Witch-king of Angmar

The Witch-king of Angmar is the leader of ringwraiths known as the Nazgûl. They were Sauron's most powerful minions. From the Second Age to the Third Age, the Witch-king is Sauron's second in command. He ruled over Angmar and Minas Morgul. He was known as a king, a strong warrior, and an undead sorcerer that everyone feared and dread. He was considered to be the most excellent servant of Sauron for over 4000 years. Throughout the years of Middle-earth's history, he has also been known as the Lord of the Nazgûls, Lord of Minas Morgul, and the Black Captain.

Background

The Witch-king of Angmar was once known to be a king of Men and was thought to be Númenórean. Legend says that he was one of the kings who received one of the nine Rings of Power. [1] Once he wore the Ring of Power, it corrupted him and turned him into a wraith that served Sauron. It was said in a prophecy that no living man could kill him. The Witch-king was taller than the other Nazgûls, which made him stand out among them. And those who have seen him in his earlier days claimed that he had long hair that looked like it glowed.

Abilities and Powers

The Witch-king was a feared sorcerer. He had a strong power over the physical world. He can place objects on fire, and his forces were stronger during nighttime. He was able to break Frodo's sword with just a move of his hand. He also managed to weaken the gates of Minas Tirith and caused it to explode. As a Nazgûl, he had a wide range of dark magic. He had an aura that emitted fear and made anyone run away from him with dread and terror in their hearts. The Nazgûls have the Black Breath [2] (also known as the Black Shadow), which disables anyone who touches a Nazgûl. It places the person in contact into a brief unconscious state, making them have nightmares during their unconsciousness. This leaves the person agitated and traumatized when they wake up. Any weapon that hits the Witch-king gets destroyed, and the person bearing the weapon gets poisoned. This was a risk greater than being hit by his mighty mace. His powers were bound to Sauron's forces, so it fluctuates depending on how strong Sauron is. The more powerful Sauron is, the more powerful his dark magic also becomes.

The Witch-king's Weapons

Broad Sword

In the film and game adaptations, the Witch-king often wields a broadsword that has flames when drawn. EA called it "The Sword of Terror" when they made replicas of it for those who preordered the video game The Lord of the Rings: Conquest, although it should be noted that Tolkien never gave it a name in his books.

Mace

Aside from a broad sword, the Witch-king was also equipped with a deadly and great mace. The mace can shatter shields and kill enemies with just one blow. If he uses the mace together with his sword, he was considered to be an unstoppable warrior. In the movies by Peter Jackson, the Witch-king does not use a mace but a flail instead. In the video game, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II, the Witch-king is using both a sword and a flail. But if you get the expansion pack entitled The Rise of the Witch-king, you will see that they changed his weapon to a steel scepter and that he is no longer using a flail.

Morgul-Blade

The Witch-king also carries a small but potent weapon. This weapon is the Morgul-blade. It is a fatal sorcerer's weapon that can turn victims into a lesser wraith form - one that will serve the Nazgûl and Sauron. It was considered to be a fate worse than death.

Fellbeast

Aside from his weapons, the Witch-king uses his mount, a fell beast, as a way to attack his enemies. The fell beast can kill a massive group of enemies all at once.

The Nazgûls – A Quick Background

In the Sack of Eregion during the Second Age, Sauron was able to get his hands on the nine Rings of Power. He later gave these rings to a selected group of kings, sorcerers, and warriors. The Rings of Power gave the group wealth and glory. They had no idea that they were slowly being corrupted to evil. They began to be drawn to Sauron and, in the end, lost their human forms and turned into wraiths. Since the nine rings of power were bound to the One Ring, they were also obliged to serve the Dark Lord Sauron. They were known to be the nine Nazgûls of Sauron – Sauron's most influential and terrifying allies.

The Nazgûls was always dressed in black. They wore long black cloaks and deep black hoods that did not allow anyone to see their faces. They were still riding on black horses. This reason is why they were also known as the Black Riders or the Dark Riders. Later, they lost their horses, and Sauron gave them flying monsters called the Fell beast. Because of their flying mounts, they were also called Black Wings and Fell Riders. During the attack on Minas Tirith, the Witch-king removed his hood, and this revealed a crown. However, you would not be able to see his face because it was invisible.

