All Questions
Tagged with tolkiens-legendarium nazgul
73
questions
33
votes
2
answers
8k
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What happened to the Nazgûl after they were swept away by the river?
In the book, The Fellowship of the Ring (chapter 12 "Flight to the Ford"), all nine Nazgûl were swept away by the waters of the river Bruinen, and their horses drowned. They show up later in ...
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38
votes
2
answers
8k
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Why didn't the Witch-king of Angmar conquer The Shire?
The Shire was formerly a part of Arnor (it later became a part of Arthedain after Arnor fragmented). The Witch-king's sole objective was to destroy the North Kingdom (Arnor).
Eventually the Witch-king ...
- 3,960
28
votes
2
answers
2k
views
In 'The Lord of the Rings', are the Ringwraiths really alive?
In the book, The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien often talks about the central concept of the Rings of Power, namely that the Great Rings preserve life.
Gollum, for one, is incredibly old, having possessed ...
- 1,596
7
votes
1
answer
853
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What did the rings of the Nazgûl do? [duplicate]
The One Ring can corrupt its wearer and make them invisible (potentially with other powers?), but I'm unsure what the other rings of power could do. Were they only able to make the Nazgûl immortal, or ...
86
votes
2
answers
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What's the big deal about the Nazgûl losing their horses?
I have only watched the movies and I am currently reading The Fellowship of the Ring (haven't finished it yet, I am at "The Bridge of Khazad-dûm").
A number of times we see characters such ...
- 48.1k
37
votes
2
answers
9k
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Are all Ringwraiths called Nazgûl in LotR?
I knew before that the Black Riders and Ringwraiths and Nazguls are one and the same. But even before that, when I was little and saw the movies when they first came out, I thought the Nazgul referred ...
- 1,301
16
votes
3
answers
2k
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Who made the Nazgûl's swords?
In Mordor, who created the swords for the Nazgûl?
As they were kings of men from different places before the became wraiths I'd say that their swords were made by men, but I am not sure.
- 437
54
votes
4
answers
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Why did Peter Jackson add the Nazgûls attack scene in Bree when it was not present in the original story, nor very important for the plot?
Although it's a very good scene from the film, I don't see why Peter Jackson added it to the story (remember).
In the books, the Hobbits do not meet the Nazgûl in Bree, and that does not really ...
- 1,043
38
votes
2
answers
10k
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How did Gandalf know the Nazgûl crossed the river in secret?
Our heroes in Middle-earth knew the Nine Riders were coming even though the riders were keeping their movements secret.
”I have an urgent errand,” he said. “My news is evil.” Then he looked about ...
- 38.7k
11
votes
1
answer
742
views
What were the other 8 Nazgûl doing while the Witch-king weakened Arnor?
While the Witch-king established Angmar and battled the 3 kingdoms of Arnor, what were the other 8 Nazgûl doing? Were they helping him or did they have other tasks? It seems like they could have been ...
- 119
10
votes
1
answer
660
views
The storm of Mordor and the Nazgûl
In The Lord of the Rings, book IV (in The Two Towers), Frodo and Sam encounter a storm coming from the east towards the Emyn Muil. Suddenly, they hear the screech of a – what is presumed to be – ...
- 827
2
votes
0
answers
129
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Do the Nine Kings of Men still wear the rings after turning into Nazgûl? [duplicate]
Sauron gave several rings of power to many species that inhabited Middle Earth. The men were the most gullible and had been transformed into wraiths that are loyal to Sauron. After this transformation,...
- 415
16
votes
6
answers
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Why did the Nazgûl not attack a second time at Weathertop?
Even Aragorn and the Hobbits are surprised at Weathertop that the Nazgûl did not try a second attack to take the ring. The following possible reasons are offered or implied:
The Nazgûl were ...
- 325
13
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How did Sauron continue to hold the Nine after he was defeated in the Second Age?
The Nazgûl appeared during the Second Age. Long after that, Númenor was destroyed along with Sauron's physical form, and relatively shortly after that, Sauron was again vanquished by Isildur and his ...
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12
votes
1
answer
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If somebody stole the nine rings from Sauron, could that person control the Ringwraiths?
This came up in the comments to another question.
According to Letter #246 of J. R. R. Tolkien,
Sauron ... still through their nine rings (which he held) had primary control of their wills. (...
