Ch. 13 - Balin and leadership

[Sparrow]

Having emerged from the mountain and reached the fresh air, it is Balin who thinks he knows the way to go. Thorin is of course the dwarves' king, and the entire company has looked to Bilbo at times for direction - is Balin, too, showing leadership qualities? Can you name other examples of this from the pages just preceeding this occasion?

[Andorinha]

A King in Waiting? The Leadership of Balin

Even in this early work, 1937-38, Tolkien seems to be grooming Balin for some higher destiny. Among the 13 Dwarves he stands out as, I think, the most sympathetic of that band. He certainly gets along well with the hobbit, and seems to accord Bilbo a high degree of respect long before the others begin to appreciate Mr. Baggin's blooming talent as a burglar and a leader. I believe this starts at the point in the narrative when Bilbo, ring-assisted, sneaks successfully past Balin's picket to surprize the Dwarves and Gandalf. (PB ed, 1980, Hobbit "Out of the Frying Pan," p. 97)

Balin reacts to this situation in a very interesting fashion, he does not allow this to become a matter of wounded pride, he does not sulk over his failure to detect the hobbit, he simply, magnonimously expresses his respect for Bilbo's accomplishment: " 'Well, it is the first time that even a mouse has crept along carefully and quietly under my very nose and not been spotted,' said Balin, 'and I take off my hood to you.' Which he did." (Hobbit p. 98) From this point on Balin seems to establish an especially close rapport with Bilbo. Even when he learns that Bilbo's approach was aided by the invisiblity that his ring conferred, Balin does not become egotistically outraged, does not consider Bilbo's action a piece of foul trickery -- he simply laughs, enjoying the joke that Bilbo played on him. ("Flies and Spiders," pp 161- 164). There is little of the vindictive in Balin's character, something that makes him, in my estimation, more of a "kingly" fellow than the prideful, sometimes cantankerous "King" Thorin.

I think it is telling that, in the absence of Thorin, it is Balin who leads the Dwarves in their counter-attack upon the spiders of Mirkwood (P. 162) Balin also seems to have a special relationship with Thorin. Difficult tasks requiring a strong willed character, and a calm, clear head seem always to be assigned to Balin. He is considered the "best" lookout, he is deputized by Thorin to hold the honourable and dangerous posts of scout and rear-guard. Balin watches over the drunken Elves in Thranduil's cave as the others are readied for escape, and he is the last to be packed into a barrel.

Once they reach the immediate vicinity of Erebor, Balin and Bilbo are teamed as scouts to approach Dale and the old front gates. Balin -- an older, more experienced Dwarf -- relies upon his keen memories of the place to feed Bilbo and the younger Dwarves all the necessary historical/ geographical background information they will need. He is a repository of Dwarvish wisdom, and extremely knowledgeable. ("On the Doorstep," pp.195 - 196) I wonder also, if this teaming of Bilbo and Balin is not a recognition by Thorin that Bilbo's "luck" needs to be tempered with a thoughtful, cool-head who is familiar with the "lay of the land?"

Balin again exhibits his sense of responibility (a leadership trait!) when he is the only Dwarf to volunteer to accompany Bilbo into the tunnel that leads to the dragon's lair. But, even Balin cannot convince himself to go all the way with Bilbo, recognizing his own Dwarvish limits of courage and luck -- and besides, Bilbo's "professional" credentials have, by now been proven to the satisfaction of the entire company, so, let the Burglar do the burgling! After an exhausted Bilbo returns, the faitful Balin is still in the tunnel to welcome him, and assist him to the surface: "Balin was overjoyed to see the hobbit again, and as delighted as he was surpriized. He picked Bilbo up and carried him out into the open air." ("Inside Information," p. 207) Somehow, I do not see the stiff-prideful Thoring as having enough "kingly" humility to allow him to pick up the hobbit.

When Smaug's wrath is revealed, and the dwarves have to make a mad dash for the safety of the cliff-side cove, Thorin again "deputizes" Balin as the second most able Dwarf to go with the youngest members, Fili, Kili and Bilbo, into the tunnel so that an effective group, with a Dwarvish leader (and Bilbo's technical skills, luck and his own measure of leadership) may survive. (p. 209)

Later chapter 15, Balin's knowledge comes to the rescue again, when he tells the Thrush that he, Balin, knows the speech of the Ravens. The Thrush fetches a few old Ravens and vital information is revealed to the company (pp 243-44). Of all the Dwarves, the Old Raven, Roac, seems to know, and addresses by name both "Thorin son of Thrain, and Balin son of Fundin..." (p. 244) Obviously, in the Raven's eyes, these two Dwarves are the chief among their band, and their status as well as their names have been preserved in Raven Lore to be passed down from egg to egg. Roac tells us he is 153 years old. He does not have a living memory of either Thorin or Balin, he got this knowledge from his elders.*

So, who is this Balin anyway? Why does he seem to be second in importance only to Thorin? Balin, son of Fundin is himself a descendant of the royal house of the line of Durin. Nain II had two sons, Dain I, and Borin, from whom Balin's line issued. Balin is the great-great grandson of Nain II, and had Dain II (king after Thorin was killed at Erebor) died without issue, Balin would have been the next king of Erebor and the head of the house of Durin. (Appendix A, LotR)

Consequently, from the monarchical principles that JRRT often followed, Balin is a true noble, and therefore should be expected to fill some leadership roles during his existence. Partly under the whispering influence of Sauron, partly to fulfill his leadership capacities, Balin, in LotR will become the organizer/ leader of the expedition to Moria, where he will rule for a short while as its Lord.

