The Nine - the greatest of Sauron’s servants. The
Nazgul - which is black speech for Ringwraiths, live not in the world of mortals,
but in the world of the Unseen. Welcome to Nerd of the Rings - today we
are covering the complete travels of the Ringwraiths from their time as mortal men
to their ultimate demise with their master. Sometime during the second age, Sauron gives
nine rings of power to powerful mortal men. As far as the date, we only know for certain that
this takes place sometime after 1697. That was the year in which Sauron lays waste to the elvish
realm of Eregion. He kills Celebrimbor who, with Sauron’s help, had created the rings of
power. The nine rings, which had been locked in a safe in Eregion, are seized by Sauron, who in turn
gives them to these mortal men, doomed to die. While we don’t know about all of the Nine, we
know that three were lords of Numenor corrupted by Sauron. It is likely these lords were of
the King’s Men faction of Numenor, who would fall under Sauron’s sway and later be known as
the Black Numenoreans. The Mouth of Sauron is another of these Black Numenoreans. Another of the
Nazgul we know of by name - Khamul the Easterling. The Nine become great among men - wealthy
and powerful rulers, sorcerers, and warriors. However, the rings would begin to take their
toll. In their prolonged lives, the men begin to see things of the Unseen - the spirit world, which
is invisible to those who dwell in the Seen. The nine begin to hate life as they are slowly drawn
under Sauron’s dominion. Over time, their bodily forms fade entirely, until they are fully wraiths
- slaves under the domination of The One Ring. The nine first appear as the Nazgul
around 2251 of the Second Age and are soon established as Sauron’s
chief servants. “The Nazgul were they, the Ringwraiths, the Enemy’s most terrible
servants; darkness went with them, and they cried with the voices of death.” (Of
the Rings of Power and the Third Age - Tolkien) Being entirely in the world of the Unseen, the
ringwraiths are given form only by their attire of black cloaks and hauberks of silver mail.
Their original form is invisible to mortal eyes. Now, let’s take a moment to cover the two
different realms that all things in Arda fall into - the Seen and the Unseen. The
Seen is pretty straightforward - it is the world that our mortal heroes dwell in and where
nearly all the action of Middle-earth happens. The Unseen however, is a realm that has
objects and creatures of the spirit world that belong to magic. While the Unseen world is
neither good nor evil and contains both dark and bright spiritual beings, the wraith-world is a
mysterious reality within the Unseen world - and is specifically where the ringwraiths exist. It
is said that the Valar can present themselves in either the Seen or Unseen. The other beings who
existed in both worlds are the Wizards and Elves who had lived in Valinor. Like the ringwraiths,
their form is different between the Seen and Unseen realms and they have the ability to see
and affect those in both the Seen and Unseen. While the Nazgul first appeared in 2251, we
don’t know anything about the circumstances of this appearance or anything about
their actions during the Dark Years, Sauron’s capture in Numenor, or during the War
of the Last Alliance. We do know, however, that when Sauron is overthrown by the Last Alliance
in 3441, the wraiths fade into the shadows. After more than 1000 years (1050 TA), Sauron
returns in the form of a shadow in Greenwood, which also brings about the
return of the ringwraiths. In about 1100 TA, the Wise - being the great
wizards and Eldar of the age, discover this shadow in Dol Guldur and believe it to be one
of the nazgul. It was actually around 200 years later (1300 TA) that the Lord of the Nazgul
founds the Witch-kingdom of Angmar - gathering evil men and the newly multiplied orcs
of the Misty Mountains to his service. For the next 675 years, the Witch-King makes
war on the northern kingdom of Arnor. I have an entire video on these conflicts - so check that
out for more detail on this specific time period. While Arnor is doing all it can to hold on
against the Witch-King, Gondor is greatly weakened by both war and the Great Plague. This
causes their watch on Mordor to cease and Gondor’s borders to withdraw closer to it’s capital.
