# Backhistory of the Nazgul



## Calion (Jan 9, 2013)

Sometimes the Nazgul are said to have been kings, but is there any passage from Tolkien that declares that each and every one of them used to be kings (before turning into wraiths)? Sometimes they are said to have been warriors, sorcerors, and kings, implying that some were not kings. At any rate, at least three of the Nazgul would not have been kings before turning into wraiths, since they were Numenoreans, and the deaths of the kings of Numenor are well-documented.

Also, is the Witch-King really very likely to have been one of the Numenorean Nazgul? Numenoreans are of course the "greatest" race, but we know that the second greatest Nazgul, Khamul, was an Easterling, and this means that at least two Numenorean Nazgul were ranked behind an Easterling Nazgul. Hence it seems entirely possible for the Lord of the Nazgul to have come from some other background than Numenor. In addition, while the title "Witch-King of Angmar" certainly refers to his kingship of Angmar (as a wraith), the fact that he feels comfortable with claiming kingship, and that he wears a crown in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, make it seem like he might have been a king before turning into a wraith as well. And if he had been a king, then he could not have come from Numenor. On the other hand, it's also entirely possible that he felt comfortable acting as a king because he had been a mightly lord of Numenor and of the House of Elros, so I guess it's hard to argue either way strongly based on this alone.


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## Red Leaf (Nov 7, 2016)

some thread Necromancy (ha! see what i did there...?), but hey...

like the OP i'm interested in the Nazgul as individuals - but my interest goes in a slightly different direction: we know that Sauron gave the nine Rings of Power to Men, however, do we know if Sauron gave them all out at the same time, or did he look for likely candidates over a much greater period of time?

so do we have a time when there was only one or two Nazgul, and then perhaps a few hundred years later there were another handful, and only after perhaps a thousand years were all nine in place?

now, i know that we only know of the two named (ish..) individual Nazgul - Witch King of Angmar and Khamul the Easterling - so the other seven are a bit of a mystery, and i wondered if (assuming the 'trickling theory' of the Nazgul is correct) if it was possible that Earnur, last king of Gondor, lured to Minas Morgul in 2050 TA and presumably tortured and probably murdered, was infact enslaved by Sauron with the use of one of the nine Rings of Power, and this 'forced' to become a Nazgul (presumably playing to the somewhat dark sense of humour of our favourite Lord of Mordor..)?

i realise the timing for this is all a bit tight - Earnur was taking in about 2050 TA, the rings give unatural long life, and presumably Sauron would need some time before he was convinced of the loyalty/dependability of his new servant - but is it potentially a runner?


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## ILegolasElda (Nov 8, 2016)

As far as a text from tolkien says I think he atleast gave them out at the same time, but I don't have a quote (I think it even was in lotr). I haven't read much about Nazghul and would be interested in the fact if there lifes are bound to their rings too (like Sauron's).

I think I'll search for the text...


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## ILegolasElda (Nov 8, 2016)

Correction : says that he (Sauron) atleast...


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## Ingolmin (Nov 16, 2016)

See, the Nazgul were warriors, sorcerors, and kings. Kings does not mean Kings of Gondor, Arnor or Numenor but small kings under the lordship of the Kings of Numenor. And we have no proof that they were of the Line of Elros but we are fully sure they were of the Dunedain and would be far relative of the Kings or the Lords of Andunie. And Khamul was second in no. to Witch King, it was no play of ancestry that made these men servants of Sauron but their great leadership qualities and other things which made Sauron think that if he would conquer such men by giving them rings, they would then work for him.


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