One of the most difficult things about watching the beautiful realms and civilizations in the Rings of Power is knowing that, by the time the Lord of the Rings happens a thousand years later, many of these beautiful kingdoms no longer exist. There are several such places including Lindon, where Elrond currently resides, and Numenor, where Galadriel and Mirirel have just formed an alliance. But probably the most famous of them is Khazad Dum, the dwarven mine where the famous metal Mithril was discovered.
This is the very same kingdom that the fellowship pass through, now a tomb, on the way to Mordor to destroy the One Ring. In the fourth episode of Rings of Power, there has just been a shaft collapse deep in the mine, endangering the life of four of the dwarves. Fans have already questioned whether this collapse was due to a Balrog, who was confirmed in the teaser trailer to be appearing in the Amazon series.
There are many risks involved in the mining of Mithril. This is why King Durin is so controlling over it, and why the prince swears Elrond to secrecy once he has learned the knowledge of its existence. It is a game-changer, and it literally shapes the next century for the race of dwarves as they make new and incredible things with their rare and highly valuable substance. It is as light as a feather, but as strong as diamond. These properties are why it makes such iconic armor as the mithril vest given to Bilbo by Thorin during the Hobbit, and passed down to Frodo in Rivendell. But this precious metal is not without cost. Delving deeper and deeper into the mines to reach its ore is known to have had disastrous consequences.
Near the beginning of the Third Age, not long after Durin the 4th became king, Khazad-Dum was said to be over-run by a ‘nameless terror.’ This monster swept out of the shadows and through the mines in fire and smoke, killing half of the dwarves, including the king. The Balrog came to be known thereafter as Durin’s Bane. This is the same defiant creature who drags Gandalf off the bridge and battles with him high up in the mountains in the first Peter Jackson movie.
The Balrog is a quintessential example of dwarven greed, and their need to dig deeper and deeper into the earth’s resources in order to fuel their own gains and increase their own wealth. It demonstrates exactly what brings about their destruction. Khazad-Dum and Erebor, the latter of which falls to Smaug the dragon, are both symptoms of this same behavior. The mine collapse in the recent episode of Rings of Power hints that this awful demise may be arriving sooner than it was first thought.
In a stunning display of vocals, Disa can be heard singing to the mountain, a desperate song of hope and mourning. When asked what words she uttered, she responds:
“It was a plea, to the rocks. To release the bodies of the miners with breath still inside them.”
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There is clearly a respect for nature, and for the dangers of the mountains, and her prayers are answered when the last of the miners is pulled out alive. But in the aftermath of the events in the shaft, King Durin takes hasty action, immediately sealing off the whole vein. He knows that it is dangerous to keep digging in unstable rock-face. But perhaps he also fears that there may be something else down there, something that poses far greater threat than the roof caving in. Prince Durin the 4th and Elrond, however, seem far too mesmerized by the metal to let it go that easily. Perhaps they will continue digging without the king’s blessing, and it is this hubris that will awaken the devil below ground.
The fact that the miners survived the collapse means that they haven’t awakened the Balrog just yet. However, it doesn’t necessarily signify that the creature may not be an indirect cause. The mountain may be weaker in this part because the Balrog is lurking just beneath where they are digging, and could be disturbed at any moment. There are vast caverns and walkways in the mines below the mountains, created by the dwarves. The Balrog could be lying dormant in one of them, and could be disturbed and awoken by the crash of the rocks as the mine fell through. If this is true, then the Balrog just might rear its ugly head sooner rather than later. The kingdom of Khazad Dum could fall before the first series is up.