The Nazgûls wore their rings for such a long time that their physical forms have faded as time goes by. They became invisible to mortal eyes, and the black robes that they wore made their forms visible. Since they no longer have any physical bodies, they could not be quickly brought down by ordinary weapons.

The Witch-king's Rise to Power

The Nazgûls was first sighted in Middle-earth during the Second Age. The Witch-king served as the commander of Sauron's army for 1200 years. When Sauron was defeated during the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, the power of the Nazgûls and the Witch-king declined, and the nine Nazgûls disappeared from Middle-earth. In the Third Age, Sauron returned as a Necromancer and founded a fortress in Dol Guldur in the south of Mirkwood. The return of the Dark Lord awakened the Nazgûl and made them return to Middle-earth.

The Lord of the Nazgûl reappeared in the realm of Arnor. There, he founded Angmar, a dark kingdom that terrorized Dúnedain. The Lord of the Nazgûl was known to be the "Witch-king, Lord of Angmar" since then, and the title was eventually shortened to "Witch-king of Angmar." The Witch-king summoned Men, Orcs, and other foul creatures to serve him. At that time, nobody knew that he was a servant of Sauron and that he was a wraith. Carn Dûm was the capital of Angmar, and from there, the Witch-king led his military campaign against the three divided kingdoms that used to be known as Arnor. The Dúnedain of Arnor were in constant dispute with each other that the nation was divided into three: Rhudaur, Arthedain, and Cardolan.

The Witch-king saw the disunity among the Dúnedains as a weakness, which made him decide to conquer Arnor first instead of Gondor. The Witch-king started with Rhudaur first. He sent out spies and influenced the Men of Rhudaur until the time came that his spies controlled the government of Rhudaur. The Witch-king secretly aided Rhudaur in their war against the other two kingdoms. When he decided it was time to attack himself, Rhudaur quickly fell under his command. Most of the Dúnedain who were not converted to fight by his side and serve him were hunted down. The kingdom of Cardolan was ravaged by the Witch-king and his forces next. The troops were guarding the tower of Amon Sûl, ready for war.

However, King Arveleg I of Arthedain, who sent his army to defend their neighbors in Cardolan, was killed during the siege of Amon Sûl, and the tower was destroyed. This victory made it easy for the Witch-king to take hold of Cardolan. With the two kingdoms already under his control, the only remaining forces that resisted the Witch-king is the western kingdom of Arthedain. The Witch-king was aware of the presence of a Palantir in Arthedain. The men of Arthedain brought the Palantir to their capital, Fornost, for safe-keeping. The kingdom was led by King Araphor, who asked for the help of Elves in Rivendell and Lothlórien. With the Elves as allies, they were able to stop the invasion of the Witch-king.

The Witch-king continued assaulting the divided kingdoms of Arnor for a hundred years, making sure that these kingdoms will not be revived. He was able to achieve ultimate victory over all of Arnor when he was able to capture the capital of Arthedain, Fornost Erain. King Averdui, the King of Arthedain at that time, was able to flee on a ship. He took the Palantiri and the Annúminas stone. However, he and his men perished in a shipwreck in Forod. The Palantiri and the Annúminas stone was lost in the icy seas. With the capital of Arthedain gone, Arthedain collapsed, and Arnor was entirely under the control of the Witch-King. The Witch-King turned Fornost Erain into his new seat of power.

The Battle of Fornost

A year after the Witch-king took over Fornost Erain, Eärnur, the general of Gondor and heir to the throne, arrived at the shore of Grey Havens. They arrived at Lindon, and they were told that they were too late to save Arthedain. However, the folk of Círdan believed that the Witch-king was overconfident at that moment now that he had all three kingdoms in his hand and thought that they can still bring the Witch-king down. So, with the forces of Gondor, the Círdan gathered the surviving Dúnedains of Arnor, a company of hobbit archers, and the Elven troops of Lindon. The troops met the forces of the Witch-king on the plains near Lake Evendim. This place was near Annúminas, the ancient capital of Arnor. The battle that took place was recorded in history as the Battle of Fornost. [3] During the battle, the central part of Gondor's army met the enemy in the plains. The forces of the Witch-king had no idea that the cavalry of Gondor rode into the Hills of Evendim in the north. They gathered there to do an ambush. The cavalry successfully ambushed the rear part of Angmar's army.

