduce (not necessarily with each other) - so it may be possible that the Balrogs could have done so as well (although there are no examples of this). The dragons, OTOH, were living, reptilian creatures who were 'possessed' by evil spirits, and no doubt they retained the ability to reproduce sexually (much like the werewolves).
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