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*Bilbo and the Dwarves reach Erebor in 2941/ 42. Roac is 153, so, by my calculation he came from his egg in 2789, but the dragon captured Erebor in 2770. (Appendix B, LotR)

[jerseyshore]

Wow, Andorinha! That was very impressive! I was not aware of how distinctive Balin was in The Hobbit. I guess I never paid close attention to which dwarf did what. You certainly opened my eyes!

[Andorinha]

Hello, jerseyshore! Thank you, very much, for the compliment! Nice to see you on the boards again, I remember several of your excellent posts from the old MSN forum, so a good word from you carries some real weight.

Yeah, good old Balin. I felt drawn to his character from the initial contact where he seems so often the opposite of a grumpy Thorin. One thing that continues to puzzel me about Balin is JRRT's deliberate description of him as being "prematurely aged."

"But it was not Gandalf. Instead there was a very old-looking dwarf on the step with a white beard and a scarlet hood..." (p 21, PB ed 1980, "An Unexpected Party" -- emphasis mine)

"Very old-looking," not just "old." How come? Balin (LotR Appendix A "Durin's Folk") was born in 2763 Third Age; his brother Dwalin was born in 2772 (nine years younger); and Thorin was born in 2746 ( 17 years older). But neither Dwalin, nor even Thorin are represented as being particularly "old-looking." Just what sort of trials and tribulations did "Old" Balin go through to come out so aged? Maybe he was more sensitive than the other Dwarves and the tragedies of life impacted him more fully? LOL, beats me!

[Stormrider]

I never looked closely in the family tree charts for the Dwarves (or any race); so I assumed that Balin and Dwalin were far apart in age and that was why Balin looked so much older!

However, I did get the feeling that Thorin was old although Tolkien never stated that he looked very old. I guess I assumed (again) that Balin was older than Thorin!

Thanks for pointing out the ages of the Dwarves, Andorinha! I never paid much attention to the family trees other than a cursory glance at them! See how much I missed--Balin's important lineage and the age differences. I will have to take a look at all the races family trees now! lol!

[Stormrider]

In 2941, the year Thorin and Company set out to return to the Lonely Mountain:

Thorin is 195 yrs. and described as being very haughty and owned the sky-blue hood with a long silver tassle.

Balin is 178 yrs. and described as a very old-looking dwarf with a white beard and a scarlet hood.

Dwalin is 169 yrs. and described as having a blue beard tucked into a golden belt and having very bright eyes under his dark green hood.

I assumed Thorin was old because he was the important leader and heir of Thrain and Thror. I did a watercolor with some of the Dwarves playing their instruments and I painted him with long white hair and beard.

Peter Jackson has depicted Thorin with dark black hair (with a few grey streaks) in his choice of actor, Richard Armitage. Here is a picture of Armitage as Thorin. www.theonering.net/torwp/the-hobbit/characters/thorin/

Ken Stott plays Balin and PJ has made him look very old indeed! www.theonering.net/torwp/the-hobbit/characters/balin/

Graham McTavish plays Dwalin and PJ has made him look younger than Balin and more like Thorin with the dark hair and some grey although he is balding on top. www.theonering.net/torwp/the-hobbit/characters/dwalin/

The (final) Battle of Azanullbizar in Moria took place in 2799 and Thorin would have been 53 yrs., Balin 36 yrs., and Dwalin 27yrs. According to Appendix A, III Durin's Folk, Dain Ironfoot led his people back to the Iron Hills after the battle while Thrain, Thorin, Balin and Gloin (no mention of Dwalin) returned to Dunland and then to Eriador, and finally to a home in exile in the east of the Ered Luin beyond the Lune.

So Balin has been with Thorin a long time and they have gone through much together. I guess some things take a toll on some Dwarves more than they do on other Dwarves. It would seem both Balin and Gloin should be considered well weathered, experienced, and important in the hererarchy of Dwarves along with Thorin and Balin seems to show all of his experiences in how he has aged.

From experience, some people learn compassion, understanding, patience, and responsibility better than others. Balin seems to have done a very good job given all of Anorinha's examples above. (Not to say Thorin and Gloin haven't!) Balin seems to have actually acted on his wealth of knowledge in all of the passages more than the other experienced Dwarves.

[Andorinha]

Ooo, good stuff, Stormrider. Yeah, PJ seems to have gotten Balin's appearance right (old-looking) but still has a fairly youthful-looking Thorin. Ken Stott looks "elderly" in comparison! Thanks for the url pix!