The most important battle of the War of the Ring was perhaps neither the Battle of Helm's Deep nor the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. The most crucial confrontation took place on the Bridge of Khazad-dûm in Moria between Gandalf and the Balrog. Although the Fellowship did not witness what happened after Gandalf fell, the battle between these two Maiar lasted a long time.
So, what happened when they fell from the bridge into the abyss? Hello, everyone, and welcome to Middle Earth Tales. Drgon here.
Today, I will cover what happened to Gandalf after he fell from the Bridge of Khazad-dûm into the pitch-black darkness. On January 15, 3019, the Fellowship of the Ring was attacked by orcs at Balin's tomb in the Mines of Moria, fleeing toward the Bridge of Khazad-dûm. Moria had been abandoned by the dwarves for just over a thousand years.
In 1980, the awakening of a Balrog turned it into a haven for orcs, and its name became synonymous with calamity. Moria is undoubtedly the greatest work of the dwarves in Middle-earth. It spans roughly 65 kilometers from the West Gate to the East Gate.
The dwarves dug and tunneled for miles underground, but beneath their tunnels lay others even they had never seen. The deepest chasm in Moria is the dark void over which the Bridge of Khazad-dûm spans. Gimli mentioned that no dwarf had ever measured its depth, but ultimately, even that chasm had a bottom.
It was on this bridge on January 15th that Gandalf and an ancient Balrog faced each other. Gandalf was unaware that a Balrog was in the Mines of Moria. Since its awakening, the Balrog had never departed the mines, not even during the Battle of Azanulbizar, which raged between the dwarves and orcs just outside the gates.
It likely remained indifferent to whether the orcs within the mines survived or perished. Over the past thousand years, its name had become a legend, known as Durin's Bane. Gandalf first sensed its presence when he received a fierce counter-spell in response to his magic in Balin's tomb.
Even then, although Gandalf understood he was up against a formidable foe, he didn't know it was a Balrog. It was only when the Balrog revealed itself clearly that Gandalf realized he was facing a creature from ages past. He then instructed the others to cross the bridge while he stayed to confront the Balrog.
In this video, I won't go into great detail about the encounter between Gandalf and the Balrog on the bridge, but it is necessary to explain some of the words Gandalf uttered during this moment. I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass.
The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn. Go back to the Shadow! What is the meaning behind Gandalf's words here?
Let's start from the beginning. The Secret Fire is a primordial power that existed with Ilúvatar even before the world, Arda, was created. This could be an actual fire or simply an abstract power.
Before Arda was formed, Melkor searched for this fire in the void for a long time but could never find it. This might be because the Secret Fire was intrinsically one with Ilúvatar. Later, Ilúvatar used the Secret Fire to embody the earth, Arda.
so in a sense it could actually be the secret fire, the power of Iluvatar behind the earth, or even the earth itself. When Gandalf says, I am a servant of the Secret Fire, he is declaring that he is a servant of Ilúvatar, highlighting his identity as an Ainu. From another perspective, he might also be declaring himself a representative of the earth.
In the part where Gandalf says, "Wielder of the flame of Anor," we naturally need to understand what Anor is. Anor is the name of the sun and represents those who created it, the Valar. So, this time, Gandalf is indicating that he is a servant of the Valar as well as Ilúvatar.
On the other hand, Gandalf was wearing the Ring of Power known as Narya, the Ring of Fire, at that time. Therefore, Gandalf might also be referring to the ring. However, it is doubtful that the Balrog, which had been dormant throughout the Second Age, was aware of or concerned with the Rings of Power.
And finally, the "Flame of Udûn," perhaps the easiest to understand among these words. Utumno was the first underground fortress built by Melkor in Middle-earth. While in this fortress, he captured elves and created the race of orcs from them.
The Balrogs also gathered around him here. This fortress was later destroyed by the Valar, and its other name was Udûn. The term "dark fire" is possibly the most challenging to interpret among these words.
Gandalf could be referring to Melkor here, or the "dark fire" might represent a corrupted and weaker version of the Secret Fire, which Melkor attempted to mimic while made his abominations. In any case, Gandalf is saying that the former master the Balrog once served will not save him. In summary, Gandalf is telling the Balrog that the one standing before it is not an ordinary person but a superior power that serves both Ilúvatar and the Valar, and that its dark past will not save it.
Ultimately, these two mighty beings clashed on the Bridge of Khazad-dûm. When Gandalf shattered the section of the bridge under the Balrog with his staff, the Balrog fell into the abyss below, but at the last moment, it snagged Gandalf with its whip, pulling him down as well. The chasm, which Gimli described as immeasurably deep, did have a bottom beyond the reach of light and knowledge.
Yet, as the dwarf said, it was indeed immeasurably deep. Gandalf fell for a long time, and the Balrog fell with him. As Gandalf fell, he could feel the Balrog's fire burning him.
Finally, they reached the bottom. In this pitch-black, nameless depth, there was a dark, deep lake. Perhaps the creature from the lake outside Moria's West Gate had long ago emerged from this very pool.
The water was as cold as the tide of death, almost freezing Gandalf's heart. Though the Balrog was a creature of fire, even its flames were extinguished in this deep, icy water. However, the Balrog itself was not harmed.
