What lurked deep under Moria?

Even when the Orcs of the Misty Mountains dug around Goblin-town, such slimy creatures withdrew to the darkest niches, and lurked beyond their knowledge. The Balrog known as Durin’s Bane learned their tunnels while living in the depths of Moria.

What is below the Mines of Moria?

Below the level of the Gates lay mines, treasuries and even dungeons, although far below the lowest Deep of Khazad-dûm, lay primordial tunnels in perpetual darkness, gnawed by ‘nameless things’ that had lived there since the earliest beginnings of Arda.

What terrible creature does Gandalf battle during the journey through Moria?

The Balrog of Moria used a flaming sword (“From out of the shadow a red sword leapt flaming”) and a many-thonged whip that “whined and cracked” in its battle with Gandalf. In The Silmarillion, they also used black axes and maces.

What is the Secret Fire that Gandalf alludes to in Moria?

The Secret Fire refers to that aspect of Eru Ilúvatar which is his Power of Creation. It is the power to give life and substance, through which he granted free will and true life, imbuing a fëa within the beings he created.

What did fly you fools mean?

“Fly, you fools!” was simply Gandalf’s way of saying, “Get over your shock at what’s happening to me! You can’t help with the Balrog and the orcs of Moria are certain to overwhelm you unless you get out of Dodge, now!”

Why does Gandalf say flame of UDUN?

As to what is meant by Gandalf’s words “Flame of Udun”, I simply infer that this is another word for Balrog. And Utumno is of course the first stronghold of Melkor in the North of Middle-earth. Hence, Flame of Udun could be read as Servant of Morgoth or Balrog from Morgoth’s Fortress [Udun].

What did Gandalf say about the tide of death?

Cold it was as the tide of death: almost it froze my heart.’ ‘Deep is the abyss that is spanned by Durin’s Bridge, and none has measured it,’ said Gimli. ‘Yet it has a bottom, beyond light and knowledge,’ said Gandalf. ‘Thither I came at last, to the uttermost foundations of stone. He was with me still.

How deep is the mine at the base of Moria?

Given that in modern times, gold mines can reach over 2 miles below the surface, it is not improbable to think of Moria being thousands of feet below the base of the mountain, and many more thousands overall. As far as the Lonely Mountain’s mines, there is even less about them. We know that (from The Hobbit):

What is the terminal velocity of Gandalf’s fall?

Terminal velocity for a free falling human is between 50 and 70 meters per second (depending on a lot of things). Early in that sequence we see Gandalf diving head first to catch up with the Balrog, so he was probably falling at the higher end of that range.