Witch-King of Angmar
The Witch-King of Angmar is a literary male character who features in Middle-earth.
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Biography
The Witch-King of Angmar was the name taken by a Man hailing from the Second Age. The forging of the Rings of Power began some 1500 years into the Second Age. In SA 1600, Sauron created and first donned the One Ring, and in SA 1693 began the War of the Elves and Sauron during which the Dark Lord recovered the Nine Rings and gave them to mighty lords and rulers of Men.
Thus, he came to be the lord of the Nazgul, the greatest of the Nine and the mightiest servant of the Dark Lord Sauron. Little is known of his background save that he was originally a king and sorcerer before he was enslaved by Sauron upon receiving the greatest of the Nine Rings. The first sighting of the Nazgûl in Middle-earth was reported in SA 2251. For the next 1200 years the greatest among them, known simply as the Lord of the Nazgûl, would serve Sauron as one of the commanders of his armies. He fought in the Age's climactic war against the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. During the Second Age of Middle-Earth he served Sauron and survived his fall when the Dark Lord was eventually defeated and the One Ring taken from him. With Sauron's spirit and power dissipated, the nine Nazgûl were no longer able to maintain their physical presence and they too disappeared – at least temporarily – from Middle-earth.
During the Third Age, he formed the realm of Angmar in the far north of Middle-Earth, and directed wars seeking to destroy the Dunedain. He was noted to had founded the fortress of Dol Guldur in southern Mirkwood in TA 1050. This signalled the return of the Nine to Middle-earth. Their chief, re-empowered, would set about enacting his master's long vengeance upon the Realms in Exile of the Dúnedain, the descendants of the Faithful of Númenor who had escaped its destruction and who subsequently brought him low with the Last Alliance. By now the northern Dúnedain realm of Arnor, sister-kingdom to the southerly Gondor, had already become split into three warring successor states – Rhudaur, Cardolan and Arthedain. It was into this febrile situation that the Lord of the Nazgûl reappeared in TA 1300 and began to fulfil Sauron's plan to bring down the North-kingdom altogether. Adjacent to its territories he founded the dark domain of Angmar – where, from his capital of Carn Dûm, he began his campaign of open war against the Dúnedain of Arnor. It was during this series of conflicts that they labelled their new enemy's undead sorcerer-chieftain with the title of Witch-king, Lord of Angmar. After several centuries, his forces were routed by armies led by Cirdan, Glorfindel and Earnul of Gondor during the Battle of Fornost. The Witch-King survived, and it was at this point that it was prophecized that no living man could hinder him.
In TA 1356, the 'Witch-king' began his assault against the northerly Dúnedain in alliance with a vassal Hill-men King of Rhudaur. King Argeleb I of Arthedain was killed leading the defence of his realm against Rhudaur and Angmar. In TA 1409 the army of the Witch-king assaulted the fortress of Amon Sûl (Weathertop) and burned the tower, during which conflict King Arveleg I of Arthedain was killed. The Witch-king then invaded and overran the Kingdom of Cardolan and annexed Rhudaur, expelling or killing the last Dúnedain. Now, the only resistance against his forces was the Kingdom of Arthedain. The Witch-king's armies invaded Arthedain and came close to destroying it, but King Araphor with the help of the Elves of Lindon and Rivendell managed to defend the capital, Fornost Erain, and drive back the invaders. An uneasy peace descended, but the deathless Lord of the Nazgûl could wage his war over hundreds of years. After the last surviving Dúnedain of Cardolan died in TA 1636, he sent evil wights to the Barrow-downs in order to prevent the rebirth of that kingdom. Ultimately, in TA 1974 the Witch-king claimed victory in the north, when his forces captured Fornost Erain. With its fall, the final bastion of the old North-kingdom collapsed, and although Arvedui Last-King attempted to escape via the far north he was drowned in the Icebay of Forochel and the last remnants of the realm of Arnor were extinguished. The Witch-king took his seat of power in the newly conquered Fornost, but in the next year an army from Gondor under their general and crown prince, Eärnur, landed at the Grey Havens. Too late to save their north-kindred, they were nonetheless joined by the Elves of Lindon and the remnant of the northern Dúnedain, and together marched against the Witch-king.