The attack on both front and rear gave them an advantage, and soon enough, the Witch-king's army was defeated. Upon hearing this, the Witch-King took the little that was left of his army and tried to flee. An army of Elves blocked his escape from Rivendell and Glorfindel. They were able to defeat what was left of the Witch-king's army. Seeing this, the Witch-king revealed himself and challenged Eärnur to a fight. Eärnur tried to charge towards the Witch-king, but his horse was terrified of the Nazgûl's presence and bucked. This moment gave the Witch-king a chance to escape. When Eärnur tried to follow the Witch-king, Glorfindel stopped him and told him that the Witch-king would never return. Without the Witch-king, Angmar quickly collapsed.

The Witch-king Returns to Mordor

Although the Witch-king was defeated, he was still able to fulfill his mission of bringing down the Dúnedain kingdoms of the north and ending the line of royalty from Númenor in Eriador. The Witch-king decided to return to Mordor. The rest of the Nazgûls also came upon the arrival of their leader. During this time, Sauron was still in Dol Guldur, disguised as the Necromancer. In Sauron's absence, the nine ringwraiths rebuilt the dark forces of Mordor so everything will be ready upon the return of the Dark Lord. They gathered the Orcs and made their weapons and army.In the Third Age, the Nazgûl and the Orcs marched out of Mordor to attack Gondor. It was at this time that they were able to capture Minas Ithil and turn it into a dark fortress.

With Minas Ithil now serving the Dark Lord, the tower was renamed to Minas Morgul. When King Eärnil II, the King of Gondor, passed away, his son, Eärnur, inherited the crown. It can be remembered that Eärnur was the one who made the Witch-king lose Angmar. The Witch-king considered him to be an unforgettable enemy. Eärnur still had a score to settle with the Witch-king. Although he had driven away from the Witch-king from Angmar, the Witch-king had embarrassed him. He laughed at him when Eärnur fell off his horse during the Battle of Fornost.

During Eärnur's coronation, the Witch-king sent a message that taunted Eärnur and challenged him to a combat. Mardil, a steward of Gondor, restrained Eärnur from falling into the Witch-king's trap, and Eärnur refused the challenge. Seven years later, the Witch-king challenged him once more. Eärnur's pride prevented him from backing out a second time. The King accepted the challenge. The King of Gondor rode out of Minas Tirith to combat the Witch-king in Minas Morgul. King Eärnur was never seen again after that. This moment ended the line of Gondorian Kings and started the reign of the Stewards of Gondor.

The Watchful Peace

By TA 2063, Gandalf started investigating the Necromancer. Because of this, Sauron was forced to leave Dol Guldur and lay low in the East. With Sauron going into hiding once more, the Nazgûl also had to lay low in Minas Morgul. Middle-earth was finally at peace for over 400 years. By TA 2941, the investigations of Gandalf have confirmed that the Necromancer was Sauron in disguise and reported it to the White Council. With his identity now revealed, Sauron returned to Mordor and reconstructed Barad-dûr. By TA 2951, Sauron openly declared that he was back and started looking for the One Ring.

The Nazgûls Search for the One Ring

Sauron sent three of the Nazgûls to Dol Guldur. It was there that they saw Gollum, whom they captured and tortured during interrogation. Gollum revealed to the Dark Lord how the One Ring came into his possession and how he lost it to a Hobbit with the name of "Baggins." Since Gollum was not a creature that had clear thoughts, Sauron misinterpreted the story and thought that the Hobbit is in Gladden River. Sauron sent all the Nazgûls to the banks of the Gladden River. They found that the Shire was nowhere near the Anduin. Their search was interrupted when Sauron called them back to go to Saruman. Saruman convinced the Witch-king that Gandalf was the key to knowing where the Shire was. The Nazgûls then passed into Rohan to search for the wizard. In Rohan, they met the traitor, Wormtongue, and interrogated him. Wormtongue was terrified of their presence and told them everything he knew.

