"Haste of the Balrogs" by Viking-Heart
Úmaiar,[1] also known as demons, were a race of corrupted Maiar, fallen Spirits of old.[2][3]
History[]
Origin and the First Age[]
In the beginning, Melkor corrupted many Maiar spirits, turning them into Úmaiar. Three to seven of these spirits became known as the Balrogs, the chief servants of Morgoth.[2][3] Others became known as Boldogs, Orc-shaped spirits.[4]
After Arda was created, many of these spirits scattered throughout Eä until Melkor gathered them to himself before contesting Arda with Manwë.[1]
According to the loremasters among the Elves, when Melkor first found out about the Awakening of the Elves, he "sent shadows and evil spirits to watch and waylay" the Quendi. The actions of these spirits caused the Elves to develop a legend of an entity they called the Hunter who would catch Elves that wandered far. It was also said "in the most ancient songs" of the Elves that "shadow-shapes" roamed the hills surrounding Cuiviénen which "would pass suddenly over the stars" and that an entity called "the dark Rider" chased wandering Elves and devoured them. It was later thought that these legends were part of a scheme by Melkor to make the Elves think that Oromë was evil.[5]
The Nur-menel was made by Varda "to keep out any spirits or spies of Melkor".[6]
After the creation of the Sun and the Moon, Morgoth sent "spirits of shadow" and cold[7] against Tilion in Ilmen.[8]
Third Age[]
After the fall of Cardolan, the Witch-king of Angmar sent wights inhabited by evil spirits to dwell in Tyrn Gorthad.[9]
After the Tower of Cirith Ungol was taken by Sauron, Two Watchers were set at its entrance that were inhabited by spirits of "evil vigilance".[10]
Supposed demons[]
According to the tales of the towns-folk of Agar, there were wood-demons or dark spirits inhabiting the Shadow-wood directly south of the Hills of Agar. These wood-demons were said to hate Men.[11] It is unknown if tales of the wood-demons had truth to them.
To the East of the Hills of Agar, there were a group of demons in the fiery hills who forged and traded bright weapons with the Fell Folk of the East. The Fell Folk used these weapons during the great battle of Ishmalog. After taking Elmar captive, Buldar calls her people the friends of demons,[12] presumably referring to the demons in the fiery hills.
Etymology[]
Úmaiar was a Quenya word derived from ú ("not, un-, in-")[13] and maiar ("the Beautiful").[1][14]
Demons were known as rauko in Quenya and raug in Sindarin. Both words originate from the root RUK.[15]
In other versions[]
In Qenya, the earliest form of Quenya, the word for demon was arauke while in Gnomish, the earliest form of Sindarin, the word for demon was graug.[16]
In adaptations[]
Middle-earth Role Playing[]
In the 2012 edition of a 1994 supplement and the 2023 edition of a 1997 supplement of the Middle-earth Role Playing game, there exist many types of demons including Balrogs, Black Demons, Lassaraukar ("Leaf-demons"), Vampires, Demon-trolls, and many others.[17][18]
The Lord of the Rings Role Playing Game[]
In a 2003 supplement of The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game, there are two types of demons. The first type are animate demons (demons with literal bodies), a group that includes lesser and greater Balrogs, Helegrogs ("demons of ice") and Dindair ("silent shadow", "demons of shadow"). The other type are place-demons or bandúrhoth ("people of the dark prison"), an incorporeal group that "cannot be physically battled". Caradhras was inhabited by a place-demon.[19]
The Lord of the Rings Online[]
In the video game, The Lord of the Rings Online, there exist fire-demon spirits called Regmyl (singular: Rogmul), which Balrogs are capable of summoning.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: Morgoth's Ring, Part Two: "The Annals of Aman", pgs. 53 (commentary to §17), 79 (commentary to §30), 165 (commentary to §18)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Silmarillion, Valaquenta: "Of the Enemies"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion: Ch. 9: "Of the Flight of the Noldor"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: Morgoth's Ring, "Part Five: Myths Transformed", "[Text] X", Author's note
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: Morgoth's Ring, Part Two: "The Annals of Aman", §43
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: Morgoth's Ring, Part Five: "Myths Transformed", text IV, pg. 388
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: Morgoth's Ring, Part Five: "Myths Transformed"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: Morgoth's Ring, Part Two: "The Annals of Aman", §179
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur"
- ↑ The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book Six, Ch. I: "The Tower of Cirith Ungol"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, Ch. XVII: "Tal-Elmar", pgs. 432-3
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, Ch. XVII: "Tal-Elmar", pgs. 424-5
- ↑ Vinyar Tengwar, Number 39, "Ósanwe-kenta: 'Enquiry into the Communication of Thought'", pg. 14
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: Morgoth's Ring, Part Two: "The Annals of Aman", pg. 49 ("First section of the Annals of Aman")
- ↑ Parma Eldalamberon 17, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", pg. 48
- ↑ Parma Eldalamberon 11, "I-Lam na-Ngoldathon: The Grammar and Lexicon of the Gnomish Tongue", pg. 42
- ↑ Ruth Sochard Pitt, Jeff O'Hare, Peter C. Fenlon, Jr., Creatures of Middle-earth (second edition), pgs. 84-91
- ↑ Wesley J. Frank, John David Ruemmler, Jeff McKeage, Heike Kubasch, Lisa J. Evans, Walter H. Hunt, Evan Jamieson, Richard Meyer, Robert G. Traynor, Arnor: The Land (second edition)
- ↑ Scott Bennie, Mike Mearls, Steve Miller, Aaron Rosenberg, Chris Seeman, Owen Seyler, and George Strayton (2003), Fell Beasts and Wondrous Magic, pgs. 16-20
|
Races of Arda
Ainur (Valar & Maiar) | Dwarves | Elves | Ents | Great Eagles | Hobbits | Huorns | Men | Petty-dwarves | Skin-changers (Beornings) Servants of the Shadow:
Barrow-wights | Ettens | Dragons (Fire-drakes & Cold-drakes) | Ogres | Orcs (Uruk-hai) | Spiders | Trolls | Úmaiar (Balrogs) | Úvanimor | Vampires | Wargs | Werewolves |