Post by EruantSerondrych on Apr 25, 2005 7:28:09 GMT -5
On this thread I have decided to gather as much research as I can about the Nazgul or Ringwraiths. Hopwfully it will be easier for people who want to get info on them, by having it all in one palce instead of them searching for hours on end all over the internet. Please feel free to add any info you find. More will be added soon!
~Eruant~
[glow=blue,2,300]Biography of the Witch-King of Angmar[/glow]
The Lord of the Nazgul was Sauron's most dreadful servant. He was once a Man who became corrupted by one of the Nine Rings of Power. He established the realm of Angmar and became known as the Witch-king, and though Angmar was defeated it was foretold that the Witch-king would not fall by the hand of man. During the War of the Ring, the Witch-king led the hunt for the Ring-bearer and he commanded the forces at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields where at last he met his doom.
Nothing is known about the Lord of the Nazgul's original identity. It is said that three of the Nine Nazgul were originally great lords of the Numenorean race, and though it seems likely that the Lord of the Nazgul would be one of these, it cannot be stated for certain.
Sauron had deceived Celebrimbor and the Elven-smiths of Eregion and had taken part in creating the Nine Rings of Power in the 1500's of the Second Age. Then Sauron created the One Ring for himself to rule the others and the Elves realized they had been betrayed. Sauron attacked Eregion in 1697 and seized the Nine Rings.
Sauron gave the Nine Rings to Men, who proved easily corrupted. The Men used the Rings to claim power and wealth for themselves, but over time they became wraiths enslaved by the will of Sauron.
Those who used the Nine Rings became mighty in their day, kings, sorcerers, and warriors of old. They obtained glory and great wealth, yet it turned to their undoing. They had, as it seemed, unending life, yet life became unendurable to them. They could walk, if they would, unseen by all eyes in this world beneath the sun, and they could see things in worlds invisible to mortal men; but too often they beheld only the phantoms and delusions of Sauron. And one by one, sooner or later, according to their native strength and to the good or evil of their wills in the beginning, they fell under the thralldom of the ring that they bore and of the domination of the One which was Sauron's. And they became forever invisible save to him that wore the Ruling Ring, and they entered into the realm of shadows. The Nazgul were they, the Ringwraiths, the Enemy's most terrible servants; darkness went with them, and they cried with the voices of death.
The Silmarillion: "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age," p. 289
The Nine first appeared in the form of Nazgul around 2251 of the Second Age. The most powerful of them became the Lord of the Nazgul.
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The Lord of the Nazgul was Sauron's most dreadful servant. He was once a Man who became corrupted by one of the Nine Rings of Power. He established the realm of Angmar and became known as the Witch-king, and though Angmar was defeated it was foretold that the Witch-king would not fall by the hand of man. During the War of the Ring, the Witch-king led the hunt for the Ring-bearer and he commanded the forces at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields where at last he met his doom.
Nothing is known about the Lord of the Nazgul's original identity. It is said that three of the Nine Nazgul were originally great lords of the Numenorean race, and though it seems likely that the Lord of the Nazgul would be one of these, it cannot be stated for certain.
Sauron had deceived Celebrimbor and the Elven-smiths of Eregion and had taken part in creating the Nine Rings of Power in the 1500's of the Second Age. Then Sauron created the One Ring for himself to rule the others and the Elves realized they had been betrayed. Sauron attacked Eregion in 1697 and seized the Nine Rings.
Sauron gave the Nine Rings to Men, who proved easily corrupted. The Men used the Rings to claim power and wealth for themselves, but over time they became wraiths enslaved by the will of Sauron.
Those who used the Nine Rings became mighty in their day, kings, sorcerers, and warriors of old. They obtained glory and great wealth, yet it turned to their undoing. They had, as it seemed, unending life, yet life became unendurable to them. They could walk, if they would, unseen by all eyes in this world beneath the sun, and they could see things in worlds invisible to mortal men; but too often they beheld only the phantoms and delusions of Sauron. And one by one, sooner or later, according to their native strength and to the good or evil of their wills in the beginning, they fell under the thralldom of the ring that they bore and of the domination of the One which was Sauron's. And they became forever invisible save to him that wore the Ruling Ring, and they entered into the realm of shadows. The Nazgul were they, the Ringwraiths, the Enemy's most terrible servants; darkness went with them, and they cried with the voices of death.
The Silmarillion: "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age," p. 289
The Nine first appeared in the form of Nazgul around 2251 of the Second Age. The most powerful of them became the Lord of the Nazgul. [/img]
Names of the Nine before they were corrupted
One of them, the second in rank after the Lord of the Nazgûl himself, was named Khamûl, and also known as the Black Easterling. This is the only one of the nine Nazgûl explicitly named by Tolkien.
