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Race: Men

Divisions:  Various, including some Númenóreans

Pronunciation:  na'zgool

Meaning: A word from the Black Speech apparently meaning 'ring-wraith'

Other Names: Ringwraiths, Úlairi

Titles: Black Riders, The Nine, Nine Servants

Note: 'Nazgûl' is both a singular and a plural term

A word from the Black Speech, usually translated 'Ringwraith'; the name of the nine Men corrupted by the power of Sauron's Nine Rings, and transformed into his dark and deathless servants.

The History of the Nine Kings

The Artist is Lode Claes Go HERE to find out more about the Artist

The Nine Nazgûl or Ringwraiths were the most loyal and terrible servants of the Dark-lord. In origin they were all mortal men, great and powerful lords in their own right, who ruled many lands throughout Middle-earth. Each was seduced by the gift of one of the Nine rings of Sauron, which imbued its wearer with great powers of sorcery, and an almost unlimited life span. But like all of the Dark-lord's gifts it was tainted, for each of the Nine rings was ruled by the One, and thus the nine wearers became slaves of the overbearing will of Sauron. Ultimately, by the end of the Third-age the Nazgûl were terrifying undead creatures, existing in a terrible twilight world between life and death,with no thought or desire save that of the Dark-lord himself. Their fate was by this time completely bound up with that of their master and that of the One ring, whose recovery and restoration they arduously sought.

The Witch-King of Angmar

In origin,a prince of the Royal house of Numenor in the Second-age, the Witch-king was seduced by the power of the nine rings and fell thrall to Sauron, as the price paid for that terrible gift. The Witch-king became the greatest of the Nazgûl and second only in power to the Dark-lord himself. During Sauron's final attempt to become Lord of Middle-earth during the Third age, the Witch-king played a vital role in his master's designs. As a plan to subvert and finally destroy the Northern realm of Arnor, the Witch-king established himself in the north of Eriador in the barren land of Angmar, where he gathered his power and sent out spies. His evil machinations were largely responsible for the fragmentation of Arnor into three successor kingdoms each of which was confronted and finally destroyed by the power of Angmar. During the War of the Ring, the Witch-king led the Dark host to battle at the Pelennor fields and perished there at the hands of Eowyn Dernhelm with some help from Merry.
Chief of all the servants of Sauron, the Witch-king was, in origin, one of the black Numenoreans who the Dark-lord seduced to his own service by the gift of one of the Nine rings. The rings conferred great power upon their wearers but also subjugated them forever to the will of Sauron. As well as his great talents in sorcery the Witch-king was Sauron's ablest military commander. He founded the Northern Kingdom of Angmar and was the architect of both Arthedain's and Cardolan's destruction. He also successfully wrestled from the Southern kingdom of Gondor the great citadel of Minas Ithil.

Khamul the Easterling - Nazgûl Lieutenant

Emissary to the peoples of the East and the Variags; Lieutenant to the Witch-King and Second among the Nine; a potent Mage in his own lifetime, now bound to the cause of Mordor forever.

He served the Dark-lord at the tower of Barad-dur during the Second-age and with his master, perished after the battle of Gorgoroth. At the end of the first millenium of the Third-age, Khamul re-appeared with Sauron at the tower of Dol-Guldur,and dwelt there with him while Sauron's power grew in secret. After the Dark-lord's return to Mordor, the Nazgûl Lieutenant Khamul and Adunaphel returned to Dol-guldur, where they were to hold in check the power of Lorien. When the final war broke out the Nazgûl lieutenant Khamul was sent out to search for the Shire, and if possible to locate the One Ring. Khamul and other of the Nazgûl tracked the Halflings through the Shire but lost their track as the latter departed through Buckland.

Khamul's origins are veiled in mystery save that he was of one of the races from beyond Rhun in the furthest east of Middle-earth. Like all the ring-wraiths he was bound to Sauron by one of the nine rings of power and his fate was thus tied to that of his master. So when Sauron went into the shadow at the end of the Second-age, Khamul also disappeared from Middle-earth reappearing with his master after a millennium of the Third-age.-->

Adunaphael the Quiet

After the great plague ravaged Eriador in the mid Third-age, Gondor's watch on Mordor became less vigilant and Sauron sent Adunaphel to the black land to prepare for her eventual return. Adunaphel dwelt secretly in Nurn until the arrival of the Witch-king; whose coming heralded the Nazgûl's assault on the tower of Minas Ithil. Its fall signified the end of Gondor's hold on the dark land. After Sauron's return to Barad-dur, Adunaphel was commanded to make fast the ancient stronghold of Dol guldur on the eves of Mirkwood, and later after the outbreak of the War of the Ring was involved with the other Nazgûl in attempting to recapture the One Ring.

Watcher in the Forests; sometimes leader of the evil forces of Mirkwood, and Captain of Dol-Goldur; one of his infamous Black Arrows is thought to have been found and used by the Man, Bard, who slew Smaug the Dragon.

Akhorahil

Like the Witch-king, Akhorahil was of old, a lord of Numenor, who was corrupted and ensnared by one of the Nine rings of Sauron. After Sauron's fall at the end of the Second age, Akhorahil disappeared from Middle-earth. He returned after long years and awaited his master's return in the far South of Middle-earth.

