The Moria sequence from The Fellowship of the Ring is arguably the most exciting sequence in the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy. While things got more elaborate later on with Helm’s Deep and Pelennor Fields, how awesome is Moria? You have Gandalf reading the scary story from the Book of Mazarbul. You have the cave troll fight. You have the distant drumming of the orcs and goblins. And of course, you have the Balrog.

Unfortunately, the movie doesn’t go into much detail about what a Balrog is. We understand why, but it’s still unfortunate. However, we’re here to help. These are ten facts about the Balrog that the movie left out.

Balrog Means “Demon Of Might”

Within the Tolkienverse, “Balrog” translates to “Demon of Might.” It comes from the Elvish language Sindarin, and is a compound of the words “bal” and “raug.”

“Bal” means power and “raug” means demon. Translated literally, Balrog means “Power Demon,” or “Demon of Power.” It’s also referred to as “Demon of Might”.

They Are Also Known As Valarauko

The Balrogs aren’t just known as the Balrogs. In another Elvin language, called Quenya, the Balrog is known as “Valarauko.” Of course, the spelling can change dramatically, and they are also known as Valaraukar, Valarauco, Valaraucar.

This name too means “Power Demon,” as “vala” is “power,” and “rauco” is “demon.” Hence, the Demon of Might.

They Are Maiar

The Balrogs and Gandalf are essentially the same thing. Well, sort of. Both are “maiar,” which are essentially spirits that helped Valar create the world. Valar are the Gods of Tolkien’s world, and much like the Christian God, they created the world as we know it.

But why do the Balrogs look so different from Gandalf? Well, it’s because the maiar do not have corporeal shapes. They can freely alter their physical forms, and Gandalf took the form of an Istari - which is a fancy Tolkien word for “wizard.”

They Were Corrupted By Melkor

The Balrogs could have done good. Unfortunately, they were corrupted by Melkor.

Melkor was the first Dark Lord of Eä (the name for Tolkien’s fictional universe), and he was the predecessor of Sauron. Melkor was the Dark Lord of the First Age, and Sauron served as his lieutenant.

The Balrogs were corrupted by Melkor’s power and splendor, and they lived in a subterranean domain called Utumno, which was carved by Melkor himself.

There Was A Lord Of Balrogs

Balrogs aren’t just independent spirits - no, they actually have (or had) a Lord, and his name was Gothmog.

Gothmog lived in the First Age and served under Melkor. He was given the title Lord of the Balrogs, and he fought (and won) many battles for his master.

He killed an important elf named Fëanor, he captured Maedhros the Tall, fought in both the Battle of the Sudden Flame and the Battle of the Unnumbered Tears. Gothmog eventually died at the hands of Ecthelion during the Fall of Gondolin. 

The War Of Wrath

Those who don’t know much about Tolkien need to read about the War of Wrath. Essentially, the War of Wrath was the final, climactic battle between all the forces of good in Arda (dwarves, elves, men, Valar) against Melkor and his forces of evil.

The battle was so fierce that it completely shattered an entire area of Middle-earth called Beleriand, which was found in the northwest section of the land. Anyway, Balrogs fought in the War of Wrath, but most were defeated. Those that were not killed hid deep within the Earth. Which is where The Lord of the Rings picks up.

THE Balrog Is Named Durin’s Bane

The Balrog we see in the movie is named Durin’s Bane. “Durin” is the name of a long line of kingly Dwarves. Durin’s Bane was one of the Balrogs under Melkor’s command, and it fought in the War of Wrath. However, it managed to survive, and like many of the other Balrog survivors, it dug its way underground.

This particular Balrog found solace under the Misty Mountains, and it lay dormant for many years. However, it was eventually roused by the Dwarves in the Third Age as they were mining for mithril in Moria.

It Should Not Be That Tall

Peter Jackson took some liberties when it came to the appearance of the Balrog. Tolkien described the Balrog as a shadowy figure wreathed in flame and not much taller than a man. Unfortunately few details are given.

In the movie, the Balrog is depicted as a massive, hulking monster with horns, wings, and a gaping mouth that spews flames. The Balrog’s wings remain a spot of contention among Tolkien fans, as he does use the word “wing,” but people aren’t sure if this is used metaphorically or literally. Jackson went literally, as you can see.

The Number Of Balrogs Remains Questionable

Unfortunately, Tolkien was not consistent on how many Balrogs there were in Middle-earth. In The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, Christopher Tolkien says, “The early conception of Balrogs makes them less terrible, and certainly more destructible, than they afterwards became: they existed in ‘hundreds’.”

However, Christopher also claims that he found a note from Tolkien in one of his margins which read, “There should not be supposed more than say 3 or at most 7 ever existed.” So, hundreds, or just seven? Which is more terrifying to you?

Durin’s Bane Is Not Dead

The movie would have you believe that Durin’s Bane died at the hands of Gandalf on top of the mountain. However, Durin’s Bane is a maia like Gandalf, and like Gandalf, his spirit would have survived.

Gandalf the Grey’s physical body perished, but he was sent back by the Valar to finish his mission and given a new corporeal body - Gandalf the White. The same thing would have happened to Durin’s Bane, and its spirit would have survived.

You can kill the physical body, but not the spirit of the maia. Granted, it was probably banished by the Valar, so it doesn’t really matter anyway.