This is believed to have been Sauron’s plan to open the way into Mordor, which is successful,
as the Nazgul freely re-enter Mordor around 1856. Eventually, with the help of the elves of
Eriador and a large force from Gondor, the Witch-King is defeated in 1975. Five years later,
he arrives in Mordor and gathers the nazgul - and they begin preparations for Sauron to return
to his realm. This is the same year (1980) that the Balrog appears in Moria, killing Durin VI
and leading the Dwarves to abandon Khazad-dum. Twenty years later (2000 TA) the Nazgul take
the pass of Cirith Ungol and capture Minas Ithil after a two-year siege (2002). The city becomes
the stronghold of the Nazgul - and is renamed Minas Morgul - “Tower of Dark Sorcery”. As a
result, many Gondorians flee from Ithilien. From Minas Morgul, the nazgul
begin rebuilding Sauron’s armies. In taking over Minas Ithil, they also acquire its
palantir, which Sauron would later use himself. When Gondor’s King Earnil II dies in 2043, his
son Earnur becomes king. Earnur had led Gondor’s armies when they came to Arnor’s aid decades
earlier. During this time, Earnur would suffer an embarrassment when his horse swerved in terror
while he attempted to charge at the Witch-King. The Witch-king who laughed at Eanur, would flee
as Glorfindel and the elves of Rivendell arrive at that moment, but Earnur would forever bear a
grudge against the wraith who had mocked at him. After Earnur is crowned king, the Witch-king
challenges him to single combat - reminding him of his disgrace in the North. The Steward of
Gondor, Mardil Voronwe persuades him not to go. However, seven years later, in 2050, the
Witch-king renews his challenge and Earnur would not be dissuaded. He rides to Minas Morgul
with a small escort of knights - and none of them are ever seen again. Before leaving, Earnur
had placed his crown on the lap of his father in the Houses of the Dead. There
it would lay for nearly 1000 years, until Faramir - the last Ruling Steward - would
pick it up for the coronation of King Elessar. During the Watchful Peace from 2063-2460 when
Sauron hides in the East, the Nazgul also remain hidden in the Morgul Vale. After Sauron is driven
out of Dol Guldur by the White Council in 2941, he makes his way to his former stronghold (2942).
Nine years later, he declares himself openly in Mordor. At this time, three of the Nazgul
are sent to Dol Guldur to lead the outpost. During this time, we know it is
Khamul who commands Dol Guldur. After Sauron declares himself in 2951, Gollum,
who had left his home in the mountains to seek the thief Bilbo Baggins, turns toward
Mordor, finally reaching it in 2980. After meeting Shelob, he is captured by
Sauron in 3009 and over the next several years is forced to reveal all he knows of
the Ring. By 3017, Gollum is set free and the Nine have a new task - to recover the
One Ring from “Baggins” of the “Shire”. At some point, around October of 3017, a
mysterious rider comes to Erebor to speak with King Dain - offering Sauron’s friendship and
ask about hobbits. In exchange, he asked for this particular ring - calling it the least of rings
- a mere trifle that Sauron fancies. While we don’t have confirmation, it is indeed possible
that this was a Ringwraith. The other common theory is that this was the Mouth of Sauron.