When Sauron himself reappeared he ordered Akhorahil and the other Nazgûl to reoccupy Mordor and to secure it for the Dark-lord's return. He remained at Minas Morgul until the War of the Ring when, with his fell companions, he sought out for his master, the bearer of the One Ring. Unhorsed at the Ford of Bruinen, he fled back to Mordor and was given a Fell Beast by his Master and so brought terror to the skies of Middle-earth.

Dwaw of Waw

Tyrant of the Haradrim; Black Captain of the Corsairs of Umbar; one of the first to fall under the spell of the Ringlord, gained Sauron's favor by bringing Harad under his rule through trickery and hateful tirades against the Numenor.

He built up a great Fleet of Black Ships meant to bring the end of Gondor.

It was by his cunning, that the the great Mumakil of the Southlands were tamed and trained for warfare, gilded with armor and painted in evil runes of the Black Speech, with massive fortresses upon their backs the were marched to the West in the Battle of Minas Tirith.

Hoarmnrath of Dir

Guardian of the Morannon (the Black Gate of Mordor) ; Captain of the Teeth of Mordor, the towers that flank that Gate ; said to use a Palantir to spy for Sauron and to communicate with agents such as Saruman.

Hoarmnrath of Dir pronounced a curse upon Sauron before he succumbed to the power of the Ring. Some say he is fated to destroy the Dark Lord, others that he is doomed to his service until the End of Arda.

To what end he may have come if the War of the Ring had favored the dark Lord, none can now say for he perished as did the rest of the Nine in the Fires of Mount Doom.

Indur Dawndeath

Indur Dawndeath was born in the Second-age in the far south of Middle-earth, where he ruled his tropical kingdom despite the growing threat of Numenorean power. After being ousted from his throne he fled to Mumakan and sought refuge with the agents of the Dark-lord who resided there. Here he was offered one of the nine rings of Sauron, and all its accompanying power. He accepted and although, with its power, he re-eastablished himself over both Mumakan and his previous realms Indur was now thrall the the will of the Dark-lord. He accompanied Sauron to Mordor at the end of the Second-age and fought for him at the war of the Last alliance. Here Sauron was overthrown and his nine servants vanished also from the face of the earth. When the Dark-lord began to reemerge during the Third-age, the Nine reappeared also, as terrible beings of shadow and invisibility, and bound even more completely to the will of their lord. Indur the wraith ruled Mumakan once more and held the land in fief to his master. During the war of the Ring, he led the Mumakil assault on the Gondorian citadel of Minas Tirith.

Captain of Barad-Dur ; chief defender of Mordor ; champion of Sauron. Said to have some Elvish blood and possibly to be related to the half-Elven Elrond, Lord of Rivendell, whom he hates and blames for Sauron's last "death".

Ren the Unclean

Ren the Unclean is even more disturbing than most of the fearsome Nazgûl

Lord of the Marshes; guardian of the secret ways into Mordor; corrupter of the River Folk (Stoor Hobbits), who became like Gollum and now serves Mordor in the Dead Marshes. He was known as a "Swamp Dwellers" or "Mewlips".

It is believed that by his foul craft that the Dead buried on the Dagorlad after the Battle of the last Alliance, were somehow made into shadow wraiths that haunted the Dead Mashes which had over many years crept in upon the northern reaches of the Dagorlad.

Uvath the Horseman

Originally a Variag from Khand, Uvatha was, like all his people, a great horseman. He fought in civil war in his native Khand and eventually united all the tribes under his own rule. He accepted the gift of the ring of power shortly after achieving this. The Variags were useful allies to the Dark-lord protecting his eastern and southeastern borders and were later to prove a valuable addition to the armies of Mordor, their fearsome and bloodthirsty reputation alone striking terror into the hearts of many of their enemies. When Sauron fell at the end of the Second-age Uvatha also passed into the shadow, but reappeared along with the Dark-lord after a thousand years or so. He reestablished his rule of Khand and expanded his kingdom into northern Harad. Rider from the East; messenger and spy across the Plains of the Rohirrim, whose heads he is said to collect and leave hanging from the branches of Fangorn; responsible for preparing the way when the Nazgûl leave Mordor.

He took part in the Nazgûl attack on Minas Ithil, and reoccupied the tower of Sorcery when Sauron had moved to Mordor. He was sent by Sauron to seek the One ring and along with others of the Nine caught up with the Hobbits at the ford of the Bruinen. He perished later, after the battle of the Morannon, when the One ring slipped into the Crack of Doom on Orodruin.

Ring-Wraiths

The Artist is Inger Edelfeldt Go HERE to find out more about the Artist

In origin all the nine Nazgûl were once great and powerful Lords, ruling many lands in Middle-earth. Each had accepted a ring of power from Sauron: a ring which imbued its wearers with sorcerers abilities and great longevity. Each had used their rings to enhance and expand their kingdoms to even greater limits. But the power of the rings was bought at a terrible price. For the same ring that imbued its wearer with power and life also increasingly subjected his will to that of the Dark-lord, until after many years the Nine were but cyphers in which the Dark-lord could act out his own wishes. When Sauron perished at the end of the Second-age, the nine, so closely bound up to him, perished also. When the Dark-lord reemerged from the shadow in the Third-age, the nine reappeared also. What lingering mortal qualities they may have still possessed before the destruction were now entirely gone, and they now appeared as the terrible shadow beings, famous in the Third-age as the Ringwraiths.