: : :
: : : : : Glaurung (sp?), if he actually was a Maia, seems to locked into his flesh form from the begining, or at least was at the time of his death. I don't remember his body falling into dust or disappearing immediately after he was slain. It is possible that the decendents of Glaurung were purely flesh creatures.

: : : : Interesting thought, also one could draw a parallel to Melian, who being a Maia, took a fleshly form and gave birth to Luthien (who was counted among Elves). Melian left her body afterwards to return to Valinor, but her descendants were just Men/Elves, though carrying the Maiar strain...

: : : Interesting, Just as the dragons, Luthien carried a Maiar strain. Who is to say that just being the father of all dragons, Glaurung had a full maiar spirit? Could this be an invested partition of Morgoths spirit? After all, he was dwindling it quickly. As for the Maiar ranking, it is my opinnion that the Balrogs were of the same order (or only slightly below) Sauron. Gothmog springs to mind.
: : : Maedhros

: : I was thumbing through the SIL earlier today. It seems Glaurung was close to 100 years old when he first appeared in battle. He was young and immature, his armor was not full and he was tender. This doesn't sound like an incarnate Maiar. This sound like a flesh and blood creature. Based on this I do not believe Glaurung, or any dragons, were Maiar.

: This is true, they are flesh and blood... but they could be (and this is my understanding) creatures who were later given ainur investment (maybe by Morgoth).

Hmm, well we know that creatures in the presence of Morgoth could absorb, if that's good word, his evil and hatred. We know the Morgorth spent a lot of power un-doing the works of the other Valar and that some of his power became trapped in the works he un-did, but I don't know if he could conciously invest another creature. Its something to think about. Maybe it was more akin to fall-out.