Gothmog, Lord of Balrogs

[Grand Admiral Reese]

Pardon me for sounding like an idiot, but what exactly was Gothmog(not as in his position as High-Captain of Angband or Lord of Balrogs)? Was he a Balrog himself? Was he a Maia in another form?

Thanks in advance for any help offered.

[Saulotus]

Nope! Not an idjut at all dude! Gothmog of Angband was an Umaia who assumed the form of a Balrog. Gothmog the lieutennant of Minas Morgul is another question. Foster suspects he may have been a Nazgul. Some suspect something else. ICE claims he was a Troll. Nothing fer sure is known there and all are guess and more guess.

[Finduilas]

Some people say that the balrogs were Maiar spirits of fire, it's pretty much stated in the Valaquenta.

The Silmarillion, page 35:
For of the Maiar many were drawn to his splendour in the days of his greatness, and remained in that allegiance down into his darkness; and others he corrupted afterwards to his service with lies and treacherous gifts. Dreadful among these spirits were the Valaraukar, the scourges of fire that in Middle-Earth were called the Balrogs, demons of terror.

[Captain Stern]

Be it a more powerful one.

If he wasn't then he would not have himself look and known as a Balrog but be as an indeopendent Maia like Sauron.

[Captain Stern]

If he wasn't himself a Balrog then he would be "Lord of the Balrogs". But as he's named "Lord of Balrogs" it seems very likely to me that he's a Balrog.


They say he's crazy...

[Inoldonil]

The Gothmog of the Silmarillion was a Balrog. The Gothmog of the Lord of the Rings was probobly an Orc. Foster was wrong about The Lieutenant of Minas Morgul being the second Nazgul in command, only because the Guide was published before Unfinished Tales, The Tolkien Letters or the later HoME books and it's never been revised. The second Nazgul was Khamul the Black Easterling. So the Gothmog of the Lord of the Rings must have been an Orc or else the third Nazgul.