The Witch-King disappeared for a few years but soon returned to the borders of Mordor. During a two-year siege, he captured the city of Minas Ithil and renamed it Minas Morgul, where it became his domain. He challenged Earnur, now King of Gondor, to single combat; Earnul accepted and he and his host ventured towards Minas Morgul, never to return. With the help of the rest of the Nazgul, the Witch-King prepared Mordor for Sauron's return, and upon their master's arrival, Barad-dur was rebuilt.
In TA 3018, with the capture and torture of Gollum, the Dark Lord learned that his Ring was in the possession of a creature called 'Baggins' in a land called 'Shire'. Unfortunately, Gollum had no idea where that was, leading to a fruitless quest of nearly a year. In June TA 3018, the Witch-king and six other Wraiths attacked Osgiliath then rode north to the Vales of Anduin. Finding the Hobbit dwellings there long deserted and Sauron's anger growing, the chief Nazgûl led all the Nine to Isengard, where Saruman refused to tell them the location of the land of the Halflings. However, the Lord of the Nazgûl chanced upon Gríma Wormtongue in Rohan, who, for fear of his life, told where the Shire was. The Ringwraiths rode swiftly north into Eriador, continuing to search for the "Baggins" Gollum had told of until they tracked the name to Crickhollow in Buckland. They raided Buckland but could not find the Ring. During this time the Lord of the Nazgûl camped in Andrath, coordinating the searching Ringwraiths and stirring up the Barrow-wights. Learning the location of the One Ring, the Witch-King led the search for Frodo Baggins during the latter's journey to Rivendell, and seriously wounded him at Weathertop, stabbing him with a Morgul Blade. Though they were driven off by Aragorn, Frodo's wound threatened to turn him into a wraith like the Nazgûl. Fortunately for the stricken hobbit, Elrond Half-elven sent Glorfindel to guide Frodo to Rivendell where Elrond could heal his wound, and in the race there Glorfindel lured the Ringwraiths into the River Bruinen. Here, Elrond released a great flood, with Gandalf giving the waves of the torrent the form of horses. This flood destroyed the physical forms of the Nine, killed their horses, and sent the shapeless Wraiths back to their master in Mordor, buying the Fellowship time to plan their next move. With their return to Mordor, Sauron bestowed upon the Nazgûl great winged creatures as their new mounts. The Dark Lord used the lesser eight Nazgûl for reconnaissance work; their leader, however, returned to Minas Morgul and resumed the role of commander of Sauron's forces. He then launched the campaign against Gondor, issuing from Morgul Vale with a great host. There, at the bridge over Morgulduin he paused, feeling the Ring nearby – until Frodo touched the Phial of Galadriel, turning aside his enemy's thought. It would prove the closest the Lord of the Nazgûl would come to recovering his master's prize.
While he failed to capture the One Ring, the Witch-King participated in the final Battle of Osgiliath that was fought on March 13, 3019 against the garrison led by Faramir. Faramir's forces could not hold back the Orc hordes and pulled back, first to the Causeway Forts and then to Minas Tirith, assailed by flying Nazgûl, losing many in the retreat. With Gondor's defeat at Osgiliath, nothing stood in the way of Sauron's ambitions of destroying Minas Tirith and the strongest of his enemies. On March 14, an enormous force of Orcs, Haradrim, and Easterlings marched on the gates of Minas Tirith during the Siege of Gondor. Sauron had given the Witch-king newfound strength; he appeared on a black horse, his presence casting a shadow of utter paralysis and fear upon defender and foe. Directing the assault, he wasted no effort on the city's impenetrable outer wall, instead focusing on setting the city ablaze, sapping the defenders' strength with multiple siege towers before the main assault came against the Great Gate. Crying incantations in 'some forgotten tongue', he enhanced the power of the battering-ram Grond and weakened the already damaged gate of the city. Grond broke open the gate, and the Lord of the Nazgûl entered. Upon entering the city, the defenders inside fled, terror-stricken by his dark presence. It was then that the Witch-King faced Gandalf the White with a duel of words between them, and the Nazgûl-king doffed his hood revealing a crown on empty air, mocking Gandalf as an "old fool" and bidding him die. Threateningly he drew his blade, which blazed of its own accord. However, their confrontation was cut short by the arrival of the Rohirrim. During the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, he killed King Theoden, but was in turn slain by Eowyn and Meriadoc Brandybuck, fulfilling Glorfindel's prophecy that no living man could hinder him.