But we can tackle that debate in another video. Sauron receives word that Gollum has been
captured by Aragorn and Gandalf and is in a state of great haste and fear. All of his
ordinary spies, being thwarted by the Dunedain or by Saruman’s treachery, are unable to bring him
any tidings regarding the Ring. He comes to the conclusion that he can only trust the mightiest of
his servants - the Nazgul - to this task. However, because the terror that went with them was
so great - even when they were unclad and invisible, that they would likely be perceived
by the wise and their mission would be guessed. So, on June 20, 3018, Sauron’s
forces attack Osgiliath. There are two purposes of this attack. One
is to test the strength and preparedness of Denethor - which is greater than Sauron had
hoped. The second, more important purpose, was to make the appearance of all nine of the Nazgul
seem to just be part of his war against Gondor, so that the Wise would not know they were in fact
searching for the One Ring. On this same day, he also launches an attack on Thranduil,
with orders to the orcs to capture Gollum. At this time, the Witch-king and six other nazgul
live in Minas Morgul, while Khamul and one other live in Dol Guldur. The Black Captain leads
his six companions over the Anduin - unclad and unmounted, therefore invisible. They
pass slowly and in stealth through Anorien, over the Entwade, and into the Wold. Meanwhile,
rumors of darkness and dread begin to circulate, though men knew not where these things came from. The seven ringwraiths reach
the west shores of Anduin, a little north of Sarn Gebir and there receive
horses and clothing that are secretly ferried over the River around July 17. They travel
north seeking the Shire. Five days later, they meet the Nazgul of Dol Guldur in the Field
of Celebrant. From Khamul, they learn of Gollum’s escape from both the elves and the orcs and
that no dwellings of halflings were in the Vales of Anduin. The villages of the Stoors
by Gladden Fields having long been deserted. The Witch-king, however, sees no
better option and they head north, hoping to come across Gollum. Avoiding
the protection of Galadriel’s ring, they pass between Lorien and the Mountains. Having
failed to find the Shire after nearly two months, the Black Riders return to the Wold empty-handed.
Messengers from Mordor bring threats from Sauron. He has learned of Boromir leaving Gondor, of
Saruman’s deeds, and Gandalf’s capture. Though he concludes none of the Wise have the Ring yet, he
believes Saruman at least knows where it may be. Sauron tells the nine to go to Isengard, and that
speed along would now serve - secrecy must be abandoned. On September 18, they cross the Fords
of Isen as Gwaihir rescues Gandalf from Orthanc, bearing him to Rohan. Two days
later, the Nazgul come to Isengard. Saruman, who at this point is already
a traitor to both the Wise and Sauron, knows he must find the ring for himself or come
to ruin and torment. The Circle of Isengard is too strong for even the Lord of Morgul and his company
to assail without a great force, so to his demands he receives only the voice of Saruman which
seems to come from the Gate of Isengard itself: ‘It is not a land that you look for,’ it said.
‘I know what you seek, though you do not name it. I have it not, as surely its
servants perceive without telling; for if I had it, then you would bow
before me and call me Lord. And if I knew where this thing was hid, I should not
be here, but long gone before you to take it. There is one only whom I guess to have this
knowledge: Mithrandir, enemy of Sauron. And since it is but two days since he
departed from Isengard, seek him nearby.’ As chance would have it, the following day,
the Black Riders meet Grima Wormtongue, who is on his way to deliver a message to Saruman.
Wormtongue tells the riders the location of The Shire and the Nazgul finally have the information
they’ve sought. The Witch-king spares Grima’s life - forseeing that Wormtongue would bring ruin
to Saruman. He divides his wraiths into four pairs and goes with the swiftest to Minhiriath. On
their way, they capture two spies of Saruman, finding charts and maps of the Shire in the
possession of one who had been used in the traffic between Isengard and the South Farthing.
They send this spy to Bree - telling him that no longer belongs to Saruman - now, he
belongs to Mordor. They turn north, arriving at Sarn Ford on September 22, where they
drive away the guard of Rangers stationed there. In the early hours of the next day (Sept 23), as
Gandalf speeds North through Rohan, four of the riders, led by Khamul, enter the Shire. The
remaining five, led by the Witch-King pursue the Rangers eastward, then return to watch the
Greenway. Khamul comes to Hobbiton at nightfall. There, he questions Gaffer Gamgee about Baggins.