He shared that Gandalf did pass through Rohan, he also revealed that Saruman was a traitor to Sauron and that Saruman wanted the One Ring for himself. He also shared the location of the Shire. The Witch-king spared Wormtongue because he thinks he would be useful in dealing with Saruman. The Witch-king then divided the Nazgûls into four pairs to catch up with Saruman's men. They were able to gather the spies and found charts and maps of Middle-earth, including the Shire, in their possession. The Nazgûls were able to reach Sarn Ford, but they were prevented from crossing by the Dúnedain Rangers guarding it. The rangers sent word to their chief, Aragorn II, but the Nazgûls were able to capture the ford and kill the soldiers.

The Witch-king and the Nazgûls were able to catch up with Aragorn, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin at the Weathertop. Aragorn was able to drive the Nazgûls away, but the Witch-king was able to wound Frodo with a Morgul knife. The wound could turn Frodo into a wraith. Because of this, Elrond sent Glorfindel to the group to bring Frodo to Rivendell for healing. Glorfindel rushed to Rivendell, but the Nazgûls were also following him. When the Witch-king and the Nazgûls entered Bruinen, Elrond created a great flood, and Gandalf formed the waves into horses. The flood destroyed the Nazgûl's physical form and killed their horses. This action caused them to retreat to Mordor.

The War of the Ring

Sauron gave the Nazgûls winged creatures to be their new mounts when they lost their horses in flood. The lesser eight Nazgûls were sent out to do minor missions while the Witch-king resumed his role as commander in Minas Morgul. The Witch-king aided Sauron in his preparations for their invasion of Gondor. When Sauron felt they were ready, the gates of Minas Morgul opened. The Witch-king rode out on a black horse as head of the army.

When he passed through the gates, he sensed Frodo lurking nearby. This part was the time when Frodo, Sam, and Gollum were hiding behind the rocks. They were able to witness the exit of the vast and terrifying army. The Witch-king knew that The Hobbit would not be able to survive Minas Morgul and so he pushed through and marched on with the army. The Witch-king led Sauron's army in the Battle of Osgiliath against the rangers of Faramir. Faramir's forces were unable to hold back the army of Orcs, and the terrifying presence of flying Nazgûls intimidated his men.

Faramir had no choice but to retreat and pulled back his troops inside Minas Tirith. Faramir was hit by a black dart and was infected with Black Breath. With their retreat, Sauron was pleased, and he felt that he could destroy Minas Tirith soon. He sent the Haradrim, Easterling, and Orc forces to the gates of Minas Tirith. Sauron's forces were about 200,000. Sauron gave more power and strength to the Witch-king. The Witch-king led the army on a black horse. The sight and presence of the Witch-king alone were able to strike fear not only in his enemies but also in the allied soldiers that were close to him. The Witch-king used catapults upon approaching the tower, throwing fire and heads of dead Gondorians into the city.

When they reached the gates of Minas Tirith, the Witch-king sent out the Grond, an enchanted battering ram. The Witch-king started saying an incantation in a language no one recognized. It was a spell that enhanced the damage of the battering ram. By the third time, Grond hit the gates, the gates shattered with a flash of fire. When the Witch-king entered the gates, the defenders inside ran away. His dark presence alone was enough to instill terror in their hearts. Only Gandalf the White was able to withstand the Witch-king's power and stood his ground. The Witch-king mocked Gandalf's bravery for foolishness and drew his sword, which instantly lit up with flames. Gandalf was ready to battle the Witch-king, but their combat was interrupted by the horns of Rohan. This point signaled that the Rohirrim had arrived in Minas Tirith. The presence of more enemies caused the Witch-king to withdraw from their combat to give new orders to Sauron's army.

The Witch-king's Downfall

The Witch-king rallied his army against the Rohirrim. Rohan's army was slowed down when the Mûmakil blocked their charge. This delay allowed the Witch-king to strike King Théoden. The Witch-king flew above his fell beast and dove towards the King. The horses around them panicked and fled as the Witch-king approached. Snowmane, the horse of King Théoden, got hit by a black dart and fell on the King, crushing him with his weight and trapping him. As the Witch-king hovered over King Théoden, Éowyn and Merry Brandybuck stopped him. The Witch-king warned them not to get in the way of a Nazgûl, and his prey for no living man can kill him. Éowyn answered back that she is no man, took off her helmet, and revealed that she is a woman.

