| “ | The Dwarves delved too greedily and too deep. You know what they awoke in the darkness of Khazad-dûm… shadow and flame. | „ |
| ~ Saruman alludes to Durin's Bane. |
| “ | A Balrog. A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you. | „ |
| ~ Gandalf describing the Balrog. |
Durin's Bane, also known as the Nameless Terror, is a major antagonist in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings fantasy novel series as well as its film adaptations.
He was a Balrog of Morgoth, who fought for the Dark Lord in the First Age. While most of Morgoth's servants were destroyed after the Dark Lord was defeated, the Balrog survived and went into hiding in Moria. He later encountered the Fellowship of the Ring and was eventually slain by Gandalf.
Biography[]
This particular Balrog, whose name was unknown, fought with Morgoth's armies during the First Age under the command of Gothmog. However, Morgoth's armies were defeated, and most of the Balrogs were killed off. Durin's Bane went into hiding in the deep places of the world with few other Balrogs that had survived the First Age (for this Balrog, Moria).
Eventually, while hiding in Moria, Durin's Bane was accidentally awakened by the Dwarves, who delved too deeply into the mines in their insatiable appetite for more precious Mithril. Upon awakening, the Balrog killed or drove out the Dwarves.
In TA 3019, the Fellowship of the Ring are forced to enter Moria. The Balrog discovers them, scares off the Goblins surrounding the Fellowship, and follows them to the bridge of Khazad-dum. The Fellowship of the Ring make it across the bridge, but Gandalf stays behind to prevent the beast from crossing, shattering the Balrog's sword by using a magic barrier. He then uses his magic staff to break the bridge, but as Durin's Bane falls into the chasm below, he wraps its fiery whip around Gandalf's legs, and drags him down with it.
After a long fall, Gandalf and the Balrog crash into a huge underground lake, which extinguishes the flames of the Balrog's body, leaving him severely weakened and forcing him to retreat from the wizard. Gandalf then pursues the beast for several days, chasing him out of the tunnels and onto the highest peak of the mountains of Charadras, where his flames explode back to life. The Balrog is eventually defeated and cast down onto the mountain side, dead.
Gallery[]
Images[]
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Videos[]
External Links[]
- Durin's Bane on the Lord of the Rings Wiki
- Durin's Bane on the Tolkien Gateway
