What the heck is that!?!

[Gil-Galad 2.0]

I'm rereading the Fellowship of the ring and am interested in the creature in the Great River chapter. It is described like a balrog but Frodo said it wasn't a balrog. So what was it? They said it had wings and when Legoles shot it, it said it fell from the air. So if it had wings, could fly, and somewhat like to a balrog, but is killed with one shot of an arrow, and is liked by the orcs (It actually said that they retreated when the creature died). So any Idea, theory, or even a guess whould be helpful.

[Gordis]

I'm rereading the Fellowship of the ring and am interested in the creature in the Great River chapter. It is described like a balrog but Frodo said it wasn't a balrog. So what was it? They said it had wings and when Legoles shot it, it said it fell from the air. So if it had wings, could fly, and somewhat like to a balrog, but is killed with one shot of an arrow, and is liked by the orcs (It actually said that they retreated when the creature died). So any Idea, theory, or even a guess whould be helpful.
:confused: I think it is quite obvious that it was a nazgul. The Fell Beast got shot by Legolas.

[me9996]

:confused: I think it is quite obvious that it was a nazgul. The Fell Beast got shot by Legolas.
I agree

[Grey_Wolf]

The creature wasnt a Nazgul it was just the flying beast the Wraith flew.

[The Telcontarion]

It was the flying beast that the wraiths ride, the only time the wraiths are called nuzgul.

[Landroval]

Here is the clarifying quote:
- ....And he does not know of the quarrel between his servants and the Orcs of Mordor; nor does he know of the Winged Messenger.

- The Winged Messenger! cried Legolas. I shot at him with the bow of Galadriel above Sarn Gebir, and I felled him from the sky. He filled us all with fear. What new terror is this?

- One that you cannot slay with arrows, said Gandalf. You only slew his steed. It was a good deed; but the Rider was soon horsed again. For he was a Nazgûl, one of the Nine, who ride now upon winged steeds
the only time the wraiths are called nazgul.
Hm, you mean?

[The Telcontarion]

I mean, the only time ring wraiths are called nuzgul are when they ride their flying steads, thus said gandalf.

[Butterbeer]

eh?

a new one on me ....

*hands el tel a magic i'll cut me losses on that one pil TM as prescribed by Doc Grey .... ;)

:) BB

[Landroval]

What did you have in mind?There are several ocasions in which Gandalf reffers to the ringwraiths as nazguls; in the Tale of Years, the terms are equated and in letter #297 it is made even more clearer:
It means 'Ring-wraith', and the element nazg is surely plainly identical with nazg 'ring' in the fiery inscription on the One Ring.

[The Telcontarion]

Read the fellowship. (I hope I am remembering correctly and not putting my foot in my mouth)

[Butterbeer]

foot in mouth? the farmers of ol' blighty will be on ya hide with that one mate .... part from the fact they was nazgul long before they ever got steeds to fly (post rivendell)


..part from that .... there's all that other reams o' stuff, like to consider ... ;)

*hands el tel another pil ... * :D

best BB :)

[Landroval]

Read the fellowship. (I hope I am remembering correctly and not putting my foot in my mouth)
In the council of Elrond, Gandalf calls them as such; Radagast does too. The same equation of nazgul and ring-wraith appears in the Silmarillion also:
Ring-wraiths: the slaves of the Nine Rings of Men and chief servants of Sauron; also called Nazgul and Ulairi

[Butterbeer]

shall we start fumigating a mass burial ground for all dem infected cows then? ;)

[Gordis]

Read the fellowship. (I hope I am remembering correctly and not putting my foot in my mouth)
I am afraid your foot is right there (he-he- that is a new one for me :D ) *no offence, by the way! :) *

"Nasgul" means "ringwraith" in the Black speech - both singular and plural.
Uilare / Uilari (plural) is the same word in Sindarin.

Landroval is absolutely correct.

Nazgul are nazgul regardless of their means of transportation.

[Quendendil]

Can anyone tell me the true history behind Tom Bombadil. I.e. Is he a man, or a spirit. etc. Also, would you say he is older then Treebeard.

[jammi567]

No-one knows what he truely is, but some people think that he's a mair.

[Quendendil]

Thanks for the response. I started studying the language of Quenya about 3 months ago. I was wondering if anyone has tried learning the language and if so, do they have any pointers on how they went about learning the language.

[jammi567]

Try this (http://groups.msn.com/AdvancedQuenyaotherFormsofElvish/_whatsnew.msnw) site.

[hectorberlioz]

I suppose Gil-Galad 2.0's confusion is one of those things that would make Tolkien scowl at his trying to be subtle... ;)

...as you may know, he was a notorious revisor...

[jammi567]

Ever so slightly. :rolleyes:

[hectorberlioz]

Jammi, Jammi...why all the sarcasm? ;)

[jammi567]

Thant's not sarcasm, that's me reenforcing a point.