Frodo had already left Bag End that very morning. Two days later, the hobbits are followed
by a Rider on a road near Woody End. Gildor and his company of elves, returning from
Emyn Beraid encounter the hobbits and the Rider flees. On September 25, a Black Rider comes to
Farmer Maggot’s farm, who tells the rider to go away. That night, the hobbits arrive at Farmer
Maggot’s, who takes them to Buckleberry Ferry. On the 26th, as the hobbits first
encounter Tom Bombadil in the Old Forest, two riders come to the Prancing
Pony in Bree and talk with Nob, who closes the door on them. The
riders then go towards Archet. On September 28, the hobbits are captured by a
barrow-wight - one of the spirits sent there by the Witch King centuries earlier. They are once
again rescued by Tom Bombadil. The hobbits reach Bree the following night. Bill Ferny and The
Southerner tip off the black riders about the hobbits, saying that one of them mysteriously
disappeared. Merry, who was out for a walk, spots this encounter. He attempts to
follow the rider, but it disappears. Merry is overtaken by the Black Breath and
faints. Luckily, Nob comes to his aid and returns him to the Prancing Pony where he warns
Strider and the other hobbits about the riders. The Black Breath is another of the weapons
of the Nazgul. It was said to be poisonous and could overpower those affected by
it. We’ll talk more about that shortly. In the wee hours of September 30th, the nazgul
raid Chrikhollow while others attack the Prancing Pony. This is an interesting point as in both
the Bakshi and Jackson adaptations, it is the Ringwraiths themselves who attack the Inn. While
it isn’t explicitly said who is responsible for the attack, there are some clues that point toward
it not being the wraiths. For one, Aragorn himself says he doesn’t think they will attack the inn,
as it isn’t their way - “In dark and loneliness they are strongest; they will not openly attack a
house where there are lights and many people — not until they are desperate, not while all the
long leagues of Eriador still lie before us. But their power is in terror, and already some in
Bree are in their clutch. They will drive these wretches to some evil work: Ferny, and some of
the strangers, and, maybe, the gatekeeper too.” The morning after the attack, Aragorn leads the
hobbits away (north then west?? - check). Gandalf comes to Bree that night and leaves the next
day. Khamul brings word from the spy in Bree of Frodo’s vanishing act. The Witch-King guesses
that Frodo will head east, and sends four wraiths to Weathertop - the former tower of Amon Sul
which he had destroyed centuries earlier. He goes south along the Greenway and finds
nothing. Gandalf discovers the riders and follows them, but the Witch-King lets Gandalf
slip ahead and on October 3, the Nine attack him on Weathertop. Frodo and Aragorn in the
Midgewater Marshes, see the flashes of light from the battle. Gandalf escapes Weathertop
(Oct 4) and is pursued by four of the riders. Two days later, Aragorn and the
hobbits come to Amon Sul themselves, where they are attacked by the remaining five
ringwraiths. There, Frodo is stabbed by the Witch-King. The Witch-king’s Morgul-knife
has the ability to bring someone permanently into the Unseen Realm - specifically the
wraith-world within the Unseen Realm. Frodo begins this transformation after being stabbed.
While Aragorn arrives and attacks using fire, the Witch-King and the other Nazgul depart,
believing their objective to be completed. Meanwhile, Khamul and his three riders are camped
at the Last Bridge, but are driven off on October 11 by Glorfindel, who has left Rivendell seeking
to aid Frodo in his journey. Two days later, Aragorn and the hobbits cross the same bridge
and on Oct 18, Glorfindel finds the company. As Frodo suffers from the effects of the blade,
he is able to see Glorfindel’s true form - which emitted the Light of Valinor. This quality was
given to Arwen in the film adaptation - though she would not have had the Light of Valinor,
having always lived in Middle-earth. ***
Gandalf: ‘The Elves may fear the Dark Lord, and they may fly before him, but never again
will they listen to him or serve him. And here in Rivendell there live still some of his chief foes:
the Elven-wise, lords of the Eldar from beyond the furthest seas. They do not fear the Ringwraiths,
for those who have dwelt in the Blessed Realm live at once in both worlds, and against both
the Seen and the Unseen they have great power.' 'I thought that I saw a white figure
that shone and did not grow dim like the others. Was that Glorfindel then?' (Frodo)
'Yes, you saw him for a moment as he is upon the other side: one of the mighty of the
Firstborn. He is an Elf-lord of a house of princes. Indeed there is a power in Rivendell
to withstand the might of Mordor, for a while: and elsewhere other powers still dwell.
