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About the Balrog's Cry (was Re: Elven and Dwarven perceptions)

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  Posted by Michael Martinez on June 25, 1999 at 20:06:28
In Reply to: Elven and Dwarven perceptions posted by Frederic on June 25, 1999 at 10:40:18:



: - Another unpleasant detail : the Balrog issues a "terrible : cry" as he falls from the bridge... quite unconsistant with the : Letters and Tokien's complaints about some adaptation having : made the Balrog laugh (if my remembering is correct), whereas : he considers him as... mute ? Or was it just that the Balrog : remained silent ?

I got the impression that Tolkien was simply objecting to the way the Balrog was introduced into the scene. Here is the excerpt from the letter for the sake of those who don't have the book:

   20.  The Balrog never speaks or makes any vocal sound at   all.  Above all he does not laugh or sneer...Z may think   that he knows more about Balrogs than I do, but he cannot   expect me to agree with him.

Unfortunately, we really have no indication of which part of the scene Tolkien was referring to, but I doubt Z(immerman) would have been making the Balrog laugh and sneer as he toppled into the chasm (although you never know -- he seems to have mangled the story very well).


Parma Endorion: Essays on Middle-earth, Revised Edition


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