This may come as a surprise if you've come across one of the many sources that list a set of names of the other eight: Murazor (the Witch-king himself), Dwar, Ji Indur, Akhorahil, Hoarmurath, Adunaphel, Ren and Uvatha. These names are common across the Web, and often have detailed biographies to go with them. They're also consistent with what Tolkien had to say about the origins of the Nazgûl: in the Akallabêth it is stated '...among those whom he ensnared with the Nine Rings three were great lords of Númenórean race', and indeed three of these names are Númenórean in form: Murazor, Akhorahil and Adunaphel.
~Eruant~
[glow=blue,2,300]Biography of the Witch-King of Angmar[/glow]
The Lord of the Nazgul was Sauron's most dreadful servant. He was once a Man who became corrupted by one of the Nine Rings of Power. He established the realm of Angmar and became known as the Witch-king, and though Angmar was defeated it was foretold that the Witch-king would not fall by the hand of man. During the War of the Ring, the Witch-king led the hunt for the Ring-bearer and he commanded the forces at the Battle of the Pelennor Fields where at last he met his doom.
Nothing is known about the Lord of the Nazgul's original identity. It is said that three of the Nine Nazgul were originally great lords of the Numenorean race, and though it seems likely that the Lord of the Nazgul would be one of these, it cannot be stated for certain.
Sauron had deceived Celebrimbor and the Elven-smiths of Eregion and had taken part in creating the Nine Rings of Power in the 1500's of the Second Age. Then Sauron created the One Ring for himself to rule the others and the Elves realized they had been betrayed. Sauron attacked Eregion in 1697 and seized the Nine Rings.
Sauron gave the Nine Rings to Men, who proved easily corrupted. The Men used the Rings to claim power and wealth for themselves, but over time they became wraiths enslaved by the will of Sauron.
Those who used the Nine Rings became mighty in their day, kings, sorcerers, and warriors of old. They obtained glory and great wealth, yet it turned to their undoing. They had, as it seemed, unending life, yet life became unendurable to them. They could walk, if they would, unseen by all eyes in this world beneath the sun, and they could see things in worlds invisible to mortal men; but too often they beheld only the phantoms and delusions of Sauron. And one by one, sooner or later, according to their native strength and to the good or evil of their wills in the beginning, they fell under the thralldom of the ring that they bore and of the domination of the One which was Sauron's. And they became forever invisible save to him that wore the Ruling Ring, and they entered into the realm of shadows. The Nazgul were they, the Ringwraiths, the Enemy's most terrible servants; darkness went with them, and they cried with the voices of death.
The Silmarillion: "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age," p. 289
The Nine first appeared in the form of Nazgul around 2251 of the Second Age. The most powerful of them became the Lord of the Nazgul.
Nothing is known about the Lord of the Nazgul's original identity. It is said that three of the Nine Nazgul were originally great lords of the Numenorean race, and though it seems likely that the Lord of the Nazgul would be one of these, it cannot be stated for certain.
Sauron had deceived Celebrimbor and the Elven-smiths of Eregion and had taken part in creating the Nine Rings of Power in the 1500's of the Second Age. Then Sauron created the One Ring for himself to rule the others and the Elves realized they had been betrayed. Sauron attacked Eregion in 1697 and seized the Nine Rings.
Sauron gave the Nine Rings to Men, who proved easily corrupted. The Men used the Rings to claim power and wealth for themselves, but over time they became wraiths enslaved by the will of Sauron.
Those who used the Nine Rings became mighty in their day, kings, sorcerers, and warriors of old. They obtained glory and great wealth, yet it turned to their undoing. They had, as it seemed, unending life, yet life became unendurable to them. They could walk, if they would, unseen by all eyes in this world beneath the sun, and they could see things in worlds invisible to mortal men; but too often they beheld only the phantoms and delusions of Sauron. And one by one, sooner or later, according to their native strength and to the good or evil of their wills in the beginning, they fell under the thralldom of the ring that they bore and of the domination of the One which was Sauron's. And they became forever invisible save to him that wore the Ruling Ring, and they entered into the realm of shadows. The Nazgul were they, the Ringwraiths, the Enemy's most terrible servants; darkness went with them, and they cried with the voices of death.
The Silmarillion: "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age," p. 289
The Nine first appeared in the form of Nazgul around 2251 of the Second Age. The most powerful of them became the Lord of the Nazgul. [/img]
Names of the Nine before they were corrupted
One of them, the second in rank after the Lord of the Nazgûl himself, was named Khamûl, and also known as the Black Easterling. This is the only one of the nine Nazgûl explicitly named by Tolkien.
This may come as a surprise if you've come across one of the many sources that list a set of names of the other eight: Murazor (the Witch-king himself), Dwar, Ji Indur, Akhorahil, Hoarmurath, Adunaphel, Ren and Uvatha. These names are common across the Web, and often have detailed biographies to go with them. They're also consistent with what Tolkien had to say about the origins of the Nazgûl: in the Akallabêth it is stated '...among those whom he ensnared with the Nine Rings three were great lords of Númenórean race', and indeed three of these names are Númenórean in form: Murazor, Akhorahil and Adunaphel.