Éowyn was able to slay the fell beast with her sword. This action angered the Witch-king, and he released a cry of hatred. The scream shattered the shield Éowyn carried. The Witch-king hit her with his mace, and this broke her arm. As he towered over her for one final blow, the Hobbit Merry stabbed him from behind on the knee with an enchanted Barrow-blade. This action distracted the Witch-king and gave Éowyn the opportunity to diver her sword to the Witch-king's head.

This part concluded the prophecy foretold about the Witch-king. It was indeed true that no living man could kill the Witch-king. He fell in the hands of a woman and a hobbit. Éowyn and Merry, however, had experienced the consequences of getting close to the Witch-king. The weapons they used to kill him disintegrated in their hands, and they were infected with the Black Breath as the Witch-king died. With the death of the Witch-king, the forces of Sauron weakened. Gandalf predicted that with the Witch-king's death, Sauron would lose confidence in his troops and would likely send every person and ounce of his power towards Gondor. This foresight will give Frodo and Sam a chance to enter Mordor and destroy the One Ring in the flames of Mount Doom. Gandalf predicted correctly, and a few days after, Sauron was defeated when the Ring was destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom. The Nazgûls also perished along with the Ring.

Etymology

Although the term "witch" is mostly used on females, in middle-English, the word "witch" had no specific gender. The preference of witch for females and wizards for males was developed later. Tolkien preferred to use the genderless meaning of the term "witch." Still, it is also noted that he only used the word "wizard" for the Maiar Istari exclusively.

Inspirations

It is said that Tolkien possibly came up with the character of the Witch-king because Þráinn inspired him. Þráinn is an undead witch-king from Hromundar saga Gripssonar [4],” The Saga of Hromund Gripsson”, a legendary Icelandic saga.

William Shakespeare's Macbeth could inspire the prophecy that the Witch-king could not be killed by the hand of a living man. In Shakespeare's tale, it was foretold that Macbeth's killer is not born of a woman. It turned out that he would be killed by a man who was born by caesarian section.

Adaptations

The Fellowship of the Ring (Movie)

In the first of the Lord of the Rings trilogy movies by Peter Jackson, the Witch-king appears as one of the nine Nazgûls, and he is not yet identified as the Witch-king. He also appears briefly as a King of Men in the Prologue. He is the Nazgûl that stabs Frodo with the Morgul-blade.

The Two Towers (Movie)

In this movie, you get to see the Witch-king riding his Fellbeast while he is hunting for the One Ring. His presence makes Frodo feel the wound given to him by the Morgul-blade. Still, he was not introduced as the Witch-king of Angmar.

Return of the King (Movie)

It is only in the last movie of the Lord of the Rings trilogy films wherein Gandalf revealed the Witch-king's identity. In this movie, he can now be identified by his armor, helmet, and weapons. The Witch-king appears in the first scenes of the movie as Gandalf tells his story. He appears again later in Minas Morgul, where the gates open, and he leaves the fortress with an army. In the Battle of the Pelennor, the Witch-king can be seen giving orders to Gothmog, the Orc lieutenant. Then, the Witch-king joins the other Nazgûls in destroying buildings in Minas Tirith. You can also see him doing a duel with Gandalf, wherein he was able to break Gandalf's staff using dark magic. The movie also shows his death scene, wherein Éowyn and Merry worked together to defeat him. In the extended version of The Return of the King, it was shown that the Witch-king of Anmar was powerful by Gandalf. But it should be noted that in the books of Tolkien, the strength of the Witch-king varies since it is dependent on Sauron's power.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Movie)

In the first film of The Hobbit trilogy films by Peter Jackson, you get to see the Witch-king in a brief scene. This part was when the wizard Radagast the Brown investigated the strange happenings in Dol Guldur. The story of the Witch-king was also altered in the movie. In the film, they said that the Witch-king of Angmar died and was buried with his sword. But in Tolkien's book, the Witch-king never died.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (Movie)

In this film, the Witch-king of Angmar can be seen fighting the White Council with the rest of the Nazgûl. When they were defeated, they fled to Mordor.​