*** The Witch-king resumes his pursuit, having
discovered that Khamul had been driven from the last bridge by his old nemesis Glorfindel.
At this point, the witch-king only has one other rider with him, so is unable to openly
confront the elf. They regroup and travel south, rejoining the four. They manage to pick up
the trail of the company and despite being hindered by Glorfindel and Aragorn, the
Nine pursue Frodo to the Ford of Bruinen. There, by the power of Elrond, the waters of
the Bruinen rise, sweeping the Nine downstream. With the ringbearer safe in Rivendell and 8
of the horses dead, the Nazgul have no choice but to abandon their pursuit. The Witch-king
takes the only surviving horse back to Mordor, arriving in December 3018. He sends aid
to the other eight, who return to Mordor in secret. There, in Minas Morgul, they
prepare for a grand invasion of Gondor. While the Witch-king, who is given added
“demonic” force by Sauron, prepares for war, we know some of the other nazgul begin travelling
on Fell Beasts. On the night of February 23, Legolas shoots a fell beast with his new bow of
the Galadhrim. Though we don’t know for certain, it is implied this shot killed the beast, as Ugluk
- the Isengard Uruk-hai - taunts the Moria orc Grishnakh saying “What’s happened to your precious
Nazgul? Has he had another mount shot under him? We also know that as Frodo, Sam, and Gollum make
the passage of the Dead Marshes on March 1-4, a Nazgul flies overhead one night, striking fear
into all three. On March 5, as they near the gates of Mordor, a Nazgul flies overhead again. That
very night, Gandalf and the victorious party of King Theoden are camped at Dol Baran after their
parley with Saruman. Suddenly a shadow falls over the company. The bright moonlight is cut off and
several of the riders cried out and crouched, holding their arms above their heads. Gandalf
cries out “Nazgul! The messenger of Mordor. The storm is coming. The Nazgul have crossed
the River! Ride, ride! Wait not for the dawn!” Though Pippin had earlier that
night looked into the Palantir, Gandalf says this rider was likely sent after
the Fellowship had been assailed at Amon Hen nearly 9 days earlier (Feb 26). Though he believes
another may be sent after Pippin’s actions. Finally on March 10, 3019, the signal is
given and the full might of Minas Morgul is unleashed. The Witch-king, with his new power,
rides at the head of the army upon a black horse, just as he had during his time in Angmar. As
he passes out of the gates of the dead city, he senses the presence of Frodo and though he
is disturbed, he continues through Ithilien. That same day, as Farmir returns to
Minas Tirith to report to Denethor, he is nearly caught by fell beasts, but Gandalf
saves him. With the Witch-King in command, Osgiliath quickly falls two days later on
March 12. The Witch-King sends out other nazgul on fell beasts and Faramir is wounded by
a dart and the black breath, but his company is saved and he returns wounded to Minas Tirith.
The Rammas Echor, a great wall, over 35 miles in length surrounding the Pelennor fields, is
breached and the Pelennor Fields are overrun. On March 14, Minas Tirith is
besieged by the forces of Mordor. They send fire and the heads of dead
Gondorians into the city by catapults, then launch their assault. At midnight, Grond
rolls to the gate of the city. The Witch-king cries out evil spells onto it as it breaks the
Gate of Minas Tirith in just three swings. The Lord of the Nazgul rides on his black steed into
the city unchallenged, save by Gandalf. Before the pair could battle, however, a cock crows
and the horns of Rohan sound in the distance. Sauron’s multiple attempts to keep Rohan out of
this planned battle had failed and the Witch-king is forced to ride out and attack them instead
of fighting Gandalf and destroying the city. Theoden’s charge drives the forces of Mordor from
the Northern half of the field, and he personally kills the Southron chieftan. Mordor’s forces
would counter-attack however and the witch-king, having ridden out to fight against Rohan’s
charge, sets upon them and racks them with fear. His fell beast attacks Theoden, whose horse
Snowmane loses control and is hit by a black dart. The horse falls on Theoden, mortally wounding him.