Overview
Personality and attributes
He came to be known by a number of titles including the Lord of the Nazgûl, the Black Captain and as the Pale King. By the end of the Third Age, his name had long been forgotten.
Powers and abilities
Originally, the Witch-King of Angmar had been an ordinary member of the race of Man who came to be a ruler of his kingdom. This was until he was corrupted by the power of Sauron. He became the bearer of a Ring of Power which gave him great power but also enslaved him to Sauron. As a Nazgûl, the Witch-king had a wide arsenal of powers. He was surrounded by an aura of fear, enough to make trained soldiers and horses run in terror. He also possessed an aura called the Black Breath that was serious and often fatal condition to those in contact with a Ringwraith that was meant to incapacitate foes. Unlike the other Nazgûl, the Witch-king was not daunted by rivers and could perceive more clearly in daylight.
Any weapon struck the Lord of the Nazgûl would be destroyed and their bearers would be poisoned as a result. This was so severe that it was worse than a blow from his mace.
He could sense the presence of the One Ring, such as when Frodo brought it near him as he marched to war, though he could be distracted and so led to focus on other things. He could inspire a fighting-madness in his own soldiers, while simultaneously causing his enemies to rout in terror. He was held in such dread awe that it was believed in Gondor that his minions would end their own lives if he prompted them to do so.
In addition, the Witch-King was a feared sorcerer, having powers over the physical world. He was shown to be capable of breaking a magical sword and with a gesture hold a person stuck in place unable to even more their tongue.
Notes
- The Witch-King of Angmar was created by J. R. R. Tolkien where he featured in the setting of the Middle-earth universe.
In other media
Films
- In The Lord of the Rings, the Witch-King of Angmar appeared in the setting of the film trilogy where his human form was portrayed by actor Ben Price in flashbacks whilst he was voiced actor Andy Serkis:
- In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the Witch-King of Angmar appeared in the setting of the live-action film where he was portrayed by actor Brent McIntyre in wraith form. He appeared as one of the Nazgûl shown briefly as a king of Men in the prologue, and served as one of the primary antagonists throughout the film alongside the other Ringwraiths. He was the Wraith who stabbed Frodo with a Morgul-blade on Weathertop, although this was only revealed in The Return of the King by Gandalf.
- In The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the Witch-King of Angmar appeared in the setting of the live-action film where he was portrayed by actor Brent McIntyre in wraith form.
- In The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the Witch-King of Angmar appeared in the setting of the live-action film where he was portrayed by actor Lawrence Makoare in wraith form.
Video games
- In The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II: The Rise of the Witch-king, the Witch-King appeared in the setting of the real-time strategy video game expansion where he headed the Angmar faction.
- In Angband, the Witch-King appeared in the setting of the 1993 dungeon-crawling roguelike video game. This version was identified as being Murazor, the Witch-king of Angmar.
RPGs
- In Middle-earth Role Playing, the Witch-King of Angmar appeared in the non-canonical Rolemaster role-playing game rules set published by Iron Crown Enterprises (I.C.E.). It came to name the character as Er-Murazor who was once a Númenórean prince.
Appearances
- Lord of the Rings:
External Links
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