Its fire was gone, but it transformed into something akin to sludge, becoming a creature even stronger than serpents that kill by constriction. We can imagine that the Balrog's fire reacted with the mud in the water, covering the Balrog and altering its form. --- In this state, Gandalf and the Balrog continued their battle in a place where time held no meaning.
The Balrog relentlessly attacked him, its sludge-covered arms constantly grasping at him, likely trying to choke him, while Gandalf ceaselessly struck back. Eventually, the Balrog must have realized it couldn't defeat its opponent in this form and fled into the dark tunnels. These tunnels were not made by dwarves but by nameless things that lived deep underground, unknown even to Sauron.
But, the Balrog knew these tunnels well. It had slept there in the beginning and ruled over them for a thousand years after awakening. Gandalf, unfamiliar with these tunnels, had no choice but to follow the Balrog.
He pursued the Balrog through the hidden paths of Moria. The Balrog moved slightly upward and northwest, and eventually, they returned to areas excavated by the dwarves. The Balrog reached the Endless Stair, which spiraled unceasingly from the very bottom to the top of Moria.
This staircase was built so long ago that even when the dwarves lived in Khazad-dûm, it was considered more legend than reality. They ascended the Endless Stair, which consisted of thousands of steps, without stopping. The Balrog led, and Gandalf followed.
The stairs eventually led to the peak of Zirak-zigil, one of the highest summits of the Misty Mountains. Here stood Durin's Tower, a half-ruined fortress with only a single wall and a window remaining. The Balrog leaped to the summit.
Though the sun shone fiercely here, the area below the peak was covered in clouds. Despite being a creature of darkness, for some reason, the Balrog ignited with a new flame under the sun. On that remote peak, far from any watchful eyes, the Balrog and Gandalf fought their final battle.
As the Balrog flared once more, the surrounding snow rapidly melted and turned to steam, and ice fell like rain. But at long last, Gandalf emerged victorious. He cast the Balrog down from the peak; it struck the mountainside and shattered the place where it fell as it died.
As Gandalf delivered the final blow, he expended the last of his strength and collapsed, lifeless. But, Gandalf was an Ainu, meaning his spirit was immortal. He could regain a physical form.
Yet, not every Ainu spirit can re-embody; for instance, Saruman and Sauron, whose spirits remained too weak, were unable to regain their bodies after losing them and remained as powerless spirits. Gandalf, however, was different. He possessed a very strong spirit and was appointed by the Valar under the command of Ilúvatar.
Thus, Gandalf's spirit departed from his body, transcending thought and time, wandering in paths beyond description. Then, he was sent back, naked, until his mission was complete. There is no clear information about who sent Gandalf back.
However, there is a strong belief that it was Ilúvatar himself and not the Valar. Gandalf mentions being beyond time, indicating he went to the Timeless Halls, as the Undying Lands where the Valar dwell, although not part of the world, are still within its temporal bounds. The Valar do not live in a timeless place.
We know that some individuals, both elves and men, have returned after death in Middle-earth, but never in a matter of days. Furthermore, when Gandalf awoke where he had collapsed, he found himself naked, without any clothes. This suggests that it was more likely the work of Ilúvatar than the Valar.
Gandalf lay naked on the mountain summit for a long time. The remains of the tower were shattered, and the ruined stairway had collapsed. He lay there alone with no place to escape, as day chased night, and each day felt like a lifetime.
Slowly, Gandalf regained consciousness, and eventually, Gwaihir, the Windlord, found him. To the great eagle, Gandalf was no longer a burden; it was as if the sun shone through him. Gwaihir, the Lord of the Eagles, was the first to notice Gandalf's transformed state.
The arrival of the eagle was no coincidence, as Galadriel had sent him. How did Galadriel know that Gandalf was still alive? She had, of course, learned that Gandalf had fallen from the bridge.
Gandalf fell with the Balrog on January 15. It took them eight days to climb from the water to the summit of Zirak-zigil. By January 23, when they reached the peak, the Fellowship had already arrived in Lothlórien.
The battle between Gandalf and the Balrog on the summit lasted two days, and on January 25, as the Balrog fell, Gandalf also died. Gandalf was resurrected 21 days later on February 14, and three days after that, on February 17, Gwaihir found him. When the Fellowship of the Ring arrived in Lothlórien and it was noted that they were now eight instead of nine, Galadriel inquired about Gandalf.
She mentioned that while she couldn't see him from afar unless he entered Lothlórien, she sensed a gray mist surrounding him. At that time, Gandalf was pursuing the Balrog through the tunnels. The reason Galadriel could still sense Gandalf was likely because both were wielders of an Elven ring.
Consequently, when Gandalf returned to life, it is plausible that she sensed his presence and requested aid from Gwaihir. Thus, Gandalf came to Lothlórien. There, he found healing, regained his strength, was robed in white, and set out once more to fulfill his mission upon being sent back.
So, this is what happened after Gandalf and the Balrog fell from the Bridge of Khazad-dûm. Gandalf the Grey died and returned as Gandalf the White. And among the Istari sent by the Valar to oppose Sauron, only he succeeded in his mission.
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