As the fell beast prepares to devour the king, Dernhelm stands defiantly between them.
The Witch-King mocks this Rohan soldier, saying no living man may
hinder the Lord of the Nazgul. Eowyn throws off her disguise as Dernhelm
and reveals that she is in fact not a man. The Black Captain hesitates slightly, knowing
of Glorfindel’s prophecy that he would not meet his doom by man. But he heeds it no longer
and attacks. Eowyn slays his fell beast, but the Witch-king rebounds, giving a violent
cry that stings her ears like venom. He throws his black mace against her shield, splintering it
and shattering her arm. As he raises his mace to kill his foe, Merry stabs him with his barrow
blade - a sword forged during the wars between Angmar and Arnor and containing spells against
the Witch-king. This distracts and possibly seriously weakens the Witch-king. Eowyn, with her
last strength, drives her sword into his crown. The sword shatters and the Black Captain is slain.
His spirit fades into a shrill voice on the wind. As we know, the battle would eventually turn in
favor of Gondor and Rohan, with the forces of good being victorious in the Battle of Pelennor
Fields. After the battle, Aragorn comes to the Houses of the Healing, where he sees Eowyn, Merry,
and Faramir all suffering from the Black Breath. As he uses athelas to cure Faramir, word
begins to rapidly spread that the King has returned. All three of the
victims are cured using athelas. Also on March 15, Frodo and Sam see a shape moving
at great speed out of the West. This is one of the winged Nazgul, but rather than his voice holding
terror, it is instead a cry of woe and dismay. The Nazgul is returning to Barad-dur, to
tell Sauron the Witch-King has met his doom. Aragorn leads the Host of the West from Minas
Tirith on March 18. Beginning on the evening of March 22, the Nazgul fly high overhead, out of
sight of all but Legolas, watching the army’s every move. Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam leave the
road and turn south to Mount Doom Three days later, during the Battle of the Black Gate, the 8
remaining ringwraiths attack the Army of the West. The Nazgul are attacked by the great Eagles of
the North, including Gwaihir the Windlord and his brother Landroval. They bear down upon the Nazgul,
who turn and flee - not because of the eagles, but because Frodo Baggins has just claimed
the ring as his own at Orodruin. Sauron, perceiving Frodo wearing The One Ring, summons
the ringwraiths immediately to Mount Doom. They arrive too late, as the ring falls into the
fire along with Gollum. As the mountain erupts, the Nazgul are caught in the firestorm. Khamul
and the other seven nazgul are destroyed, never again to plague the peoples of Middle-earth. While Merry, Eowyn, and Faramir would seemingly
recover from their experiences with the Black Breath, Frodo was not so lucky. His wound troubles
him for the remainder of his days in Middle-earth. Every October 6th - the anniversary
of being stabbed by the Witch-king, he falls ill untill he sails into
the West on September 29, 3021. As for Minas Morgul, it would remain abandoned for
quite some time. While Faramir is made Prince of Ithilian by King Elessar, he instead dwells in
Emyn Arnen at the recommendation of the King. The land was such a terror on the minds of
men that Aragorn deems it unfit for human contact for many years. Eventually,
the city is rebuilt as Minas Ithil, as the last trace of the Nazgul
in Gondor is gone at last.
So you think it's cool to just plagiarize Tolkien Gateway?
Compare script to Nazgul and Unseen, and possibly others, because I stopped 3 minutes in when it became obvious what was happening here.