- 38.7k
9
votes
2
answers
1k
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Could Sauron have created new Ringwraiths?
By the time of the War of the Ring, Sauron had retrieved and now held in his possession the Nine Rings of Men and (at least some of) the Seven Dwarven Rings. Since the Ringwraiths no longer possessed ...
- 2,384
6
votes
1
answer
647
views
Would a Nazgûl in possession of the One Ring seek to use it? [duplicate]
All who came to possess the One Ring after Sauron, who possessed ambition for great deeds (basically not hobbits) have sought to master the Ring and use its power to serve their cause. Few, such as ...
- 34.2k
3
votes
2
answers
516
views
Meaning of the text about the death of the Witch-king
After the Witch-king is stabbed by Merry and Éowyn Tolkien writes..
a cry went up into the shuddering air, and faded to a shrill wailing, passing with the wind, a voice bodiless and thin that died, ...
- 4,962
11
votes
2
answers
3k
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If Sauron had triumphed, would the Witch King have been reincarnated?
If Sauron had managed to regain the One Ring and defeated the forces of the West, would the naked disembodied spirit of the Witch King of Angmar be given a new form after his corporeal/spiritual ...
- 2,384
3
votes
2
answers
2k
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Why did the Nazgûl not try to reclaim their rings from a weakened Sauron together? [duplicate]
It's mentioned in the Unfinished Tales that
Sauron’s “mightiest servants, the Ring-wraiths, who had no will but
his own, being each utterly subservient to the ring that had enslaved
him, which ...
- 261
25
votes
5
answers
19k
views
What is the creature that the Nazgûl ride called?
What are the dragon-like creatures that the Nazgûl ride in the later part of the series called?
Anything in relation to the books or movie and out of universe answers.
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46
votes
4
answers
15k
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Who stabbed Frodo?
In The Lord of the Rings there are five Nazgûl that remain behind and attack the Hobbits on Weathertop.
Which Nagûl stabbed Frodo? Was it the Witch-king or was he one of the four that pursued Gandalf?...
user46509
42
votes
2
answers
7k
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Were the Nazgûl undead?
Various sources refer to the Nazgûl as being undead. What was Tolkien's view on this, would he have classified the Nazgûl as undead?
user46509
12
votes
4
answers
2k
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How did the Nazgûl survive?
It is settled pretty strongly that life is given by Ilúvatar and the Gift Of Ilúvatar to Men is death. And yet, we see the Nazgûl (and the Dead Men of Dunharrow) refusing the gift and have some sort ...
- 1,308
6
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2
answers
3k
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What are the differences between the Dead Men of Dunharrow and the Nazgûl?
The Dead Men and the Nazgûl were essentially both "undead" characters. While they were "undead" for various reasons, with the Nazgûl having been semi-resurrected and the Dead Men not properly dead ...
user60155
0
votes
0
answers
326
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What happened to the Witch King's Ring? [duplicate]
After the battle when the Witch King of Angmar was defeated his helm and clothing remain. At this point he either died or dissipated into a bodiless form. If he was wearing one of the Nine Rings, ...
- 219
11
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3
answers
2k
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Do non-Elven blades damage the Nazgûl despite being destroyed?
As I understand it (correct me if this is wrong) swords not crafted by elves are destroyed upon striking a Nazgûl- but do they do any damage to him (it?) in the process?
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25
votes
1
answer
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Why did the Witch King wait till the gate was broken before entering Minas Tirith?
In The Return of the King, the Witch King of Angmar is mounted on a flying fell beast. When the gate of Minas Tirith is broken down, he quickly rushes in to confront Gandalf.
But he is mounted on ...
- 70.1k
36
votes
4
answers
13k
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How does one fight the Nazgûl?
In Fellowship of the Ring, it is said in several places that Aragorn, Glorfindel, and perhaps even a few other people, were able to fight off Nazgûl; they can't fend off all nine at once, but if they ...
- 70.1k
10
votes
2
answers
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Why does Sauron send Grishnákh instead of a Nazgûl to deal with Saruman's Uruk-hai? [duplicate]
This again is another strange decision on Sauron's part. We know from Grishnákh and the fact Legolas killed a Fell-beast that there is at least one Nazgûl on the eastern side of the Anduin, possibly ...
- 7,662